Did that title get your attention.  Good.  That’s what it’s supposed to do.  You see, there are certain phrases or words that will get everybody to look at least once.  Weigh loss is one.  Making Millions of Dollars is another.  In real estate, we like to make houses as appealing as possible.  Part of this is the Sellers job – making the home presentable, making repairs, keeping the home clean and orderly. Part of the job is the Realtor’s. I’m responsible for trying to get people through the front door so they can fall in love with the house and everything the Seller has done to prepare it.

Some descriptions are pretty accurate, some are…well…some are a bit of a stretch.  Sometimes there is a fine line between outright misrepresentation which is unethical if not downright illegal and “puffery” – the art of making something sound appealing even if it’s not.

Some Cute Words and Phrases

  • Cozy – big enough for a love seat and 20″ TV
  • Lots of Potential – everything works but it’s the original appliances from 1965 and wallpaper only your grandmother could love
  • Tons of Storage – an unfinished basement or rooms people would like to call a bedroom but really can’t
  • Perfect for 1st Time Buyer – priced low but it’s probably small and needs some work
  • Investor/Handyman Special – most people know what this means but it probably means that it’s in much worse shape than most people think…and the Seller isn’t making any repairs
  • Walk-in Closet – if you can walk in and shut the door behind you. Not to be confused with what some people would like to call an additional bedroom but really is a large closet.

Some Real Words and Phrases That Mean “Proceed With Caution”

  • Third Part Approval – a bank doesn’t own it yet but still need to approve the sale since they’re going to take a hit on the mortgage
  • Short Sale – the Seller can’t sell the house for the amount they owe on their mortgage so they’re “short” and need Third Party Approval (see above) to sell.
  • REO or Bank Owned – this means the house has, indeed, gone all the way through foreclosure and the Bank is now the legal owner of the property and can sell it.  This is a bit easier to deal with than the “short sale” but it’s still a hassle and still…
  • As Is – this means that the owner, whether it’s a bank or a real person cannot or will not make any repairs to the house prior to settlement.  What you see is what you get.  An inspection will be helpful to know what you’re getting into but no one will fix the leaky pipe, broken windows, dangling electrical wiring, water intrusion in the basement or mold.

There are lots of other words or phrases like “Motivated Seller” means the Seller actaully has equity in their home and will probably do whatever it takes to sell the house. The same goes for “Bring All Offers” which is a way of saying the offered price is really, really flexible.

However, a lot of it is like “Effortless Weight Loss”.  It sounds good and you’d really like it but it turns out not to be so effortless after all.

So, here’s the secret to effortless weigh loss passed down through the centuries and now available to you at no charge (just because I’m that kind of guy):

Eat Less and Exercize More.

That’s it. Maybe not that effortless but it will create weight loss.