I’ve heard it many times: “I’m just going to contact the listing agent as I’ll get a better deal on price” and/or “I’ll have a better chance at winning a bidding war when they double-end the transaction.” Is that really the case though? It’s possible, yes, but oftentimes it’s not likely. At the very least, it’s more work for you to manually search listings and to book your own showings with different agents or hope to attend... [read more]

In the seller's market of late, many buyers have resorted to submitting firm offers (those with no conditions) when competing on properties, so that they are more appealing to (and more likely chosen by) the seller. Unfortunately, one of the biggest risks of this is giving up the right to a formal home inspection before firming up the deal. For one thing, they don't truly know in great detail what they are buying, which may include hidden deficiencies. For another, they aren't able... [read more]