Why you need an agent

These days, buying a house involves a lot more than simply studying houses from real estate ads or going to open houses. Real estate transactions are complex, and contracts are several pages long. A typical contract is about eight or nine pages long, not to mention the pages of reports, disclosures, and addendums. Along with helping you find the right house and making a good offer, the agent's job is to help you understand the paperwork involved. The contract itself can easily be intimidating, filled with legal terminology, conditions, and contingencies that the agent should explain. In addition to that is the seller's transfer disclosure statements about the property's condition, which may warn of potential problems to be investigated should also be included. A good agent can alert you to these important items and help you understand them, as well as suggest some solutions. Other important items included with an average contract are the Lead Based Paint Disclosure and the Seller's Residential Real Estate Disclosure. These warn you of possible toxic substances that may be found in the property or surrounding area, and possible minor/major defects. Understanding and making decisions based on these items can prove confusing to say the least, and that is why having an agent to explain things and guide you makes good sense. If any difficulties come up, sometimes only an experienced agent will be able to resolve the differences and close the deal.