patrick.net

Wow ! All I wanted was Sharks with #&*^$# Laser Beams !

gameisrigged says

WARNINGS. DO. NOT. AUTOMATICALLY. PREVENT. LAWSUITS.

Repeating obvious and strawman statements doesn't really help explain the law to people. Absolutely nothing absolutely prevents lawsuits because you could get sued when you're completely in the right -- but you can do plenty to mitigate them and to use the law against them. People who are paralyzed in the face of any minimal risk, as you seem to be suggesting, usually don't do very well in business.

I've never said the disclosure would "automatically" "bar" a lawsuit -- in fact it would be stupid to say so. I'm saying it's a perfectly acceptable risk. When you make a fact-dependent and context-dependent analysis, you decide it based on risks and decide whether the risk is acceptable. Simply repeating stock phrases doesn't help.

What I gave is a reasoned opinion that is based on reality and facts. Yes, you might get sued by some retard whose case will be dismissed immediately, fine. You can get sued for all kinds of stupid reasons that get dismissed -- simply saying "you could get sued" is not helpful. Prisoners start handwritten lawsuits on notebook paper that are meritless too -- should you spend a meaningful amount of time protecting against that too? Absolutely not.

Similarly, the fears of realtors here is really unfounded. This is a pure disclosure issue, and any minimal suit can likely be easily dismissed, and if one were to go forward, a precedential decision in favor of realtors would likely result.

Moreover, on incredibly expensive houses, realtors provide floorplans all the time. Look at a site like SocketSite. I haven't heard of any lawsuits over these.

gameisrigged says

A better comparison would be a builder who built a house with an unstable foundation and then tried to sell it by saying, "I make no guarantees about the stability of the foundation". Nope, can't do it. That builder could be sued, and probably would lose. Disclosure does not automatically protect you.

No, that's a crappy example. The builder has an implicit warranty. When I sell you my house, I don't necessarily have one.

You seem unwilling to have a reasoned discussion and instead prefer to repeat useless phrases over and over that don't really say anything. Good for you, but I'm done.

gameisrigged says

Look, if you can't eliminate a house in 10 minutes, you aren't going about it right.

You can't drive to a house, wait for a Realtor, and drive home in 10 minutes unless you pretty much live next door. Get real.

StoutFiles says

Right, that's debating. My view is an opinion that I try to defend. I could be wrong, floor planes could be killing house sales everywhere so they're rarely listed. By debating the issue I learn more; I did learn that withholding that information helps realtors, that was something I didn't consider. I'm not shutting down conversation, I'm inviting it. That is why I started the thread, and why the title is a question.

You are stating your stance as a fact, reminding everyone about that fact, but I see no facts. I see nothing to believe anyone will be sued for providing a good faith sketch. If you would like to say that your stance is just your opinion, then I won't question it further. If it's a fact, I just want to see one example to back up that fact.

That's hogwash. First you say it's not a debate, then you say it is. The problem is, you obviously can't stand to LOSE a debate, so you resort to flipping out and posting gibberish. I have made perfectly lucid points, to which you responded:

"You're being crazy and belittling people for not being paranoid like you."

"No one is going to sue you if it's clearly there on the sketch."

"Jesus, just stop being crazy."

"The topic is "Is a sketched floor plan useful", not "oh no I can be sued for this hurrghgghhh"

Sounds like "stating things as facts" to me (albeit nonsensical things). So wait, what was it again that I am allegedly doing which you are not? Oh, nothing? That's what I thought.

Fact is, you attacked 5 people, which YOU call a "debate". But then you assaulted me with gibberish, and claim I'm not debating. Yeah, whatever...

"Might not be accurate"? It wouldn't be accurate, it's a sketch. They need to address that, not try to mislead the buyer. It's a good faith sketch, not a sales trick. I still believe we live in a world where people who provide extra information in good faith, while still covering the bases with a clear disclaimer, will not be sued for it.

You may very well BELIEVE that we live in a world where disclaimers are a magic wand against lawsuits, Dorothy, but we are not in Kansas anymore, and disclaimers do not automatically protect you. You have a duty against negligence, and simply disavowing responsibility for your actions will not absolve you of that responsibility.

I could give you tons of examples of this GENERAL PRINCIPLE, but there's no point, because no matter what example I give, you will simply parrot: "No fair! That's different!". And then you will whine at me for "saying the same thing over and over".

