All Forum Posts by: Qing Willow

Lynn, at which stage should I engage a realtor? After signing the contact? I wanted to respect the seller's will, but also want to make the process easier on me.

Should I engage a realtor when the seller already told me that she doesn't want to work with realtors? 

Thanks, Stephen. Do you mean bring an inspector for the first walkthrough ?  The seller made clear that she doesn't want to engage relators, so I wouldn't be able to leverage my relator on this one... 

My friend just connected me with her neighbor who is selling her Austin SFH rental property off the market. The owner and I agreed to meet this week to check out the house. I'm new with off market buying process and this is an old house built in 1970's with septic tank system. I wonder what I should look at and what questions I should ask the owner in order to evaluate the house condition and offer/negotiate a fair off-market purchase price.

There are many similar houses sold in past months in the same neighborhood but in various conditions. Some are completely renovated, some need lots of work. I don’t know if they could be practical comps. I assume the inspection only starts after signing the contract? How can I protect myself by including some clauses in the contract? What else should I be aware of when evaluating the house and securing a contract?

As you might tell, I’m super excited and nervous about this potential opportunity. I appreciate your advice and insights! :) Thank you.