I need some tips for buying my grandmother's old house and re whether I can ask the agent to keep my last name confidential.

My grandmother died 25 years ago and the house was owned by my sister until about 6 years ago when she sold it to a stranger. I wanted to buy the house but, at the time, I couldn't afford it.

The house used to be on Trulia as in the lis pendens (foreclosure) stage but it is no longer on Trulia (it's possible the bank worked out something with the seller or that the property became bank-owned and/or may have, subsequently, been sold).

I am located in another state and have emailed a broker that I found online to see if she can find out more info (of course, I will want to meet her and get references before working with her). She is checking to see the status of the home. She does not yet know my last name.

My last name and my grandmother's last name are the same (though my last name is different from my sister, who was the subsequent homeowner, after my grandmother). I'm worried that the current owner (if not bank-owned) or the agent with whom I'm conversing will put two-and-two together (with my last name) and will realize that the house has sentimental value to me and may not be flexible on price.

Here are my questions:

1. As a first-time buyer, what do I need to know/look out for with regard to buying a possibly foreclosed property;

2. Should I mention to the agent my family connection to the house and can I ask her to keep this information confidential from the current homeowner (for fear that the current owner will not be flexible on price);

3. If I cannot make the agent keep my connection to the house confidential, will she find out anyway looking at the title report?

4 Are there other issues (besides basic home buying issues) that I should be aware of in this scenario?

Thank you for any help!

Danielle, Have you already chosen an agent to represent you, or are you speaking with the listing agent that represents the seller too? If you haven't made a commitment, I would do some research on local agents in your area that work with first time buyers, and contact a couple for an interview.

As far as keeping your name confidential, when you enter into a contract to buy a house (starts with a written offer, and when accepted becomes a legal contract), a name is needed. I wouldn't mention being related to a previous owner, which from a business standpoint is irrelevant, as long as the current owner is not a relative, which must be disclosed in many states.

A good agent will help you from start to finish, but I recommend working with someone other than the listing agent. I hope this helps!

Thanks, Droll. The agent I've been in contact with is not the listing agent because she knew nothing about the place. I think I need someone in the location where the house is (in my home state) to give me the lowdown on the place (what condition it's in, etc.). The agent I've contacted said she had to go to the Town Hall to find out about the place so I guess that means it's not listed anywhere.

Also, I understand my last name will be out there once I make a written offer. Prior to that, though, I was wondering if I should be sure to be working with a buyer's agent and, if so, if I could instruct him/her to refrain from disclosing my name until offer time.

Thanks, again!

Heavens, we never say who our clients are - it's not even known to the listing side until the offer is written. We might say "cute young couple", "single lady", etc., but we don't give names so early in the dance.

But I agree that you should get a buyer's agent - don't use the listing agent if the property has a listing agent. A buyer's agent, in my humble opinion, will be more apt to guide you in terms of home inspection/the property's condition; whereas, a number of listing agents do have a tendency to "push" to get the deal done when they represent both sides. I'd say "service" has a tendency to slide a bit when they're looking at picking up both sides of the deal.

Is your name that unusual or the town so small that even the current owner would know your grandmother owned it before? If it's foreclosed on, your last name won't even matter - in fact, it doesn't even matter now.

Oh, and Trulia, along with Zillow, is another one of those internet sites that's not 100% reliable - info gets stall, but it still hangs out there.

Thanks, VABroker. Yes, my town is small and my name is that unusual. I can see how my name wouldn't matter if the house had been foreclosed (and, yes, I do know that Trulia/Zillow often are inaccurate). However, I do think it matters if there are current owners and they find out I'm trying to buy my grandmother's old house from a negotiating standpoint. (Why do you think it doesn't matter?)

"I do think it matters if there are current owners and they find out I'm trying to buy my grandmother's old house from a negotiating standpoint. (Why do you think it doesn't matter?)"


I doubt that the current owners will care. you're competing with other potential buyers. the owners will be more concerned about who brings the best offer, not who owned the property in the past.

if you are using a buyer's agent representing you exclusively, the agent must do what is best for you at all times.

Use a buyer's agent and instruct them not to give out your name until contract.

So if I understand correctly, the current owner bought it from your sister (who happens to have a different last name than yours). My question would be: how will the current owner know who the was the previous owner (your grandma) prior to the owner from whom they bought it (your sister)? Unless title reports are much more thorough (and show ownership history that far back) in your state and/or the listing agent is particularly anal, it is highly improbable that the seller would know this.