Thursday, January 31, 2008
“Ah-nold” Terminates McCain?
The California “Guvernator” has thrown his muscular support behind John McCain. Unlike Governor Crist of Florida, “Ah-nold” has star power. He can bring a lot to McCain’s campaign. Sounds good, but…
Does this Republican (with very Democratic leanings) totally sink McCain as the Republican (with Democratic leanings) contender for the White House?
The thing McCain needs now, according to all of the pundits, is support among conservative Republicans. How do they support positions like these?
· The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill – an amnesty program with a $1,500 price tag per sucker – er, criminal alien – uh, honest, upright, hard-working (does the jobs us lazy slobs won’t do) immigrants. (The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill Falls Short)
· The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill – it wasn’t bad enough, so they made it worse, turning it into a true assault on the First Amendment, according to the James Madison Center for Free Speech. In a press release, they stated, “Besides its attacks on free-speech rights, the bill would severely impede the right of free association, which also enjoys broad protection under the First Amendment.” (James Madison Center.org Press Release 022201)
· The McCain-Lieberman Stewardship Act – a failed attempt to drag down our economy for the sake of the “global warming hoax.” Analysis showed that this would be a very costly bill, not only in terms of dollars but also jobs lost. (New Study Shows Hefty Price Tag for McCain-Lieberman Bill)
Don’t think that “Ah-nold” is a RINO (Republican in Name Only)? Check out this latest Democratic-sounding, liberal-leaning, attempted legislation since ousting Gray Davis from the Governor’s Office in the Golden State:
The latest: A failed (thank goodness) $15 billion socialized medicine bill (it took a liberal Democrat, Sen. Sheila Kuehl, to say, “It doesn’t matter how many good things are in the bill if there isn’t money to pay for them.” (California Senate Kills Schwarzenegger Health Care Plan - Biggest legislative defeat for California Governor) Of course, this hasn’t stopped the “Guvernator” from trying. (Can’t have people being self-responsible and paying for their own healthcare. They’d get the idea that they didn’t need big government for other things, too.)
Yeah, the conservatives are going to go for McCain even MORE now that “Guvernator” has expressed his approval and admiration – NOT!
By the way, if you want to read more about the Obama endorsement, check out my article.
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good afterall. (And don't forget to check out her blog sites: Sounded Good, Shame on You, and Kudos to You.)Go to full article...
Does this Republican (with very Democratic leanings) totally sink McCain as the Republican (with Democratic leanings) contender for the White House?
The thing McCain needs now, according to all of the pundits, is support among conservative Republicans. How do they support positions like these?
· The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill – an amnesty program with a $1,500 price tag per sucker – er, criminal alien – uh, honest, upright, hard-working (does the jobs us lazy slobs won’t do) immigrants. (The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill Falls Short)
· The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill – it wasn’t bad enough, so they made it worse, turning it into a true assault on the First Amendment, according to the James Madison Center for Free Speech. In a press release, they stated, “Besides its attacks on free-speech rights, the bill would severely impede the right of free association, which also enjoys broad protection under the First Amendment.” (James Madison Center.org Press Release 022201)
· The McCain-Lieberman Stewardship Act – a failed attempt to drag down our economy for the sake of the “global warming hoax.” Analysis showed that this would be a very costly bill, not only in terms of dollars but also jobs lost. (New Study Shows Hefty Price Tag for McCain-Lieberman Bill)
Don’t think that “Ah-nold” is a RINO (Republican in Name Only)? Check out this latest Democratic-sounding, liberal-leaning, attempted legislation since ousting Gray Davis from the Governor’s Office in the Golden State:
The latest: A failed (thank goodness) $15 billion socialized medicine bill (it took a liberal Democrat, Sen. Sheila Kuehl, to say, “It doesn’t matter how many good things are in the bill if there isn’t money to pay for them.” (California Senate Kills Schwarzenegger Health Care Plan - Biggest legislative defeat for California Governor) Of course, this hasn’t stopped the “Guvernator” from trying. (Can’t have people being self-responsible and paying for their own healthcare. They’d get the idea that they didn’t need big government for other things, too.)
Yeah, the conservatives are going to go for McCain even MORE now that “Guvernator” has expressed his approval and admiration – NOT!
