Buying real estate online
Posted Aug 19, 2008 @ 6:11 am, Viewed by 291 Visitors, Read 302 Times.Recently, I had a discussion with a friend (no, not a client this time) on buying real estate online. We agreed that this practice is not for the average home buyers. Such purchases are mostly confined to condo purchases by oversea buyers or those out-of-town.
Frankly, I don't think that buying a used house online is a very good idea. Tell me honestly, would you buy a house without viweing it, without walking in it? I won't for sure. I wouldn't even buy a used car wihtout driving it first. In my opinion it is good as it is. You can preview and shortlist houses you like and than just go and see only houses you liked the most. Every successful Vancouver realtor has to have a web page to promote houses he is selling. So I think it won't be a problem to find a house suitable for anyone online and than just check it out.
Home inspection is also very important, although I would not limit it to appliances or equipment. When buying a house or condo you might want to check the neighbourhood, traffic situation, etc., as you will live there for a while and these things cannot be changed such as a heater or AC, therefore it might be more important.
My clients usually ask me to help them with a great home inspector and they would be more contented if they could ask questions on the internet. That`s sometimes a waste of time to search for one because you don`t necessarily find the proper one with professionalism.
Jay Banks, your Vancouver realtor
Rate this Post!
Share this Post
Print
Social Bookmarking2 Responses to “Buying real estate online”
It really is a scary story. You have to be extremely careful with such transactions. New properties, often sold off-plan (that is, still under construction), are usually touted as the hassle-free choice, but anyone looking at buying property abroad ahould employ a good, local lawyer who they are sure is independent of the developers to check the paperwork to make sure the building turns out as promised. Buying an existing property, especially one to do up, can be more satisfying, but one should not underestimate the difficulties.
Thanks for your comment, Judy.
Cheers,
Jay
REW Blogs User Stats
Currently Online Users:
0
Total Users:
1,874
Entries:
5,702
Unique Views:
3,229,974
Total Views:
3,368,371
Total Comments:
6,205
I was born back East in Hamilton many years ago, but would never leave Vancouver. What makes Vancouver great for me are the wonderful people. Read More
Contact Me
RSS Feed- This User's Stats
-
Blog Entries: 28Average Blog Rating: 0Unique Views: 7,379Total Views: 7,598Comments Posted: 2Comments Received: 8
Top Rated
REW Blogs RSS Feed
I read about a man overseas in the military that bought a condo online. After he closed and finally moved in he found defects and started suing. I can't remember the outcome but I do remember wondering if he hired an inspector as it wasn't mentioned in the article. Both agents and the seller were sued.
In fact, I believe he sued the listing agent because the agent did not provide the problem areas in the virtual tour that was provided. The article I read wasn't so much about this person buying property online but the responsibility we agents might incur with our online marketing. Scary!