We live in a world where anyone can and will sue you for any ridiculous reason just to try to make a buck.

corntrollio says

Repeating obvious and strawman statements doesn't really help explain the law to people.

It's not a strawman, and unfortunately I have to keep repeating it because you keep trying to confuse the issue.

Absolutely nothing absolutely prevents lawsuits because you could get sued when you're completely in the right -- but you can do plenty to mitigate them and to use the law against them. People who are paralyzed in the face of any minimal risk, as you seem to be suggesting, usually don't do very well in business.

Strawman. I suggested no such thing.

You are neglecting a very important point. There is no reason to take any risk if there is no reward for that risk. If I ran a convenience store, I could take the risk of suspending sharp knives from the ceiling. They probably wouldn't fall and injure anyone, but there is no point to taking that risk, because it would not help my business in any way. On the other hand, if I want to sell milk at my store, there is a small risk of someone becoming ill from drinking spoiled milk. However, the REWARD is that I would profit from the sale of the milk, so it is worth taking the risk.

Now, have you ever heard of a house not having any offers because the listing agent didn't post a floor plan? I never have. In fact, agent can sell houses just fine without posting floor plans. So there is absolutely no reason to take any risk at all, because there is absolutely nothing to be gained.

I've never said the disclosure would "automatically" "bar" a lawsuit -- in fact it would be stupid to say so.

Yes you did. I wrote:

"Disclaimers do not prevent lawsuits."

and you wrote:

"Proper disclosure does. This is all about disclosure."

i.e., you made the claim that proper disclosure prevents lawsuits. I am merely disputing that claim.

YesYNot says

gameisrigged says

Look, if you can't eliminate a house in 10 minutes, you aren't going about it right.

You can't drive to a house, wait for a Realtor, and drive home in 10 minutes unless you pretty much live next door. Get real.

Please quote where I wrote the words: "Drive to a house, waite for a realtor, and drive home" (Not including right here, of course).

gameisrigged says

Now, have you ever heard of a house not having any offers because the listing agent didn't post a floor plan? I never have. In fact, agent can sell houses just fine without posting floor plans. So there is absolutely no reason to take any risk at all, because there is absolutely nothing to be gained.

That's poor logic. There are not only two important outcomes: house sells or house doesn't sell. Two more obvious outcomes are time to sale and price of sale. If presenting a floor plan decreases time to sale and/or increases price of sale then there is obviously something to be gained.

There is basically a zero chance of losing a lawsuit by presenting a floor plan with a proper disclosure, so there is basically zero risk.

If you think you could lose a lawsuit by giving a floor plan, answer this question from the judge--how were you harmed? Didn't you tour the house before buying it?

gameisrigged says

That's hogwash. First you say it's not a debate, then you say it is. The problem is, you obviously can't stand to LOSE a debate, so you resort to flipping out and posting gibberish.

I'm not debating you, just trying to get a fact out of you. Then we might have a debate. You'd have the same argument with saying "floorplans spawn hell demons", in which you repeat it over and over while providing no evidence to back it up.

gameisrigged says

I could give you tons of examples of this GENERAL PRINCIPLE

Of someone being sued for something, in general? It's not like I'm trying to trick you, you could post an example of anything if it makes it easier for you, providing it fits the criteria of my example.

1) Disclaimer is clear to the buyer.
2) Disclaimer is on information not needed and only exists to help the buyer (and because of this, the seller).

gameisrigged says

In fact, agent can sell houses just fine without posting floor plans. So there is absolutely no reason to take any risk at all, because there is absolutely nothing to be gained.

With that logic, there should be zero internet listings. Realtors would still sell houses regardless because of the demand for houses.

gameisrigged says

Please quote where I wrote the words: "Drive to a house, waite for a realtor, and drive home" (Not including right here, of course).

When arguing a point that looking at houses is not a time consuming process, we must factor in the time to make an appointment, drive there, wait, look at the house, listen to the Realtor pitching other houses, and drive back. While you may be correct that the actual looking at the house takes 10 inutes, the whole process takes much longer. It would be a process that might not have to happen had a floor plan been provided.

gameisrigged says

That's hogwash. First you say it's not a debate, then you say it is. The problem is, you obviously can't stand to LOSE a debate, so you resort to flipping out and posting gibberish.

I find that being worried about being sued for things is jibberish, so conveyed it as such. You are right though, I have lost for merely talking to you. I have entered a continued discussion with someone who argues the same points to death because he wants to "win". You do realize the topic is a question and I wanted it answered? I wanted to have my question answered, but in an insightful way, not because someone has bombarded the thread with an inaccurate viewpoint and chooses not to back it up in fear they may "lose".

