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The year is finally coming to an end and 2013 is almost upon us. 2013 will mark the 18th year that Buyer’s Resource Realty Services has been representing and protecting ONLY home buyers in central Ohio. We are the oldest established Exclusive Buyer Agency in Columbus, Ohio. If you are a potential home buyer then Buyer’s Resource is your best choice. No other real estate brokerage in Columbus that represents buyers exclusively can compare to our total experience and number of client transactions (1,000+). We are dedicated home buyer advocates who always represent the best interests of the buyer. For more information you can review my Testimonials & References!
Way back in 2007, I started this blog (HomeBuyer’s Advocate!) to be a resource of important real estate information for my clients and any potential home buyers. I’ve been very fortunate that a few of my blog posts have been referenced in local newspapers and a national magazine publication (“This Old House”). I honestly don’t know how this happened because I think I have the writing skills of a junior high school student (LOL!). One of my major goals for 2013 will be to reach 100,000+ views on my blog. Stayed tuned during the next few weeks for some interesting topics and posts for home buyers. My upcoming blog posts will have timely and important tidbits of information that every home buyer should know before they start the journey of buying a home.
In 2013 I hope to continue and expand my blog as an invaluable resource for future home buyers. My vision is for HomeBuyer’s Advocate Blog to be the preeminent resource for information in Columbus, Ohio for home buyers.
Good luck out there!
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions.
How do you like you the “snowy background” on the blog? I think it is very festive.
Representing People, NOT Property!
I’ve been an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent (EBA) since 1996. During this time, I’ve evaluated thousands of homes with my Buyer clients. I’m constantly amazed at some of the stupid staging techniques that I’ve seen. When done correctly, I think there is place for subtle home staging techniques. But, I think 90% of home staging techniques creates a fake, phony home and is more of a distraction. As an EBA that just represents home buyers, I’m constantly focused on home staging tricks that might be trying to hide a problem with a home such as, fresh-baked cookies or popcorn to hide mildew or moisture smells.
Here is the Top 10 list of “Stupid Home Staging Tricks”:
10. Playing mood music. Playing music to set the atmosphere in a home is not that ridiculous. This is why mood music comes in at #10. It is a little distracting when you are viewing a “blue-collar” home with “Mozart’s Symphony No. 16 in C Major” playing in every room. Many Sellers think playing music will create a relaxing and peaceful environment in their home. But, many times the music is just distracting the potential buyer from the home.
9. Too many lit candles. A few candles are nice but don’t overdo it. I’ve evaluated many homes where the Seller will have 5-6 lit candles in almost every room. Fire Marshall Bill would say, “Let me show you something!” This many lit candles are ridiculous, if not to say a fire hazard.
8. Plastic anything! Plastic anything is a big “no-no”. You don’t want to stage your home with plastic cookies, cake, flowers, beverage, fruit, etc. Using plastic props to stage your home is probably the most overused staging techniques. New build model homes are the worst offenders of plastic prop staging. Even Pamela Anderson would be embarrassed by the amount of plastic used in some model homes.
7. What’s up with this diagonal crap? A Professional stager will state that placing furniture on a diagonal, especially beds and couches is supposed to make a room seem bigger. I think the theory of “diagonal staging” is debatable. Even when it is done correctly, I really don’t think it makes the room bigger. The first thing that I notice when I see a diagonal bed is how odd and fake this looks. No one lives with their bed or couch on a diagonal. I’ve had numerous Buyer clients ask me “What’s up with this diagonal furniture stuff?”
6. Where Art Thou? Hanging artwork on walls pose many different problems. A big, fancy piece of artwork in a room will distract buyers from everything else in the room. This is especially a problem if there are no other pictures, family photos or other artwork on the walls. Incorrect artwork placement just screams fake and phony. Another artwork problem is “theming” (I thought I was making up a new word but this word actually does exist) of the rooms. Every room in the house has one single recurrent artwork/picture theme (ocean, barn, flowers, forest/landscaping, etc.)
5. Full blown table place settings! Dining room tables or island counters set up to look like a 5 star Michelin restaurant. Silk table mats, fancy silverware, napkins stuffed into glasses or napkins with rings, etc. is too over the top! If your dining room table would make the Queen of England proud then it is probably not appropriate and looks fake.
4. Ribbon Envy! Avoid decorating your home with any ribbons or cords. Tying ribbons around your towels on towel racks, decorative robes on curtain rods/drapes and shower curtains with big, huge ropes are all laughable. No one wants to spend extra 10 minutes to take a shower by untying and tying shower curtain cords or tie backs. You don’t live in King Henry’s castle.
