On 1/25/2010 2:44 PM, Michael J. Coslo wrote:

That's putting yourself in a bad situation. Remember, the real estate
agent is not your friend. After firing several agents, for reasons
like continually showing me houses outside my price range, (that I
determined, not them) and not disclosing HOA and other important
stuff, I was pretty well convinced of that. They are the sellers
friend, and the more they can get out of you, the better they serve
their customer. If that means allowing the buyer to think that
something is true while it isn't, they are happy to do that.

My wife and I looked at over 100 houses before we selected the one I
live in now. I have *no* HOA, *no* CC&R's, and *no* problem putting up
antennas: I had to fire three agents who hadn't heard me when I told
them what *my* requirements were.

Michael is right: the agent represents the *SELLER*, not the buyer. He
is legally obligated to disclose _some_ things, but professionally
obligated not to disclose anything else that might lower the house's
value. Agents are not your friends.

I remember one occasion, when I was asked to put a deposit on a home I
was considering: the agent looked at the paper, and said, "The deposit
isn't five hundred, Bill, it's five thousand", and I replied, "You're
right, it's not five hundred: it's Five dollars". He tried to stare me
down, and then said "I don't think you're serious about buying this
house, and I won't convey that offer", to which I replied "You'll
convey the offer or I'll have your license on a plate"!

The agent had a counter-offer for me within two hours. You have to
remember that these guys are salesmen, and they get paid to move the
product: the moment you let them dictate to you, you lose.

HTH. FWIW. YMMV.

Bill, W1AC

Bill Horne wrote:

Michael is right: the agent represents the *SELLER*, not the buyer. He
is legally obligated to disclose _some_ things, but professionally
obligated not to disclose anything else that might lower the house's
value. Agents are not your friends.

There's an agent for the seller, and there's an agent for the buyer.
They should be in a professional adversarial relationship. The seller's
agent is out to get the highest price, and the buyer's agent is out to
get the lowest. If, as the buyer, you don't think your agent is
performing that task, find another agent.

Real estate agents most certainly should be your friend. As a buyer, I
cannot possibly know the market and keep up with it as well as someone
who does that as their full time job. My real estate agent knows vastly
more about what questions to ask and what to look for than I do. While
a buyer or buyer's agent may not be required to volunteer information,
they are required to truthfully answer questions IF you know what
questions to ask.

To try to interject the slightest bit of ham-radio-related content into
this submission . . . if being able to erect an antenna is an important
consideration for you when buying a house, find an agent who understands
CCRs and related issues. If the agent doesn't understand the issues,
they cannot do what you need them to do. If the agent cannot or does
not perform, failing to ask the right questions or showing you houses
that don't meet your needs, get another agent. You would do the same
thing if you explained that you needed a minimum of three bedrooms and
the agent persisted in showing you houses with two bedrooms.

73, Steve KB9X

On Jan 25, 3:44�pm, Bill Horne wrote:
My wife and I looked at over 100 houses before
we selected the one I
live in now. I have *no* HOA, *no* CC&R's,
and *no* problem putting up
antennas: I had to fire three agents who hadn't
heard me when I told
them what *my* requirements were.

Thanks for proving the point, Bill.

Having to look at 100 houses after telling an agent what you want means
something's really wrong somewhere.

Having to fire three agents after telling them what you want means
something's really wrong somewhere.

I don't think the problem was that you were excessively choosy; I think
the problem was a lack of suitable houses, so the agents showed you
"almost good enough" houses.

You had the resources and patience to go through all that. Many folks
don't. If you spent just 1 hour per house on research, that's over
2-1/2 weeks work before the actual job of buying and moving begins.

Michael is right: the agent represents the *SELLER*,
not the buyer. He
is legally obligated to disclose _some_ things, but professionally
obligated not to disclose anything else that might lower the house's
value. Agents are not your friends.

I disagree; they can be. But the main point is that the agent, whether
a buyer's agent or a seller's agent, doesn't make any money until a
sale happens.

I think all this is having a negative impact on amateur radio.
Here'swhy:

1) Lots of people who live in restricted homes never pursue an interest
in amateur radio because they don't want the antenna hassle. Not every
restricted home has a suitable attic or yard where an antenna can be
hidden. Many restrictions are such that flagpoles, birdhouses, awnings
and other things are prohibited too. Plus Gladys Kravitz type neighbors
who look for *any* infractions (it only takesone).

