It’s always a touchy subject – especially at the next family get-together.  Aunt Mary is thinking about selling her home, and Cousin Jim is toying with the idea of buying.  Thankfully, Sue-Ellen just got her real estate license and is prepared to jump on in and help both. Right?

My advice?  Let Sue-Ellen practice on someone who won’t dis-invite her from the next Thanksgiving dinner!  Harsh, I know, but real estate involves getting a number of different professionals involved.  Real estate is a career for not only realtors, but also real estate attorneys, loan officers and processors, underwriters, appraisers and many others a consumer will ever notice.  I know, Sue-Ellen will be miffed and won’t compliment the corn-bread you made, but until she’s got 100, even 200 deals under her belt, best to stick with the people that know – know not only values, neighborhoods, and the technical end of contracts, inspections and disclosures; but most importantly, know other people. As an example:  I recently had a transaction where there were questions raised about subsidence in the front yard – the buyer and the buyer’s agent speculating it was as a result of a defective sewer line.  I believe that this concern was quickly anticipated and resolved due to the professionalism of both realtors, as they were able to ask and answer the questions posed by the buyer.  I’m not sure this would have been the case if one of the realtors had been a rookie, or not had the specific knowledge she had about the other houses in the neighborhood she had encountered with the same problem, and what solution the solution would be. Bottom line.  It’s easy to select houses to show, or create a listing and upload it to the MLS.  The hard part comes in dealing with the problems that will arise.  You are putting the largest investment you own into someone else’s hands.  A rookie?  Really? There is a reason they are known as real estate  professionals. If you still can’t shake Sue-Ellen, have her partner up with someone that can act as a mentor.  She’ll at least keep talking to you that way!