By the way, if you want to read more about the Obama endorsement, check out my article.
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good afterall. (And don't forget to check out her blog sites: Sounded Good, Shame on You, and Kudos to You.)Go to full article...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Ted to Bill: “Phtht!”
Maybe it was gentlemanly manners. Maybe he’s just slowing down in his rotund, white-haired years. Whatever the reason, Ted Kennedy announced his endorsement of Obama after his niece, Caroline. Sounds good, but…
Manners and advanced years doesn’t matter. The effect was a build-up from Caroline’s announcement to his. The press was already frenzied and waiting for the next big endorsement. They were primed and ready. How better to increase the very public nature of a big raspberry (“Phtht!”) at Bill and Hillary?
Speaking of Hillary, does anybody remember her campaign for reelection to the New York seat in the U.S. Senate? Check this article: Hillary: Love Her, Hate Her. She raised a (relatively) huge Senate race war chest, all the while poo-pooing the idea that she would not fulfill her second 6-year term and would instead seek the Presidency. That certainly deserves a raspberry: “Phtht!”
That goes double for the voters in New York who fell for her b--- s---: “Phtht! Phtht!”
The author of another article certainly got it wrong when he stated:
Talk about throwing your vote away!
By the way, all of this brouhaha has focused people on whether Obama is running a race-neutral campaign or not. That’s sort of like the smokescreen cast up during the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. It doesn’t matter. Obama is such a horror on his own, as an individual, not as a half black-half white candidate, there is no need to bring race into the mix.
A few items in his campaign that make me shudder:
[ Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Iowa Caucus Night,” Des Moines, IA January 03, 2008]
Bottom line: Ted may be giving the raspberry to the Clintons, but we still need to look past his endorsement and take a close, hard look at this Obama guy.
“Phtht!”
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good afterall. (And don't forget to check out her blog sites: Sounded Good, Shame on You, and Kudos to You.)
Manners and advanced years doesn’t matter. The effect was a build-up from Caroline’s announcement to his. The press was already frenzied and waiting for the next big endorsement. They were primed and ready. How better to increase the very public nature of a big raspberry (“Phtht!”) at Bill and Hillary?
Speaking of Hillary, does anybody remember her campaign for reelection to the New York seat in the U.S. Senate? Check this article: Hillary: Love Her, Hate Her. She raised a (relatively) huge Senate race war chest, all the while poo-pooing the idea that she would not fulfill her second 6-year term and would instead seek the Presidency. That certainly deserves a raspberry: “Phtht!”
That goes double for the voters in New York who fell for her b--- s---: “Phtht! Phtht!”
The author of another article certainly got it wrong when he stated:
“…she promised New Yorkers she would serve out her Senate term, which ends in 2006. Political promises are broken all the time, but Senator Clinton, unlike her husband, is known in Congress as a straight shooter.” [“Hillary's Money Machine Love her or hate her, Clinton's dollars are driving the Democrats.” Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, December 8, 2003]She may have served out that first term, but obviously had no intention of serving out the second one.
Talk about throwing your vote away!
By the way, all of this brouhaha has focused people on whether Obama is running a race-neutral campaign or not. That’s sort of like the smokescreen cast up during the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. It doesn’t matter. Obama is such a horror on his own, as an individual, not as a half black-half white candidate, there is no need to bring race into the mix.
A few items in his campaign that make me shudder:
- “I'll be a President who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American” – Glad I’m not a doctor right now, about to be chained to my stethoscope for the sake of my neighbor’s “right” to treatment for every sniffle
- “I'll be a President who ends the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas” – Gee, what about the labor unions, who drove labor costs artificially high, and the government, who forced companies to deal with these unions? Maybe that had a little something to do with this “jobs exodus.”
- “I'll be a President who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers and scientists and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.” – How about freeing the oil companies to go after the oil we have lying in the Gulf of Mexico and the barren wastelands of Alaska? Since it costs more in energy to process these “renewable” fuels and get them to your car or to the power company supplying your house, how does this help?
