PointCast . . . Yahoo! . . . Groupon?? Insiders say a tentative deal was struck in which News Corp. would acquire PointCast for $450 million. But before the papers could be drafted, issues surfaced over PointCast’s revenue projections and the price tag, insiders say. The offer simply went away. –“PointCast, The Rise and Fall...Read More
Unrealistic Sellers Meet Their Match Their counterpart, the Unrealistic Seller, has received more ink and attention, but these days Unrealistic Buyers are just as numerous — and intractable. As a public service to would-be Home Sellers, herewith are my top ten signs that you may be dealing with an Unrealistic Buyer (any resemblance to real...Read More
2011 Hennepin County Property Taxes Every time I think I’m a Democrat, they do something stupid. Every time I think I’m a Republican, they do something greedy. –Jay Leno What do you call proposing to steeply raise property taxes against a backdrop of weak home prices and an economy just emerging, maybe, from recession? How...Read More
George Carlin-ism I promise to limit myself to only a couple George Carlin-ism’s per year (last one: ‘What’s the Past Tense of Sightsee?”). In that vein, I pose the following question: what happens if you don’t seal a bag of dried apricots? (as some people in my household insist on doing). Aren’t they already dried...Read More
“Living Richly,” vs. “A Rich Life” [Editor’s note: It’s a little bit early for a Thanksgiving missive, but on the premise that no one will actually be reading this blog then, here goes:] Dear Wall Street CEO: Do you know the difference between living richly, and having a rich life? Based on your words and...Read More
“You Know One When You See One” [Editor’s note: this post is a companion to “Unserious Buyers: Top 10 Signs” and “Is the Buyer Serious? Here’s One Clue“] “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong — but that’s the way to bet.” –Ecclesiastes (with an assist from Damon Runyon)....Read More
