eba: Salt Lake City Utah - Earthquake Country - 01/10/12 05:20 PM
I'm not trying to scare anybody off, Utah is a great place to live. But you may as well know before you move here that Utah is earthquake country.
I was talking to a potential new client today who is relocating here from the east coast. In conversation I brought up earthquake insurance and the prospect asked: You have earthquakes there?
Well, we don't have too many, but we are one of the 5 Most Dangerous U.S. Earthquake Hot Spots Beyond California. (Wired Magazine)

Image: US Geological Survey
If you want to research the topic, here is a link to … (3 comments)

eba: 2012 Salt Lake Housing Forecast - 01/06/12 07:18 AM
I'm looking forward to the 2012 Salt Lake Housing Forecast Breakfast on Wednesday, January 18th. Eric Belsky, Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University will present on the key factors crucial to supporting a housing and economic recovery in Utah and the nation.
James Wood, Director of the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research will also be presenting the 2012 Salt Lake housing forecast.
In addition to being informative, these forecast meetings are really fun to go to. Given that the presentation is given to 500 Realtors, you know the "spin" on the data … (0 comments)

eba: Advanced Negotiations - 01/02/12 01:04 PM
I'm currently serving as the Secretary for the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents and prior to the upcoming annual conference I'm taking another negotiations course in Texas. The course, titled "Advanced Negotiation Techniques for Buyer's Agents" will help me develop effective negotiations plans for my clients and negotiate more effectively on their behalf.
Although I earned the Certified Negotiations Expert designation years ago and I regularly read books and articles on effective negotiating, and although I successfully negotiate for numerous buyer-clients each year, I'm excited to pick up a few more tips and tools, brush up on my skills and … (2 comments)

eba: Townhome Buyer Avoids Poor Purchase with Agent on Her Side - 11/10/11 07:22 AM
My Exclusive Buyer's Agent took me on as a client when he was busy with other personal things and yet he was one of the most professional people I have ever worked with.
He went the extra mile to help me find what I was looking for every time.
He never pushed me into anything that I was not sure of. Even when I had made an offer on a place and had it accepted he checked further into one troubling aspect and gave me the information and let me make the decision which was to withdraw the offer. … (1 comments)

eba: The Highest Level of Representation for Buyers - 11/03/11 09:40 AM
My last blog entry was a testimonial from me about my new dentist. What does that have to do with buying a home? Lots.
Everybody should know about biomimetic dentistry and doctors like Dr. Noot. I really connected with him and his practice because:
1. He really cares about what is best for his patients.
2. He takes the time to educate his patients about what is going on.
3. He lets the patient make the important decisions regarding their care.
4. He has gone the extra mile in his personal training and education in order to provide his patients with … (0 comments)

eba: Utah Housing and Mortgage Trends Compared to Other States - 10/26/11 07:26 AM
U.S. Housing and Mortgage Trends
(Source: October 2011 report by CoreLogic)
The homeownership rate is down... almost 10% compared to the homeownership rate in 1980. The median household income is down... (lowest level since 1996) Both renters and owners are spending a greater percentage of their income on housing costs (over 1/3 of their income for both groups. Renters are generally paying 5.2% more of their household income toward housing expenditures than homeowners. 66% of foreclosed properties became REO, i.e. Real Estate Owned ("bank owned") More investors are skipping the foreclosure auction in favor of buying the REO homes directly from the bank. Sales … (0 comments)

eba: "We Wanted to Make Sure We Had an Agent We Could Rely On" - 10/25/11 01:26 PM
Prior to working with an EBA, we had been involved in four other real estate purchases and three sales and had developed some skepticism toward realtors in general.  This most recent move was our first that wasn’t just to another part of town.  This time, we were to move ourselves, our five kids, our dogs and our cats 300 miles.  We wanted to make sure we had an agent we could rely on.  We shopped extensively and even spoke to a few agents before we found Homebuyer Representation on the web. 
We felt good about working with our EBA from the … (0 comments)

eba: Research Scientists Share Benefits of Hiring an Exclusive Buyer's Agent when Buying a Home - 10/18/11 07:01 PM
Our Exclusive Buyers Agent (EBA) was a pleasure to work with because of his laid back, no-pressure approach. His only motivation was to help us find the right house for us, not to sell a home.  He never pressured us to consider a home we were not interested in. Rather, he suggested we see many homes so we could figure out what we actually wanted, and what we did not want. When we had a disagreement on which house we liked better, he made sure to let us come to our own conclusion. We are very happy with how it turned out, and … (1 comments)

eba: Military Buyer Chooses an Exclusive Buyer Agent (EBA) with Great Results! - 10/03/11 01:28 PM
I’ve done extensive research in home buying over the past few years.  I knew the only way to go was an EBA (Exclusive Buyer’s Agent), but I didn't know of any in Utah. 
Fortunately, a random internet search brought up Benjamin Clark with Homebuyer Representation.  I called him, and then met him in person.   He was easy to work with and has extensive knowledge of the home buying process.  He was always willing to take time to answer my questions and explain anything I didn’t understand.
I was purchasing a second home and Ben kept me on the right track … (0 comments)

eba: Salt Lake City "Super" Accredited Buyer Representative - 09/30/11 08:10 AM
Well, I did it again! I decided to get the ABR designation for the second time. Yes, this means I took the entire curriculum over again, so you could say I'm twice as knowledgeable as those who have only earned the Accredited Buyer Representative designation once!
Okay, so maybe I didn't learn twice as much, but taking it from different instructors each time and a few years apart, I do have to say the course was a great reminder of how to property serve the real estate buyer and gave me some ideas on how I can make my buyer representation … (0 comments)

