Originally Posted by jamblu (Post 1261686)

Gracie Girl sorry for your confusion......I can't close without executed papers that I did not have. Clear? She was driving around in her car with them and never gave them to me AND never told me she had them.....Clear? I attempted to reach her through every which way including attempting to get a hold of her manager and couldn't.... Clear? My problem is her service and unprofessional behavior. I don't like people that make up, embellish or falsify information. I do think you're alone in not understanding frustration when you're being lied to.

Originally Posted by bbbbbb (Post 1261707)

Hi, a Licensed Realtor, outside the villages, told us that it is certainly wise,,,,,,,,,,,,, and really mandatory that a person have an inside and an outside realtor at the same time to get the big picture. Only telling you this as it was told to us. Also, she said, outside realtors at agencies, must by law be licensed in Florida. The Village persons may or may not be,,,,,,, so that is all we know about it.

Originally Posted by jamblu (Post 1261686)

Gracie Girl sorry for your confusion......I can't close without executed papers that I did not have. Clear? She was driving around in her car with them and never gave them to me AND never told me she had them.....Clear? I attempted to reach her through every which way including attempting to get a hold of her manager and couldn't.... Clear? My problem is her service and unprofessional behavior. I don't like people that make up, embellish or falsify information. I do think you're alone in not understanding frustration when you're being lied to.

Originally Posted by jamblu (Post 1261923)

I was told only VLS agents can sell resale and that is what I did. On an upbeat .....I love my house!

Originally Posted by bbbbbb (Post 1261707)

Hi, a Licensed Realtor, outside the villages, told us that it is certainly wise,,,,,,,,,,,,, and really mandatory that a person have an inside and an outside realtor at the same time to get the big picture. Only telling you this as it was told to us. Also, she said, outside realtors at agencies, must by law be licensed in Florida. The Village persons may or may not be,,,,,,, so that is all we know about it. We had both, they were both acceptable, we would lean a bit toward the outside if we do it again. Thanks bbbbbb



:crap2:

Originally Posted by dbussone (Post 1261943)

bbbbbb - thanks for the info. I knew that MLS agents are licensed. Are they licensed by the state or MLS though? And someone told me that VLS agents, although not MLS, must still take a qualifying state exam.

Does anyone know the status of the two agent types?

Originally Posted by outahere (Post 1261950)

Agents outside of VLS are licensed by the state and must take a considerable amount of mandatory training before and after taking the licensing exam to get and keep their license. I have been told (by both a VLS agent and a MLS agent) that VLS agents are also licensed by the state, so are also subject to the education rules to get/keep their license. As a former Realtor in MA, this makes sense to me because they are dealing with a legal contract, whether it is for a new home or a re-sale.

Originally Posted by eremite06 (Post 1261672)

The "transaction broker," I feel, is an agency relationship that is a disservice to the customer. You don't even have to disclose it. The licensee can provide limited representation to a buyer, a seller, or both in a real estate transaction. He/she does not represent either in a fiduciary capacity. These laws of agency have evolved to suit more the licensees than the customer over the last 30 yrs. that I've had my broker's license. I think it's due to the lobbying efforts of NAR.

The transaction broker's duties do include:

Dealing honestly and fairly

Accounting for all funds

Using skill, care, and diligence in the transaction

Disclosing all known facts that materially affect the value of residential real property and are not readily observable to the buyer

Presenting all offers and counteroffers in a timely manner, unless a party has previously directed the licensees otherwise in writing

Limited confidentiality, unless waived in writing by a party

Originally Posted by OpusX1 (Post 1262038)

You do not have to be liecensed to sell new homes for your employer but you do have to be liecensed to sell other people's property.
If as the OP stated she was not delivered the signed contracts, delivery is the final step, she should back out of the contract, the seller would then have a recourse against the agent. The OP only has a recourse if she was financially damaged by the agents neglect, like a penalty for not closing in a timely manner. There are bad apples in every profession.

Originally Posted by VillagerNut (Post 1262124)

And who do you think the developer represents in all of their transactions? They work as a single agent for the seller of the new home which is themselves or the preowned which is a homeowner. They never ever have any representation for the buyer. When you as a buyer sign the contract with the developer you will sign a no representation paragraph that says they owe you nothing because they represent the seller at all times. So the MLS realtors at least owe you more while working as a transaction broker. All MLS realtors can represent the buyers as exclusive buyers agents if you asked them to do so. They also can represent the seller exclusively as a single agent with the broker's permission. But the end of the story is you need to work with a sales rep and an MLS realtor to see all the listings here. The title company never represents either party in the transaction. But the buyers can choose the title company if they want to pay for the title insurance themselves if working with a MLS Realtor. The MLS realtors majority do not have sour grapes because they cannot sell the new homes. Most of them make extremely good money selling strictly in The Villages! But as it was stated there are great Sales Reps and great MLS Realtors!