Like corntrollio, I'm walking away as well for the same reasons. One day I hope you see the benefit of actually proving a point instead of everyone leaving because no one wants to talk to you anymore.

::sigh::

Floor plans certainly tell more than just square footage and in many cases are pretty vital depending on who you sell a house to.

For example if you are selling a house to someone that is going to be there 30+ years it might be a good idea to have most major amenities (kitchen, bathroom (w/shower), bedroom etc on one floor. If a elderly person ends up having a house with a shower on the second floor that can be a huge negative going forward. Yes there are stairlift devices (remember Gremlins?)

Can disclaimers prevent lawsuits? Probably not but hardly anything an outright prevent a lawsuit. Not all lawsuits are valid as they are usually just paperwork. Heck not all cases are even heard.

I wouldn't say that not showing a floorplan is shady but if they either outright refuse or if the house is outdated then it raises red flags. If you have something that needs to be fixed knowing the floor plan can dramatically help in getting any work done.

I would also assume that in this market if you really want to sell a house that a floor plan would be given.

It is possible to tell if someone is hiding something. There's a house in NH that has been on the market for years. One thing that is striking is there are no photos of the bathroom. There's a fair reason for it. There used to be but they took them down. Reason being is they pretty much had a outhouse and jerry rigged up a shower adjacent to the house..that's right there is no tub..the photos showed a shower next to shingles!

www.trulia.com/property/3053133296--Red-Oak-Hl-Wentworth-NH-03282

Knowing the floor plan helps for various items. If someone has a pool table they would probably want to know it..same if they have sets of bookcases or a very large bed etc.

gameisrigged says

ere I wrote the words: "Drive to a house, waite for a realtor, and drive home" (Not incl

Well, it makes no difference if you can assess things in 10 minutes if it takes 30 to get there. The point is, I could rule out a house in 10 minutes if it had a floor plan. I could also find a house that I otherwise might not have looked at. Then, by the time I look at 5 or 20 houses or whatever is my number, I would probably like the options better. Probably, I would pay more, as I found houses that better fit my needs.
If a realtor did that kind of thing, it would actually be adding value.
My realtor did not add any value whatsoever. The best thing she did for me was fart in the house while I looked at it. Then, she denied farting, so I lowered my price a bit just in case there was some sulfur smell in the house to contend with.

gameisrigged says

Yes you did. I wrote:

"Disclaimers do not prevent lawsuits."

and you wrote:

"Proper disclosure does. This is all about disclosure."

i.e., you made the claim that proper disclosure prevents lawsuits. I am merely disputing that claim.

Since when does "prevent" mean "absolutely prevents"?

Neosporin prevents against infection. But it's not 100%. Nice try, strawman-man.

After reading 119 comments, I have learned that realtards don't provide floorplans because

a. they are lazy
b. they read on a forum somewhere that if they did somebody somewhere might sue them
c. they want suckers, I mean buyers, to visit all homes and get in-person marketing pressure of other possible listings. Floorplans are customer repellent; DO NOT PROVIDE!
d. last time someone sketched something on a napkin and shared it, it created economic policy that wrecked entire nation

corntrollio says

Since when does "prevent" mean "absolutely prevents"?

Um, always. The definition of "prevent" is:

To keep from happening.

That's pretty unambiguous.

Neosporin prevents against infection. But it's not 100%. Nice try, strawman-man.

Bzzzt! Sorry, that is incorrect. Neosporin does not make the claim that it prevents infection. They advertise that it HELPS prevent infection. Apparently they are much more familiar with the meaning of the word "prevents" than you are. And I don't know why you added the word "against". You did not use that word in your original claim.

And actually, that's a nice example right there. Neosporin could "take a risk" and say that it prevents infection, even though they could be sued. Guess what they chose? They chose NOT to take a risk, because they can sell their product without having to risk getting sued over their advertising claims.

YesYNot says

Well, it makes no difference if you can assess things in 10 minutes if it takes 30 to get there.

Hopefully you would be viewing several houses in the same area. If you drive 30 minutes to a house, then drive 30 minutes home, then drive 30 minutes to ANOTHER house, you aren't using your time very efficiently.

