How do you know of these folks, and since so many people are facing foreclosure OR are buyers wanting to capitalize on short sale real estate, just how would one go about identifying reputable honest professionals in this precise field in one's own home state?
For instance, what kind of searches would one conduct at google.com, and how could one verify that such realtors found who specialize in distressed properties are actually competent & trustworthy?
Thanks.
I am a real estate professional and I have handled short sales successfully. In regards to knowing or finding a reputable agent my best advice would be to interview a lot of agents, not to go with the first one who gives you a good presentation. I would want to know the extent of their experience, and any other question that is on your mind, ask it of every agent that you interview. Sad to say, without a direct recommendation from someone you know that has personally dealt with such an “expert” with success, it’s hard to determine who is an honest broker who is truly looking out for your best interest and will walk away from your situation if it would be no better than sign exposure for him or her.
Personal referrals are the best way to go in my opinion, aside from that, interview agents and ask them 500 questions and use your own best judgement and common sense. If they present to you something that sounds wacky or illegal, be careful, it might be or it may just be shady. Any agent that tries to get your redemptions rights signed over to them w/o compensation is the first example of that I would avoid at all costs. Once you sign over your redemptions rights, you have lost control of the situation without leverage to save your credit or anything else. Hope this helps