3. Cookbook. The open cookbook staged on a stand in the kitchen. This is not your mother’s Home Journal magazine from the 50’s. Just as hilarious is the copies of wine or cigar connoisseur magazines right beside the cookbook on a stand.
2. Breakfast tray. The breakfast tray on the bed with tumbled wine glasses. Is the Seller thinking, “I had caviar and crumpets for breakfast this morning and I didn’t have time to put my breakfast tray away before showing my home.” I’ve also never understood the staging of turned over glasses. Some houses would even have plastic liquid coming out of the glass to resemble spilled milk or wine. Why are these items in a stage home? What’s next a whoopee cushion in a chair?
1. Rose petals. The #1 most stupid and outrageous staging technique that I’ve ever seen is rose petals everywhere 
in the filled bathroom tub along candles, wine bottles and glasses. Luckily, we’ve only seen this staging technique once, but it was enough to easily make it number one on the list. The house we viewed was actually a nice home with a great, updated kitchen and big back yard. The house had everything my Buyer was looking for in a new home. But, the only thing the Buyer ended up remembering was the crazy use of rose petals in the bathtub.
Home buyers need to be careful in our market. When evaluating homes don’t be too distracted by tacky home staging techniques. Obviously, I’m not a big fan of overblown home staging of homes. My definition of home staging is fairly basic. I think every Seller should remove clutter, clean their home, make all beds and pick up dirty underwear. A Seller that tries to hide problems or defects in their home via home staging is a serious problem. I addressed this issue in a previous blog post: Problems With Staging Homes!
Good luck out there! I hope this information is helpful.
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions
Representing People, NOT Property!
The other day I was attending a home inspection with one of my Buyer clients. The Home Inspector discovered some bugs that he thought were bed bugs. My Buyers asked me a good question, “Do Seller’s have to disclose bed bugs to potential homebuyers?”
Bed bugs are becoming a major problem everywhere in the United States. But, the bed bug problem is huge in the state of Ohio. CBS Evening News recently had a story of the “Top 15 Worst Cities For Bed Bugs!” The State of Ohio has 4 cities in the top 15. Eeek Gads!!!
The answer to this question above might not be as straight forward as you think.
In a residential real estate transaction most states do require a property disclosure form. But, many states, including Ohio, do not specifically address bed bugs in their disclosure form. In my opinion, the state of Ohio residential property disclosure form is inadequate and needs to be greatly improved.
In the State of Ohio we have a four page Residential Property Disclosure (RPD) Form. A Seller is required to disclose any material problems or defects on their property that has occurred over the past five years.
The definition of a “material defect” is any problem with a home that would affect a Buyer’s decision to purchase the home or affect the value of the property.
The State of Ohio RPD has 14 sections (A-N) that address such items as; structural, roof, water intrusion, mechanical, wood-boring insects, etc. But, there is no specific section for disclosing bed bugs. So, if there is no section in RPD do Sellers have to disclose?
I am not an attorney!!! But, if you are a Seller struggling with what to disclose then I would use common sense and follow these 2 steps:
- The best approach for any Seller is “when in doubt always disclose”. Many Sellers do the exact opposite and disclose nothing. Sellers don’t want to jeopardize selling their home. This is a huge, risky gamble for any Seller.
- Ask yourself, “would a reasonable person think the problem would affect the value?”. If the honest answer is yes, then disclose.
You would think it would be a “no brainer” on how to answer the question, “Do Seller’s have to disclose Bed Bugs?”.
Yes, Yes, Yes…..you should disclose to potential Buyers any TYPE of pest, insect or rodent infestation in your home.
This is not just limited to termites, carpenter ants, bed bugs. But, also squirrels, rats, bats, etc.
Any reasonable person would think that a bed bug infestation in their home would affect the value of the property.
So, in the State of Ohio, even though we don’t have a specific section in the RPD to disclose bed bugs, you would need to disclose under section N (Other Known Material Defects)
Real estate disclosure procedures vary greatly from state to state. If you have specific questions then you should contact an attorney, licensed real estate agent or your states division/department of real estate.
I really need to finish this post. Bed bugs are so creepy that my mind is playing tricks on me. As I’m writing this blog post, I’m itching everywhere. I hope this is not happening to you. LOL!
If you want a little giggle, then hover your cursor over the bed bug pics above.
Good luck out there! I hope this information is helpful.
