Dishin' Dirt with Gary Pickren

Send us Fan Mail Real estate paralegals/closers are some of the most talented people in the real estate transaction.  Many work hundreds if not thousands of closings a year. They have tremendous incite as to what is required for a smooth closing.  Today I give you their incite and knowledge. I will count down the 10 things that closers/paralegals wished every real estate agent knew so that the clo...

Send us Fan Mail We continue to see a red hot market with little inventory and plenty of competition.  This means that buyers are still making above asking price offers.  It also means that you have to figure out how to bridge the appraisal gap.  This podcast examines the market stats that create this market. I also discuss the difference in appraisal contingencies and appraisal gap clauses.  Last...

Send us Fan Mail If you are not doing some form of marketing campaign you are missing a lot of opportunities in today's sizzling hot real estate market. A good marketing campaign should include ad purchases on Google. But Google is scary and trying to figure out if I should spend money on a Google Ad campaign is nerve-wracking.  National speaker, Jarod Spiewak of Comet Fuel formerly Blue Dog...

Send us Fan Mail Under SC Code 40-57-370 a real estate agent is required to provide a meaningful explanation of agency at the first practical opportunity when the conversation turns substantive .  The substantive contact factor is the final link to correctly delivering a meaningful explanation of agency. So when does the conversation turn substantive?  What does the statute say? And, how does this...

Send us Fan Mail Under SC Code 40-57-370 a real estate agent is required to provide a meaningful explanation of agency at the first practical opportunity.  But what does that mean? How do you determine what is the first practical opportunity? Is there a triggering event? Are you doing this correctly? Maybe not. It seems that a lot of real estate agents wait too long to provide the meaningful expla...

Send us Fan Mail State law requires real estate agents to give the consumer a meaningful explanation of agency when the conversation turns substantive.  But what is a "meaningful explanation"? Is your agency explanation something that is understandable and does it rise to the standard of being meaningful? If it does not contain these 7 key words then chances are it probably does not. In...

Send us Fan Mail One of the first things a real estate agent completes on a contract is the party's name.  The last thing the real estate agent does is have the contract signed.   Are you listing the name correctly and is the person signing the contract authorized to do so?  Too many agents gloss over the importance of getting this correct.  Do you know how to properly identify a trust, estat...

Send us Fan Mail Real Estate is totally crazy right now.  Multiple offers, offers over asking and inventory shortages are just the tip of the iceberg. With this craze comes issues in the marketplace that every real estate agent needs to know and understand how to navigate.  In this episode of Dishin' Dirt I discuss the Top Five issues facing real estate agents in the market today.  Not only w...

Send us Fan Mail In this final episode of our series on the differences in the South Carolina REALTORS contract and the Central Carolina REALTORs Contract we examine tax adjustments, contract ratification and financing.  Becki Ashby, Byron King and Austin Smallwood and I discuss how each provision is handled in the respective contracts and how it differs from the  other contract. Also, I discuss c...

Send us Fan Mail This week we examine the differences in the South Carolina REALTORS contract and the Central Carolina REALTORs Contract as it pertains to the CL-100, sale and close contingencies and earnest money.  Becki Ashby, Byron King and Austin Smallwood and I discuss how each provision is handled in the respective contracts and how it differs from the  other contract. Also, I unveil where y...

Send us Fan Mail As the market remains hot, the chance that you will be presented with an out of market contract form increases. It is imperative that you understand the differences in contracts so you don't miss deadlines and so you can explain the contract to your client. You can't simply refuse to accept out of market contracts. In this podcast I begin a series that will examine the d...

Send us Fan Mail Sale and Close Contingency and Close Contingency . What is the difference and how does each one work? Are they good for both parties and when should they be used? Can your contract be bumped for a better offer? When do you have to start due diligence? In this episode we examine the terms of the Sale and Close Addendum and the Close Contingency in relation to the Central Carolina R...