The point is, I could rule out a house in 10 minutes if it had a floor plan. I could also find a house that I otherwise might not have looked at. Then, by the time I look at 5 or 20 houses or whatever is my number, I would probably like the options better. Probably, I would pay more, as I found houses that better fit my needs.

I don't know why you're so focused on floor plans. There are far more pressing issues that I would consider much more important than the floorplan. Why doesn't every listing include a soil report, an inspection report of the sewer connection or septic tank, type and condition of foundation, type and condition of plumbing, whether the roof leaks, whether there is any settling or cracks in the walls, amount of traffic on the street, proximity to schools, wiring report, whether the neighbors are selling crack, etc.? If I could find out whether there will be 10 school busses driving by my front door every morning and afternoon, it would save me a lot of time. Floorplan, schmoorplan.

If a realtor did that kind of thing, it would actually be adding value.
My realtor did not add any value whatsoever. The best thing she did for me was fart in the house while I looked at it. Then, she denied farting, so I lowered my price a bit just in case there was some sulfur smell in the house to contend with.

If you are the kind of person who lowers their offer because someone farted, there's no way any realtor could plan for every possible irrational reason you might do so.

The house should be worth to you exactly what it's worth to you. It's illogical to change your offer price because of some personal annoyance with the realtor.

tatupu70 says

That's poor logic. There are not only two important outcomes: house sells or house doesn't sell. Two more obvious outcomes are time to sale and price of sale. If presenting a floor plan decreases time to sale and/or increases price of sale then there is obviously something to be gained.

Wow, speaking of poor logic...

How would a floor plan increase the value of the house? It's the exact same house. That makes no sense whatsoever. One would assume that if you are at the point of closing escrow, that you would have toured the house. So you ought to know if you like how it is laid out or not.

By your logic, the selling agent should have an inspection report done and post the results in the listing. That would be far more valuable information than the floorplan. So why don't they do that?

There is basically a zero chance of losing a lawsuit by presenting a floor plan with a proper disclosure, so there is basically zero risk.

I disagree. It would be quite easy to misrepresent some material fact about the property by making a hastily-drawn floorplan, either inadvertently or deliberately. That would most certainly be grounds for a lawsuit.

I just don't get why you keep saying, "proper disclosure" over and over and over, and I keep explaining that "proper disclosure" (whatever that's supposed to mean) will not prevent a lawsuit. Then you guys get mad that we keep repeating the same thing. If you don't want the same thing repeated, STOP SAYING IT. I am not the one who is causing things to be repeated.

gameisrigged says

If you are the kind of person who lowers their offer because someone farted, there's no way any realtor could plan for every possible irrational reason you might do so.

If the realtor admitted to farting, then there would be no reason to lower the offer. From my perspective, either the realtor was lying or the house had a bad sulfur smell. There was a risk of plumbing problem or something else to contend with, and I would not incur that risk for free. In fact, if the realtor was trustworthy at all, I would not have bid on it. Who the heck would want a house that smelled like a fart? Any half-way intelligent person could anticipate that and plan accordingly.

gameisrigged says

Wow, speaking of poor logic...
How would a floor plan increase the value of the house? It's the exact same house. That makes no sense whatsoever. One would assume that if you are at the point of closing escrow, that you would have toured the house. So you ought to know if you like how it is laid out or not.

That's not poor logic. It's poor reading comprehension on your part. I started the sentence with "if" for a reason. Presumably better descriptions sell houses faster and for higher prices becuase they increase demand. I don't know if it's true or not, but there is a whole field of work devoted to "marketing" so I imagine there is something there.

gameisrigged says

By your logic, the selling agent should have an inspection report done and post the results in the listing. That would be far more valuable information than the floorplan. So why don't they do that?

That's not really my logic at all. But, in any event, buyers likely want to have the inspection done by their own contractor so posting one done by the seller isn't very valuable.

gameisrigged says

I disagree. It would be quite easy to misrepresent some material fact about the property by making a hastily-drawn floorplan, either inadvertently or deliberately. That would most certainly be grounds for a lawsuit.

You didn't address my point at all. How were you damaged?? Didn't you view the house yourself? You can disagree, but you are wrong.

gameisrigged says

I am not the one who is causing things to be repeated.

When you completely ignore the point of my post in response, then yes, it is you.

