Jon Boyd's Blog

Rant - They call themselves "buyer agents" but they are still missing the point!

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:11:43 -0500

I just read an interesting post here on Active Rain on the private "Member Only" side. It was about a real estate agent bringing in an offer from a buyer and trying to get the listing agent to respond in a professional way.

This is certainly a common problem in many markets, fortunately here in Ann Arbor it is the rare exception.

But in that post, the agent talks about trying to get the buyer to make a higher first offer. And out of about 50 responses none of the regular real estate agents even questions that effort.

Now it is important to understand that every negotiation and every transation is different. So there may be times when it is appropriate for a buyer's agent to suggest a buyer make a higher initial offer. But, in today's market that situation is not the norm.

If you are a buyer and you have NEGOTIATING POWER in the form of OTHER OPTIONS, then your best strategy may be totally different than what all those regular real estate agents naturally want you to do.

I'm not going to reveal the details here because some other real estate agents in our market sometimes read my posts, but, DON'T EXPECT A TRADITIONAL REALTOR TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REPRESENTING YOUR INTERESTS. Most of them still FOCUS ON SELLING YOU A HOME!

If you are looking to buy a home and you want a real estate company that will always be on your side, in your corner, and looking out for you, call us.

734-662-6240

Jon Boyd Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
1908 W. Stadium Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

We serve the Ann Arbor - Brighton - Plymouth - Novi - Canton - Ypsilanti areas in Southeastern Michigan.

And we can guarantee that you will never be stuck with designated agency, dual agency, or non-agency.

The Ann Arbor MLS System Is Going Crazy Today!

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:28:35 -0500

It is funny how much we depend on technology in the Ann Arbor real estate business these days.

About an hour ago I started having problems with our MLXchange system. (That is the database of property used by the Ann Arbor Area Board of REALTORS.)

Today the MLXchange system was crashing a lot when I tried to look at some detailed property listings. To the point is was almost unusable. So I decided to take a break and catch up on some email.

Just now I received an automated email of a price reduction that sounded too good to be true. It is a West Ann Arbor home that would be priced around $245,000 and the price noted was $125,000. So, I pulled up the complete data and sure enough it looked like there was a big price reduction.

Well the listing agent is someone I work with a lot and she is normally very professional. As I looked at it closer something didn't make sense so I decided to call her and see if it was just a typo she would want to fix.

It turns out she knows nothing about a price reduction! It would appear that the MLXchange system reduced the price without human intervention!

Either that, or, it has let some quirk in the data slip by where somebody else's reduction was made on this property.

Very strange day for real estate!

Update: The listing is changed back to the original $255,000 price. I'll try to get an explanation from her the next time we talk.

As always if you are interested in finding the best home for your needs and buying it at the best price, give us a call. That is all we do and we do it very well!

Jon Boyd
Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor real estate's top buyer's brokerage

Exaggerated Listing Descriptions - Ann Arbor Real Estate Buying Expert Interview Published At CNBC, Bankrate

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:12:45 -0500

Being an expert involved with the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org) has given me some interesting national exposure.

A month or so ago I spoke Jay MacDonald of Bankrate.com about the exagerations we see in the listing information. As the Ann Arbor company who represents BUYERS ONLY we focus on being truthful and pointing out the nagatives of homes as well as the positives.

As a result of that interview author Jay MacDonald wrote the piece for Bankrate.com and it has been picked up by quite a few websites and mentioned on almost a thousand webpages. Here is an excerpt:

Most homebuyers have encountered a "lying listing" -- the house for sale that doesn't even remotely resemble its colorful description in the Multiple Listing Service or classified ad.

Jon Boyd, an exclusive buyer's agent and broker for The Home Buyer's Agent in Ann Arbor, Mich., recently showed a self-described "stunner" to one of his clients.

"The only thing that would 'stun' anybody about the house was how bad the previous owner did the work to ensure that every room would need to be redone," Boyd chuckles. "I don't know what was going through the listing agent's mind to say that."

Presenting all homes, even the nightmares, in the best possible light is part of the listing agent's job, of course. Most buyers know this and view colorful descriptions with a healthy skepticism.

