Warning!

The volatile, toxic nature of manufacturing "meth" makes it a very serious health issue.  For every pound of methamphetamine (crank) manufactured there is six pounds of toxic waste and residue left behind.  In addition to the hazardous waste concerns, the making of "crank" in a drug lab is highly susceptible to explosions and fires.  Trust me, you don't want to be living in a former drug lab home or even near a drug lab.  It is not going to be very good for your safety, home appreciation or resale value.

It would definitely be nice to make sure your new home wasn't a former drug lab for Meth.  The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) thinks the same way.  This is why they have started the National Clandenstine Labortary Register, a great web site that will allow you to look up houses in your state that have been identified as meth labs.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is still trying to set guidelines & procedures on how to deal with drug lab homes.  It seems NAR can't figure out how to properly disclose drug homes and/or how to set standards for cleaning up drug homes.  As of August 2008 NAR has no policy in place to deal with this issue.

So, take a second to review the registry to see if your new dream home was a former drug home.  While your looking, you also might want to check other addresses of family members, friends, co-workers, etc.   Lucky for us, it appears the higher concentration of drug homes are located in the southern states.

HomeBuyer Advocate Mike

 

How Radon Gas Enters A Home!

We've had reason in recent days to re-investigate the risks of radon gas to our health. We got a lot of help from Elizabeth James, radon maven. [Thanks, Liz!]

The news is not good!
Radon, you will remember, is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas-the product of decomposing uranium deep in the earth.
Radioactive?
That can't be good.
You're right, it's not.

According to the U. S. EPA online radon is a very serious threat to our health.                                                                     

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.  Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. [emphasis mine, ed.]                  

It's everywhere.  But, mostly, it's in your house!

A silent, invisible, odorless, tasteless, radioactive killer gas is sneaking into my home to give me cancer? R-I-G-H-T!
Sounds like another eco-maniacal greenie off the deep end doesn't it?

It's not.

(BTW, our sincerest apology to all ecologically concerned individuals whom we may have just offended. We're just trying to drive home a point here-not make a political statement. Really.)

And there's more bad news.

You are at a greater risk of dangerous exposure to this killer stuff here in central Ohio than most other places!

Uh Oh!

This is serious business, and you need to find out more about the risk to you and your family and what you can do about it.

Do it because there are reasonable ways to reduce exposure. Do it because you want to be here for your grandchildren. (Okay, here's the real reason. Simon says "Do it.")

The EPA has a free booklet available on line that provide excellent general information. There is an additional free publication that addresses the special concerns of those considering buying or selling a home.

Possibly the best source of good information about radon in the central Ohio area is our new friend Elizabeth

How We Are Exposed To Radon Gas!

James at the Ohio Department of Health. (You were wondering when we were going to get back to her, didn't you? Thanks for staying with us.)

Call Liz at 800-523-4439 and ask her some questions about this stuff. She's an expert. Find out how serious this really is...and what you can do about it.

Go ahead call her...she's really nice.

Tell her we said "Hi".

You smokers with children. [You know who you are.] Stop smoking now and call Liz. Your risk is like 100 times worse! No kidding. Do it right now.

 (This health safety blog story was reproduced from the BuyersHome Blog - July 31, 2007)

In our market, a FROG in your house is actually a really good thing.  In real estate terms, a FROG means "family room over the garage" 

How many of you out there honestly knew what this abbreviation meant?  Many real estate agents & brokers don't even know what a frog is?

Being able to decipher real estate abbreviations & terms has always been a funny, frustrating problem for many home buyers.

"Newer CC style home, 3BR, 1.5BA, WBFP, new A/C with a large FROG, no bsmt and only 209K" Can  anyone  please translate what I just typed here? heh, heh, heh.

Years ago, selling homes via classified ads in the back of newspapers and magazines was common place. But, now traditional real estate agents use other marketing venues, especially the Internet.  So, the good news is that heavy use of vague real estate terms, abbreviations and euphemisms in real estate marketing is on the decline. But, abbreviations and euphemisms are still a problem in real estate that the homebuyer needs to be educated on. 

For years, I've told my clients that you have to be able to read between the lines when you are looking for a home.  The information about the home on the main listing page usually has misleading descriptions.

For example:

Needs a little TLC or fixer upper............really means the house is a dump and hasn't been updated at all.

Cozy, cute home.................really means the home is so small that it is difficult to turn around in. 

Great landscaping, beautiful yard.................really means the house is a piece of crap, but the seller has to found something positive about their house.   

Damp basement in the spring............really means we usually get 2-3 feet water in our basement once a year.

Sometimes sellers think minimizing problems in their listing descriptions, like, "damp basement" will protect them from getting sued for non-disclosure.  I don't think so!

One last tidbit of information for you.  Many times in the listing description you will see the words"many updates" or "mechanical's updated".   The problem is how do you define recently "updated".  My personal definition of "updated" is anything that has been done in the last 5 years.

