“Beware Wall Streeters Bearing Fees” [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] Fans of Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders won’t be disappointed: the just-released 2019 Letter is one...Read More
Double-Edged Sword I’m not sure I can define the difference between “good” edgy and “bad” edgy . . . but I know it when I see it. The term’s, um . . . double-edged quality is evident in the “cutting edge/bleeding edge” dichotomy. So, there are “edgy neighborhoods,” “edgy art,” “edgy TV,” “edgy food,” “edgy...Read More
Stealing From “City Lakes Real Estate” Note to Readers: imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery . . . but copying verbatim (plagiarizing) is illegal! That appears to be exactly what something called “Dirk Isabelle’s Blog” is doing to “City Lakes Real Estate.” I’ve been advised by a local attorney that simply locating the...Read More
“Outlier” Comp’s — Both High & Low Wanna guess the single best way, bar none, to know for sure the Seller got a (very) good price for their home? It’s not whether the house sold especially fast, for full price (or higher!), or even received multiple offers. All those metrics can be misleading, for a...Read More
Retail vs. Wholesale Open Houses One of the best, early omens for a new listing is when agents leaving the Broker Open casually toss off compliments like “nice listing,” “good job!,” or simply “congratulations.” What’s another? When several newer, less experienced agents contact you, asking if they can hold a weekend open house at your...Read More
Five-Step Checklist One of the last steps before closing ” in fact, sometimes done on the way to closing* ” is the Buyer’s walk-thru. To my mind, at least, the Buyer’s walk-thru has these five goals: One. Determine that there’s been no change in the home’s condition since the Inspection Contingency was removed. What can...Read More
