advice: Buyer Praises Exclusive Buyer's Agent: I Always Knew He Was On My Side
- 01/27/14 08:23 AM
I have known and worked with Benjamin Clark since 1994. He is a good person. Honest, helpful, patient and trustworthy are words that come to mind as I try to describe him. He is a family man. In working with him I always felt like he was really listening to me and that he really cared about my best interests. I bought a building lot with his help. He is very thorough and absolutely resourceful as a buyer's agent. He provided timely information as I researched the market conditions and found the information I needed about previous and comparable sales. I … (1 comments)
advice: Highly Recommended Exclusive Buyer's Agent
- 09/17/13 11:04 AM
Ben was recommended to us by friends of ours who previously used his services to purchase a house. We knew when we would begin looking and also knew from our friends that he only accepted a limited number of clients at a time. So, we called him early in order to reserve his services a few months down the road. Even though we were not officially signed with him, he spent time answering our questions and helping to get us prepared for the process of buying a house. As we had a house to sell, and didn't know where to start with that, … (0 comments)
advice: Get Your Own Agent - It's common sense, right?
- 07/20/12 01:40 AM
Yesterday a client asked me why we have a website telling people they should get their own agent when buying a home. "Everybody already knows that, right?" I let her know that MOST people out there don't know that. She didn't believe me. "You mean there are buyers that contact the agent representing the seller, instead of getting someone to represent them?" I told her it happens all the time. And it's not a few people. It's a LOT of people. She couldn't fathom it. Which I can understand. Our clients are smart people. They would never even consider that it … (7 comments)
advice: We're thinking about buying a home in the next year or two. How can we best prepare for a home purchase?
- 05/09/11 06:02 PM
I have a lot of people asking me how to best prepare for a home purchase in the next year or two. Here are a few tips. I'm more than happy to answer any additional questions anyone considering a home purchase in the next 2 years may have. How much should you save for a down payment? If you CAN, try and save 20% of the purchase price as a down payment. Here's why: Mortgage Insurance. Mortgage insurance is getting expensive and can equal hundreds of dollars a month on your mortgage payment. None of which goes toward the principle balance … (62 comments)
advice: Why are so many consumers distrusting of real estate agents?
- 05/04/11 11:40 AM
I was reading an Angie's List magazine column this morning and I couldn't help but feel for some of the commenters who were (and perhaps still are) distrusting of real estate agents. For example, one commenter said: "One caveat about using a home inspector: Make sure you use someone who is recommended by a friend NOT the real estate agent who is trying to sell you A HOUSE. Our "inspector" missed all kinds of major problems that we were not looking for being from another area and not knowing what to look for..." Another responded: "...our story exactly. I will never … (4 comments)
advice: 5 Tips to Keep Your House Cool This Summer
- 07/14/10 01:09 PM
5 Tips to Keep Your House Cool This Summer Fans and ceiling fans can make a room feel 6 or 7 degrees cooler Install white window shades, drapes or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Turn off appliances, electronics and lights when not in use. Avoid cooking and baking mid-day. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, they use a fifth the energy and heat. Add insulation to your attic. Upgrading from 3 inches to 12 inches can cut cooling costs by 10%. I got these tips from RisMedia. The original article is here. Here's a bonus tip I'm throwing … (6 comments)
advice: Homebuying Advice - Talk to the Neighbors
- 07/05/10 11:42 AM
One of the things I recommend Buyers do when considering an offer on a home, or that they do as part of their due diligence, is make contact with the surrounding neighbors. For one thing, they will tell you all kinds of things about the home, the neighborhood and the sellers. But it also gives you a chance to decide whether or not having them as neighbors might be enough to reconsider the purchase. Here is a link to an article I contributed to in the Chicago Tribune on this subject: http://tinyurl.com/talktotheneighbors This is good advice in any economy. If you … (6 comments)
advice: To Refinance or Not to Refinance?
- 03/25/09 06:48 AM
Many homeowners are tempted to refinance at interest rates that haven't been this low since the 1970s. Well, should you? Or shouldn't you? The general rule of thumb has been to refinance if you can save more than 1% on the rate (with no points or fees other than an appraisal, Title Insurance, and re-establishing an escrow account). You also generally want to be planning on staying in the home for at least another few years, as it will usually take a year or two to recoup those costs. (MORE, if you pay origination fee and junk fees.) I read an … (5 comments)
advice: 6 Hours - What MUST I see at Disneyworld?
- 11/04/08 03:25 PM
OK. I'm here at downtown Disney in Orlando but will be in meetings for most of my stay here. I might be able to spend 6 hours in the park (One park) after 4pm Wednesday or Thursday. What MUST I see? I've never been here before and know that wandering aimlessly would be a waste of my time. So, those of you who are in the know... How can I best maximize my little time? What rides and events are "Must See"? THANKS TO ALL!
Ben … (16 comments)
advice: Homebuyer Relocating to Utah Seeks Out Exclusive Buyer's Agent for Representation
- 05/15/08 11:47 AM
This was my second experience using an exclusive buyer-agent. We are relocating due to my work, and we only had a few days in Utah to view homes before returning to Illinois. Benjamin Clark of Homebuyer Representation went above and beyond every step of the way. He ensured we had the most current market information and set up our viewing appointments according to our criteria and interests. Most important, he always provided top-notch professional advice concerning each property (resale-ability, advantages of location, construction, etc.) while completely free of the seller-bias a listing agent cannot legally avoid. We viewed over 30 homes … (0 comments)
advice: Salt Lake City, Utah Real Estate Market Update (Feb 2008)
- 02/17/08 01:47 PM
Salt Lake's Tribune released an article titled "Utah home sales plunge" on February 14th, 2008. It starts out by saying that Salt Lake is now caught "in the middle" of the national downturn. Is this true, or just an attention grabbing headline? If you read the entire article and not just the headline, you will find the truth buried in there somewhere. Let's analyze the statistics from the article itself: The report compared the home sales volume nationwide in the last quarter of 2007 with the same period in 2006. Remember: This has nothing to do with home prices, just the total number of homes that sold in … (0 comments)
advice: Ummel Case - National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents Statement
- 02/09/08 04:46 PM
Being an Exclusive Buyer's Agent and a member of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (Disclosure: I'm also on the Board of Directors), I was excited to see the following article on FoxBusiness.com: Buyer Agent Organization Comments on Ummel Home Buying Case The Association's position is simply that part of a Buyer's Agent's due diligence is to prepare comparative market analyses on properties being considered for purchase. (Certainly before submitting an offer on a property.) As stated, all the details of the case are not readily available, but when a consumer hires a Buyer's Agent to help them with their home purchase, they believe … (6 comments)
I have known and worked with Benjamin Clark since 1994. He is a good person. Honest, helpful, patient and trustworthy are words that come to mind as I try to describe him. He is a family man. In working with him I always felt like he was really listening to me and that he really cared about my best interests. 
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