Here is a link to the full article: ‘Lying Listings’

If you are interested in buying the best home at the best price, call our office to schedule a no-obligation meeting to talk about your needs and how we can help you. 734-662-6240

And don't forget to visit our Ann Arbor real estate webpage.

Rant Warning: Another Annoying Listing Agent Behavior

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:03:12 -0500

As an Exclusive Buyer's Agent office we show a lot of property.

And, we get opinionated.

And, this month I seem to be running into a lot of listing agents who are happy to tell me over the phone what a wonderful large or deep lot their listing has, but then they are too lazy to provide:

1. A copy of a mortgage report survey or at least some kind of written drawing of the lot and the boundaries. (Even if it is labeled as not exact or estimate, as long as it is what the seller thinks they own it is normally useful.)

2. The lot dimensions. (Tonight I'm showing a home in the city with a reported 1/2 acre lot, but there are no lot dimensions provided. Just a "the home has a deep lot".

Note to listing agents:

If your listing has a nice lot, get some specifics and share them. Thank you!

We serve the Ann Arbor - Brighton - Plymouth - Novi - Canton - Ypsilanti areas in Southeastern Michigan.

And we can guarantee that you will never be stuck with designated agency, dual agency, or non-agency.

Michigan May Have Missed The Poison Chinese Drywall Issue

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:56:31 -0500

I've posted before about the concern with poison drywall from China. It is a big problem in Florida and a number of other states.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission now has a website devoted to the topic here: Drywall Information Center

And it looks like there have not been problems reported to date in Michigan.

This is very good. Some people are predicting this will be the largest liability issue to hit the country ever.

If you hear of it becoming a problem in Michigan please let us know and send us a link so we can share it here.

We serve the Ann Arbor - Brighton - Plymouth - Novi - Canton - Ypsilanti areas in Southeastern Michigan.

And we can guarantee that you will never be stuck with designated agency, dual agency, or non-agency.

ANN ARBOR REAL ESTATE BUYER AGENCY REPORTS 2008 WAS A RECORD SETTING YEAR FOR SAVINGS

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:46:58 -0500

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN January 19 -- An Ann Arbor real estate Buyer's Agency released data on their 2008 purchases today. The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor reported that their average savings figures are up 39% to $22,777 per purchase compared to 2007 levels.

Unlike traditional real estate companies who try to sell their listings for the highest price, a buyer's agency works to help purchasers get the lowest possible price.

"The economic conditions have certainly brought down the property values and put more foreclosures into the market," stated Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager of The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, "but these savings numbers are the product of many conditions coming together, including the skill and passion of our buyer agents. Since many brokerages have moved away from full fiduciary level service into limited designated agency, it gives our more experienced team a greater negotiating advantage."

Savings for buyer's agencies are typically calculated based on cost reductions in multiple areas, including purchase price, negotiated repairs, mortgage costs, and personal property. These savings numbers include a broad variety of property from luxury homes to vacant land and condominiums. A more detailed explanation of savings calculation is available on the company's website here: Ann Arbor real estate savings calculation

"Since most real estate licensees in our area work as designated agents and are only involved in a few home purchases a year, the added complications of short-sales and foreclosures makes it hard for them to be as effective in negotiation" concluded Boyd.

The Ann Arbor real estate buyer's agent is the oldest Exclusive Buyer's Agency in the state of Michigan and has helped hundreds of home buyers save millions of dollars on their home purchases. Since Exclusive Buyer Agents only represent home buyers and never sellers, these companies avoid the conflicts of interest of traditional real estate companies and offer home buyers 100% loyalty.

House Officers Getting Bad Information About Mortgages?

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:17:53 -0500

It sounds like some incoming physicians doing their residency here have been receiving bad information about available mortgage options

The mortgage market has changed dramatically over the last two years. There are now only about a half dozen zero downpayment mortgage options now where two years ago there were about twice that many. (And they were dramatically more available.)

But, when you are buying a home you only need one mortgage, and if you are a physican here for your residency then realatively easy zero downpayment options are still available.