You really have to be careful when you see a sellers that uses "many updates" in the listing description.  I had one personal experience where a listing agent stated that the roof was recently updated.  After evaluating the home with my buyer client, It appeared to me that the roof had some prominent signs of aging (lost granules, slight peeling/curling of roof shingles, etc.) and didn't really look like the roof was recently updated.  I contacted the listing agent for additional information and/or paperwork on the roof.  The listing agent provided documentation that the roof was nearly 9 1/2 years old.

I asked the agent how they could describe a nearly 10 year old roof as recently updated.  The listing agent's explanation was that the new roof's expected life expectancy was somewhere between 20-25 years and since the roof was still less than "half old" that they felt they could list the roof as recently updated.

Geez, are you kidding me! So again, be very careful when you see these words.  You always want to make sure you have a full home inspection completed by a qualified home inspector.  Your Buyer Broker should also always ask for copies of receipts and/or invoices of any recent updates.

HomeBuyer Advocate Mike

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

Home Buyer Advocate Mike

Representing People, NOT Property!

 This Old House magazine's latest Home Inspection Nightmares IX (9) photo gallery is hilarious.  My favorite photos are #1 (8 junction boxes) & #5 (cymbal diverter).   I love this photo gallery series.  You can also check out past Home Inspection Nightmare photo galleries.  All the photos are very funny.  But, all joking aside, the photos reinforce an important part of buying a home. 

First, always get a home inspection.  Never skip a home inspection just to save a little money.  100% of my clients agree to do a home inspection or I will NOT represent them as their buyer agent.  A home inspection contingency is one of the home-buyers best protection options.  Second, make sure you home inspector is qualified.  About half the states in the country have little or no licensing requirements for home inspectors.  In many states, anyone can print up a business card and say they are a home inspector, even your Uncle Bubba!

I would recommend looking for a "certified" home inspector that is a member of The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) or The National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI).  Both of these organizations are very good at establishing high standards of practice, inspection guidelines, professionalism and code of ethics for its members in the home inspection industry.  It is very important that you make sure your inspector is a "certified" inspector.  A "certified" home inspector has more experience, education and testing requirements than other home inspectors.  You can search here for home inspectors in your area:  ASHI home inspector search or NAHI home inspector search.  Good Luck!

Below is one of our award winning buyer broker TV commericals that deals with home inspections.  Check out my previous blog post for more information on our funny, informative television commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/user/OSUMike64?feature=mhum

HomeBuyer Advocate Mike

 

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

Home Buyer Advocate Mike

 

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:

1.  We ONLY represent buyers.  We are EXPERTS at buyer representation.
2.  We negotiate the BEST price and terms for you.
3.  We don't sell homes.  We advise, counsel and educate.
4.  We assist Buyers in evaluating the BEST financing options.
5.  We have a duty to DISCLOSE all material information to our Buyer's.
6.  We are Buyer advocates that work to PROTECT your investment.
7.  We are the GUARANTEED highest level of representation.
8.  We SAVE you time and money.  We pay attention to the details.
9.  We provide MORE available homes to our Buyer's than most other agents.
10.  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.

Home Buyer Advocate Mike

Representing People, NOT Property!

How funny!   A recent court ruling in Pennsylvania could possibly interpret real estate agents and brokers as not professionals.

Licensing requirements do vary by state.  But, many, many states have similiar license guidelines to Pennsylvania.

So what's your occupation?  I guess the last 15 years I've been working on my "hobby". 

 

 From July issue or Real Estate Intelligence Report:

Court says real estate is not a profession

 

(HARRISBURG, Pa.) - The Common Court of Pennsylvania has officially ruled that real estate agents - for lack of

extended education - cannot be considered professionals.

The ruling came in Passport Realty vs. Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (No. 1947, CD, Commonwealth Court.

of Pa., July 2010)

Passport broker Gregory Rubino had hoped to offer his real estate services to Presque Isle Downs, which had a

gambling license for slot machines.

Under Pennsylvania law, however, Rubino was required to register with the state if he wanted to do business with a

gambling operation.

Rubino argued he should not have to obtain a registration, noting the law exempted certain professions from the

rule, specifically, "accountants, attorneys, engineers and architects."

In ruling against Rubino, the high court noted that real estate agents need not even be high school graduates to be

licensed by the state, and the hours of course work required did not approach the amount of college-level course work required for accountants, attorneys, engineers and architects. Therefore, it said, neither real estate agents nor brokers could be considered "professionals."

 

Funny Story......

Home Buyer Advocate Mike

 

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!

Home Buyer Advocate Mike

 

Good news for home buyers!

The state of Ohio LEADS the nation in biggest discounts on foreclosed homes. Super low rates (4.25%-4.50%-Fixed) and fantastic low sales prices.  Make for incredible values out there for home buyers.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/06/30/discount-on-ohios-foreclosed-homes-40.html?sid=101

Additional home buyer information can be found at www.MyBuyerBrokerBlog.com