Call it a "home security system": Real estate agent gives guns to homebuyers

[TechBear_Seattle]

Texas, of course.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas real estate agent looking to add more bang to her business is offering clients in law enforcement a free Glock pistol if they buy a home from her.

Julie Upton, a Houston-area real estate agent, spurned traditional buyer incentives like free gasoline cards or home improvement store gift certificates.

Instead, she placed an advertisement offering a pistol with the purchase of any home worth at least $150,000 in the city police department's monthly publication, "Badge & Gun."

The free guns are only for those in law enforcement, said Upton, who is married to a police officer.

The full article can be read at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061212/od_nm/life_gun_dc

[flamin lib]

1. I'm not sure that's ethical here in TX. As an agent I'm not supposed

to reward clients for doing business with me above a nominal level and the Glock she is giving away is more than $300. TREC says nominal gifts are okay--gift baskets, a bottle of wine, that sort of thing.

I'll have to ask one of my mentors.

[jody]

2. Real estate agents worry about ethics? They don't in places like Colorado.

Rocky Mountain Mortgage Fraud Fever

Have a nice day.

[flamin lib]

4. Good ones do. How about your profession, any snakes there?

[jody]

5. Unfortunately yes as is true of all professions with politicians, religious leaders, CEOs, and

owners of multinational corporation at the top of the list.

Have a nice day.

[flamin lib]

6. In that case I exercise the same option you did. Everybody in your

profession is a snake and has no ethics.

Whatever your profession is.

See, casting aspersions doesn't take a lot of information . . .

[jody]

7. Please accept my apology for offending you. That was not my intent but obviously I did.

May good fortune fall like gentle rain on all your endeavors.

Jody

[flamin lib]

8. Accepted.

[Abuhans]

10. I don't understand

How is it unethical?

[zreosumgame]

11. it could be considered a bribe to buy from that agent

as opposed to another.

[Abuhans]

13. A bribe?

I don't see how rewarding your customers for choosing you instead of a competitor is bribery, sounds just like business.

[zreosumgame]

14. ask TEAXS not me about that

I am sure that you could use the same argument when Monsanto slips a few hundred grand into some contries administration so they don't need to follow those pesky laws...

[Abuhans]

15. Well that would actually be bribery

But I think this real estate agent is just trying to get more customers, not circumvent any laws.

[zreosumgame]

16. so you are only quibbling about the amount? um, OK dude whatever...

[Abuhans]

17. I didn't say anything about amounts

I said that bribery would be bribing public officials to circumvent the law. It isn't attracting customers with bonuses and gifts.

[flamin lib]

18. The law is pretty simple here.

Nobody gets to give money to anybody unless it goes through a lawyer/title company to a licensed Broker. Only a Broker can pay an agent. The whole idea is that no money changes hands that does not show up on the HUD1 statement. Seller and buyer must know where every bit of money comes from and goes.

There was a flap over Title Companies giving free stuff to agents to solicit business. For about six months agents couldn't even accept a ball point pen. TREC thought about it and got a bit more reasonable, but still no "big" incentives and definitely no cash. How big is "big"? I personally don't want to find out.

Anyway, a "nominal gift" (TREC's verbiage) is okay. Is a $500 gun nominal? IMO not on a $150k transaction that might net the selling agent as little as $750 in commissions, $2500 at most.

Sorry for hi-jacking the thread . . .

[Abuhans]

20. Gotcha

Didn't know government had a hand in it.

[flamin lib]

21. If you knew the history of Real Estate in Texas--and most other states--

you'd applaud the intrusion of TREC into the business. It took the Texas Association of Realtors close to 20 years to convince the state that oversight was needed.

People sellin' property that wasn't theirs, writin' deals with loop holes to drive a herd through, flippin' property back & forth to create the illusion of increased value 'til some poor fool civilian bought it. This stuff will make your blood run cold. Sometimes it still happens, but if HUD comes after you it isn't to collect a fine. You're goin' to jail m'friend.

There will be a huge increase in Mortgage Fraud cases in the next 10 years. It won't help any of the people de-frauded 'cause there's no place to go for the money. It's all on paper or spent.

[jody]

3. Why would Upton give handguns to LEO, it's all other buyers who need arms to

exercise their inalienable right as stated in Texas' constitution.

Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.

[benEzra]

9. Wish our realtor had given US another Glock when we bought our house...

of course, my wife already has one (G26)



and I already have an S&W 9mm, but I'll gladly take a G17 or G19 if someone wants to buy me one...

The free guns are only for those in law enforcement, said Upton

I hope she doesn't sell a house to the Only DEA Agent Professional Enough To Carry a Glock Forty, though...

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Ehhh, I Don't See The Problem.

Since it was only for those in Law Enforcement (which was conveniently omitted from your thread title), I see no issue with this. It's just a marketing concept for a real estate agent. No biggie.

[flamin lib]

19. See upthread #18.