- “And I'll be a President who ends this war in Iraq and finally brings our troops home; who restores our moral standing; who understands that 9/11 is not a way to scare up votes, but a challenge that should unite America and the world against the common threats of the twenty-first century; common threats of terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease.” – This statement is so chockfull of garbage, I have to take it point by point:
- Does this bozo even understand why we are in Iraq? Does he have any realistic idea of the threat we all face if our troops are pulled back home prematurely? Has he even heard of Vietnam? This would be much worse. Maybe I need to start getting fitted for that burqa now to be ready when the terrorists (almost all of whom are Muslim) take over.
- We all understand that 9/11 is not a vote-getting tactic. Next, he’ll be saying that Bush planned the attack on that terrible day in 2001 so he could get re-elected in 2004. (Now, that’s planning ahead!) He seems to have some idea (or his speech writers do) of “terrorism” and “nuclear weapons” but has not been able to connect the dots with the strides we are making in Iraq. (He’s been taking in too much liberally-biased news, I guess.)
- He lumps “climate change” with poverty. Hopefully, this is because he realizes the economic disaster that would befall this country if we were to sign the Kyoto Treaty. Hey, Obama, climate change happens. Get over it. (And watch the series “The Universe” on the History channel for the big picture. We’re just little specs in a vast space that is beyond our imagination.)
- Finally, genocide and disease is another odd pairing. Maybe he is signaling to my American Indian relatives that they should vote for him and he won’t give them disease-infested blankets. Can’t imagine why else he is even saying this (oh, yeah, those speech writers again)
[ Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Iowa Caucus Night,” Des Moines, IA January 03, 2008]
Bottom line: Ted may be giving the raspberry to the Clintons, but we still need to look past his endorsement and take a close, hard look at this Obama guy.
“Phtht!”
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good afterall. (And don't forget to check out her blog sites: Sounded Good, Shame on You, and Kudos to You.)
Monday, January 28, 2008
A primer on how to be a terrible Buyer's (Real Estate) Agent
The following is my follow-up to my article "Is Your 'Buyers Only' Agent Really on Your Side?" posted on Saturday 5 January 2008. Unfortunately, the Buyers Only Agent that we used has behaved immorally by not facing up to the damage he and the house inspector he forced on us missed. Maybe this guide will help you avoid this and the other issues we faced.
How NOT to serve Buyers
(No, not a Twilight Zone episode, but much worse.
A primer in how to be a nightmarish Buyer’s Agent.)
Fail to:
- Conduct a Market Survey
- Find out how motivated the Seller is
- Get a feel for what the lowest offer price should be at the very least
Just scratch your head, go with a “gut response,” and collect that big, fat commission check.
Who cares that Zillow.com has the Buyers’ new home valued below what they paid or that the Buyers find out at closing that the Seller would have been ecstatic with the lower price they had wanted to offer but you talked them out of (by claiming that it was a “hot market” and “this house won’t last long”).
Force the Buyers to use your choice of:
- Pest Inspector 1
- House Inspector 2
- Closing Attorney 3
1 Who didn’t even want to show the Buyers his report but instead was focused on trying to get business from the Seller (to treat the existing termite infestation).
2 Even though you know he has screwed up in the past and will certainly screw up again by missing damage that the Seller should pay for fixing.
3 Who screwed up the closing by failing to get one of the Sellers to sign off on their claim to the property and then quit a week before the closing date, delaying the closing and almost losing the Buyers their rate lock at a time when interest rates had jumped up a percentage point.
Let your opinions prevail over what the Buyers want, such as:
- Not scheduling certain houses to show the Buyers because you think their location isn’t suitable (after all, you’re a “housing consultant”!)
- Including a request for a useless home warranty in the purchase offer.
- Not pursuing the installation of a digital thermostat (an item agreed to on the repairs list) because you think “they’re a waste of money”
- Letting certain items on the house inspection report slide or not pursuing getting any of the repairs agreed to by the Seller done at all
- Letting the Pest Inspector also be the one who treats the termite infestation (thus giving the Buyers no real, objective assurance that the treatment was even done, let alone done correctly)
If the Buyers start squawking
about pulling out of the sale,
keep pushing the idea that
they could lose their deposit.
Don’t mention to them that in reality, Buyers almost
always get their deposit back, no matter why
they pulled out of the sale.