In my quest to pick up more rental properties I went to an open house this weekend that was being held at a 30 year old condo complex. The Realtor had a stack of nice, professionally made diagrams of this particular 1500 square foot condo. I asked her how much that floor plan drawing cost her and she said that the company that produces it comes out to the property and then puts the drawing together for $110.00 which seems very reasonable to me.

tatupu70 says

. I don't know if it's true or not,

Exactly. You are talking out of your ass, like you always do.

That's not really my logic at all. But, in any event, buyers likely want to have the inspection done by their own contractor so posting one done by the seller isn't very valuable.

Again - logic fail on your part. Your whole POINT presumably is that people would want to see the floor plan so they can decide whether they want to spend time viewing the house. Why wouldn't the same apply to an inspection report? One could rule out the house without needing to waste time driving to look at it. But you just completely flip-flopped on that point, and now are arguing what would happen LATER ON.

Let's try to follow your warped logic here: Having a floor plan up front is very valuable, even though you would want to have the house inspected and would see the layout of the house when you had the inspection done.

But having an inspection report up front ISN'T valuable because you would want to have the house inspected.

Yeah, that makes sense. Face the fact that you are arguing just to argue.

When you completely ignore the point of my post in response, then yes, it is you.

'Tis YOU who is ignoring MY point, hence my need to keep repeating the same thing.

YesYNot says

If the realtor admitted to farting, then there would be no reason to lower the offer. From my perspective, either the realtor was lying or the house had a bad sulfur smell. There was a risk of plumbing problem or something else to contend with, and I would not incur that risk for free. In fact, if the realtor was trustworthy at all, I would not have bid on it. Who the heck would want a house that smelled like a fart? Any half-way intelligent person could anticipate that and plan accordingly.

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. You seriously are going with that story?

Yet another person arguing for the sake of argument.

gameisrigged says

tatupu70 says

. I don't know if it's true or not,
Exactly. You are talking out of your ass, like you always do.

troll much?

gameisrigged says

Let's try to follow your warped logic here: Having a floor plan up front is very valuable, even though you would want to have the house inspected and would see the layout of the house when you had the inspection done.

Yes. There is a huge difference between a floor plan and an inspection report. If you can't see that, then I'm sorry. Talk about arguing for the sake of arguing. You've worn out--what 5-6 people with your inane replies?

gameisrigged says

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. You seriously are going with that story?

The story is true. Not sure what is dumb about it.

You went from repetitive to grumpy yesterday. Bad day?

$110 for a professionally drawn of floor plan seems to be a very reasonable and a small price to pay to help market a property.

They want you looking at marketing materials, not facts. If you knew all the facts you'd be less likely to spend money on the product.

totally agree. i love looking at floorplans, and wish every listing had one.

StoutFiles says

Why, oh why, is there NEVER a floor plan for anything but new houses?

Can't say I ever thought about it. Next time I sell my house, I'll serious consider having the floor plan as one of the photos I post. While it will certainly hurt some houses that have crappy floor plans, it can only help houses with good floor plans.

PockyClipsNow says

you are dreaming.
if you put up a homemade floor plan it will NEVER match the real floor plan. In order to match it you would have to hire a pro and pay him 5k.

I think I can draw a pretty good floor plan just from memory, the dimensions might be off, the the basic layout would be correct. This is something I draw in 5 minutes, It only lacks the stairs leading up the 2nd floor from the bottom opening in the drawing and the stairs under it from the kitchen to the basement. Give me an couple of hours and I'll post something far better.

TechGromit says

I think I can draw a pretty good floor plan just from memory, the dimensions might be off, the the basic layout would be correct. This is something I draw in 5 minutes, It only lacks the stairs leading up the 2nd floor from the bottom opening in the drawing

That diagram there would be extremely useful for prospective buyers, but some people are convinced you'd get sued for it. Even if you'd told the buyers it was a sketch, even if you labeled it as a sketch, even though other pictures are not necessarily accurate over time, even though listed sq. ft. numbers are always debatable, even though apartments list floor plans and they aren't 100% accurate, etc.

My stance remains the same...if you've got a good layout and want your house sold, flaunt the floor plan! Or, just take some pictures of room corners and waste everyone's time.

StoutFiles says

This piece of crap took me three minutes. Just a random bad layout I threw together.

The "3-minite floorplan" tells me there is no bathroom in the Master Bedroom. A deal-breaker for me. On to the next house.

Here another attempt. I don't see how I could be sued for an advertisement. If I included the Sketch during the closing that might be a different issue.

PockyClipsNow says

then the lawsuits start right after the sale for fraud, mis representation, etc.

