The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-19
WHEN BUYING REALP PROPERTY

One of the best known and most ex.
perienced real estate agents Of North
Dakota has this to say:
Truly purchase of real estate is
very important transaction to most
men, owing to the amount of money
involved, and to guard against pit
falls and loss there is one rule and
that is to deal only with q person of
established reputation in business cir
cles. Strangers are to be avoided;
people leaving town may leave moth
ing back to make good their wrongs
but business men permanently To-
Gated and owners of local property are
reasonable safe-but to guard against
possible loss prospective investors
should inquire of other business men,
preferably bankers and form their
opinions thus. Learn who you are
dealing with first.
Finding suitable property Is easy.
The modern way of house hunting is
not to depend on for sale signs and
'hearsay,' but to go direct to head
quarters. In every place some dealer
is known as the leader How to find
property is therefore merely matter
of looking up this leading real estate
man who will cheerfully show you all
the properties for sale without any
charge to you. Such a dealer can
give you definite pointers on values
why certain localities are preferable
to others, approximate costs of remod-
cling and repairs and will arrange all
details of sale, the correct drawing of
the papers and the securing of a good
title. Your leading dealer can not af-
ford to ruin an established business
and will therefore carefully look after
the buyers interest, for one bad title
or mistake of any kind would ruin his
business unless promptly rectified.
Finding the value is another very
important matter and worth careful
consideration. 1t is here again a safe
proposition to go to the leading dealer
whose list contains enough places so
that you can compare values. The
dealer lists only properties that he
thinks worth the prices asked: other
wise he will not long remain the lead
ing dealer. Some sellers may tell you
this house cost so and SO much 9TH
ers will tell you that we offered to
much; that all don't prove the value
today. It's the dealers business to
keep posted on values today and he
con post you If you are confidential
with him. You can get his advice on
properties not on his list If you wish
to play safe. Remember that every
business requires training and know
ing values is the first thing that makes
for success in real estate. Usually
therefore the successful dealers opin-
ion as to values is reliable and better
than opinions of inexperienced per-
sons. 1t is an old foggy notion to buy
from the owner and save the agents
commission, but people who do are
generally sorry for their bargains. Il
an owner is too stingy to pay the little
percentage to an agent he is also too
stingy to give you a bargain. The
agents reputation that secures for
him the confidence of many buyers Is
worth more than any single commits
sion and therefore, unless the price
is right, the agent will not try to sell!
Remember, therefore, If an owner tells
you 4 want nothing to do with
agents. it's because the agents want
nothing to do with his high-priced
property. A knowledge of values
comes only from experience, but when
an agent sells you something at a
certain price he feels that he must be
ready to sell for you again at profit
Tor at least no loss) to you and ne
will therefore offer you only such as
can be sold again. Some day you may
want the agents help and It's policy
to get it before you buy than after
xvor,d