Buying or renting a home is a big deal !

Imagine if you could benefit from the information and insights of people who have already been to a house or apartment you’re considering.

Maybe even see some of their photos & videos, showing good and bad things that aren’t disclosed in the listing’s crisp text or glossy photos.

How about being able to read and submit questions & answers (Q&A) about the property?

A good decision will impact your life in so many long-lasting ways.

And so will a bad one...

My name is Mark Gavagan.

I’ve been interested in real estate for as long as I can remember. Not as a real estate agent, or builder, or other person in the business.

I’m just a fan of real estate. Maybe “real estate geek” is a good way to put it.

I love to walk through unfamiliar neighborhoods and even go through open houses, just to see what they’re like.

I really appreciate amazing design and craftsmanship.

Some of the appeal is also aspirational. I’d love to have a modest, efficient, beautifully-crafted home one day.

I think part of this is that something like this would help offset some of my personal insecurities.

It doesn’t really make sense, but it’s kind of like “Hey, I have all these shortcomings and some things I don't like about myself, but I’m connected with this beautifully-designed place.”

I guess it would make me feel like a little bit of that shines on me.

Sometimes I take photos at open houses, but I always walk out with a mental list of things I like and don’t like, as well as whether or not it’s a good value.

And it's not just me.

Even when I drag my children to an open house, they notice things I didn't and have good insights (and sometimes even enjoy it).

We don’t have any special qualifications, but it seems likely that these could help someone else who’s considering that property.

It doesn't matter if that person agrees or not. What matters is that they are aware of the information & opinions before making a very serious and expensive commitment.

I learned this personally, when my friend Dave looked carefully at a house my wife Kimberly and I had fallen for.

It had a lot of good qualities, but Dave pointed out a few key reasons it didn't really fit our situation.

Every time I go past that house, I think how nice it looks and how grateful I am that we didn't move there.

A Quick Story:

Theresa had been house hunting for a while.

She was frustrated because the market was hot and she was wasting a lot of time seeing things in-person that were not what was shown in photos or described in the listing.

The worst had obvious dealbreakers that were simply not disclosed.

In one case, she drove over an hour to see a house that seemed promising.

She couldn’t help getting her hopes up about this one.

It had everything she wanted, and one more thing she hadn’t even dreamed of: a beautiful lake right behind the house.

It was in full view from a small sunroom.

Even just a few days after being listed, Theresa was amazed the property was still available.

She dropped everything and made the drive.

Unfortunately, she was very frustrated when she arrived, because it was a complete waste of time.

In addition to plenty of other untold shortcomings, the biggest disappointment was the lake, or lack of a lake.

Incredibly, the listing agent had Photoshopped a pretend lake into the background of the sunroom.

Who knows what that agent was thinking, but it illustrates the point that not all listings are accurate and honest.

Theresa did not buy that house, but did find one a few months later. It doesn’t have a lake, but I suppose there’s always Photoshop.

Last Words

Thank you!