McCain, Obama Differ on Housing Crisis

This video is from the Associated Press YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/associatedpress).

First thought, it sounds like Obama's idea is only going to continue to make things worse. But please research this issue more to make your own decision.

Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty
www.HamiltonHomesGroup.com

My Online Marketing - 34+ Websites!

I just put together this list of all of the websites that I market my listings on. And guess what... I promote each one of my listings on 34+ different websites!

The average Realtor promotes his/her listings on probably about 4 or 5, max.

FYI: Over 85% of home buyers begin looking for homes on the internet.

Who do you want promoting your listings?

You do the math.


Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty
http://www.hamiltonhomesgroup.com/

10 Home Upgrades That Pay Off

My wife subscribes to "Real Simple" magazine. Yes, my name is the one on the cover on the mailing address label, but I swear, it's her subscription. Seriously. I swear.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way...

The September 2008 issue of "Real Simple" has a great feature on 10 around-the-house improvements that are well worth the investment. My wife was reading this issue and said, "There's a story in here on 10 things you can do to your house to increase it's value. You should do a blog on this."

Okay. I should. I will.

I'll just list the 10 upgrades they mentioned, and then I'll give my two cents.

1) Painting
My two cents: Painting is one of the best things you can do for your house and it's appeal. As long as it's neutral. It is inexpensive compared to the impact that it can have on the "look" of the house. And remember, color outside is just as important as inside. The "Real Simple" feature mentions that statistically, pale yellow houses sell faster than other colored houses.

2) Adding Siding
My two cents: Again, just like paint, you want to go with a neutral color on the exterior of your home. Pink or purple or cobalt blue houses are the sore thumbs of the neighborhood. Siding looks good, and it holds up well. But if you don't put siding on your house, I don't see it as a big deal. You really just need to make sure the exterior of your home is in great condition, whether it's siding, wood, brick, stone, stucco, or whatever. Keep it in good condition by power washing it each year and inspecting it for problems, cracks, or chips.

3) Building a deck
My two cents: Some people like decks. And others love them. But surprisingly to me, I've met some people who don't like them at all. These people like just a nice-looking patio. I think the whole point is to provide an option for some outdoor living space.

4) Updating the kitchen
My two cents: Duh.

5) Replacing the windows
My two cents: Newer windows are a great investment for a couple reasons. First, they help save one your heating and cooling bills. And second, they look good and make a potential home buyer feel more comfortable knowing that they won't have to install new windows soon after they purchase the property.

6) Modifying a bathroom
My two cents: You can possibly do this inexpensively. People love: his and her sinks, nice counters, impressive fixtures, a good shower head, tile floors, and a good-looking shower curtain. Voila!

7) Landscaping
My two cents: This is one of the most overlooked items by home owners and sellers. You only get one chance to make a first impression. And the first impression comes from the exterior of the home and the landscaping. Make it look good and people will enter your home with a greater sense of optimism. Water your yard. Mulch. Plant flowers. Get rid of weeds.

8) Installing Air Ccondition
My two cents: Duh. This is a "must" nowadays. But use a programmable thermostat in combination.

9) Fixing up the basement
My two cents: If you have an old home with a creepy old basement that was never meant to be anything other than a small storage area, don't worry about finishing it. Just try to keep it clean. But if you have a big, wide open basement that can be finished, you will want to at least consider this as an option. Finishing a basement adds another story to your home! It can add another bedroom, it can add another family room, it can be anything you want it to be. And today, finished basements are often termed "man caves". Make sure you leave enough storage space though. People will never run out of a need for storage.

10) Putting in a swimming pool
My two cents: As a kid, growing up, I dreamed of having a house with a swimming pool. I thought how I would be the most popular kid in the neighborhood and everyone would be at my house playing all day long. Now, I know the truth. If you live in a place like Ohio where you have 6+ months of colder weather, a pool is probably not a good idea. It just costs too much to maintain, and you only get to use it for a few months at most. But if you live somewhere where it's warm all the time, get a pool. Be popular!

Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty
www.HamiltonHomesGroup.com

HUD Listings in Central Ohio

The other day I received a blog comment asking me to post something about my HUD listings. So here it is...

And to be fair, first of all, it should be known that I am just part of a local listing brokerage that is working with a management company (NHMS) hired by HUD to help sell HUD's inventory of properties. Not all brokerages are part of this program, and not all agents are authorized to bid on HUD properties. So, if you need help with buying a HUD property, or you have any HUD-related questions, make sure you ask someone who knows what's going on with HUD (like me).

Anyways, I myself have a whopping total of 3 HUD homes listed for sale right now:

6076 Federalist Drive Galloway, OH 43119 $87,000

2258 Big Run Rd E Grove City, OH 43123 $68,000

165 Whitethorne Avenue Columbus, OH 43223 $21,500

Why only 3 listings? Well, I just had another 3 sell recently. And I'm obtaining more listings all the time.

So you ask, "Dan, if I want to look online at Ohio HUD homes, where do I go? Obviously, if I look at your featured listings, I'll only see 3 right now."

Answer: Go to www.NHMSI.com, click "Ohio Properties", and under "Homebuyer's Corner" click on whatever search method you'd like to use.

