Better Homes OFFICIAL real estate bs discussion

[Broke EF]

This seems almost cheap? What does TCG say?

33105 Kingston Rd, Kingston, IL 60145 | Zillow

33105 Kingston Rd, Kingston IL, is a Single Family home that contains 2100 sq ft and was built in 1993.It contains 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.This home last sold for $453,650 in February 2025. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $460,700, which has increased by $14,355 in the last 30...

www.zillow.com

 

[Phalabala]

is Kingston, IL even a real place?

 

[PANDA]

This seems almost cheap? What does TCG say?

33105 Kingston Rd, Kingston, IL 60145 | Zillow

33105 Kingston Rd, Kingston IL, is a Single Family home that contains 2100 sq ft and was built in 1993.It contains 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.This home last sold for $453,650 in February 2025. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $460,700, which has increased by $14,355 in the last 30...

www.zillow.com

I love log cabins, but most do not, especially outside of the Northwoods or as vacation properties. My neighbor in Fox River Grove had a log cabin home, and it took a while to sell. It takes a special buyer, for sure.

 

[Broke EF]

I love log cabins, but most do not, especially outside of the Northwoods or as vacation properties. My neighbor in Fox River Grove had a log cabin home, and it took a while to sell. It takes a special buyer, for sure.

I see no drywall, no paint, a good size attached AND a nice shop on 4 acres. I may just be that buyer

 

[The Beast]

I see no drywall, no paint, a good size attached AND a nice shop on 4 acres. I may just be that buyer

State Farm will not insure log homes and I’m sure Allstate won’t either. A co worker just bought one and his wife wants to change the color of the outside and he says it’s a specialty co that can remove the stain and re stain it

 

[Yaj Yak]

I see no drywall, no paint, a good size attached AND a nice shop on 4 acres. I may just be that buyer

staining and maintenance can absolutely bloooow

 

[Eugene Stoner]

This seems almost cheap? What does TCG say?

33105 Kingston Rd, Kingston, IL 60145 | Zillow

33105 Kingston Rd, Kingston IL, is a Single Family home that contains 2100 sq ft and was built in 1993.It contains 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.This home last sold for $453,650 in February 2025. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $460,700, which has increased by $14,355 in the last 30...

www.zillow.com

That would be a 1 mil property in WI thanks to FIBs.

 

[Broke EF]

So we were actually going to go look at that house on Tuesday. We don't have a realtor, so I just requested a showing from Zillow. Pretty sure that put me in contact with the listing agent. Anyway he called and text me early that morning. I think he text me about 8AM, and our showing was at 1:30. He tells me they have 3 offers on the house already, and they they need our best offer by 5PM. I pretty much said cancel our showing, and tell the owners we wish them the best. I was pretty annoyed by that though! Lets say its true, and since its now contingent maybe it was, WHY would you say that before we even see the place? The smart move would have been to let us check it out, then tell us. I am not going to be spurred into making an offer on a house I have never seen, and I don't think many people would unless it was a new house. I did think about sending over a low ball offer to be a dick, but I couldn't even do that without seeing it first.

Anyway, I guess I will just keep working on my house.

 

[Yaj Yak]

So we were actually going to go look at that house on Tuesday. We don't have a realtor, so I just requested a showing from Zillow. Pretty sure that put me in contact with the listing agent. Anyway he called and text me early that morning. I think he text me about 8AM, and our showing was at 1:30. He tells me they have 3 offers on the house already, and they they need our best offer by 5PM. I pretty much said cancel our showing, and tell the owners we wish them the best. I was pretty annoyed by that though! Lets say its true, and since its now contingent maybe it was, WHY would you say that before we even see the place? The smart move would have been to let us check it out, then tell us. I am not going to be spurred into making an offer on a house I have never seen, and I don't think many people would unless it was a new house. I did think about sending over a low ball offer to be a dick, but I couldn't even do that without seeing it first.

Anyway, I guess I will just keep working on my house.

He said that because realtors 1000% don't care about the buyers or sellers personal interest. They want the house sold and sold quickly. The difference between a few grand on offers is pocket change to them albeit big money to a seller. It's a broken system entirely.

 

[Broke EF]

He said that because realtors 1000% don't care about the buyers or sellers personal interest. They want the house sold and sold quickly. The difference between a few grand on offers is pocket change to them albeit big money to a seller. It's a broken system entirely.

Absolutely! It was just annoying, I wanted to at least check it out. Yes we still could have gone, but fuck that guy. We were just VERY spoiled with our previous realtors who are now retired. They we just so awesome to work with, and handled so much of the BS behind the scenes. They were the exception to the rule for sure.

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

We don't have a realtor, so I just requested a showing from Zillow. Pretty sure that put me in contact with the listing agent.