eba: What's worse than a lowball offer? - 05/26/11 07:26 AM
Throughout history, and still today, a big fuss is made over ridiculous "low-ball" offers from Buyers. What's the big deal? Reject them. If your price is right, a buyer will appear. If you keep getting buyers, who appear unreasonable, perhaps you should reconsider who's being ridiculous.
A low-ball offer (or an overpriced listing) requires very little research because the agent doesn't have to narrow down a market value to prepare what is obviously, to everyone involved, an unreasonable offer (or value). How will that help you in the next stages of negotiations (if you get that far)? It won't. It will … (5 comments)

eba: 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)

eba: 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)

eba: 25 Reasons to Hire an Exclusive Buyer's Agent - 03/24/10 09:18 AM
Exclusive Buyer Agents:
Do not list homes or represent sellers Work for real estate companies that take no listings Work solely for the buyer Remain loyal to the homebuyer throughout the transaction Avoid conflicts of interest inherent in the traditional seller-oriented purchase transaction Never represent the seller in a real estate transaction Are less than 1/2 of 1% of all real estate firms nationwide Offer a unique relationship of trust to real estate buyers Offer a higher degree of loyalty to a buyer than an agent who also works on behalf of the Seller Do not practice dual-agency Are 100% loyal … (2 comments)

eba: The Smartest Way to Buy a Home - 03/18/10 10:23 AM
The Smartest Way to Buy a Home Lifetime Channel's "The Balancing Act" with Beth Troutman Get an Agent on YOUR side! Get an Exclusive Buyer's Agent! Exclusive Buyer's Agents do not list homes for sale and never represent Sellers. They have no "inventory" to try and sell you. They can represent you in purchasing any home. They are specialists at representing Buyers ONLY on the Buyer's side of the transaction. Exclusive Buyer's Agents work to get BUYERS the Best Price and Terms when they Buy a home...
If you have excellent credit and will be buying a $300,000-$800,000 home within 90 … (2 comments)

eba: Benefits of Using an Exclusive Buyer's Agent Explained by a Real Home Buyer - 02/24/10 06:43 AM
When you use an Exclusive Buyers Agent, they are not biased in their opinion of which properties they want you to view or buy. Our Exclusive Buyer's Agent was very willing to show us any property that we wanted to see.
He went the extra mile and beyond to meet our needs and wants in a home. He worked in every way to save us money. He helped us see down payment and closing cost options we would not have known about without his help. He took care of all the paperwork and even ran documents to our places of employment … (4 comments)

eba: HUD to Buyers: "It is your responsibility to search for an agent who will represent your interests in the real estate transaction." - 01/01/10 09:44 AM

Newly revised for 2010, HUD's latest publication related to buying a home is titled, "Shopping for Your Home Loan: HUD's Settlement Cost Booklet." It is a must-read for anyone who will be buying a home in 2010 (or beyond).
In spite of the title, the booklet doesn't just contain information on how to shop for a home loan using new forms and an explanation of the settlement costs involved in a real estate transaction. The guide also contains valuable information on a variety of other topics related to purchasing a home. (It's a whopping 4 Megabyte download!)
Massive reforms in the real … (13 comments)

eba: Conflicts of Interest When Working with a Traditional Real Estate Brokerage - 11/18/09 10:59 AM
Here is a nice clip from CNN that covers the many conflicts of interest that can exist if you don't make sure the agent you hire will work only for you.

(3 comments)

eba: Mortgage Shopping Will Soon be a Lot Less Complicated - 11/10/09 11:11 AM
Mortgage shopping will soon be a lot less complicated.
RESPA Reform takes effect on January 1, 2010. While still not perfect, the changes do simplify the ability to compare loan offerings between lenders. The goal was to simplify and improve disclosure requirements for mortgage settlement costs under RESPA. My analysis: Mission Accomplished
Here are some key highlights for borrowers:
The new Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and the New Settlement Statement (HUD1 or HUD1A) now correspond to one another. In the past, there was no direct correllation between line items, making it difficult for a consumer to know whether or not … (3 comments)

eba: An Exclusive Buyer's Agent is the Only Way to Go - 05/01/09 11:09 AM
I recently transferred to Salt Lake City from California.  Having owned a few homes, and also having dealt with various agents in the past, I did not relish the stress and hassles involved in the home buying process.  I investigated my options, and wanted an agent that would be a good fit for me. I wanted an agent who was willing to work only for me.  Little did I know that I was about to embark on one of the most rewarding and remarkable adventures of my life. Benjamin Clark is the best!  He made the buying process an absolute pleasure.  … (3 comments)

 
Benjamin Clark, Buyer's Agent - Certified Negotiation Expert (Homebuyer Representation, Inc.)

Benjamin Clark

Buyer's Agent - Certified Negotiation Expert

Salt Lake City, UT

More about me…

Homebuyer Representation, Inc.

Address: PO Box 701481, SLC, UT, 84170-1481

Office: (801) 969-8989

Mobile: (801) 999-8889

Insights and information from Salt Lake City's only Exclusive Buyer Brokerage (Exclusive Buyers Agents work for BUYERS ONLY!)

Find out why you should always make sure you get an Agent on YOUR side of the transaction when buying a home!

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