Ask questions to anyone in the real estate business (or any business for that matter), but evaluate the answers they give you against common sense. Ask them to make logical sense out of their answer, but at the same time, don’t antagonize the person to the point where it becomes an interrogation.
The fact is, it’s simply human nature that most people will tell you whatever you want to know how to do, especially if they were truly good at it, just because people love to talk about themselves. A few ego strokes can uncover a wealth of information. For example, I learned how to restore hardwood floors in a store parking lot, just by striking up a conversation with a man that had hardwood polishing equipment on his truck. He was more than glad to talk me and a friend through the entire process in detail.
I’ve learned how to fix a number of issues before having to call a repairman, just by talking to the specialists at Home Depot. Take a picture of what you need fixed or replaced; the specialists are usually more than happy to give you several different ideas on how to resolve the problem. Or they may even have a solution you hadn’t thought of.
And then evaluate the answer against whether it serves the purpose you want to accomplish. A lot of people have the best intentions in the world, but they can only tell you what’s best for them. So likewise, you have to figure what’s best for you.
If the answer you receive doesn’t add up to your common sense, ask for clarification. Maybe you missed something or misunderstood what was being said to you. Please put pride aside when it comes to obtaining correct information.
