You Call That Easing Up? The “good” news? (good if you’re not selling your home, that is). According to Hennepin County, the value of my home dropped just over 7% the last year. The bad news? That 7% drop in assessed value translates into a measly .7% decrease in my already-hefty Minneapolis property taxes. See, “Minneapolis Property Tax Disconnect.” Yup,...Read More
Thanksgiving Lost and Found, or “Minnesota Wisconsin Nice” “Minnesota Nice” has a lot of detractors — especially amongst non-Minnesotans. However, the locals’ practice of behaving nicely and exuding warmth (however superficially) does have its redeeming qualities. Like when you’re traveling to the Twin Cities for Thanksgiving with a bunch of small kids and lose your iPad...Read More
A November to Remember, or “Weather Hubris” OK, so San Diego didn’t get 3 inches of snow last week. And bragging about the Twin Cities’ (otherwise) memorably balmy November is the height of “weather hubris” — the repercussions of which, in short order, are typically a record-setting blizzard and/or bone-numbing windchill. However . . ....Read More
“Here You Go, Arthur!” I’ve certainly heard wackier proposals. So, per Arthur Lee, the Selling agent on my listing at 1901 Fifth Ave. South in Minneapolis (closed this am!) comes this idea: once the Buyer removes their Inspection Contingency and the listing’s status is switched to “Pending” on MLS, the selling agent (representing the Buyer) should...Read More
“Occupy Wall Street” Conundrum: What to Occupy One of my favorite political cartoons — from the 1970’s no less — shows a self-satisfied oil executive sitting behind a big desk, his feet up, smoking a cigar (I said it was from the ’70’s). “You want oil?,” he practically cackles (to no one in particular). “We own the wells.”...Read More
Taking $50k, $75k — or More(!) Off the Last Asking Price Overpriced listings have a way of coming down to earth, and Buyers who can afford to be patient can often pick up the property at a (much) better price once the Seller has become more realistic. Of course, Buyers who wait risk that the Seller...Read More