99% sure it connects you to a "zillow preferred" buying agent. Ie someone that's totally useless.

Best bet is to just look at the agent's name in the listing, google their contact info, and call them direct.

 

[The Beast]

99% sure it connects you to a "zillow preferred" buying agent. Ie someone that's totally useless.

Best bet is to just look at the agent's name in the listing, google their contact info, and call them direct.

The selling agent can’t represent both seller and buyer

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

The selling agent can’t represent both seller and buyer

In most states, they can (including IL). You also don't need an agent to buy. Give your offer direct to the listing agent after the showing and tell them you don't need a buyer's agent fee, homeowners can keep that 2.5%.

 

[Yaj Yak]

The selling agent can’t represent both seller and buyer

Yes they can.

 

[LikeABauce302]

So we were actually going to go look at that house on Tuesday. We don't have a realtor, so I just requested a showing from Zillow. Pretty sure that put me in contact with the listing agent. Anyway he called and text me early that morning. I think he text me about 8AM, and our showing was at 1:30. He tells me they have 3 offers on the house already, and they they need our best offer by 5PM. I pretty much said cancel our showing, and tell the owners we wish them the best. I was pretty annoyed by that though! Lets say its true, and since its now contingent maybe it was, WHY would you say that before we even see the place? The smart move would have been to let us check it out, then tell us. I am not going to be spurred into making an offer on a house I have never seen, and I don't think many people would unless it was a new house. I did think about sending over a low ball offer to be a dick, but I couldn't even do that without seeing it first.

Anyway, I guess I will just keep working on my house.

I had similar experience the couple times I requested a showing through Redfin or Zillow. It was almost verbatim. We've had multiple offers on this already. I will need your best offer by 5 PM today. I remember one of those houses sat on the market for another 2 months, so it couldn't have been that hot lol.

 

[Broke EF]

I guess this is a consequence of casually looking for something. The reality is that it has to fit a pretty specific set of criteria to get us to move, and they don't come up all the time. So when something does pop up, its not as easy to get a showing, or make an offer etc. This was the first one in the last couple years at least that I even bothered to try and go see. Most that come up are too expensive, or clearly need way too much work. A friend sent us a nice place the other day, but its too far north for us. This was on the fringe of working, and pricing, but the Log home aspect was a concern. Like I said, enough to at least look at but I wasn't dying for this place by any means.

 

[The Beast]

Yes they can

I had no realtor and went to open houses all summer and fall and found a house we liked the realtor was just helping the selling agent out with the open house and she put in the offer for us. She said good thing it wasn’t my listing. I didn’t even think anything of it she put me on a 7 day contract at 1%. That house fell thru and kept on with open houses then found another and the listing agent was there and said he could not represent us since he is the sellers agent. Weird if you ask me. Most open houses do not have the listing agent it’s usually another agent from the same branch. That’s when we started paying attention to it.

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

I had no realtor and went to open houses all summer and fall and found a house we liked the realtor was just helping the selling agent out with the open house and she put in the offer for us. She said good thing it wasn’t my listing. I didn’t even think anything of it she put me on a 7 day contract at 1%. That house fell thru and kept on with open houses then found another and the listing agent was there and said he could not represent us since he is the sellers agent. Weird if you ask me. Most open houses do not have the listing agent it’s usually another agent from the same branch. That’s when we started paying attention to it.

The sellers might have told him that they didn't want him representing both sides.

Best way to do it is just submit the offer direct to the listing agent and tell them you don't need a buyer agent fee.

 

[The Beast]

The sellers might have told him that they didn't want him representing both sides.

Best way to do it is just submit the offer direct to the listing agent and tell them you don't need a buyer agent fee.

Thank u sir we are looking in Valpo, IN

 

[The Beast]

Put an offer on a house I believe the husband passed

 

[The Beast]

I’ll text u the address

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

I’ll text u the address

solid choice my man, little too much brown but that can be addressed over time

3331 Pepper Creek Bridge Pkwy, Valparaiso, IN 46385 | Zillow

3331 Pepper Creek Bridge Pkwy, Valparaiso IN, is a Single Family home that contains 10830 sq ft and was built in 2008.It contains 4 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $4,193,700, which has increased by $453,371 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this...

www.zillow.com

 

[The Beast]

solid choice my man, little too much brown but that can be addressed over time

3331 Pepper Creek Bridge Pkwy, Valparaiso, IN 46385 | Zillow

3331 Pepper Creek Bridge Pkwy, Valparaiso IN, is a Single Family home that contains 10830 sq ft and was built in 2008.It contains 4 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $4,193,700, which has increased by $453,371 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this...

www.zillow.com

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

I thought tuscan kitchens were bad, that dude built a 16k sq ft tuscan castle


...in indiana

 

[The Beast]

I’m thinking streamwood