It will take some preparation and there are some limitations, but in general the Midwest Financial Credit Union is still a good option.

They offer:
Closing before first paycheck
Zero downpayment
Ignoring student loan obligations in most situations
No PMI (but a higher interest rate to compensate for some additonal risk.)
A physician friendly application process

Note: These loans are specifically for physicians, so they are not visible on the credit union's website.

You can reach the Credit Union at 734.769.4621
or https://www.mwfcu.org

Ann Arbor Home Inspector Gets Threat From Real Estate Agent

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:37:11 -0500

I heard an interesting story yesterday from a home inspector that works in the Washtenaw County area.

It was about one of those enlightening moments in his career and it happened ten or twelve years ago.

He was at an inspection and he was talking to the home buyer about radon and how it was a suspected carcinogen an how it was prevalent in the area. He also recommended that the buyer have a radon test done on the home.

Later that day after the buyer had left the nice real estate agent came up to him and said something along the lines of: "If you ever mention radon to a home buyer again I'll have to stop using you."

That was such a clear instruction, and so anti-buyer, that it made a huge impact on him. At that point he knew he either had to get under the thumb of the real estate industry or build his own referral base totally outside of the REALTOR organization. He chose the latter and he is still in business today.

And, our office is one of the only real estate companies in the market that actively uses this guy.

We serve the Ann Arbor - Brighton - Plymouth - Novi - Canton - Ypsilanti areas in Southeastern Michigan.

And we can guarantee that you will never be stuck with designated agency, dual agency, or non-agency.

The Inspiring Story of Augie Nieto, a Man Who Shares His Gifts

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:57:55 -0500

One of the business consultants I get news from has shared this with me. I find it interesting and inspirational.

So, I'm going to share it with you!

Here is a link to a Today Show video about this unusual entrepreneur. I hope you enjoy it and share it:

TODAY SHOW VIDEO ON AUGIE'S STORY

We serve the Ann Arbor - Brighton - Plymouth - Novi - Canton - Ypsilanti areas in Southeastern Michigan. And we can guarantee that you will never be stuck with designated agency, dual agency, or non-agency. We will always be your buyer's agent!

Call us today at 734-662-6240 to talk about how we can help you achieve your home buying dreams!

Jon Boyd

Broker/Manager

The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.

1908 W. Stadium Blvd.

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Two Little Words That Are Causing a Lot of Frustration for Home Buyers - Procuring Cause

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:31:34 -0500

The national association most of the top buyer agents belong to (naeba.org) just posted this press release:

AVONDALE, Ariz., March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- As fewer transactions are split up between a relatively fixed number of real estate agents, those agents are using whatever tools they can to hold on to home buyers, in some cases against the buyer's will. One of those "tools" is an outdated industry secret called "procuring cause," and it is frustrating many of today's home buyers, according to the home buying specialists at the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA).

Procuring cause is an industry term that describes the ability of any agent who showed a buyer a home to claim that they should be paid if the buyer eventually wants to buy that home.

Many buyers get "married" to agents who show them a property without ever knowing it. Charlie and Meg Bear, of Acton, Massachusetts, are like many buyers in today's market. When they started house-hunting, they went to the Internet. Click ... they found a house to see; click ... they sent a request to the listing agent. At the second house they saw this way, the agent who showed them the house disclosed that he was a "buyer's agent." He was the husband of the listing agent. Charlie did not want a buyer's agent who was married to the listing agent. "This disclosure is not a contract" was clearly on the form. Meg signed the form; Charlie did not.

Time went by. Charlie and Meg hired Connie LeDuc of Authentic Home Buyers Brokers in Southborough, MA. When they eventually decided to make an offer on that home they saw through the Internet, confusion reigned. The "buyer's agent" did not want Connie to represent Charlie and Meg on his wife's listing. The listing agent, his wife, was all for getting this home sold to the Bears, but her husband insisted that he was their "buyer's agent." After much negotiation between the brokers, the Bears bought their new home.

"Potential homebuyers who attend open houses or view properties with the listing agent, or a licensee working for the listing agency, may forfeit their opportunity to have full representation," said John Sullivan, President of NAEBA . "To have 100% representation 100% of the time, homebuyers should have a written agreement with an exclusive buyer's agent that spells out the duties and obligations of both parties before looking at any home."

