Poor communication allows Quail Oaks fiasco
The Quail Oaks fiasco highlights a major breakdown in how the Department of Transportation communicates with local government and how local government in turn communicates with developers.
According to the News & Record’s reporting (May 3), once the city of Greensboro was notified by the DOT about the updated path of the loop, the city could have informed Keystone that its previously approved plan placed them, to use the language of the article, “In the bull’s-eye.”
But the city said nothing to the developer and continued to issue building permits. Shouldn’t notification of this kind be a requirement, and not an option, as it is described in the story?
This episode also underscores the importance of using a qualified Realtor as your buyer’s agent. Treat the search for this agent seriously: Interview your agent and get references and referrals from people you trust. Only about half of the licensed real estate agents in North Carolina are actually Realtors. Realtors must abide by a strict code of ethics. Treat the decision as you would your choice of a doctor, lawyer or financial adviser. The person who helps you purchase your home should be just as important.
Bill Guill
Greensboro
The writer is the 2009 president-elect of the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association.
Comments (5)
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Posted on May 11, 2009 7:32 AM
I'm disappointed with the News and Record in reguards to this article and last Sunday's. I submitted a letter to the editor for last week's article. It was published but some of my writing was deleted. I stated that Scott Wallace, president of Keystone Builders should be fired. Why was this deleted? He should be fired. This new article proves it.
Further more Mr. Wallace should be brought up on charges for this cover-up.
Posted on May 11, 2009 11:22 AM
I wonder how many realtors brought buyers to the developer for a referral fee or outright commission split?
Posted on May 11, 2009 12:00 PM
Its all about the money. Do you really believe Keystone would have stopped selling just because the city informed them of the loops new direction? Keystone gets the money for selling, the city gets the fees and more importantly the taxes for all of the years before the loop is built. Then the state wastes millions of our tax dollars to buy the properties and destroy them.
Posted on May 11, 2009 4:53 PM
Yet there is evidence the developer knew exactly what was going on because they tried to get buyers to sign away their rights at closing.
If the city/county knew about the loop and kept giving out building permits, that ought to be investigated too, and someone should be held to account.
Posted on May 11, 2009 7:56 PM