Contacting the owner directly to buy house?

Yes, it will benefit you in the following way. If you call him, and he agrees to go behind his realtor's back, abrogating his legal contract with his agent and his agent's broker, then you will know you are dealing with an untrustworthy party, and should expect to be deceived in the transaction.

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 6:23 PM

I don't know anybody will advise to buy that house, sorry. It's so overpriced and not a pretty house.

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 6:57 PM

I should specify the first house the one with the bricked over porch is the ugly house that's overpriced. The 2nd one is pretty but it too is a money pit.

I see the appeal but the only place I'd personally ever buy a huge sprawling Victorian is California. No need to cool it or heat it too much for too long through the year.

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 7:14 PM

I wouldn't take advice from anyone who'd buy anything in california.

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 7:28 PM

I didn't buy in CA, 7:28. Where'd you see that? The point was about not throwing money out the door to heat a huge drafty woodframe Victorian in a COLD WEATHER place. Guess you missed that part. Went right over your head. ZOOM!

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 7:31 PM

Yeah I'd hate to live in this house in San Francisco.

http://www.inetours.com/images/Victorians/Victorian_Mansion_5936.jpg

Must truly be torture.

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 7:39 PM

if it were me, honestly, i would just find the time to drop by his store and chat him up in person. i don't think calling him on the phone is much better than going through the broker.

i think if you meet him in person and let him know that you're looking for a victorian home in the area, and specifically are interested in his home but that it is out of your price range (mention his neighbor sent you over to the store), you will be able to best gauge his desire to sell and also be able to get down to brass tacks pretty quickly. homeowners like people that like their house, especially when they're selling! hopefully he will see that you are a genuine person and a real buyer, and not some faceless name who's jerking him around by lowballing, etc., or a developer planning a teardown.

worst case scenario you realize there's no way to meet in the middle on price, he tells you to eff off, and you can comfortably let the house go. but if you play your cards right, even if this house isn't right for you, and you manage to come across as honest and genuine, he may be able to give you more inside scoop/dirt on the hood and his neighbors and other properties that may go on sale, or are closer to your price range.

Posted by: guest at March 25, 2008 9:30 PM

If you don't go through broker, not sure it is a breach of contract (it would be if the broker brought you in initially and you then went behind their back), or can wait until the contract with broker expires. You can then avoid commission. Or if you make a deal, can use broker's services to complete the deal.

Posted by: guest at March 26, 2008 9:42 AM

9:42 is confused/backwards. It is a breach of the seller's contract, not the buyer's, and the seller pays the commission, not the buyer.

Posted by: guest at March 26, 2008 11:58 AM

9:42 here. No, I get it. I'm saying that seller might accept a lower bid if they did not have to pay broker's commission.

Posted by: guest at March 27, 2008 11:37 AM