What did Charlie and Meg Bear learn from their experience? "People like us don't know they should find their agent before they find their house," says Charlie.

The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents was founded in 1995 to help consumers become educated home buyers. NAEBA is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to be the "champions of real estate buyers' rights and representation." NAEBA offers industry standard certifications, ongoing education, client referral services, technology, and information sharing. The NAEBA Code of Ethics pledges undivided loyalty to real estate buyers only. For the name of an Exclusive Buyer's Agent in your area, visit www.naeba.org.

SOURCE National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents

When you think about it the idea that a wife can be a seller's agent and the husband can be a buyer's agent on the same transaction is a complete scam. Why don't those licensees admit that they are dual agents or non-agents and stop destroying any confidence that consumers might have in the profession.

Amazing!

If you are looking to buy a home and you don't want to expose yourself to this kind of nonsense we can help.

Call us today at 734-662-6240 to talk about how we can help you achieve your home buying dreams!

Jon Boyd

Broker/Manager

The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.

1908 W. Stadium Blvd.

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

What happens when a home owner removes the filters in their furnace

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:17:01 -0500

We sometimes talk about homes that have suffered from abuse from their owners.

A friend of mine ran across this example in a home he bought recently.

The furnace had been run for years without a filter.

Here is what he saw when he opened it up and looked at the air conditioning coils:

Here is what it should look like:

Home that have been "abused"

Here is what it should look like:

You can imagine how this impacted the unit's efficiency for both heating and cooling.

This is something that I think any buyer agent should understand and be able to talk about. This isn't highly technical and it certainly isn't a buyer's agent's job to open up a furnace, but, a buyer agent should understand this.

Many real estate agents call themselves buyer's agents but don't know much about houses. This is unfortunate.

Our people understand homes and we are willing to tell you what we seel.

Remember if you want an unconflicted, true buyer agent to help you with your home buying, call us.

Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
Click here for information on Ann Arbor real estate homes for sale
member office of The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents
734-662-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!

Sunday afternoon with a 50 foot sewer snake

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:29:34 -0500

In the business of helping home buyers I am often working on Sunday afternoon. When I don't have appointments though, I like to take a Sunday afternoon nap in front of the woodburning fireplace.

Yesterday my life took me in a different direction. You see we live in a ~40 year old home that has a drain line that gets really slow about every five years. It is a drain line for the dishwasher and the laundry, so I'm thinking it is probably laundry lint and maybe ground food that collects in some low spot.

Unfortunately the "low spot" is under our basement floor. So the solution is to auger it out every couple years. And yesterday it was time.

Previously I was able to clear the run with a 25 foot drill mounted auger. But this time I sent that thing all the way out and the drain was still sloooow.

So off to Lowe's to get a 50 foot model (pictured).

Eventually we got the thing to drain fairly well. But, the reason this is interesting to home buyers is:

Most real estate agents that claim to be "buyer agents" don't want to actually tell buyers anything about the houses themselves. Like, disadvantages and advantages of living on a city sewer system vs a well and septic system in the country. Like disadvantages and advantages of a hot water heat system vs a gas forced air.

There were a bunch of discussions on thisl forum about this very topic.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/977305/GENUINE-BUYER-AGENT-SHOULD-KNOW-HOUSES

Judging from that thread it would seem that the majority of the regular real estate agents are afraid to say anything bad about a house!

If you have excellent credit and will be buying a $100,000-$900,000 home in the next 90 days and would like a company and agent who will work exclusively for you, call us at 734 662 6240 or contact us via the link on this page.

Jon Boyd
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.

Exclusive Buyer Brokerages like ours do not list homes and never represent Sellers. Their agents represent Buyers ONLY on the Buyer's side of the transaction.

A new mounting option for dish antennas

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:14:45 -0500

I was visiting a friends home this weekend and he showed me what the dish service people did for his mounting. He lives in a area where roof mounting isn't practical, and wall mounting won't work because of the type of construction of his home. So the alternative was a ground mount. The dish contractor brought the steel frame and the cinder blocks to keep is secure.