When problems show
up with the house
(ones that were missed
by the House Inspector),
claim it’s not your fault
and refuse to communicate
with the Buyers.
Follow this up with lies and denials to the Real Estate
Commission when a complaint is filed against you.
Think that you did a great job for the Buyers because:
- You gave them a fancy binder containing duplicates of papers they already have
- You gave them a $25 gift card to Home Depot (boy, that sure goes a long way toward covering all of the extra expenses the Buyers incurred – NOT!)
- You invite them once a year to a mosquito-invested park to chow down on barbecued chicken (ptomaine, anyone?) along with the rest of your victims
- You’re such a swell person (Gee, why can’t the Buyers see that?)
Oh well, you have that big, fat commission check to keep
you warm, no matter how unreasonable the Buyers
are about how you shafted them.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Are the ‘Racial Gloves’ off in the Presidential Campaign?
Stirring speeches are being given, rousing debates are being held, well-timed tears are being shed (to show a candidate’s “human” side). Sounds good, but…
Have the Clintons misstepped on the racial front? They’re walking a fine line in their campaign for the Democratic nomination against Obama. How do they point out his failings as a contender without offending their base of black voters?
Not very well, judging by recent headlines like this one on Drudge (12 January 2008):
Clinton camp hits Obama Attacks 'painful' for black voters...
The real dilemma? According to the above article, it’s this: Do black voters who have supported the Clintons through two terms as President now get “drawn to the prospect of a black man winning the presidency”? It seems to depend on the age of the voter, with younger black voters going to Obama and older black voters hanging in there with the Clintons, generally speaking.
Actually, the dilemma is: Why are we looking at a candidate’s “group identity” (female, black, southern, Irish descent, young, old, cute, well-groomed, bad hair, etc.) or anything similar?
When did we stop looking at who can sit across the table from people like Vladimir Putin, who was (and possibly still is) part of the old regime in the now-collapsed USSR? (Remember them? The Cold War? Atomic Bomb scares?) What about facing down Ahmadinejad-the-pipsqueak-Iranian, the nation of Pakistan, and Islamic terrorists? (Nuclear threat in the hands of people who call us “infidels” who should be wiped off the face of the earth.) Giuliani certainly stood firm when New York City was ground zero for an attack on this country. Thompson comes across as a tough “hombre” who wouldn’t shrink from responding where appropriate. Even Huckabee showed backbone with his “be prepared to see the gates of Hell” remark during the South Carolina debate on FoxNews. While Clinton and Obama have both said they will yank our troops out of the Middle East virtually after taking the oath of office.
What about saying “No” loud and clear to the “gimme” crowd (“free” healthcare, government-run schools, welfare, amnesty for illegals invading this country, and on and on)? That same debate showed only one candidate who had that kind of backbone: Ron Paul. (Of course, he’s also no slouch on defending us against aggressors.) While Clinton, Obama, and Edwards are promising healthcare “free” for all (except for that pesky little matter of higher taxes to pay for it and the virtual enslavement of every healthcare provider in this country to anyone with a hangnail).
Who cares if a candidate is male, female, old, young, yada…yada…yada…? Let’s not get distracted from what is really important to this country and which Presidential candidate will be able to stand tall (figuratively speaking) in the White House and to the world. We don’t need more hijab-wearing, Islamic pandering politicians. Pelosi is enough.
Now, who has the best wardrobe…that’s important! Pantsuit, anyone?
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
Have the Clintons misstepped on the racial front? They’re walking a fine line in their campaign for the Democratic nomination against Obama. How do they point out his failings as a contender without offending their base of black voters?
Not very well, judging by recent headlines like this one on Drudge (12 January 2008):
Clinton camp hits Obama Attacks 'painful' for black voters...
The real dilemma? According to the above article, it’s this: Do black voters who have supported the Clintons through two terms as President now get “drawn to the prospect of a black man winning the presidency”? It seems to depend on the age of the voter, with younger black voters going to Obama and older black voters hanging in there with the Clintons, generally speaking.
Actually, the dilemma is: Why are we looking at a candidate’s “group identity” (female, black, southern, Irish descent, young, old, cute, well-groomed, bad hair, etc.) or anything similar?