The effect is particularly strong on young people, who can't just move
and whose resources are usually less.

2) Lots of hams who live in restricted homes are much less active
amateurs than they would be if they didn't have the hassle.

3) Certain areas become "no-hams" zones, because more and more hams
steer clear of them.

4) The publicity and visibility of amateur radio decrease over time,
because nobody sees antennas, and hams operating stealth don't
talkabout it.

How many of us first discovered amateur radio, or found our first
Elmer, by seeing his/her antenna(s)?

For decades the trend in amateur radio has been to make the licenses
easier to get, the equipment less expensive, more reliable and higher
performing, and the choices of activities greater. But at the same
time, there's been a slow but steady trend to make more and more homes
ham-radio-unfriendly. That's not a good thing.

I'm not sure how to meet the challenge head-on; we don't have the
resources of the satellite-dish folks.

73 de Jim, N2EY

wrote:
I don't think the problem was that you were excessively choosy;

You had the resources and patience to go through all that.

When I decided to move out of the Los Angeles area, My wife and I
spent almost 6 months looking for property online. We had a basic
set of "conditions" to meet (as it were).

I fly out here in June last year to look at the properties and
when I got home told my wife, "I think I just bought the farm."

How many of us first discovered amateur radio, or found our first
Elmer, by seeing his/her antenna(s)?

Slight topic drift, but in my case it was because my dad worked
for North American Aviation. He took me to the employee recreation
park and I wandered into the Amateur Radio Club station. W6UUI.
End of story, I was "ruined".

Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi


--
“Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.â€
�
Frank Leahy, Head coach, Notre Dame 1941-1954

http://www.stay-connect.com

"Jeffrey D Angus" wrote in message
...
wrote:
I don't think the problem was that you were excessively choosy;

You had the resources and patience to go through all that.

When I decided to move out of the Los Angeles area, My wife and I
spent almost 6 months looking for property online. We had a basic
set of "conditions" to meet (as it were).

I fly out here in June last year to look at the properties and
when I got home told my wife, "I think I just bought the farm."

How many of us first discovered amateur radio, or found our first
Elmer, by seeing his/her antenna(s)?

Slight topic drift, but in my case it was because my dad worked
for North American Aviation. He took me to the employee recreation
park and I wandered into the Amateur Radio Club station. W6UUI.
End of story, I was "ruined".

---------------
Hey Jeff: I thought it was when you stuck the all-metal table knife into
the live electrical outlet as a child that did it.

On 1/28/2010 8:43 AM, D. Stussy wrote:

Hey Jeff: I thought it was when you stuck the all-metal table knife into
the live electrical outlet as a child that did it.

That's nothing special: we *ALL* did *THAT*. ;-)

Bill "Curly" Horne, W1AC

"Bill Horne" wrote in message
...
On 1/28/2010 8:43 AM, D. Stussy wrote:

Hey Jeff: I thought it was when you stuck the all-metal table knife
into
the live electrical outlet as a child that did it.

That's nothing special: we *ALL* did *THAT*. ;-)

Yes, but Jeff held on. Anyone use a hairpin - with each prong in a
separate hole?

On Jan 27, 8:29 am, wrote:

Having to look at 100 houses after telling an agent what you want means
something's really wrong somewhere.

Having to fire three agents after telling them what you want means
something's really wrong somewhere.

Yes, there is, but it's what we have to work with. All the agents I
worked with were of the big picture on the billboard type. It would
veer way OT, but my XYL who works in the flooring industry and has
regular contact with contractors and RE agent, could tell you stories
that would make you hair stand on end. The closest comparison I can
make is that there is a strong "carny vs rube" relationship going on.
And they are the carney.


You had the resources and patience to go through all that. Many folks
don't. If you spent just 1 hour per house on research, that's over
2-1/2 weeks work before the actual job of buying and moving begins.

Thanks for proving my point, Jim. I spent a lot of time researching my
house. When a house reached "serious status", I took measurements, I
talked to the neighbors, I had my lawyer go to the courthouse to check
over the deed - in addition to the completely worthless deed insurance
they make you buy. And he found an issue that we made the owners pay
for. But the point is there is a choice, and if a person lacks the
patience to find out what they are buying into, then I don't know how
to advise them.

There's the old saying about buy in haste and repent at leisure.