Interesting!

How well do you understand high efficiency furnaces?

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:47:21 -0600

I drove by a branch of our bank today and saw this:

Well, I'm not a furnace expert but I am a home buying expert and I see a problem with that. Do you?

As it turns out the original installer got his/her air input and air exhaust lines switched. Which pushes warm moist combustion air right against the brick wall. And it freezes. This probably isn't dangerous now, but it will damage that brick if it is left uncorrected long enough.

So, did you see know what was happening? Hundreds of people have driven by this same thing and not know what was going on.

I actually mentioned it to the bank teller last year but I can see they haven't fixed it. So today I went in and told the manager and she gave me the maintenance person's name.

I bet they will fix it this time.

If you are interested to get more information on these "concentric vents" and how they should be installed I pulled up some information:

http://www.dnmech.com/lit/good_dcvk_IO-619A.pdf

Remember if you want an unconflicted, true buyer agent to help you with your home buying, call us.

Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
Click here for information on Ann Arbor real estate homes for sale
member office of http://naeba.org
734-662-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!

What to do if you get locked in a bathroom

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:52:42 -0600

A popular subject in our office this week and one of our family members got locked into a bathroom when the door locking mechanism broke and jammed.

A few years ago one of our other agents got locked into a bathroom when the single woman buyer was with him in the house. The bathroom didn't have a window so the event proved to be frustrating and very funny.

So, here is a quick set of tips:

1. Relax. Unless the home is on fire it is not life threatening. You will get out. Life will go on.

2. There are two parts that hold the door in the door frame. The knob/latch, and the hinges. To get the door open you need to release or remove one or the other.

3. Most door knob assemblies have two screws on the inside flange. There is also usually some small spring spring arrangement that you push on to take the knob off, but you usually don't need to do that.

4. If you want to take the knob assembly apart, you can use a screwdriver or something like a kitchen knife to remove those two screws. Once that is done the door knobs on both the inside and the outside usually will come off. At that point you can see the inside of the latching mechanism and possibly move it with your screwdriver or kitchen knife to release the latch and open the door.

5. You can also sometimes use a flat tool or a thin stiff item like a credit card to slide inbetween the door and the frame to push the latch in.

6. If those ideas don't work or aren't practical, you might try to remove the hinge pins. Most bathroom doors have three hinges and three hinge pins. You will normally need a screwdriver or knife to pry the pin up from the hinge, then you will usually need a pair of pliers to pull the pins out. This is a bit difficult on a jammed door, but once it is done the door will normally come apart and you can get where you need to be.

If you need tools and there is someone outside to pass them to you a window is very convienent. But don't forget you may be able to get something to someone through a clothes shoot. Even if you need to pass them string under the door to put down the clothes shoot to tie to the tool so they can pull it up.

Good luck and I hope you never need this advice!

Another example of "The Green Con"

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:43:29 -0600

One of the reasons I wanted to study and receive my "Green" certification this last year was to help protect home buyers from "The Green Con". That is items marketed to consumers that are suposed to be "green" and yet don't alway make sense from the scientific and/or financial perspective.

Another example of "The Con" is the legislation to make incandescent bulbs illegal. Now understand I personally buy and use a lot of fluorescent bulbs including dozens of CFLs. But, I do it by choice. And I still use a couple dozen incandescent bulbs where it makes sense to do so.

I am not against CFLs, but I am absolutely opposed to legislation making incandescent bulbs illegal. Here is a video on the topic:

Is it just me, or do many listing agents not understand how homes get heated?

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:44:12 -0600

Another gripe session from your favorite Buyer Agent.

I get so tired of seeing homes that have "steam heat" listed as "hot water heat", and both steam and hot water listed as "gas forced air".

Just now a new lisitng came up for an eighty year old luxury home. The pictures show steam radiators. The air conditioning is listed as wall units. But the listing still says gas forced air.

