The REAL Purpose of Appraisals What is the purpose of an appraisal, in the context of a residential real estate sale? To make sure that, if the Buyer defaults on their loan and the lender ultimately forecloses, the value of the collateral is sufficient to make the lender whole. Or, in plain English: if the...Read More
Question #2: Is That Different Than “Large?” Original hardwood floors have just been re-done, four oversize bedrooms, tremendous woodwork & period fixtures.” —-“Public Remarks,” MLS. “Oversized” is one of those imprecise adjectives that you occasionally run into in real estate: its certainly sounds good, but, on closer inspection, doesn’t convey much if any information. Sort...Read More
Minimizing the Risk of Going Back to Square One (or Worse) [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] Any Realtor who’s represented a Seller in multiple offers...Read More
“The Answer to the Seller’s Question, “Do You Think I Should [ _____ ] . . . ?” is Always “Yes”** Consider the rather provocative question ” from a homeowner contemplating selling their home in a few years ” posed to The Ethicist, an advice column in The New York Times: We live in a large house...Read More
“Highest & Best,” Defined [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] With scarce inventory and low rates once again spurring multiples offers in the Twin Cities now,...Read More
Written vs. Verbal Counter-Offers [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] OK, so “Written vs. Verbal Counter-Offers” isn’t a very sexy title. But it’s a fascinating subject....Read More
