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