For all you first time home buyers and listing agents who don't know the difference here is a quick summary:

Steam heat uses convection to get the heat from the furnace to the rooms. That is, steam is hot so it rises, in the pipes, right up from the basement to the room that needs the heat. Steam was used in new construction from at least as far back as the 19th century till about the 1940's.

The downsides are:

It is difficult to control the temperature in each room

The radiators are not enough to burn yourself on

The radiators impact furnature placement

There is a lot of steam noise

The must be maintained

Since there is no ductwork, it is expensive to add central airconditioning

Older systems are not very efficient

The upsides are:

It heats your house

Steam furnaces (boilers) can be very reliable (We once bought a home with a 90 year old steam furnace.)

The systems typically leak moist air so it isn't a dry heat

Hot water heat systems became popular in the 1940's and are still in limited use today. Hot water systems us a pump to move the heated water to rooms that need heat.

The downsides are:

Hot water radiators can impact furniture placement, they are longer than steam radiators

You do hear the pipes creaking as they expand and contract during a heat cycle

Since there is no ductwork, it is expensive to add central airconditioning

It is much more expensive to install today because of increased labor costs

The upsides are:

It is much easier to have multiple zones of heat

It is not drafty like forced air systems

Hot water furnaces ten to last a long time, maybe twice the life of forced air systems on average

It is a very comfortable heat

In newer construction floors are sometimes heated with hot water pipes

It is considered the best kind of heat for many alergie sufferers

Newer hot water furnaces can be very efficient

Obvously this is not an exhaustive list, but I think it helps to get the point across.

If you would like a knowledgeable real estate buyer agent to help you with your home purchase, call us. This is what we do and we are good at it!

Jon Boyd
Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
734-662-6240

More roundabouts coming to Ann Arbor's East side

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:32:11 -0600

I saw this in Concentrate Ann Arbor today:

More roundabouts around the corner in Ann Arbor

I just came from Costco up in Brighton where my wife and I both take the Silver Lake Road exit to avoid the Lee Rd. roundabouts. Now we'll have more in Ann Arbor to work with.

The good news is once you go through them a dozen or so times they really do start to make sense. The roundabouts at M-14 and Skyline Highschool really work well.

It is just a matter of getting used to change.

If you are interested in buying a home in the Ann Arbor or Brighton Michigan area, and you want someone on your side, let's talk! Call me at 734-945-1593.

The Personal Side of Builder Struggles

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:50:25 -0600

You can read headlines in the papers and see features on the TV, but it doesn't really compare to first hand experience seeing the struggles builders are going through with the market downturn.

There is a builder in our market that we've purchased homes from since 1994. I remember the first was in Flemming Creek on Ann Arbor's North side.

It was a struggle because two different subcontractors were doing their own thing and not following the plans and we had to make a scene with the builder's salesperson to get them to build the home right. The builder was arogant and obnoxious to us on the buying side. Thankfully for the buyer we were there to absorb some of the frustration and to do the forceful negotiation.

Later we bought other homes including a luxury condo on the West side about two years ago. I've recently had a client who is considering a custom home in the builder's luxury community on Ann Arbor's South side. The builder's service and product had gotten substantially better over those twelve years.

The point is that we were never "friends" with this builder, but we did help a number of buyers purchase homes that improved their lives. Our buyer clients benefitted from the work and efforts of these guys and gals. It gives you a level of respect and appreciation of that many transactions and that long of a relationship.

Well I called this morning to arrange a showing and it sounds like some of their phone numbers have been disconnected or their employees have been laid off. People who I've know and dealt with.

Even though some of these people were very frustrating when we were negotiating purchase and inspection issues it still makes me very sad. I've been laid off. It is not a fun experience.

I wish them all well!

Another Amazing Unethical Real Estate Agent Copies a TN Website

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:08:09 -0600

At our national meeting this week in Orlando one of the top buyer agents in Johnson City Tennessee, Janine Wilson, happened to do a Google search on her site: http://tnbuyerbroker.com

She found a local agent copied her text exactly. And he isn't even an exclusive buyer agent!

Look at this: http://www.justrealestate.org/usa/tennessee/johnsoncity/

At the bottom you will see number 12 which is Janine.

Below it is Leon Humphrey's site copied directly from Janine.

