I really have no idea what tens of thousands of dollars extra would have bought me. I don't need someone to hold my hand and look at cars with me either.
I really have no idea what tens of thousands of dollars extra would have bought me. I don't need someone to hold my hand and look at cars with me either.
Sounds like you don't live in a very competitive market. Here in the Bay Area, you don't even talk to the owner of the house, as they will have a seller's agent. Generally if a house is desirable, there will be anywhere from 5 to 20 offers on a house. The only way to get your foot in the door is to have your buyer's agent go to bat for you. Ideally they will have a prior relationship with the seller's agent, and have insight as to what kind of offer to make to make you competitive with other offers. I can't imagine buying a house around here without having the expertise that an agent can offer.
> I really have no idea what tens of thousands of dollars extra would have bought me.
As a buyer, you are not paying anything extra. The commission comes out of the seller's fees.
> I don't need someone to hold my hand and look at cars with me either.
Buying a house is an order of magnitude more complex and expensive than buying a car. Not really a fair comparison.
For example, the buyer and seller will split commission but in some cases one side can collect all of it.
Also the realtor had contacts of contractors and inspectors that she trusted so that the inspection and repair stages all went way more smoothly than if I was calling random contractors for quotes.
Again this doesnt apply depending on the market and price range that you are in.