Yep. I have seen a great number of dishonest realty deals where there is little disclosure about the condition of houses.
Rentals are especially suspect. It is common practice to file small claims against tenants not for damage caused by tenants, but by the result of deferred repairs. A lot of them figure they can bully some poor renter into paying without going to court because they have lawyers.
Here in Southern Oregon, I have seen places that should honestly be condemned rented by unsuspecting or ignorant tenants who don't have the resources (or know the right people in the good ole boy network) to fight in court.
I am especially wary of the realtor/rental agencies who charge $35.00 for non-refudable credit checks all day long to large numbers of people and only pay $50.00 a year for the service.
The better realtors are not always the most successful in terms of dollars, but they are the most reputable and word does get around locally about who is the most reliable.
A buyer's agent is probably the best bet if you are pre-qualified for the loan or have the cash reserve to buy. The seller's agent is not looking out for the best interest of the buyer.
How about the Home Owners Associations (HOAs) that charge a $75. setup fee to take 1 minute to modify the home account with the new owners' information?
We charge $35 non-refundable for our time in showing the property, checking credit worthiness and references.
Our commissions earned on rentals is usually less than half of 1 month's rent. The only positive thing that can come out of it is that treating folks honestly and fairly may mean a bonafide purchaser client in the future.
We're already bound by a strict Code of Ethics to treat all parties fairly.
Buyer Agency is a gimmick to compete with Listing Agents who get paid no matter which one of the other 6,000+ agents in our local Board of Realtors has the buyer.
A strong Listing Agent can lay on the Florida beach...have his cell phone ring and earn income...because ALL agents are actually helping him sell his listing.
Buyer Agency...through a Buyer Broker Agreement...creates a contract that says that buyer cannot buy any home without your buyer agent being involved.
Sunday open houses now see virtually every prospect coming through the home by themselves claiming they are working with an agent.
In the "old days", there was such a thing as "procuring cause" (open house sign, newspaper ad, flyer).
Now an agent can sit on her butt and tell her buyers to visit open houses by themselves..."if you see something you like, call me". It's BS! ;^(
Thanx!