When did we stop looking at who can sit across the table from people like Vladimir Putin, who was (and possibly still is) part of the old regime in the now-collapsed USSR? (Remember them? The Cold War? Atomic Bomb scares?) What about facing down Ahmadinejad-the-pipsqueak-Iranian, the nation of Pakistan, and Islamic terrorists? (Nuclear threat in the hands of people who call us “infidels” who should be wiped off the face of the earth.) Giuliani certainly stood firm when New York City was ground zero for an attack on this country. Thompson comes across as a tough “hombre” who wouldn’t shrink from responding where appropriate. Even Huckabee showed backbone with his “be prepared to see the gates of Hell” remark during the South Carolina debate on FoxNews. While Clinton and Obama have both said they will yank our troops out of the Middle East virtually after taking the oath of office.
What about saying “No” loud and clear to the “gimme” crowd (“free” healthcare, government-run schools, welfare, amnesty for illegals invading this country, and on and on)? That same debate showed only one candidate who had that kind of backbone: Ron Paul. (Of course, he’s also no slouch on defending us against aggressors.) While Clinton, Obama, and Edwards are promising healthcare “free” for all (except for that pesky little matter of higher taxes to pay for it and the virtual enslavement of every healthcare provider in this country to anyone with a hangnail).
Who cares if a candidate is male, female, old, young, yada…yada…yada…? Let’s not get distracted from what is really important to this country and which Presidential candidate will be able to stand tall (figuratively speaking) in the White House and to the world. We don’t need more hijab-wearing, Islamic pandering politicians. Pelosi is enough.
Now, who has the best wardrobe…that’s important! Pantsuit, anyone?
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
Labels: campaign, clinton, giuliani, obama, presidential, ron paul, thompson
Go to full article...Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Water and National Healthcare
Municipalities have been putting pipes in the ground as far back as the late 1800’s in this country. Some pipes carry water to your house or business, while others take away your waste (a much better system than the chamber pots that were prevalent before then). An abundant water supply coming in to your house helps you keep your clothes, linens, and dishes clean. Waste going out of your house to the local wastewater treatment facility keeps down disease. Sounds good, but…
Municipalities have overpromised, and drought stricken states in the southeast of the U.S. are facing the consequences. This amounts, essentially, to a breach of contract (in my layman’s opinion).
When municipalities require that new houses and businesses in the municipal water district must connect with the water and sewer system, they are, in essence, saying that they commit to supplying the water and sewer services the owners will require. Instead of living up to that commitment through proper planning, they are threatening to implement 50% surcharges and accusing us of being water hogs (flushing too much, taking too many showers, keeping our clothes too clean and our grass too green, etc.). In other words, it’s all our fault. [See Florida’s government issued “guidelines” on water usage, stating that all “wasteful and unnecessary water use is prohibited.” Of course, they don’t specify what is “wasteful and unnecessary.”]
Some municipalities that have called for residents to reduce water usage are now facing a shortfall in the revenue they would have been getting from that water usage. Duh!
When government gets into the “business” of providing a service that should be handled by the private sector, they always stumble. Usually, this is due to entrenched bureaucracy, virtually guaranteed life employment for government workers, and systems that just can’t trim down and turn around as quickly as a private company can. Of course, companies, unless forced to do so by government regulations and/or pressure from special interest groups such as have been attacking the energy sector, usually don’t encourage their customers to use less of their product.
Well, you may be asking, what does this have to do with national healthcare (a.k.a. socialized medicine)?
It has to do with the government making promises, commitments, contracts, or whatever you want to call it, saying that they can do the job better (than the private sector). They’ve done it with government schools (and keep sucking up tax dollars as the bloated education system demands more while grades fall in reading and other subjects compared to other countries). They’ve done it with roads, where funds raised through bonds never seem to be there or to be sufficient to cover keeping existing roads in good repair. They’ve done it with parks and recreation, which are lagging behind in maintenance due to the staggering cost. Again and again, government is taking on things that should be handled by the private sector and stumbling miserably.
Now, they want to take on providing healthcare. The very idea makes me queasy!
