CARLSBAD — For months, a North County real estate agent kept quiet about a pending lawsuit involving a former buyer; however, April 3 his silence was broken when he took the stand to defend the million-dollar transaction.

Michael Little, a veteran realtor with Re/Max Associates, testified his goal is to show buyers homes until they find the one that’s right for them. “I work with people and show them homes, homes and more homes,” he testified.

However, according to a lawsuit by Marty Ummel and her husband Vernon Ummel, it was in part the homes that Little didn’t show them that led the couple to believe the agent had deceived them.

Over the course of five to six days in the spring of 2005, Little testified he showed the Ummels approximately 50 to 60 homes. He said the three of them would set out with a pile of Multiple Listing Sheets and check out houses that fit into the criteria that the Ummels set forth.

Eventually, Little said the Ummels put in an offer of $1.75 million for a four-bedroom home in an upscale Carlsbad neighborhood and the owner countered with a $2 million offer that the couple accepted.

The Ummels accuse Little of talking up the deal by telling them he was surprised they were them he was surprised they were able to find a home of that caliber for the price they paid. They also claim he hid the lower selling price of other homes in the area because he feared the couple would back out and he would lose his $30,000 commission.

Little denied both accusations in his testimony.

He said Marty Ummel commented to him about the expensive San Diego housing market and he said he told her that it was not only expensive but “outrageously” expensive. Further, he said he told the couple that in his opinion there was no such thing as “something of a good deal” in the city at that time.

As for the fear of the buyer backing out, Little said it was part of the business and that despite the risk, he’s never required any of his clients to sign a buyers agreement that would lock them into his services.

The appraiser and mortgage company, who were named in the Ummel’s initial suit, both reached a modest settlement with the couple, court documents show.