Using a Lowball Offer . . . to Get One That Isn’t “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” –Paul Romer (repeated by Rahm Emanuel and many, many others) “A lowball offer is a terrible thing to waste.” –Ross Kaplan [Editor’s Note: a least in the Twin Cities, lowball offers on well-priced, well-marketed homes...Read More
Tax Records vs. MLS I don’t know about other Buyers’ agents, but before I show clients a 1.5 story home — or one that’s billed as a 1.5 story home on MLS — I first check the county tax records. When the county says “1.2 stories,” I know that any upstairs Bedroom is marginal at...Read More
Negative Interest Rates as “Black Hole Experiment” If somebody else thinks what you think, you can’t be crazy, right? Explanation #2: you’re both suffering from exactly the same malady. Either way, it’s reassuring to read famed investor Jeremy Grantham’s latest thoughts on today’s bizarro world of negative interest rates and inflated asset prices, courtesy of...Read More
Sunday Open House (7/31) From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Where: 4119 Beard Ave. South, just blocks to Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, and 50th & France. When: open house 1-3 p.m. this Sunday (July 31). What: character-filled 3 BR/2 Bath, 1.5 story Craftsman on an unusually spacious city lot (58′ x 135′). How much: $525,000. Who: listing agent...Read More
Trail Blazers vs. Trail Followers “Women have made it to a point where a woman who’s been first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state can win a presidential nomination. Now let’s see how long it takes for someone who’s a little less overqualified to get the nod.” –Gail Collins, “Hillary on the March“; The...Read More
Agent to Buyer: “Stop By That New Listing on Broker Tour Tomorrow” When an agent looks at a home without their client in tow, it’s known as a “Preview.” See, “Proper (and Improper) Uses of Realtor Previews.” That’s in contrast to a “showing,” which is when the agent and client view a home together. So, what...Read More
