|
|
|
Change in Texas Law May Make Reverse Mortgages More Popular
Texas was one of the last states to allow homeowners to take out home equity loans. Laws going back to the nineteenth century strictly prohibited home equity lending, as legislators feared that unscrupulous lenders would take advantage of homeowners...
Choosing the Right Corporate Training
According to a Gallup Poll, 80 percent of employees said the availability of company-sponsored training programs was a factor in deciding whether to accept a new job or stick with a current one. And yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that...
How to Select a Divorce Lawyer
Selecting a divorce lawyer to handle your family law case is a very important decision. The following are a few important criteria to help in finding the right divorce lawyer.
Experience and Focus
Any divorce lawyer you consider should have...
How To Stop Junk Faxes From Wasting Your Paper and Toner
Junk faxes waste the resources of every business. It is estimated that they cost businesses tens of millions of dollars a year in wasted paper, toner and fax machine maintenance. There is nothing more aggravating then coming into the office each...
Keyword Density And How To Use It To Keep Traffic Flowing To Your Site!
Generating high traffic to your web site can be costly, or not, depending on time and effort you commit to the business.
One of the easiest, least expensive and most effective ways to get visitors is via a concept called ‘Keyword...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Dealing With Dual Real Estate Agents
Historically, real estate agents have represented the seller of a property. The seller, after all, is usually the one who pays their commission, and agents therefore have a fiduciary relationship with the seller. This in no way means that agents may operate outside the bounds of the law and ethical conduct of course. It just means that the real estate agent is just that, an authorized agent of the seller for a particular transaction.
More recent trends have introduced buyer's agents, who usually work on a fee basis exclusively for the buyer, and dual agents. Dual agents represent both seller and buyer, particularly in cases where the agent's company is the listing company. Dual agency is legal in most U.S. states; however, most consumer advocacy organizations recommend against using a dual agent. This is because there is an inherit conflict of interest for the agent - they receive a commission based on the selling price of the property. The higher the price, the higher their commission, so their reasoning is that dual agents never really have the buyer's best interests at heart.
If you've decided to work with a dual agent, this will
need to be disclosed to both the buyer and seller, and they both have to agree, in writing. Dual agents are bound by law and ethics to treat both buyers and sellers honestly, equally, and fairly. Dual agents can be prevented from divulging confidential information about each party to the other. This could severely harm negotiating positions.
The bottom line in dealing with a dual agent is to remember that the buyer and seller have conflicting interests in the price and other terms of the sale. It's very difficult for an agent to truly and equally represent both parties, since the conflicting interests make that inherently impossible. If you do choose to use a dual agent, be sure the exact nature of your relationship with the dual agent is clear, know what services the agent will be performing for you during the transaction, how the agent will be paid, and how any conflicts that arise will be handled.
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.
|
|
|
|
|
|