Skip to main content

Considering selling expensive home without listing agent

My grandparents bought a 2400sq ft house in the 1950s. The house is falling apart, but it sits in a very expensive neighborhood in Los Angeles. Both have since passed away and I am now trustee of the estate. I don't live in California, but I've spent the past year flying back and forth getting the house ready for estate sales (they collected a ton of valuables over the years that we've been working on selling and clearing out of the house).

Because hundreds of people have visited the house during the estate sales, several agents have reached out to me claiming they have interested buyers. I'm suspicious of all of them and assume they just want to be my listing agent - HOWEVER... the house is in a highly desirable neighborhood. Over the past handful of years, multiple houses on that street in similar condition have sold in the 3-4 million range to investors, then torn down with some 5000+ sq ft monster built that is sold for 7-9 mil.

It likely would be the same thing here. Anyone who would buy this house would purely be buying it for property value, but based on what I'm seeing, it should sell for 3.5 mil as-is because of that property value. One of the neighbors was friends with my grandmother and has re-built multiple houses in that area. I suspect he may be interested in buying this one when I'm ready to sell. Meanwhile, I found the contact info for the listing agent who represented the person who bought across the street (similar size lot) for 3.5, built a 6500sq ft house and sold for 8.7. I reached out just out of curiosity and he said his client would very much be interested in making an offer if I decide to sell.

Just wondering for tips on how I might go about this? I've heard some people avoid listing agents and just hire real estate lawyers (far cheaper than paying a commission) to draft up documentation. In a hypothetical scenario where I'm the one finding the potential buyer (the neighbor or the investor who built across the street), what kind of commission to the buyer agent makes sense?

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions.

submitted by /u/Investnew
[link] [comments]

source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1bn9dxo/considering_selling_expensive_home_without/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Aren't comps/CMAs useless with buyer credits at close happening now?

I'm looking into buying a new construction townhouse in my HCOL US city. I'm seeing builders offering interest rate buydowns worth $20k-$60k on $800k homes (rather than just lowering prices) in order to keep their comps high for their other units, now that buyer demand has been declining. I asked my agent about these, and he said these buydowns aren't even the full story: buyers can write all kinds of other credits into an offer, like their closing costs, prepaid sewer fees, etc. Apparently cash buyers can just write in a "buyer credit at close" for any amount in their offer. So a new townhouse that appeared to sell for $800k in the MLS might have actually been a cash offer with a $100k+ buyer credit at close, meaning the buyer only spent $700k or less in total, but to the rest of the world they can only see the $800k! So that made me realize I can't trust comps/CMAs for other new construction townhouses. The sales prices could be way lower than they appear...

How to Avoid Property Scams in Delhi?

Here’s What You Should Know! Commercial Real Estate (Non-Residential) Buying a property in Delhi can be tricky, especially with all the stories about scams and shady deals. If you're in the market, here are some tips to keep yourself safe:Double-check the documents: Always verify ownership and approvals. Don’t just take someone’s word for it—look at the actual papers. Do your homework on prices: Compare similar properties to avoid overpaying. A little research can save you from a bad deal. Work with trustworthy people: Whether it's a seller or an agent, go for someone who's transparent about pricing and the process. If they’re dodging questions, that’s a red flag. Ask for reviews or references: If someone you’re dealing with has a good track record, they won’t hesitate to share testimonials or connect you with previous clients. I’ve noticed that some property services have started focusing on things like verified listings and clear communication, which makes the whole proc...