Time for us all to realize that too much is shifting to the public sector, to the detriment of us all. Time for municipalities to get out of the water and sewer business and most definitely never get into the healthcare business. Then, we can have clean, safe water, free flowing sewers, and doctors who can make medical decisions without checking with their government watchdog. (If you want to read a fascinating, well-researched and well-written, romantic drama that shows exactly how this would work, read Noble Vision by Gen LaGreca, available from Winged Victory Press and Amazon.com.)
Excuse me while I go take some of that pink stuff (some of that self-medicating like what is being advocated in Britain). Urp!
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good after all.Go to full article...
Municipalities have overpromised, and drought stricken states in the southeast of the U.S. are facing the consequences. This amounts, essentially, to a breach of contract (in my layman’s opinion).
When municipalities require that new houses and businesses in the municipal water district must connect with the water and sewer system, they are, in essence, saying that they commit to supplying the water and sewer services the owners will require. Instead of living up to that commitment through proper planning, they are threatening to implement 50% surcharges and accusing us of being water hogs (flushing too much, taking too many showers, keeping our clothes too clean and our grass too green, etc.). In other words, it’s all our fault. [See Florida’s government issued “guidelines” on water usage, stating that all “wasteful and unnecessary water use is prohibited.” Of course, they don’t specify what is “wasteful and unnecessary.”]
Some municipalities that have called for residents to reduce water usage are now facing a shortfall in the revenue they would have been getting from that water usage. Duh!
When government gets into the “business” of providing a service that should be handled by the private sector, they always stumble. Usually, this is due to entrenched bureaucracy, virtually guaranteed life employment for government workers, and systems that just can’t trim down and turn around as quickly as a private company can. Of course, companies, unless forced to do so by government regulations and/or pressure from special interest groups such as have been attacking the energy sector, usually don’t encourage their customers to use less of their product.
Well, you may be asking, what does this have to do with national healthcare (a.k.a. socialized medicine)?
It has to do with the government making promises, commitments, contracts, or whatever you want to call it, saying that they can do the job better (than the private sector). They’ve done it with government schools (and keep sucking up tax dollars as the bloated education system demands more while grades fall in reading and other subjects compared to other countries). They’ve done it with roads, where funds raised through bonds never seem to be there or to be sufficient to cover keeping existing roads in good repair. They’ve done it with parks and recreation, which are lagging behind in maintenance due to the staggering cost. Again and again, government is taking on things that should be handled by the private sector and stumbling miserably.
Now, they want to take on providing healthcare. The very idea makes me queasy!
Time for us all to realize that too much is shifting to the public sector, to the detriment of us all. Time for municipalities to get out of the water and sewer business and most definitely never get into the healthcare business. Then, we can have clean, safe water, free flowing sewers, and doctors who can make medical decisions without checking with their government watchdog. (If you want to read a fascinating, well-researched and well-written, romantic drama that shows exactly how this would work, read Noble Vision by Gen LaGreca, available from Winged Victory Press and Amazon.com.)
Excuse me while I go take some of that pink stuff (some of that self-medicating like what is being advocated in Britain). Urp!
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good after all.Go to full article...
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Is Your ‘Buyers Only’ Agent Really on Your Side?
You want to buy a house. You’re tired of renting…want to move to something bigger/smaller…had a job change/relocation… No matter the reason, the first step is to get a Real Estate agent who will work for your best interests, not the seller’s. So, you get a ‘Buyers Only’ agent. Someone dedicated to making sure you get the best end of the deal. Sounds good, but…
Is there really such a thing as a Buyers Only agent? We thought so until our latest house buying experience.
No, this isn’t a gripe column about how we were left hanging, how the agent did not fulfill the promises touted on the company’s website, how our complaints to the agency owner have been responded to with a “we’re not responsible” letter and then total silence. We have already addressed these issues through the proper government regulatory agencies and legal authorities.
This is a column dedicated to helping you avoid the pitfalls we fell into, even after we had been through several experiences both buying and selling houses over the past 10 years.
First, don’t believe the hype on the agent’s (or the agency’s) website. No matter what the claims, the reality that every buyer has to face is that the agent’s goal is to collect a commission. As a laissez-faire capitalist, I am not opposed to people wanting to get paid for their time and energy. You just need to be aware of what their true motivation is. There is no altruistic drive on their part to find you the perfect house in which you and your family will live happily ever after. That is your job – one you should undertake with the utmost seriousness.