There you go. It's that easy.

All I ask is that if you find any HUD properties that you're interested in seeing, please call me to help you out. Same goes if you'd like to place an offer/bid on a HUD home. Hope that helps a little.

Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty
www.HamiltonHomesGroup.com

Great Questions and Answers:

I ran across these Questions and Answers in the August print copy of "Ohio Realtor." I've copied and pasted the questions and answers from the accompanying online article: Click here to see the article.

There are some great Questions and Answers here. Let me know what you think:

Q: Does a listing agent have to present a verbal offer to purchase to a seller?
A: Yes, you are obligated to present all offers to purchase to the seller. While you should certainly attempt to persuade the prospective purchaser to reduce the offer to writing, if he/she refuses, the offer should still be presented to the seller. However if the offer is accepted, the contract will not be binding or enforceable until it is in writing and signed.

Q: The seller has received a full price offer on his property. However, he is refusing to accept this offer and says he wants to make a counteroffer for more than the asking price. Can the seller refuse a full price offer and "counter" for more than the listed price?
A: Yes. The seller is not legally required to accept an offer because it is "full price" and he can counter for more than the listed price. However, the listing broker could bring a claim against the seller for his commission based upon the theory that the broker has produced a ready, willing and able buyer on the terms provided for in the listing contract.

Q: If a seller rejects an offer to purchase must the seller indicate "rejected" on the face of the offer?
A: No. A seller can verbally reject an offer. However, it is best that the rejection is marked on the offer so there is no question that the offer was presented and that it was rejected.

Q: A listing agent describes an offer to an out-of-town seller over the telephone. The seller verbally indicates his acceptance of that offer, which the listing agent communicates to the buyer. Before the seller receives and signs the original offer, the listing agent receives another offer, which the seller wants to accept. Is there a binding contract with the first buyer?
A: No. Although the seller verbally accepted the first offer, under the Statute of Frauds there would not be a binding contract because the seller did not sign the offer. Therefore, the seller would be free to accept the second offer.

Q: Negotiations have been going back and forth between a seller and a buyer for over a week. The seller is considering a counteroffer from this buyer, when another higher offer is received. Is the listing agent required to notify the first buyer that another offer has been received and give that buyer an opportunity to increase his counteroffer?
A: No, there is nothing that legally requires the seller to give the first buyer an opportunity to raise his offer. Of course, if the seller wishes to give the first buyer such an opportunity, he may do so, and the listing agent would have to follow these instructions.

Q: A seller has received two offers to purchase his property. Can he make counteroffers to both buyers?
A: While he can do this, it is not recommended for the seller to make more than one counteroffer at a time. This is because both buyers could accept the counteroffer and deliver notice, thereby creating a binding contract with both parties.

Q: If a home does not appraise for the purchase price can the buyer automatically get out of the contract?
A: Clearly the buyer will be able to do so if the contract was contingent upon the home appraising for the purchase price. If not, the only other grounds for the buyer to get out of the contract will be if the contract was contingent on the buyer obtaining a specific amount of financing and the buyer cannot obtain that financing due to the low appraisal.

Q: On a listing submitted to MLS several appliances were checked as staying with the property. A contract to purchase was subsequently negotiated and closed. When the seller moved out, they took the appliances listed in the MLS, claiming that because the purchase contract did not provide that the appliances stayed, they did not have to leave them. The buyers thought they would stay because they were listed in the MLS. Who is right?
A: The sellers are. Although the appliances may have been listed in the MLS, the purchase contract is the legal document that controls the terms of sale between the buyers and sellers. Unless the appliances were listed in the purchase contract, the sellers were free to take them.

Q: Can a "back-up" buyer get out of a back-up contract at anytime if they find another property?
A: No. A back-up buyer is bound by the terms of the back-up contract. If the buyer wants the ability to terminate the contract if they find another home they would need to include this provision in the terms of the back-up contract.

Q: Is a buyer legally entitled to a "walk-through" before closing?
A: No. Ohio law does not provide the buyer with a legal right to a walk-through. If the buyer wants a walk-through prior to closing on the home the buyer should include this in the terms of the purchase contract.

Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty
http://www.hamiltonhomesgroup.com/

New Listing and Reduced Price in Blacklick, OH. Only $155,000.

Visit www.497Tourmaline.com to watch the online video tour of this listing!



Visit www.497Tourmaline.com to watch the online video tour of this listing!

Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty

Did you see Bravo's Million Dollar Listing last night?

Did you catch the premier of Season 2 for Bravo's Million Dollar Listing? The three guys at the center of this season's episodes are a strange selection. From watching last night's episode, I'd honestly only be comfortable with one of them as my Realtor. Madison Hildebrand (the guy in the middle, above). That name just sounds awesome. But anyways, the other 2 guys who are 21 and 30 seem like they're in this just for the money and the fame. I mean, one of them even blatantly used the death of a friend to get a listing. Wow, California real estate is a lot different than Columbus, OH.

Anyways, if you want to see what the fuss is about, check it out at Bravo TV Million Dollar Listing.

Dan Hamilton
Keller Williams Greater Columbus Realty
www.HamiltonHomesGroup.com
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