Looking for a realtor

[fadedsun]

I am thinking to buy some property in either the Daleville/Troutville area of Virginia or possibly the Waynesboro area of Pennsylvania.

Does anyone have a good Realtor to recommend?

[BuckeyeBill]

Try Google.

[Hikingjim]

Try Google. I just googled useless advice, and it linked me to your reply

[MuddyWaters]

I routinely search mls system online in a couple areas , no realtor needed until you ready to look at something

But theres a lot to be said for making them work for their cut.

I had one come by my house about some property I own last yr, they had client who wanted it. I let them make an offer. It was low. I just said no thanks. Realtor came back, "wait, their willing to pay more". I said, nope. Not even interested, you wasted my time.

He also put a sizeable sum in for me to pay him, not even my representative......

[BuckeyeBill]

I just googled useless advice, and it linked me to your reply

Well I was trying to figure out what this thread has to do with the AT. There is an area for Non AT related issues located here (https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php/361-General-Non-AT-Talk). Next time I will try harder just for you. Also, it looks like Google is still working right based on your reply.

[Time Zone]

I had one come by my house about some property I own last yr, they had client who wanted it. I let them make an offer. It was low. I just said no thanks. Realtor came back, "wait, their willing to pay more". I said, nope. Not even interested, you wasted my time.

He also put a sizeable sum in for me to pay him, not even my representative......

It's my understanding that it's standard practice for the seller to pay the commission fee out of the proceeds from the sale of a house. If you have your own agent, then the same amt of commission $ gets split between the seller's agent and buyer's agent.

http://www.realtor.com/advice/finance/who-pays-the-real-estate-agent/

[MuddyWaters]

It's my understanding that it's standard practice for the seller to pay the commission fee out of the proceeds from the sale of a house. If you have your own agent, then the same amt of commission $ gets split between the seller's agent and buyer's agent.

http://www.realtor.com/advice/finance/who-pays-the-real-estate-agent/

Couldnt careless what standard practice is. I didnt have it listed. I told the jackhole I wasnt looking to sell, and get at least half dozen cold calls on it every year, and both neighboring landowners want it too. I could sell it in 1 day if I tried. Id only sell it if a top price was thrown my way.

[hikehunter]

Oct 2016 bought land in Tenn. less than !5 min. car ride from AT road crossing. It took me over 3 years to find what I was looking to get. I started by going on Zillow and Realtor.com Yes zillow is not the best. It gets you started by seeing what is on the market. When you get ready to go look to buy call a realtor or broker. I call 3 in the area I bought the land only one returned my call. He got the sale. He was very good. He got out and walked the land with me and pointed out things and had a lot of details about the different properties I looked at before I made the offer. He was a broker. A broker has no tie to the seller most times and he works for the sell not the commission. The will dig up a lot of information on the properties. My main advice find the independant guys the big company places want to keep the price high so they can make more money. The small guys need the money and will work to help you get the best price.
Good luck, hope you find what you are looking for.

[Feral Bill]

I assume the OP is looking for someone he can trust, and who knows his business. I suggest dropping in on several, and asking them how many properties they sell in a ywar, and for references.

[peakbagger]

Not sure if it applies down where you are looking but up here in the whites there are two distinct markets; One is properties for locals who live around here and the other market is vacation homes marketed to clients from markets with higher land and home valuations. They vacation home marketed home are frequently listed at a significant mark up as most vacation home buyers approach the rural market and expect a deal.

A local story from the whites. About 5 years a custom contemporary on about 8 acres came up on the market. It was on slight rise and had views from every room in the house south to the Northern Presidentials and Mt Washington with the national forest to the south so they really didn't have to worry about intensive development in front of their view. It was listed for $415K. The mortgage crisis was still simmering so it sat for two winters. One day I see it listed as an extreme markdown to 250K in the middle of the winter. Not many homes sell in winter locally. A few months later I see that it sold for $150K which is less than what the lot was worth. I expect some realtor grabbed it. It looks like it was occupied for a year or so and now I see it on the market with another realtor for $415K. Odds are now that the market is picking up someone from out of state will fall in love with it and offer a low ball offer for something like $315K. They think the owner will counter but the offer will be accepted. Moral of the story, do a lot of independent research on actual selling costs versus asking prices in the area you are looking. There can be quite a difference. The brokers are in on it as they work on commission and they are not against propping up prices if they can get away with it. What you need is a local broker who has been at it for awhile. On occasion some of the more experienced one will become buyers brokers and in that case they know the games being played and can cut through the BS. Just realize they normally also work on commission so it all comes down to their reputation.

[fadedsun]

@BuckeyeBill I am asking in this forum because I would like to use the property as a campground or hostel or B&B for AT Hikers. This seemed an appropriate forum for that.

@Feral Bill: You are correct: I am looking for someone I can trust who knows his business. I have a long list of realtors from realtor.com, some of whom I am speaking to, but would really prefer a recommendation from someone in the area.

[BuckeyeBill]

To Fadedsun,

No problem with me, but you did not state that in your original post. There is a sticky post at the top of the general section placed there by the moderators that covers this, but most people fail to read it. Good luck to you with your future plans.