Second, realize that any real estate agent is working with multiple clients at a time. Don’t rely on him/her to keep your buying transaction on track and enforce items in the buying contract. Just as the most important feature in a house is “Location! Location! Location!,” your most important job as a buyer in dealing with your agent is: “Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!” In other words, bug ‘em until they holler “Uncle!” Then, bug ‘em some more!
Third, don’t be fooled by the line “I have a whole team working for you.” This, at least in our personal experience, usually means that the agent will hand off your transaction to this team. These aren’t the people you signed on to deal with. You don’t know their background and experience. Ask the agent about them before you even start looking at houses. Also, when you do get into a buying contract, don’t let the agent keep referring you to this “team” with such phrases as “So-and-so is handling that. You can call her/him directly.” Just say, “No, you’re my agent. You’re the one who has a commission at stake. Get me an answer.” (There’s no harm in playing the “motivation” card by bringing up the commission!)
Fourth, NEVER NEVER NEVER let your agent even recommend – let alone select – the house inspector you use, not to mention the pest inspector, the lender, the closing attorney, or anyone else. House inspection has become a joke, at least in North Carolina. It is extremely limited, and most inspectors do a haphazard job at best. Realize that this inspection is your most important protection as a buyer. The report the inspector prepares for you is your tool to negotiate with the seller – whether it’s for getting repairs done, getting a credit in lieu of those repairs, or getting a drop in the purchase price. Remember, your agent gets a commission based on the purchase price, so he/she will not want to pursue the last option, since it would lower the commission the seller pays. You’ll have to be the one to push for what you want.
Fifth, don’t let your agent’s preferences become yours. The agent we used, for example, thinks that programmable thermostats are a waste of money, so when the seller needed to replace the thermostat and we pushed for a digital thermostat, our agent refused to pass this on to the seller. We got stuck with the $10-analog-thermostat-special that the seller chose. (Yes, buyers can specify what they want, but our agent refused to listen to us.) He also refused to ask for a credit in lieu of repairs, even when we had performed a walk-thru to verify the agreed-on repairs had been done and had discovered most were not. Be tough with your agent. You worked hard for the money you are paying down. You will work hard for the money you will use to make your house payments. Stand firm for what you want. And if the agent won’t listen, go directly to the seller. There is no law preventing this (of course, you may start to wonder why you have an agent in the first place).
Sixth, consider not using an agent. I know it can be a little daunting to go it alone when making the most major purchase of your life. However, we found that the seller was much more agreeable to what we were asking for (unfortunately, it was at the closing). It was clearly the real estate agents (keeping our wishes from being presented to the seller), who often seemed to be talking back and forth among themselves without any input from either us or the seller. If you live in a state that uses closing attorneys, often that is all you need. Considering that most house listings are online, you can screen them yourself. Our agent didn’t do any of the leg work. We did it all, even pulling listings off the Internet and letting him set up the schedule (which we could have done ourselves). He even refused to set up a viewing of some, proclaiming himself to be a “housing consultant” and seeing the area in which the houses were located as unsuitable for us (he never did explain exactly what that meant).
By the way, is there anyone out there reading this who, if given the chance to design their own home, would really want to have the laundry facilities in a little closet off of the kitchen? Our agent and his buddy, the house inspector, think it’s a pretty nifty arrangement, even including this non-structural opinion in the inspection report. Personally, the idea of dirty, smelly clothing, plus scented laundry detergent and softener, and the oh- not-so-pleasant industrial smell of bleach doesn’t quite go with the aroma of my fried chicken or pasta dish. Am I being a bit overly sensitive?
Time to put in that load of dirty socks. Ew! Suddenly, I’m not hungry.
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
Is there really such a thing as a Buyers Only agent? We thought so until our latest house buying experience.
No, this isn’t a gripe column about how we were left hanging, how the agent did not fulfill the promises touted on the company’s website, how our complaints to the agency owner have been responded to with a “we’re not responsible” letter and then total silence. We have already addressed these issues through the proper government regulatory agencies and legal authorities.
This is a column dedicated to helping you avoid the pitfalls we fell into, even after we had been through several experiences both buying and selling houses over the past 10 years.
