Over the years, I have bought several and sold a few properties in the Brazos and surrounding counties with few problems as my attorney and I handled the details on most without going through a realtor on my end. I did let a local guy handle the sale of a commercial piece and was very pleased with him.
Over the past year, I have been interested in 2 pieces of rural and semi-rural acreage.
One, in Grimes County, was represented by an independent, as far as I could tell, broker who showed me a 125 acre tract that had just been cut out of a 250 acre piece. There was an access easement to the other 125 acre piece but not to the one I was interested in. This access problem was never brought up in 2 visits to the property by her. When I discovered the problem and brought it up, the broker said it really shouldn't be a problem getting the easement but the current owner wasn't going to pursue it. I know the guy who holds the property across whose land the easement would have to be granted and he is a horse's ass and isn't benefitting from this. Should the broker freely reveal this info without a potential buyer having to find it out on their own? I can see signing a contract and then, when it is exposed, losing my earnest money from backing out or at least getting into dispute over such.
The second property is a 12 acre piece in Brazos, actually barely in CS city limits and does not have sewer. Asking price is outrageous but it has potential. Agent, when I asked if it has sewer, said no but it should be no problem to run a line to the trunk. Problem is I found out in doing my own sleuthing, the trunk is 2 properties away and they haven't granted any of the surrounding properties access across their land since the trunk is well onto their property. Not to mention going across the property in between. I passed on the deal but am repeatedly contacted by him and he insists that "it shouldn't be a big deal getting sewer." To me, this is the same as saying it is available. Am I way off base in thinking that, ethically, I am dealing with some hard up real estate reps and that as long as they don't give guarantees, they are OK in their statements? Is it also buyer beware when dealing with them? Am I expecting too much? Just wondering as I have nearly always done my own deals and the corresponding research. If I messed up, it was on me. Thanks.
Over the past year, I have been interested in 2 pieces of rural and semi-rural acreage.
One, in Grimes County, was represented by an independent, as far as I could tell, broker who showed me a 125 acre tract that had just been cut out of a 250 acre piece. There was an access easement to the other 125 acre piece but not to the one I was interested in. This access problem was never brought up in 2 visits to the property by her. When I discovered the problem and brought it up, the broker said it really shouldn't be a problem getting the easement but the current owner wasn't going to pursue it. I know the guy who holds the property across whose land the easement would have to be granted and he is a horse's ass and isn't benefitting from this. Should the broker freely reveal this info without a potential buyer having to find it out on their own? I can see signing a contract and then, when it is exposed, losing my earnest money from backing out or at least getting into dispute over such.
The second property is a 12 acre piece in Brazos, actually barely in CS city limits and does not have sewer. Asking price is outrageous but it has potential. Agent, when I asked if it has sewer, said no but it should be no problem to run a line to the trunk. Problem is I found out in doing my own sleuthing, the trunk is 2 properties away and they haven't granted any of the surrounding properties access across their land since the trunk is well onto their property. Not to mention going across the property in between. I passed on the deal but am repeatedly contacted by him and he insists that "it shouldn't be a big deal getting sewer." To me, this is the same as saying it is available. Am I way off base in thinking that, ethically, I am dealing with some hard up real estate reps and that as long as they don't give guarantees, they are OK in their statements? Is it also buyer beware when dealing with them? Am I expecting too much? Just wondering as I have nearly always done my own deals and the corresponding research. If I messed up, it was on me. Thanks.