1) Lots of people who live in restricted homes never pursue an interest
in amateur radio because they don't want the antenna hassle. Not every
restricted home has a suitable attic or yard where an antenna can be
hidden. Many restrictions are such that flagpoles, birdhouses, awnings
and other things are prohibited too. Plus Gladys Kravitz type neighbors
who look for *any* infractions (it only takesone).

hehe, I was wondering when Gladys would come up... 8^)

But you brought us back to Ham radio specifically, so that's great.

I agree wholeheartedly. Old Mr Bloom from up the road was my
introduction to two way radio. He had a tower with one of those triple
vertical dipoles on it that you could switch the pattern on - I forget
what they are called. But a friend and I knocked on his door, and
politely asked if we could see his radios. He told us to have our
parents call him to make sure it was okay, and then we stopped by
again to see his shack. Pure magic! Lights and glowing meters and that
electronic smell of tubes that whenever I smell tube equipment these
days it takes me right back.

Otherwise I agree with all those points.


For decades the trend in amateur radio has been to make the licenses
easier to get, the equipment less expensive, more reliable and higher
performing, and the choices of activities greater. But at the same
time, there's been a slow but steady trend to make more and more homes
ham-radio-unfriendly. That's not a good thing.

I'm not sure how to meet the challenge head-on; we don't have the
resources of the satellite-dish folks.

For as much charm as our introduction to Ham radio was, it is going to
be different today.

If we decide that we need to get young people interested in Ham radio,
it will have to be in a manner in which they are used to.

I had an idea about making a 2 meter HT that had texting ability, as
well as voice. The texting mode would be PSK-31. Note that PSK31
actually does work with FM - it isn't as useful as the SSB version,
but it still works. A kid with a Technician license and his/her
friends of like qualifications would use these things similarly to
cell phones, but it would be their own channels. After starting, the
more adventurous might look into repeater construction. Regular Ham
type stuff. Eventually they would likely gravitate to HF if they found
that interesting.

It would certainly be a different paradigm than what most people who
became Hams when very young went through. But we don't have novice
class any more, and have to come up with something else.

Some Hams I have pitched this to have been vehemently oppose to the
idea.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

"Michael J. Coslo" wrote

I had an idea about making a 2 meter HT that had texting ability, as
well as voice. The texting mode would be PSK-31. Note that PSK31
actually does work with FM - it isn't as useful as the SSB version,
but it still works. A kid with a Technician license and his/her
friends of like qualifications would use these things similarly to
cell phones, but it would be their own channels.

--------------

The beauty of that is that if the kids are close enough to work simplex, all
that may be required for an antenna is a small indoor one, and certainly a
5w HT isn't powerful enough to get into a neighbor's electronics. I once had
a Ringo AR-2 hanging from a hook in my apartment ceiling.

Howard N7SO

Michael J. Coslo wrote:

You had the resources and patience to go through all that. Many folks
don't. If you spent just 1 hour per house on research, that's over
2-1/2 weeks work before the actual job of buying and moving begins.

Thanks for proving my point, Jim. I spent a lot of time researching my
house. When a house reached "serious status", I took measurements, I
talked to the neighbors, I had my lawyer go to the courthouse to check
over the deed - in addition to the completely worthless deed insurance
they make you buy. And he found an issue that we made the owners pay
for. But the point is there is a choice, and if a person lacks the
patience to find out what they are buying into, then I don't know how
to advise them.

In some states, CCRs can be really hidden. For example a builder may buy a
portion of land already subject to restrictions. Doing a normal title
search usually won't find the restriction, since the builder will seem to be
the first to put Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions on that particular
piece of land. Incidentally a careful shopper also has to watch out for
easements.

I also have to note once again that not every potential home buyer even
considers CCRs or understands that a restriction on let's say additional
structures might bar a tower even if said tower is attached to the
residence. One other problem is numerous municipalities try to ban antennas
and fighting that ban can be expensive.

Finally let me note that in some states, a ham who loses a legal fight
against a Covenant can not only end up liable for his or her legal costs but
those of the party who (i.e. the neighbor or HOA) who brought the suit.

There's the old saying about buy in haste and repent at leisure.

I suspect most folks are more concerned about location, price and size than
antennas, that's true even for most hams I suppose. I don't know how much
haste is involved, but focus tends to shorten in such circumstances.