First, don’t believe the hype on the agent’s (or the agency’s) website. No matter what the claims, the reality that every buyer has to face is that the agent’s goal is to collect a commission. As a laissez-faire capitalist, I am not opposed to people wanting to get paid for their time and energy. You just need to be aware of what their true motivation is. There is no altruistic drive on their part to find you the perfect house in which you and your family will live happily ever after. That is your job – one you should undertake with the utmost seriousness.
Second, realize that any real estate agent is working with multiple clients at a time. Don’t rely on him/her to keep your buying transaction on track and enforce items in the buying contract. Just as the most important feature in a house is “Location! Location! Location!,” your most important job as a buyer in dealing with your agent is: “Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!” In other words, bug ‘em until they holler “Uncle!” Then, bug ‘em some more!
Third, don’t be fooled by the line “I have a whole team working for you.” This, at least in our personal experience, usually means that the agent will hand off your transaction to this team. These aren’t the people you signed on to deal with. You don’t know their background and experience. Ask the agent about them before you even start looking at houses. Also, when you do get into a buying contract, don’t let the agent keep referring you to this “team” with such phrases as “So-and-so is handling that. You can call her/him directly.” Just say, “No, you’re my agent. You’re the one who has a commission at stake. Get me an answer.” (There’s no harm in playing the “motivation” card by bringing up the commission!)
Fourth, NEVER NEVER NEVER let your agent even recommend – let alone select – the house inspector you use, not to mention the pest inspector, the lender, the closing attorney, or anyone else. House inspection has become a joke, at least in North Carolina. It is extremely limited, and most inspectors do a haphazard job at best. Realize that this inspection is your most important protection as a buyer. The report the inspector prepares for you is your tool to negotiate with the seller – whether it’s for getting repairs done, getting a credit in lieu of those repairs, or getting a drop in the purchase price. Remember, your agent gets a commission based on the purchase price, so he/she will not want to pursue the last option, since it would lower the commission the seller pays. You’ll have to be the one to push for what you want.
Fifth, don’t let your agent’s preferences become yours. The agent we used, for example, thinks that programmable thermostats are a waste of money, so when the seller needed to replace the thermostat and we pushed for a digital thermostat, our agent refused to pass this on to the seller. We got stuck with the $10-analog-thermostat-special that the seller chose. (Yes, buyers can specify what they want, but our agent refused to listen to us.) He also refused to ask for a credit in lieu of repairs, even when we had performed a walk-thru to verify the agreed-on repairs had been done and had discovered most were not. Be tough with your agent. You worked hard for the money you are paying down. You will work hard for the money you will use to make your house payments. Stand firm for what you want. And if the agent won’t listen, go directly to the seller. There is no law preventing this (of course, you may start to wonder why you have an agent in the first place).
Sixth, consider not using an agent. I know it can be a little daunting to go it alone when making the most major purchase of your life. However, we found that the seller was much more agreeable to what we were asking for (unfortunately, it was at the closing). It was clearly the real estate agents (keeping our wishes from being presented to the seller), who often seemed to be talking back and forth among themselves without any input from either us or the seller. If you live in a state that uses closing attorneys, often that is all you need. Considering that most house listings are online, you can screen them yourself. Our agent didn’t do any of the leg work. We did it all, even pulling listings off the Internet and letting him set up the schedule (which we could have done ourselves). He even refused to set up a viewing of some, proclaiming himself to be a “housing consultant” and seeing the area in which the houses were located as unsuitable for us (he never did explain exactly what that meant).
By the way, is there anyone out there reading this who, if given the chance to design their own home, would really want to have the laundry facilities in a little closet off of the kitchen? Our agent and his buddy, the house inspector, think it’s a pretty nifty arrangement, even including this non-structural opinion in the inspection report. Personally, the idea of dirty, smelly clothing, plus scented laundry detergent and softener, and the oh- not-so-pleasant industrial smell of bleach doesn’t quite go with the aroma of my fried chicken or pasta dish. Am I being a bit overly sensitive?
Time to put in that load of dirty socks. Ew! Suddenly, I’m not hungry.
Copyright © 2008 A.C. Cargill
Labels: buying, home, home inspection problems, real estate, realtor
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