Crazier yet, his site is called "anameyoucantrust.com"

So not only is he

1. Copying someone else word for word.

2. Claiming he offers "exclusive buyer representation" which is an effort to mis-lead home buying consumers.

and

3. His company name is "a name you can trust".

If you want to speak to an ethical REALTOR in Johnson City TN call Janine Wilson's office.

If you want to speak to an ethical REALTOR in Ann Arbor Michigan, call us.

Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
Click here for more Ann Arbor real estate information
member office of http://naeba.org
734-662-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!

Real Estate Buyer Agent Experts Meet in Orlando

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:20:49 -0600

The standard setting organization of real estate buyer agents is meeting today and tomorrow in Orlando to talk about the business and the challenges home buyers face today.

The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA.ORG) met at this same hotel seven years ago. There is a good group this year.

As a past president of the group it was much more relaxed this year for me because I wasn't in charge of anything and I wasn't presenting. I think this is the first year in the last five that I've been "free".

The speaker during this session was Meredith Oliver. She had a lot of great things to share.

Scams for the Halloween season

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:52:44 -0500

Scambusters.org is a scam busting website run by web gurus Audri and Jim Lanford.

I've recommended their website to hundreds of our past clients over the years and I've also subscribed to their monthly newsletters since I was introduced to them through an interview they did with Jay Abraham.

This month they've done a basic roundup of "What's new in scams" and the article mentions a couple that are worth sharing, particularly if you have older parents.

Here is a link: http://www.scambusters.org/scamlines/32.html

And remember, if you want to buy a home and not get scammed by designated, deligated, limited, assigned, or delusional "buyer agents", call our office for real buyer agency.

734-662-6240

Hey,

If designated buyer agency is actually desirable, why are most of the real estate agents in our market aftaid to admit they have to practice it? Maybe this will be in a future issue of Scambusters!

GMAC no longer doing mortgages for buyers with less than perfect credit

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:04:45 -0500

Bloomberg reported that GMAC is granting loans only to buyers with credit scores above 700. That is very good credit. (I have referred to 720-730 as great credit previously.)

Here is the link: GMAC's Lending Limits May Add to GM's U.S. Sales Woes

GMAC said yesterday it's granting financing only to buyers with scores of at least 700, who represent about 58 percent of U.S. consumers. The Detroit-based company, now controlled by Cerberus Capital Management LP, provided 43 percent of GM's second-quarter auto loans.

If you are thinking about buying a home and your credit is short of the 700 score range, we can probably help you. We've been helping buyers improve their credit for about 15 years and we now have a specific service to improve credit scores by around 100 points.

To get more information visit our credit repair information site.

First Time Home Buying Quiz with Insider Information

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:55:57 -0500

A while back we set up a online Home Buying Quiz that was well received by other home buying professionals around the country.

I wanted to share it here for any home buyers who might be interested in learning real "meat and potatoes" information that is difficult to find anywhere else.

There are some local Ann Arbor related components, but for the most part the information will be useful for home buyers around the country.

Note: On quiz page six Standard Federal was a large regional lender.

Take a look: ANN ARBOR REAL ESTATE BUYING QUIZ

And if you are intereted in buying a great home from a loyal, experienced, buyer focused real estate company, give us a call !

A local Ann Arbor "Buyer Agent Bribe"

Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent (Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:43:33 -0500

One of the ten under-reported challenges home buyers face these days is bribes the seller or listing agent offers to the agent/brokerage who brings in the buyer. You can download the whole report from the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents website here.

But, what is more fun, is actually seeing a "bribe" example.

This is a 52" flat panel TV set probably worth close to $1,700 that was offered to me in an email this morning from a designated agent in our market, for bringing in a contract on the condo he has listed.

If you are buying a home do you want your agent or designated agent taking a bonus or "bribe" like this behind your back?

If the answer is no, you should call or email us. We don't take any compensation behind your back and we never represent home sellers.

We just help you find the best home, negotiate the best price, and save on loans and costs. Just like it should be!

Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
http://buyersagentannarbor.com/
member office of http://naeba.org
734-662-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!