Passengers as Guinea Pigs?? “Regulators Around the Globe Ground Boeing 787’s” —headline, NY Times (1/16/2013) Certain software makers (rhymes with schmicro-soft) are famous for releasing products that are “not-ready-for-prime time.” So, too, it would appear that Boeing’s new jet, the 787 “Dreamliner,” was put into service before all the kinks were worked out. I don’t...Read More
[As in, “Open Bar”] That was the word I got from a relative — OK, my Mom — who attended a ritzy Los Angeles bar mitzvah last weekend. Apparently, the proceedings were more focused on the after-party (and drinking) than on the religious rituals traditionally associated with a 13 year-old Jewish boy “coming of age.”...Read More
“I’ll Be Done in Just Another Minute” The 2013 winner of Edina Realty’s “Emmy” award (honoring founder Emma Rovick) was announced yesterday at the company’s annual meeting in St. Paul. The recipient: Rachel Van Den Boom, manager of Edina Realty’s Northfield and New Prague offices. In her remarks, Vanden Boom shared her proposed image for a...Read More
Double-Standard? And How! If the U.S. government handled the housing crisis the same way it treated Wall Street after the 2008 financial crash (emphasis on “treat”), here’s what would have happened: 1. It would long ago have purchased — at inflated cost(!) — the homes of every underwater homeowner in the country; 2. It would then...Read More
When it come to prepping a home for sale, things like new paint and carpet, refinishing hardwood floors, and new Kitchen cabinet hardware are deservedly popular — and cost-effective — updates. Here’s another, less-widely known one: replacing dated fluorescent lighting (photo, above) with new, recessed lighting. At a cost of perhaps $150 per recessed can light, it’s...Read More
$219,900 vs. $225,000 What difference does it make — besides an extra $5k — to list a home for $225,000 instead of $219,900? The home listed for $219,900 will get picked up by Buyers searching for homes between $200k and $225k. By contrast, the $225k listing will likely show up in two Buyer searches: those searching...Read More