I really don't see a different between this than say McDonald's advertising one of there burgers. They use the best bun, lettuce, etc to make the optimal photo of there burger, when you get it in restaurant, it certainly doesn't look like that.

StoutFiles says

It's not like I'm asking for the blueprints, just the location of rooms and their area.

I actually have the original blueprints from when the house was built. If I had a scanner large enough, i could scan them in and post them in an real estate ad.

Warren2 says

StoutFiles says

This piece of crap took me three minutes. Just a random bad layout I threw together.

The "3-minite floorplan" tells me there is no bathroom in the Master Bedroom. A deal-breaker for me. On to the next house.

Good, that would prevent you from coming to see this hypothetical house and wasting your time as well as mine. Win-win. If there are instant deal-breakers in room layouts, wouldn't it be better to know them right away?

DennisN says

I think you answered your own question. It would take an hour to draw one in MS paint. But it only takes a couple of minutes to walk around the house with a camera and take a dozen shots. For the photos no preparation is needed:

I agree with the above.

TechGromit says

StoutFiles says

It's not like I'm asking for the blueprints, just the location of rooms and their area.

I actually have the original blueprints from when the house was built. If I had a scanner large enough, i could scan them in and post them in an real estate ad.

Digital camera should be sufficient.

zzyzzx says

TechGromit says

StoutFiles says

It's not like I'm asking for the blueprints, just the location of rooms and their area.

I actually have the original blueprints from when the house was built. If I had a scanner large enough, i could scan them in and post them in an real estate ad.

Digital camera should be sufficient.

If the homeowner isn't insulted by your offer...you didn't bid low enough!!!

But Warren JUST said a bathroom not next to the master bedroom was a deal breaker. Pictures of room corners doesn't let him know not to waste his or my time. Pictures arent enough.

When it comes to running a business, what you're spending money on, and what value you get for that purchase, is frequently as important as how much you're spending on it.

A nice looking floor plan isn't a cheap thing to purchase, and offers little return on investment, as I can rent/sell just as much without paying for that floor plan as I can if I had paid for it.

With a good digital camera, and a cheap video camera, I can show you anything you want to know about a property without spending any money, and post it to my weblog, hosted for free by google, and then drive traffic to my weblog through free craigslist and backpage ads.

That's why many of us don't provide floor plans. Our businesses depend on providing our clients with as much value for their dollar as possible, and we get very little value from buying floor plans compared to the other options that are available.

Done! says

There's no dimensions? what good is it?

It's a good crude approximation.

propmgrjay says

When it comes to running a business, what you're spending money on, and what value you get for that purchase, is frequently as important as how much you're spending on it.

A nice looking floor plan isn't a cheap thing to purchase, and offers little return on investment, as I can rent/sell just as much without paying for that floor plan as I can if I had paid for it.

With a good digital camera, and a cheap video camera, I can show you anything you want to know about a property without spending any money, and post it to my weblog, hosted for free by google, and then drive traffic to my weblog through free craigslist and backpage ads.

That's why many of us don't provide floor plans. Our businesses depend on providing our clients with as much value for their dollar as possible, and we get very little value from buying floor plans compared to the other options that are available.

Who said anything about a professional floorplan? The main thing I want to know is where rooms are located in the house. I want to know if the bedrooms are grouped together, bathroom locations, etc. This can be done in less than 30 minutes in MS Paint.

I have said before that video would be excellent, but the way real estate sites are set up, it would need to be hosted off-site, so a little more challenging. A floorplan could be uploaded as a house picture and requires less extra work. I'm talking maximum return for little effort.

StoutFiles says

This can be done in less than 30 minutes in MS Paint.

I have tried many times to create a floor plan on my own using many different programs, including MS Paint. I've never been able to create one that looked decent. I've decided that I am not able to create a decent looking one on my own. That is why only a professionally made floor plan is an option, and for reasons I specified earlier, that's out of the question also.

I can take good photos though, and I can shoot adequate videos, so I use photos and videos instead.

That is why I do not provide floor plans, and I suspect it's why many other realtors don't as well. You asked, I answered. I can't help it if you don't like the answer.

TechGromit says

I really don't see a different between this than say McDonald's advertising one of there burgers.

The difference is McDonalds advertisements aren't regulated by the DRE, they aren't scrutinized by real estate attorneys, they are not usually litigated, and they are not usually investigated by the Fair Employment and Housing Authorities. Real estate ads and marketing materials frequently are.