Alain Picard's Advice

Could be the listing agent hasn't been out to the property yet, or there are tenants living there, or the interior is in pretty bad condition. These are just to name a few reasons.

A 1% origination fee is pretty common for any mortgage such as a FHA or USDA. The origination fee differs from one lender to another but 1% isn't really bad.

A mortgage broker will basically shop around for the best lender for you to buy your new home. Their job is to find the best rate and the best terms for your mortgage.

I see this quite often. Don't rely on the Zestimate. I'm sure your appraisal is a lot more accurate.

You could check public records as everyone is saying here or you could contact a local real estate agent and ask them.

It is ok if you want to do it. I've seen it done before.

Yeah I would contact a local real estate agent and ask them to check for you.

As far as I know it shouldn't prevent you as long as you have the credit and income that a lender is looking for. You should talk to a lender because they will be able to tell you if you qualify.

In my opinion it depends if the agents know each other. If they do then I would get a different agent to help you. You can use an agent from any real estate office in your area and they don't have to be from the real estate office who is listing the home that you want.

You can call a local real estate agent and they should be able to tell you who the owner is and if it's for sale or rent. If it's in Washington State I could do it for you.