Insiders Real Estate

Jury selection begins in real estate developer case - WLS

Jury selection begins in real estate developer case - WLS
Calvin Boender is accused of providing former alderman Ike Carothers with $40,000-worth of home improvements, in exchange for help with a zoning change. He also is charged with providing Carothers with free meals and sports tickets and funneling

Schuil & Associates Diversified Real Estate Expands Family Business - PR Inside
2010-03-11 02:19:25 - Schuil & Associates Diversified Real Estate is not only the agricultural real estate specialist in California’s Central Valley, but is also a booming family business. Twin brothers, Michael & Marc Schuil started the company with

Man Pleads Guilty In Real Estate Scam - 6 News WRTV
INDIANAPOLIS — A former real estate agent who authorities believe conned at least eight people by renting them properties that were actually owned by a federal agency and running off with their deposits pleaded guilty to a theft charge and faces several more. Investigators accused Richard Swoveland

Dealing With Dual Real Estate Agents

Dealing With Dual Real Estate Agents

by: Jakob Jelling

Historically, real estate agents have represented the seller of a property. The seller, after all, is usually the one who pays their commission, and agents therefore have a fiduciary relationship with the seller. This in no way means that agents may operate outside the bounds of the law and ethical conduct of course. It just means that the real estate agent is just that, an authorized agent of the seller for a particular transaction.

More recent trends have introduced buyer’s agents, who usually work on a fee basis exclusively for the buyer, and dual agents. Dual agents represent both seller and buyer, particularly in cases where the agent’s company is the listing company. Dual agency is legal in most U.S. states; however, most consumer advocacy organizations recommend against using a dual agent. This is because there is an inherit conflict of interest for the agent - they receive a commission based on the selling price of the property. The higher the price, the higher their commission, so their reasoning is that dual agents never really have the buyer’s best interests at heart.

If you’ve decided to work with a dual agent, this will need to be disclosed to both the buyer and seller, and they both have to agree, in writing. Dual agents are bound by law and ethics to treat both buyers and sellers honestly, equally, and fairly. Dual agents can be prevented from divulging confidential information about each party to the other. This could severely harm negotiating positions.

The bottom line in dealing with a dual agent is to remember that the buyer and seller have conflicting interests in the price and other terms of the sale. It’s very difficult for an agent to truly and equally represent both parties, since the conflicting interests make that inherently impossible. If you do choose to use a dual agent, be sure the exact nature of your relationship with the dual agent is clear, know what services the agent will be performing for you during the transaction, how the agent will be paid, and how any conflicts that arise will be handled.

Quebec Real Estate Market: Sales Reach Pre-Recession Levels - Market Wire

Quebec Real Estate Market: Sales Reach Pre-Recession Levels - Market Wire
Important Note: To view MLS statistics charts for a specific metropolitan area of the province, click on the name of the area in this press release. The number of sales recorded in the province of Qu bec in February 2010 reached the level prior

Florida Real Estate Remains “On Sale” With Sellers Slashing Prices by - MSN Money
Home hunters are finding deals in South Florida, with sellers in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale having reduced their list price by an average of nearly 15 percent, or $36,000 in February 2010. In addition, one out of every two “for sale” homes in

Brookfield Real Estate Services Fund Announces Fourth Quarter Results - Yahoo Finance
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire - 03/10/10) - Brookfield Real Estate Services Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX: BRE.UN - News ) today announced that royalties for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, were $8.5 million, up 9.8% from the same period in 2008