Frequently Asked Questions - Buyers Picking An Agent

The first problem you will encounter is that the majority of listing agents have their hair on fire and don't have time to hold someone's hand. If they smell a first time home buyer, they won't even return the call. The second problem is that listing agents will often "steer" you to their listings to double end their commissions.

The biggest reason is because real estate sites like Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia are weeks behind actual status. Probably 10% of the properties you see on those sites are already in contract and not available. Nothing is more frustrating than getting excited about a property you can't have.

Realtor.com and all those sites don't have the financial restrictions on a property. We don't know why. Perhaps it's a part of the whole real estate conspiracy but our little brokerage can't change the way those sites display information. If you are purchasing a property with a loan, it's a massive waste of time to look at properties you may not be able to purchase. For example, if you have a Wells Fargo pre-approval letter, you can't make offers on Bank of America properties. Since you can't see that information on public sites, you are just spinning your wheels without an agent.

No. We only make money if you get a property. Our commissions are usually paid by the seller or selling bank.

HUD Properties	$300 - If you make an offer on a HUD property AND it is accepted. There is a $300 surcharge for these as they are a major pain in the neck. If you don't make offers on a HUD property, you don't have to worry about this fee.
Short Sales	$500 - If you make an offer on a Short Sale property AND it is accepted, there is a $500 non-refundable deposit towards the purchase of the property. This means, that if you change your mind 5 months from now and don't want the property, we keep your $500.  If you proceed forward, the $500 is applied towards the purchase. We are simply tired of buyers wasting our time with these.
Commissions	If the seller pays less than $2000 in commissions, you will be making up the difference. For example if the $50k property commission is only $1500, you will be paying the difference of $500. This usually happens with properties under $68k.
Transaction Fees	If you purchas a property through Limestone Investments, we charge a $350 transaction fee.
Title Fees	This is not a part of our fees but is a frequently asked question. Title fees are about 2% of the cost of the property. We don't have any control over these fees.
Hidden Fees	None - We don't like these either. If you don't purchase a property through us or don't hire us to manage / rehab your property, there are no fees.

There are huge differences in the buying process between an "investor" and a "primary buyer." The first difference is inventory. 20% of the inventory in Las Vegas is restricted from investors the first 30 days on the market. The second difference is the financial paths to getting the property. FHA loans are completely different than conventional loans. Consequently, Limestone Investments, has agents that are better with primary buyers than with investors.