“Garage:  One Parking Space”

–excerpt, MLS listing for downtown St. Paul condo

I remember living in New York in the late ’90’s, and eating gyros at a Greek diner near Columbus Circle.

When I asked the waiter if I could get some extra Pita bread, he responded with a hearty, “Of course!,” and promptly brought me a parkingfew more pita (pita’s??).

My appreciation turned to chagrin, however, when I got the bill with these items:

–Gyros platter:  $10
–Extra bread:  $6

My reaction:  ‘#$&#???’

I complained — loudly — and as I recall they “only” ended up charging me a few bucks for the extra pita (which was the last money they got from me — ever).

Cue Real Estate

The foregoing anecdote came to mind showing a client a downtown St. Paul condo recently.

On MLS, the listing agent indicated that the unit came with one (underground) parking spot.

However, in the fine print — specifically, in the “Agent Remarks” field — the agent clarified that the monthly parking spot was an extra $150 a month (in addition to the $450 monthly association fee).

Which I suppose begs the question, “what exactly is their definition of ‘included’?”

The omission (inclusion?) seems especially glaring in the light of the fact that parking spaces in the building are in especially short supply.

So much so, that — when they become available — fetch $30k to $40k.

That may not seem like a lot for Manhattan . . . . but it registers in the Twin Cities.

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

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