Successor to Thomas Wolfe’s “Master of the Universe” Once upon a time, human beings were lowly Neanderthals. Gradually, Neanderthals evolved into Cro-Magnons, and from there into Homo Sapiens. What is mankind’s next (d)evolutionary step? According to muckraking journalist (and amateur anthropologist) Matt Taibbi, it is “Archipelago Man,” as personified by none other than Mitt Romney. Archipelago Man in...Read More
“Seller Will Look at All Offers!” Without knowing more about the Seller’s home or personal circumstances, it’s hard to know if this come-on is faux or for real. Sometimes, the Seller IS motivated — but their price is (still) unrealistic (note: the two aren’t mutually exclusive). Other times, such a pitch is essentially bait: intended...Read More
“Strike 1 3/4,” or, There’s Never Just One Cockroach When you pull up in front of a “For Sale” home with a visibly worn-out roof, what goes through Buyers’ — and Buyers’ agents’ — minds? Thoughts like: •“I wonder what other major, capital repairs are waiting for the next owner?” •“If the owner/seller couldn’t keep...Read More
Minneapolis Property Tax Sticker Shock: Exhibit A B C D E W(??) Where: 2737 Lake of the Isles Parkway in South Minneapolis. What: 1903 Dutch Colonial with 5 BR/5 BA and over 5,000 finished square feet. The home is a foreclosed property being sold by the lender, Bank of America. When: approaching 2 years of market...Read More
The Country in the City When you can buy a dozen eggs at Cub for $1.49, — or two dozen at Sam’s Club for $1.99 — it’s hard to see an economic motive for keeping your own egg-laying hens (garden-variety goldfish seem to pose a challenge for the Kaplan household). I suppose that leaves purity...Read More
That Synching Feeling, Indeed In a post last month titled, “iCloudy,” I discussed one of the two main risks associated with transferring (and entrusting) your digital life to the iCloud. Namely, that it won’t work exactly as advertised. Or at all. Synching Feeling Especially if you’re an independent contractor like me straddling multiple software platforms, learning to successfully synch...Read More