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1262145)

You know what I think? I think that there has been a lot of dissension on this thread started by and continued by disgruntled MLS agents. ONLY the reps for the Villages can sell the new homes here and the resales listed on The Villages site and you can say all you want about sour grapes, sour grapes do exist.

As a buyer I am glad to be able to choose. I have no loyalty to anyone and I LOVE the way I am not SOLD by the Villages rep. He answered all of our questions and never called us to push things along. He now stops by on our birthdays to chat. I like Jim McLaughlin a lot.

Do any of you remember that big meeting at Laurel Manor with an overflowing crowd five or so years ago with Janet Tutt and it was mostly about something to do with MLS. I think it was about the CDD and signage for homes for sale above 466. Always below 466 no yard signs were allowed, but they were at one time north of 466. I think that was it, but don't remember exactly. I still think that realtors that sell for nearby developments and those that are disgruntled start things on this forum sometimes.

Here is the issue; https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ing+yard+signs

Originally Posted by dbussone (Post 1261943)

bbbbbb - thanks for the info. I knew that MLS agents are licensed. Are they licensed by the state or MLS though? And someone told me that VLS agents, although not MLS, must still take a qualifying state exam.

Does anyone know the status of the two agent types?

Originally Posted by NavyNJ (Post 1262868)

Good lord.....do people on this forum actually not know how to use Google (or Bing or whatever)?? Most of all of the "rumors", "things I/we heard", "things I/we were told", "things I/we understand" posted and re-posted on this and just about every other thread, could probably be figured out way more easily than posting in these threads.



But, since all of this has been bantered about, confirmed and contradicted multiple times here.....I'll throw my 2 cents in:



- Properties of The Villages Agents (i.e., VLS agents, Developer agents, etc.) are, in fact, licensed by the State of Florida.

- Outside Agents, working for various Real Estate Brokers/Companies (i.e., MLS agents) are, in fact, licensed by the vary same State of Florida.

- MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is just that....a Service. Not an entity or firm or anything one swears allegiance to. It's a service that Real Estate Brokers pay for annually to be given access to all those listings in the area served by a specific MLS (there's not a single MLS for the entire State).

- VLS (Villages Listing Service) is just that.....a Service. But, in this case, it's only accessible to agents working for Properties of The Villages, and is a private service.



There was a time, pre-VLS, that all agents played in the same sand box. Then as The Villages began to explode, friction between the organizations (mostly due to outside agents not having access to new construction) led to the birth of the VLS and the segregation of the two systems.



And, as most/many have suggested, if a home buyer truly wants to have the full measure of the marketplace to choose from, they should work with an agent of both services (MLS & VLS). Some find that too cumbersome, and land on just one and most likely end up doing just fine, notwithstanding the inability to buy a new home thru an MLS agent.



Hope that has cleared up at least of few of the rumors and points of contention.....oh, and yes, VLS agents are paid as independent contractors via a IRS 1099, but so are 99.9% of all real estate agents in the country, so that's a non-issue.

Originally Posted by dbussone (Post 1262871)

Good gosh! Why would I want to use Google when there are plenty of intelligent folks here on TOTV who know better than Google. I wasn't a real estate agent and plenty of posters here were.

I trust them more than Google, man. But thanks for your service.

P.S. I hope you don't believe everything you read on the Internet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by NavyNJ (Post 1263157)

Haha!! No, don't believe much on the Internet, for sure. But Google does point to decent info sources in most cases. Wikipedia on the other hand, can really get iffy.



I actually should have captioned my comments better after referring to Google like that. I was offering up my info more from personal knowledge than internet searching. And yes, agree there are plenty of experienced people on the forums, but even that will sometimes lead to confusing, if not conflicting, info. In the end.....it all usually seems to work out! Cheers!

Originally Posted by mrdarcy (Post 1262196)

I inquired once about licensing of Villages Priperties sales agents. The response was that some of the agents have Florida real estate licenses and some do not. Thus, you have to ask about the status of the individual agent with whom you're working.

