I Have a Bone to Pick with CNN

Okay, today, I'm mad at CNN. No, not because I'm a huge Fox News supporter. No, not because I don't like Barack Obama. No, not because of Wolf Blitzer's beard. I'm upset because of an article I read last night on their Real Estate page.

Here's the title:

Is your realtor on your side?
Make sure your agent gets you the best house at the best price.
By Stephen Gandel, Money Magazine senior writer

Okay, so it was written by a guy at Money Magazine. Well, then, let me be mad at them too.

"Why?" you ask. "Dan, calm down," you say. Yes, the title sounds innocent enough. This article has a good premise or good intentions, but it does not deliver the way it should.

The intent of the article is to make homebuyers aware that they need to be careful when dealing with Realtors. Yes, that's true. Just as in every profession, there are some excellent Realtors, while at the same time, there seem to be quite a few who are just in it for the money. Good thing Cuba Gooding, JR's "Jerry McGuire" character isn't your Realtor. "Show me the money!"

The article discusses how since this is a tougher market than in the past for sellers, that sellers are now offering incentives to buyer's agents. For example, there are a lot of listings on the market today that haven't sold in over 6 months. Those listing agents may now be offering buyer's agents an extra $500 for a contract. The incentive may even be greater than $500. It may be $1000. It may be a gift card to the Olive Garden. Who knows. Whatever the case, the article is trying to make buyers aware of this. That's good. Thanks CNN and Money Magazine. You're looking out for homebuyer's best interests.

But if you have a good, and above all else, ethical Realtor working on your behalf when buying a house, that Realtor should disclose the incentive to you. An ethical Realtor should ALWAYS disclose everything to the buyer, and ALWAYS put the needs of the homebuyer first.

The reason I'm so upset by this article is because of what came at the conclusion. One of the solutions for homebuyers to consider is "GO IT ALONE."

Wait! What?!?!?!

Why would a buyer buy a house without the help of a Realtor? If a buyer suspects their Realtor is in it for the money or is sacrificing their needs, GET A NEW REALTOR. But please, don't "go it alone."

As a buyer, it's free to use a Realtor. A Realtor will negotiate for you. A Realtor will know of many more properties for sale. A Realtor has access to a lot more information on those properties than a buyer. A Realtor is trained and licensed in contracts and the law. DON'T EVER "GO IT ALONE!"

That may be Money Magazine's solution, but unless you know real estate law like the back of your hand, please use a Realtor.

I don't care if you don't use me as your Realtor. I know there's billions of people in this world. Many of them will move, but let's say 99.9% of them won't use me. That's fine. Just please use a Realtor. Any Realtor. Someone you trust. It's in your best interest.

And that's what I am looking out for.... YOUR BEST INTERESTS.

But evidently Money Magazine thinks your best interest is not only to "go it alone," but also "be alone" when you run the risk of making a mistake in the contract or miss out on the perfect house and settle for a less desired one.

Dan Hamilton

Stay on Top of Your Credit Scores, Buyers!

This is to all the homebuyers out there, so that basically means everyone.

Whether you're thinking about buying a home or not, it is of the utmost importance to watch your credit report and make sure everything is correct. This will help you in numerous ways, especially when it comes time to buy a house, or even just a new car or get approved for a credit card.

Within the past couple years, free credit reports have been made available to everyone, once a year. There should be no reason to not take advantage of this free service.

Even if you think you're credit score is good, it's still worth it to check. I mean, it's free!

I just had a new client come to me, thinking his credit score was excellent. When the lender ran it to pre-approve him, it was actually a lot lower than he thought. And right now, we're in the middle of trying to figure out if there are any errors on the credit score, or if my client just lost track of a couple things.

This is not uncommon. I guarantee this happens a lot more than you might think. And if you stay on top of your credit score/report each year, the chances of this happening is so much less.

If you want your free credit report, let me know. I'd love to help you out.

The link to get your free credit report is right here, www.annualcreditreport.com. If you want your credit score, you can request that when you request your free report. You will have to pay a fee for your score.

Dan Hamilton

New Videos!