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions
Representing People, NOT Property!
The title tells you everything you need to know! A very good video for home buyers from “The Balancing Act” show on cable channel “Lifetime”. The National Association Exclusive Buyer’s Agents (NAEBA) is an organization that strives to give today’s home-buying consumers the level of service they deserve and are increasingly demanding. NAEBA members firmly believe that home buyers have the same full and equal representation rights as sellers in any real estate transaction. We have NAEBA members throughout the world.
Exclusive Buyer Agents (EBA) are the guaranteed, highest and best representation possible for a home buyer. We help our Buyer Clients, “Locate, Evaluate and Negotiate!”
Great information for the home buyer.
Good luck out there!
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions
Representing People, NOT Property!
The Commerce Department reports that new home sales in June rebounded 24% from the previous month. You would think this would be good news, but this is very misleading data. March and April homes sales exploded because of the tax credit rush. May was an all time “stinker” month. So, it is not too hard to have a big increase over a previous terrible month. Plus, the June sales pace is the 2nd slowest ever on record since Commerce Department began tracking the data in 1963. Also on Monday, The National Association of Realtors reports that existing home sales fell 5.1% in June.
So what does all this mean? On the same day, we get conflicting data on the real estate market. Home buyers and sellers are frustrated. They don’t know what to think.
So is the real estate market improving? Who knows the answer?
How about Bernanke, Buffett, Geithner or Greenspan….do they know the answer?
The answer is……nobody knows, not even the so called “experts”.
In my opinion, I think we’ve definitely hit the bottom months ago and the market has been slowly improving. But my opinion or “guess” is no better than any other market expert.
But, the 2 things that I definitely know about the Columbus Ohio real market are:
- The real estate market is extremely turbulant and volatile. This is not always a bad thing for home buyers.
- We are still in a Buyer’s market.
Good luck out there!
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions
Representing People, NOT Property!
The guaranteed best representation possible for a home buyer is to hire their own personal Exclusive Buyer’s Agent (EBA).
Exclusive Buyer agent representation for home buyers has recently (Jan. 2010) been endorsed in the new consumer publication from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); “Shopping for your Home Loan: HUD’s Settlement Cost Booklet“. This is HUD’s first major revision in 10 years and advises home buyers to hire a real estate agent that will only represent their best interests. Page 6 of HUD’s Settlement Cost Booklet states, “If you want someone to represent only your interests, consider hiring an ‘exclusive buyer’s agent’, who will be working for you.”
You would think this would be great news for home buyers & exclusive buyer’s agents. But, now the problem is that many real estate agents are calling themselves an “Exclusive Buyer Agent”, when they really aren’t EBA’s. Real estate agents are just making up their own “titles” or “specialities” just so they can generate more business. But, they are NOT EBA’s or a true Buyer Broker
Quite simply, The only definition of an Exclusive Buyer Agent is an agent that never list property for sale and the company they work for does not list properties or provide any representation for Sellers.
If you are potential home buyer that is interviewing possible Exclusive Buyer Agents then just ask this simple question:
“Do you or any other agents in your office list or sell properties at anytime?” If they answer yes, then the agent is not a true EBA.
Here is what leading national magazines and newspapers say about “true” Buyer Brokers:
“Agents: How to hire one for your side.” Most agents who show you homes don’t represent your interests. They work for the seller, and their object is to sell the house at the highest price.”
“Many people don’t realize that, unless specifically stated otherwise, brokers are legal representatives of Sellers. A buyer’s broker representing only the buyer, may be able to secure a better price and better terms.”
“Unlike the traditional agent who looks out for the seller, a buyer broker acts as your advocate, helping you find the homes you want and then negotiating the lowest possible price. the best buyer brokers are so-called exclusive agents – that is, they represent only buyers, never sellers…”
“Exclusive agencies are best. They remove any conflict of interest, which is the main reason for considering a Buyer Broker in the first place.”
“…A Buyer’s Broker is prohibited from disclosing to a Seller that the Buyer can, or will, pay more than what has been offered… To eliminate conflict of interests, exclusive buyer agents do not take listings. Buyer’s Broker make a great deal of sense”
“Groups such as Consumer Federation of America and AARP recommend using Buyer’s Agents. The reason is they work.”
“Buyer Brokers: agents that buyers can call their own.” “If you real estate agent isn’t a Buyer Broker, he works for the Seller.” Buyers no longer have to fend for themselves.”