Originally Posted by Jazzcat (Post 1291942)

We plan to buy our first home in TV in the next couple of months. We understand that new homes can only be purchased directly from TV. Would you recommend having a TV agent to look at new houses, and a MLS agent to look at all pre-owned? Can a MLS agent show us a pre-owned home that is listed by TV? I am a bit reluctant to use TV realtor exclusively, knowing that their allegiance is to TV, rather than to us, as buyers. We notice that many new homes are shown at "discount" prices. Do those discounts fluctuate? Should we expect to see prices on new homes increase as we approach the busy winter season?
Also, most folks seem to say that they don't bother engaging their own attorney to represent them as buyers. I can't imagine signing a such an important contract, without the advice of an attorney. Any others agree or disagree?

Originally Posted by Jazzcat (Post 1291942)

We plan to buy our first home in TV in the next couple of months. We understand that new homes can only be purchased directly from TV. Would you recommend having a TV agent to look at new houses, and a MLS agent to look at all pre-owned? Can a MLS agent show us a pre-owned home that is listed by TV? I am a bit reluctant to use TV realtor exclusively, knowing that their allegiance is to TV, rather than to us, as buyers. We notice that many new homes are shown at "discount" prices. Do those discounts fluctuate? Should we expect to see prices on new homes increase as we approach the busy winter season?
Also, most folks seem to say that they don't bother engaging their own attorney to represent them as buyers. I can't imagine signing a such an important contract, without the advice of an attorney. Any others agree or disagree?

Originally Posted by Jazzcat (Post 1291942)

Also, most folks seem to say that they don't bother engaging their own attorney to represent them as buyers. I can't imagine signing a such an important contract, without the advice of an attorney. Any others agree or disagree?

Originally Posted by NavyNJ (Post 1262868)

Good lord.....do people on this forum actually not know how to use Google (or Bing or whatever)?? Most of all of the "rumors", "things I/we heard", "things I/we were told", "things I/we understand" posted and re-posted on this and just about every other thread, could probably be figured out way more easily than posting in these threads.

But, since all of this has been bantered about, confirmed and contradicted multiple times here.....I'll throw my 2 cents in:

- Properties of The Villages Agents (i.e., VLS agents, Developer agents, etc.) are, in fact, licensed by the State of Florida.
- Outside Agents, working for various Real Estate Brokers/Companies (i.e., MLS agents) are, in fact, licensed by the vary same State of Florida.
- MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is just that....a Service. Not an entity or firm or anything one swears allegiance to. It's a service that Real Estate Brokers pay for annually to be given access to all those listings in the area served by a specific MLS (there's not a single MLS for the entire State).
- VLS (Villages Listing Service) is just that.....a Service. But, in this case, it's only accessible to agents working for Properties of The Villages, and is a private service.

There was a time, pre-VLS, that all agents played in the same sand box. Then as The Villages began to explode, friction between the organizations (mostly due to outside agents not having access to new construction) led to the birth of the VLS and the segregation of the two systems.

And, as most/many have suggested, if a home buyer truly wants to have the full measure of the marketplace to choose from, they should work with an agent of both services (MLS & VLS). Some find that too cumbersome, and land on just one and most likely end up doing just fine, notwithstanding the inability to buy a new home thru an MLS agent.

Hope that has cleared up at least of few of the rumors and points of contention.....oh, and yes, VLS agents are paid as independent contractors via a IRS 1099, but so are 99.9% of all real estate agents in the country, so that's a non-issue.

Originally Posted by NavyNJ (Post 1262868)

Good lord.....do people on this forum actually not know how to use Google (or Bing or whatever)?? Most of all of the "rumors", "things I/we heard", "things I/we were told", "things I/we understand" posted and re-posted on this and just about every other thread, could probably be figured out way more easily than posting in these threads.
But, since all of this has been bantered about, confirmed and contradicted multiple times here.....I'll throw my 2 cents in:

Originally Posted by kstew43 (Post 1261035)

Remember...VLS sales agents are still licensed by the state of florida, hense they do have to obey Florida Laws. Your offer must be made regardless of how embarrassing the agent thought it might of been. Thats there job and the law.....

Also there is a thing called full disclosure.....but if the agent is so neglectful as to inquire about the home from the owners, then she/hes a fool, and you should have run away.

I go to open houses in the villages all the time and never let on that I am a licensed realtor. I question the agents about aspects of the homes they are sitting open house for, age of roof? boundry lines...bond balance....ect

Most of the time they know nothing and have no answers for me....ridiculos....but the good ones always say let me find that out for you.....thats the right answer.

Sales agents are out for "the transaction" sale of the home, once they got you...there job is done and they move onto the next.