Okay, so I have been getting a lot of traffic to my website from people like you who are interested in buying homes. These visitors are leaving me their names and email addresses in return for a free search of the Columbus MLS.

So, there we are. My website visitors are searching the Columbus MLS for free, trying to find their new home on their own. And I have a name and email address, but no real good way to follow up with these visitors. In the past, I've just sent follow up emails, mentioning my interest in working with them as a buyer's representative. In my emails, I also mention my Red Carpet House Hunters Program (if you don't know what this is yet, these videos will be really good for you).

But my response rate is extremely low. And I think mainly this is because my follow ups are in the form of a text email. I thought to myself, "Could these people be much more interested in learning about my services if I made them a video?"

So, here they are! Drumroll, please!

This is the first video, sent to everyone who searches the MLS from my website:


And this is the follow up video, explaining the Red Carpet House Hunters Program:


So, there you have it. Tell me what you think! Please!

And if you're interested in buying or selling a house, please contact me right away. Now is a great time to buy a house!

Thanks,
Dan Hamilton

2007 Resolutions for Real Estate

Home Improvement & Real Estate Resolutions:

Home Improvement 64%
Buying a Home 9%
Selling a Home 9%
Moving 6%
Other 12%

These are the real estate related predictions from myGoals.com, describing what types of resolutions people are expected to make during the 2007 New Year's season.

These statistics show that some people are already thinking about buying/selling their home, while the majority of people are thinking of doing home improvements. I assume they're thinking of making these home improvements to increase the value of their home, meaning they will probably be selling sometime within the next year. They're just not thinking about that step yet.

What are your real estate related goals for 2007?

1. Stop Renting.
If you're still renting, STOP! You can own your own home for the same amount you're probably paying in rent. Stop paying your landlord, and start paying yourself (with equity in your own home).

2. Buy a House.
This goes along with #1 on my list. Now is one of the best times to ever buy a home in the history of real estate. Interest rates are still good. The housing market is inundated with properties for sale, so you basically have your choice. And sellers have had their homes on the market for so long in some areas, that they're becoming desperate and willing to take offers that should make buyers smile from ear to ear.

3. Sell Your Home.
If you read #2 on my list, it might not make a whole lot of sense to sell your home right now, but (yes, there's a "but") it's a different situation for everyone. Some homes are selling for more than fair market value. Some homeowners have no other choice but to sell. Some homeowners are house flippers, and they're just trying to make a few bucks, even though they may not get full fair market value. Whatever the case, if you're thinking about selling your house now, DO IT. There's no reason to wait. If you're waiting for the market to go back to where it was a few years ago, that's fine. But think about this: If you sell your house in 18 months from now, how much are you paying out in mortgage payments. If you sell now, and can get about the same amount you'll get next year, it makes sense to sell now. And then when you sell, you can benefit from #2 above.

4. Home Improvements
Ahhh, yes. Home improvements can do wonders for making your home outshine the rest. But before you do anything, you must think about what improvements are beneficial and which are just a waste of money.
a. Paint - A fresh coat of paint goes a long way. It shows people you care about your house and take care of it. Use neutral colors, such as a light tan. You can't lose there.
b. Kitchen - The kitchen sells houses. If you have an old kitchen, buyers are going to be turned off. But if your kitchen sparkles and exudes "new-ness," buyers will be very interested in your home when you go to sell it, even if the rest of the house still looks old (except for item "c" below).
c. Bathrooms - Just as a new (or new-looking) kitchen will do wonders for your home's value, so will the bathrooms. Update the paint and floors if necessary. Update the little things and make it shine. If you can do it, and don't already have it, get a double vanity (2 sinks).
d. De-clutter - This is another huge thing to work on, and this should be worked on at all times of the year. If you don't use something, why do you have it? Sure, we all need some things for decoration, but why do you still have too many things on the floors of closets, under beds, too much on the kitchen counter, and in the garage? Your garage is for cars, people; not a second basement.

Do these things and you're all set.

Here's to 2007! May it be a great year for all of us! May all of our real estate goals and dreams come true.

Dan Hamilton
dchamilton@kw.com
www.HamiltonHomesGroup.com