If there is one thing to get me fired up to rant on a message board, it's a story about shady real estate agents. I don't trust realtors. Our only house sale that went through flawlessly was a sale to a friend, in which my husband simply drew up a contract, had it reviewed by an attorney for a few hundred dollars and we were done. In every other sale we have suspected there have been back-door deals and communication between agents. Doesn't matter if they are buyers or sellers agent - they only have one goal - to make the sale, and at as high a selling price as possible because that's how they get paid...DUH! People think buyer's agents are better because they are haggling for the buyer to get the best deal - NOT TRUE. They are working with the other agents to get the highest price possible; meanwhile everyone is being made to feel like their interests are being fairly represented. It's all a game. I wonder how many elders in this country are similarly duped.