Originally Posted by jamblu (Post 1260876)

On purchasing a preowned home by this Village agent, from the onset this woman lied. I was told that the elderly gentleman who lives in the home was the original owner. He expanded his lanai, he is leaving to go into an assisted living facility and since signing the contracts, she has refused to correspond either by e mail, phone or texts. Well according to the tax records the home was purchased in 2015 and he didn't do a thing in that home. He's not going into an assisted living facility he is going to live with his daughter. Where do they get this stuff from? I have repeatedly contacted the sales office to complain to perhaps a manager annd for some reason they try their damnest to avoid doing that. I still do not have executed contracts signed by both parties??? I think the difference between the VLS agents and MLS agents are MLS agents are bound to a code of ethics and morals and can be sued for misrepresentation. USE MLS

Originally Posted by John_W (Post 1292061)

Finally somebody broke it down to simple terms. I'll add one little item, I do have some experience in this area. I was a licensed Realtor in Savannah, Georgia in the 1980's and published the magazine "Homes & Land of Savannah". Later I was a licensed Realtor in Hernando County (Spring Hill), Florida.

Most Realtors in the MLS system split the commission 4 ways. The listing agent and their broker each get 25% and the selling agent and their broker each get 25%. The exception was Remax, and for that reason Remax generally gets the cream of the crop, or let's say, no part-time retirees. Because Remax Agents actually pay the broker for the right to work in that office.

A Remax agent for example will pay his Broker $1200 a month or about $14,000 a year. The broker will provide the office, the Remax sign, the MLS system and computers, a receptionist, phone numbers, a desk and everything else you need to sell. In return, you get 95% of the selling or listing commission and the broker gets 5%. So this is why I say they get the cream of the crop, because he's paying out every month whether he sells a home or not.

I don't know anything about our local area here or the agents, other than seeing Lyle Grant make informative posts on this website from time-to-time and he seems to be a conscientious Realtor. My own experience was I didn't try to sell homes, because that was very time consuming and also a lot of wear and tear on your car and gas, so I admire those agents who do sell. I specialized in listing and especially listing vacant land. Here's why, there is no key to deal with, no appointments for showing the home, you really don't even need to contact that listing agent until you have a buyer wanting to make an offer. Of course the sales price is much lower for a lot instead of a home, but the commission on vacant land is generally 10% and closings are pretty quick.

Originally Posted by Kup Kake (Post 1292268)

Well, you are almost correct in some of what you say. Commissions are not split 25% 4-ways. There may be a time when the listing broker only gets 2% and the selling broker may get 3%. The percentage is never set in concrete and to say that it is, is against the law, i.e., price fixing and illegal according to the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Agents/Realtors receive their commission from the broker and that percentage also always varies.

John -- you may be a very nice guy, but I'm glad you were never my agent. A "good" agent will always accompany a showing by another agent. They are well informed and can point out things to the other agent and his buyer that may not be apparent, etc. There are a number of reasons why that is good sound business! In addition, after a showing, a good agent will always call the agent who showed the property, for feedback. Buyers want to know that information! In today's word, a key is almost a moot point because most properties are either placed on a regular type of lockbox or a Supra lockbox which is only available to Realtors through their local board.

Lastly, vacant land may or may not close quickly, depending upon if a mortgage is involved and possibly some other issues. The closing of a lot or parcel is really not much different than the time it takes to close on a house or condo.

Lastly, there are many vacant pieces of land/lots which are priced significantly higher than the price of a house.

Originally Posted by jamblu (Post 1260876)

On purchasing a preowned home by this Village agent, from the onset this woman lied. I was told that the elderly gentleman who lives in the home was the original owner. He expanded his lanai, he is leaving to go into an assisted living facility and since signing the contracts, she has refused to correspond either by e mail, phone or texts. Well according to the tax records the home was purchased in 2015 and he didn't do a thing in that home. He's not going into an assisted living facility he is going to live with his daughter. Where do they get this stuff from? I have repeatedly contacted the sales office to complain to perhaps a manager annd for some reason they try their damnest to avoid doing that. I still do not have executed contracts signed by both parties??? I think the difference between the VLS agents and MLS agents are MLS agents are bound to a code of ethics and morals and can be sued for misrepresentation. USE MLS

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1292315)

If the OP closed personally or by mail with Mclin Burnsed who does all of The Villages closings then he will have the papers.

This post is not clear in many ways. The OP tried to complain to a manager and "they tried their damndest to avoid doing that"???? Doing what?

Why does it matter where the owner is going, to a daughter or to assisted living?

Is the lanai expanded?

Am I the only one who isn't understanding the original post?