“If Winter in Minnesota Starts Early, Does it End Early, Too??” Not wanting to be the one to burst anyone’s bubble, there was really only one way to answer the question above, posed by the new neighbor who arrived here from Southern California this past Summer, about the duration of local winters: “W-h-y, y-e-a-h ....Read More
Not-So-Coincidental Timing? “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” –Proverb. Hennepin County’s proposed 2020 property tax notices are out, and they contain a welcome surprise (at least for one homeowner — me!): a 2.9% drop for 2020. Yeah, I know: the notice is only preliminary, and the actual, final tax bill — typically mailed...Read More
“To Update Exterior Photos Now or Not” — That is the (Listing Agent) Question I’ve previously shared the only slightly tongue-in-cheek secret for a Buyer’s agent to get a balky client to actually buy: have a plane to catch immediately after showing the client a series of homes. See, “Want Prospective Home Buyers to Buy?...Read More
“Rising Treasury Yields Quiet Investors’ Concerns” –WSJ Headline (11/14/19). Stock swooned last Summer, sort of, when the dive in interest rates — combined with uncertainty over trade wars, Brexit, and whatever else was in the air — convinced people that something nasty might be just over the horizon. Fast forward a couple months. Interest rates...Read More
Seller Psychology vs. Market Reality Quick! Which of the following are relevant for determining a home’s current value? A. What the owner/seller paid for it. B. What their neighbor sold their home for a year ago. C. What the another neighbor currently is listing their home for. D. How much money the owner spent on improvements. Answer: none of...Read More
Quick! Name a Pretentious Synonym for “Custom-Made” Once upon a time, the adjective “bespoke” applied to exactly one thing: clothes. Specifically, high-end, custom clothes like men’s suits and shirts, or women’s gowns (although I think “couture” was and is the more popular term for the latter) . Now? Here’s a partial list of things (and...Read More