Send us Fan Mail Today we are seeing more buyers and sellers experience remorse and attempt to terminate the contract without reason or right. So what happens when a buyer or seller decides at the last minute that they want to terminate and in doing so would be in default. This podcast examines why it is happening and the legalities and realities of the default. I will also give you some strategie...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone hates the dreaded offer rejection form.  I think it is the most worthless form in real estate and it only serves to cost you more time and liability.  However, it is required by law so you better be sending them out.  Here are the five ways that most agents are screwing up the Offer Rejection Form.  Understand that each of these could result in you having a grievance file...

Send us Fan Mail The real estate market is on fire.  Multiple offers are being made in a matter of hours. Most of the offers are for asking price or higher.  Sometimes an offer will be for $50k, $60k, $70k or more over asking. But is this offer legit or fake?  Is the buyer trying to "buy" the contract by making the contract contingent on appraisal knowing it will not appraise and they ca...

Send us Fan Mail Lexington County just implemented a six month moratorium on all new developments. This governmental overreach will result in less housing inventory, higher prices and the end of affordable housing in the County Plus it will do nothing to stem the growth demand in the county. How many roads can they build in six  months?!?!?  But don't think this could not happen to you. Mount...

Send us Fan Mail In South Carolina a real estate agent has certain obligations as it pertains to Seller Disclosure.  Seller Disclosure is not an easy form to fully understand for the buyer or the real estate agent.  Many of these mistakes are costly to your client and even you.  In this podcast I countdown the Top 5 mistakes that real estate agents continue to make in dealing with Seller Disclosur...

Send us Fan Mail Whether you are using the South Carolina Association of REALTORs contract or the Central Carolina REALTORs Association contract, agents seem to make the same mistakes. Many of these mistakes are costly to your client and even you.  In this podcast I countdown the Top 5 mistakes that real estate agents continue to make in writing contracts. Learn what the mistakes are so you can av...

Send us Fan Mail Do you feel frustrated trying to sell a house with solar panels. Do you feel like a fish out of water answering questions for your buyer when the house already has panels? Are they assuming the debt or is the seller taking the panels? Lucky for you Ian Miller and Evan Stone of SCREC.org  join me to discuss ideas on helping real estate agents sell houses with leased solar panels. ...

Send us Fan Mail As many of you know the REALTORs Association and Multiple Listing Service has adopted new rules aimed at curtailing the practice of "pocket listings".  Pocket Listings are an unique and growing issue in real estate.  Many people believe that pocket listings are bad for the market, buyer, seller and agent and should not be allowed.  Others like the exclusivity and the pri...

Send us Fan Mail Here is a tough question to ask yourself. Are you a winner this past year or were you a big loser in real estate? Were you a winner because of your innovation or was it because interest rates were so low and demand was at a record high? In case you have not noticed the world is in the mist of a major change. The pandemic appears to be coming to an end. Vaccinations are happening q...

Send us Fan Mail Every real estate agent works in fear of having a grievance filed against them with the Real Estate Commission. Many agents think because they are a good and ethical agent that no one will ever file a grievance against them. That is just plain wrong.  Most of the agents I represent before the Real Estate Commission are top agents in the MLS and are pillars in the real estate commu...

Send us Fan Mail Is your brokerage and closing attorney harming your business because of a financial arrangement between the two? When your brokerage enters into a financial arrangement with a closing attorney, do you really benefit ? The answer is clearly no.  Not only are most of these arrangements questionable in their legality, the benefit never makes it way down to you, the agent.  But even w...

Send us Fan Mail Do you understand procuring cause?  Honestly? Most agents and lawyers don't.  It is a very difficult concept with rarely a straight forward answer.  Most real estate agents think because they established agency first that they are the procuring cause. Others think that as long as they open the door, they as the procuring cause.  There is so much more to it than that.  This po...

Send us Fan Mail Earnest money became a big problem for real estate agents due to a South Carolina Real Estate Commission ruling a few years ago. Since that ruling, most real estate agencies quit holding earnest money. Today, closing attorneys typically hold the earnest money in trust. While on the surface this may seem to have reduced agent liability, another big issue has evolved concerning earn...