Q: We have agreed to purchase a home, but the inspector we hired found some problems with the plumbing. The sellers are very cooperative and have offered to either have the repairs made themselves or to give us a credit against our closing costs so we will have the money to pay for the work after we move in. We’re leaning toward having the sellers make the repairs, so we won’t have to deal with it. What do you think?

A: I can understand your desire to have the sellers handle the repairs now, so you won’t have to bother with them later. It would be safer, however, if you hire your own plumber to do the work after the sale closes.

Your letter states that the sellers are being “very cooperative,” and you should be grateful for that. But plumbing repairs can be very expensive, and the sellers might understandably be tempted to save some money by hiring the cheapest contractor available, using low-quality material or doing a mere “patch job” even though more extensive work might be needed.

A better idea would be to find two or three plumbers yourselves, have each one submit a written bid, and then ask the sellers to give you an appropriate credit against your closing costs so you’ll have the money to pay for the repairs after you move in.

Following this strategy means that you’d be inconvenienced for a day or two while the plumbers do their job, but that’s a small price to pay to help ensure that the work will be done to your satisfaction.

Q: We want to sell a parcel of raw land that we own in another state, but all of the agents we have interviewed want to charge either a 10 percent or 15 percent sales commission. We have sold several homes and never paid more than 6 percent. The agents say commissions on land sales are always higher, but we think they’re trying to rip us off because we are out-of-towners. What do you think?

A: I don’t think that the real estate agents are trying to rip you off.

It’s fairly common for agents to charge a 10 percent to 15 percent commission to sell a vacant piece of property, compared with the 6 percent or even less that’s usually charged to sell a house. Marketing raw land can be very time-consuming, because there typically aren’t as many buyers looking for land as there are for homes.

In addition, most raw lots sell for much less than similar-size parcels that already have a house on them. By charging a higher commission, an agent who sells a vacant lot can recoup the extra marketing costs that are usually involved and also make about the same amount that he or she would earn if the property already had a house sitting on it.

Q: We are refinancing our home and recently received our preliminary loan closing statement. Everything looks OK, except for a $90 charge listed for “VOE.” What is this charge for?

A: “VOE” is lender jargon for the verification-of-employment forms a bank sends to a loan applicant’s employer. The one-page form asks the employer to confirm that the borrower indeed works for the company, how much is earned and the like.

Most banks don’t charge for mailing out and processing their VOEs, or simply include the cost as part of their loan-origination fee or points. Frankly, it seems to me that your bank is trying to tack on a few extra bucks to its refinancing charges.

Although the proposed $90 fee probably isn’t worth canceling the refinancing and looking for a new lender, you should at least call the bank and ask that the charge be removed. My guess is that the lender will be willing to grant your request in order to help close the deal and start the relationship on a positive note.

– David W. Myers is a 20-year veteran of the newspaper and magazine business, having previously covered real estate for the Los Angeles Times and Investor’s Business Daily.