Why should a house be different from every other product we buy?
When it comes to buying just about everything, we all have weights and measurements we trust, and that we have used for all of our lives. We buy milk and gas by the gallon. We weigh ourselves by the pound. We weigh every imaginable item by a standard we all know and trust. All that is, except for the most expensive item most people buy in a life time. We all buy a house by the square foot, yet even the experts can’t agree on how to measure a square foot. With all the experts in the world of real estate, surely they can find a way to agree on the best way to measure a house. It’s time for the real estate industry to join the rest of the standardized world. Consumers deserve no less…
It’s only money, right???
Okay, name just one! Can you think of even one product you buy that is not sold by some formal method, weight or scale? Think about your house. Your doors, windows, flooring, electrical and plumbing items, wood, even nails. Every single item is measured and sold by some standard we all know, and that is accepted in every location. Would it not make sense for the total dwelling to also have a “standard” method of measurement so they could be compared fairly? The ANSI Standard came out 20 years ago and it is still not required, except for in one state?? What’s wrong with that picture? There must be a problem somewhere, if after 20 years industry leaders still can’t agree, while all the time putting consumers at risk…
And, isn’t is odd that no one ever talks about this? Please explain to me why consumers do not deserve to be protected under the laws of our country. Or, maybe the law that needs to be written to protect the public from agents and builders that choose to cheat and manipulate the system, because they can. With no rules for square footage, puffery and exaggeration run out of control and no one is trying to stop them.
Ask questions in your area. It’s time to talk about this somewhere other than behind closed doors…
