My experience working with my realtor, Rubin milshtein, during the purchase of my condominium was…read morenot what I expected, and I encourage prospective buyers to conduct thorough due diligence before making a purchase.
During the transaction, Rubin referred me, during my first viewing of the property, to the president of the condominium association. He was not present during the showing. The association president showed me the unit and discussed the plumbing work that would need to be completed before I could begin my planned renovation, as well as other matters related to the unit, including permits and financial issues. At the time, I was not aware that the association president and my realtor were in a personal relationship, nor that both had served in leadership roles within the condominium association for several years or if the other party was an agent as well. I only learned about their relationship after purchasing the property. Had I known this information beforehand, I would have asked additional questions and evaluated the transaction differently.
Based on the information I received during the purchase process from the association president, who had been referred to me by my realtor to explain the plumbing work before my planned renovation, I understood that the work would be relatively straightforward. Instead, shortly after closing, I encountered significant building-related plumbing work behind the walls of my unit. Although the permitting process was ultimately completed in approximately four months later, I was initially informed that the work could extend from March through September because of financial issues on the building's side. During this period, my unit was left without a functioning toilet, sink, or running water due to the building-related plumbing work, preventing me from using the property as I had expected when I purchased it and delaying my renovation for months as I couldn't put a toilet on the risers conditions.
Throughout this period, my realtor, Rubin was aware that I was dealing with these issues and the ongoing impact they were having on my ability to use my property. He also served on the condominium association's board during this time.
I also learned after purchasing the property that demolition work had previously been performed in my unit before the sale. As a result of issues related to that work and its permitting status, I was later required to pay for a portion of the demolition-related costs and incurred additional expenses, including municipal fines extras. This was another unexpected issue that affected my experience as a purchaser and Rubin and the president of the board mentioned they did it themselves with the previous owner of the unit.
This review reflects my personal experience and is based on my own observations and communications during the transaction. I am sharing this information to describe my experience and encourage future buyers to independently verify the condition of the property, ask detailed questions about any ongoing or anticipated building infrastructure projects, carefully review the condominium association's records and financial information, and document the answers they receive before closing. Even when conducting due diligence, I believe it is important to independently verify the information provided throughout the transaction. My experience reinforced the importance of making purchasing decisions with a complete understanding of the property's condition, any relationships that could present a potential conflict of interest, and any issues that may affect the property's use.
