Our HVAC failed at inspection (not a shocker - 26 years old). We need a replacement ASAP. A highly recommended journeyman installer (hes done several neighbor's systems and was recommended by coworkers as well) is available to do the job for thousands under the next bid. He can provide an invoice with his license number. He did advise that, with journeyman status, he cannot pull the permits. My realtor said we wouldn't be able to get the permits in 13 days anyway. The buyer addendum states the system must be new and in working order. What would your level of concern be here? I'm not even sure the expensive regional company would be able to get permitted either. submitted by /u/Subby13 [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1w4m4xx/permits_for_hvac_swap_maryland/

I'm so beyond tired of looking at homes online, then seeing them in person, and they look NOTHING like what the online photos are. These are wasting everyone's time. Agents, if you can't learn to to, or don't want to fork over for professional photos, find another line of work. Trying to sell an inherited property, and the highly recommended agent insists on using these cartooninshly fake generated images. submitted by /u/CrotalusHorridus [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1w4e5yl/can_we_please_stop_using_ai_generatedaltered/

Hello! My husband and I are preparing to put our house on the market. Our biggest hiccup is that we have 8 cats that live indoor/outdoor. We do live on a 10 acre lot and the cats have a tree house that they spend a lot of time in during the day. Truthfully they are not in the house much except t night. Our agent has walked through our house and said that there is no smell but to have the carpet in the bedrooms professionally cleaned. Otherwise everything else is perfect as is. My questions is what to do with the cats when people come to view the house. I do still keep five (5) litter boxes in the laundry room for them at night. Has anyone else encountered anything like this before? I recognize people are on a spectrum for their feelings with cats. They either love them or have visceral feelings for them. I do not want my cats to hinder the selling process but do understand some people will make their decision not to buy bc we have cats. Thank you. submitted by /u/Chee...

Hey all, sorry for the novel of a title. There’s a long back story here, but it boils down to this: Sale price $255k Mortgage balance $273k We have a loss draft balance of $134k (house fire insurance funds, will be paid back to us). Regarding #3, I already gave the mortgage company my letter of intent to apply that to the balance of the mortgage. Additionally, the payoff quote already states they will pull from this in the event the sale price isn’t sufficient to cover the mortgage. However, they can’t put that on the payoff quote itself. Meaning, unless my title company says differently, I’ll need to go to closing with around $30k (I don’t have the draft closing document yet, that’s my guess). My question: first, is it possible to negotiate with my title company on letting me closing without bringing that money (since it’ll be coming back regardless)? My guess it’s most likely not. Second, what are my options if I don’t have the funds to bring cash to closing? I cant imagine...

Before I started, I thought I could do open houses to find people to work with but that’s not the case. A lot of people coming through are either looky-loo neighbors, people already working with agents, or people that are significantly older than me. Why would they want to work with me when they have someone more experienced on deck? I’ve held a bunch of open houses and still haven’t picked up a client. Have any of you done well with open houses? What’s your strategy? submitted by /u/juicydreamer [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1w3oj05/open_houses_arent_the_goldmine_of_clients_i/

I'm relocating to the Ohio area within the next few months. I'm not sure what city I want to end up in. So on the weekends we are visiting different areas and looking at houses. I was not aware that by viewing the houses we are agreeing to stay with one realtor. I understand the purpose of this law but how are you supposed to look at homes in different areas? So far the original agent has been good about canceling the agreement, but will they all be? submitted by /u/mtbguy1981 [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1w3cqwe/ohio_hb_466_im_stuck_with_one_realtor_law/

*Had to repost because Reddit did not like the link example. I am aware the tread nowadays is to 'enhance' the pictures with AI, either to spruce it up or use it as a space filler. Looking at some of the listings, one thing I always keep in mind is just how TOO CLEAN things look. A lot of places have blinding white walls, too perfect driveways, etc. Without going in person, its aggravating to look at these things and constantly doubt whats real and what's not. What do you look out for? I have till October to find something or go into an apartment. Honestly I think I'll end up going into a short term lease anyway just because of this bullcrap. Take this listing for example. Almost none of the pictures look right. *Had to repost because Reddit did not like the link example. submitted by /u/Fallen_Jalter [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1w2k8b4/looking_through_listings_how_to_better_spot_ai/

I’m saving toward a purchase in a HCOL area, and every thread I find is either “it’s impossible” or “we made it work” with zero actual numbers. No judgment on your situation, family help, a lucky rate, a starter condo, whatever got you there. I just want real numbers to plan around. Drop as many as you’re comfortable sharing: Age and year of purchase Salary at the time Cost of living area (HCOL/MCOL/LCOL or general region) Purchase price Interest rate Total cash out of pocket (not just the down payment) submitted by /u/reconcilepast [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1w2h2gc/single_income_homeowners_what_did_your_numbers/

Almost 2 years ago, my husband and I bought a 2,500 sq ft, 4-bedroom house on the west side of downtown. Before that, we were living in a 1,200 sq ft, 2-bedroom house that I had bought before I met him on the east side of downtown. I'm no stranger to urban living, and I knew the West Side would have many of the issues that come with living in an urban mixed income neighborhood. I just didn't realize how drastically different it would feel from where we lived before. Since moving here, we've had at least 3 incidents of hearing gunshots while inside our house during daylight hours. Last year, my car, which was parked in front of our house, was hit by a bullet. I think part of me assumed most crime happens in the middle of the night, but it's really unsettling to hear gunshots from inside your home, when you might have been about to head out to dinner. The frustrating part is that I really do love our current house. The layout is perfect, I couldn't have designed a ...