“A conflict of interest is more likely when a real estate firm that represents sellers assigns you one of its Brokers as a Buyer’s agents. That’s 
why many people believe, “Exclusive Buyer Broker” is preferrable. Exclusive Buyer Broker aims to get the best deal for home buyer.”
Good luck out there!
Please feel free to contact me if you need help or have questions
Representing People, NOT Property!
This is a follow up to my blog post on March 25th, “Toxic Drywall Could Be Largest Lawsuit In US History!” This blog post produced record high amount of views and comments. We really tapped into a very important topic for the consumer.
The good news is that the Columbus Dispatch is reporting that it appears there is NO Chinese drywall in the Columbus, Ohio area. The Columbus Dispatch did a thorough job of interviewing new home builders, home contractors, drywall suppliers and it appears that no toxic Chinese drywall made it to the Central Ohio area.
The Bad news is that the toxic Chinese drywall is definitely in the United States. In 2005, Chinese manufacturers shipped 500 million pounds 
of drywall mainly to southern gulf coast states of Florida, Louisiana & Texas. Chinese drywall smells like “rotten eggs” and is being blamed for damaging furnaces and electrical wiring, tarnishing jewelry and possibly sickening families. So the potential is still there for toxic Chinese drywall to be the largest lawsuit in US history. Just be happy that it is not in our area.
NAR Green Designation
Congratulations to Andrew Show for being the only Exclusive (true) Buyer Broker in the State of Ohio that has obtained the National Association of 
Realtors (NAR) GREEN certified designation. (NAR Green Council)
Consumer demand for real estate professionals that are GREEN knowledgeable is exploding. More home buyers are requiring their Buyer Agents to understand Green building principles and the financial advantages of properties that are energy efficient and ecologically friendly to the environment.
Again, Congratulations Andy!
IMPORTANT: Blog post modification. The source (Ohio Association of Realtors-OAR) for this blog post was inaccurate. I am sorry for the confusion. OAR incorrectly stated that new changes will apply to all single family homes. This is incorrect. Changes on April 1st will apply only to condominiums and investment properties. See previous blog post for more information: https://mybuyerbrokerblog.com/2009/01/08/new-condominium-loan-guidelines-for-2009/ I am sorry for the confusion.
Wow, this is incredible new (bad) news. It looks like the only good option for home buyer’s will probably be an FHA loan. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are both toughening their credit score and down-payment rules as of April 1.
In response, major lenders are already factoring in the higher fees, which reduces the effectiveness of the stimulus efforts.
Under the new guidelines:
- Buyers with down payments of less than 25 percent will be charged a three-quarter point add-on penalty, no matter how high their credit score
- Buyers of duplexes, where one unit is owner-occupied and the other is rented, will be charged a 1 percent add-on
- Refinancers who take cash out will be charged as much as three points if they have a low to moderate equity stake.
Freddie spokesman Brad German says the loan categories and credit risk combinations targeted by these fees “default at four-to-eight times” the rate of other mortgages backed by Freddie. “We have to manage these risks appropriately,” he says.*
Good luck out there!
*This blog post referenced “Ohio Association of Realtors” email newsletter.
If you are looking for help to buy a home in Columbus, Ohio then you should contact a Buyer’s Agent. But, not all Buyer’s Agents are the same. The best representation for a residential or investor home buyer in Columbus, Ohio is an Exclusive Buyer Agent (EBA) or Exclusive Buyer Broker (EBB). An Exclusive Buyer Agent will always look out for your best interest and protect you in the home buying process.
Here are the TOP 10 reasons to use an Exclusive Buyer Agent:
- We ONLY represent buyers. We are EXPERTS at buyer representation.
- We negotiate the BEST price and terms for you.
- We don’t sell homes. We advise, counsel and educate.
- We assist Buyers in evaluating the BEST financing options.
- We have a duty to DISCLOSE all material information to our Buyer’s.
- We are Buyer advocates that work to PROTECT your investment.
- We are the GUARANTEED highest level of representation.
- We SAVE you time and money. We pay attention to the details.
- We provide MORE available homes to our Buyer’s than most other agents.
- We locate, evaluate and negotiate for our Buyer’s.
For more information contact an Exclusive (true) Buyer Agent today.
Helping home buyers is our only speciality.
A true Buyer’s Agent (EBA) will have no conflicts of interest….ever!
An Exclusive Buyer Agent is NOT Superman. But, we are the home buyers best protection and advocate in the home buying process.
Good luck out there.
My Buyer Broker Advocate! 
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