Doesn’t “FD” Stand for “Fire Department?” “Things should be made as simple as possible ” but not simpler.” —Albert Einstein I’m all for making things simpler when it comes to real estate terminology. But, there comes a point where it . . . becomes kind of silly. Exhibit A: showing instructions that refer to the...Read More
Quick! Guess where neighbors are likelier to have boundary disputes, typically involving the location of a fence. In the high-density city, where homes are close(r) to together, or in the relatively wide-open “burbs? Wrong: it’s the “burbs. At least, that’s according to two different fence contractors I worked with recently, both of whom said that...Read More
When it comes to the best time of year to wash a home’s windows in the Upper Midwest, there seem to be (at least) two schools of thought: School #1: Spring-Summer is best (the most popular view). That’s because that’s when there is the most daylight ” over 15 1/2 hours locally on June 21...Read More
Sunday Open House < Vikings’ Game, or, Sunday Open House > Vikings’ Game He (or she) who ignores the first rule of Sunday open houses ” “thou shalt not compete head-to-head with a Vikings game” ” is likely to regret it. Or at least, have a sparsely attended open house, with only one of the...Read More
“No, Really: Bring . . the . . Cake!” Thanks to popular culture, some perfectly innocuous phrases have been ruined. To pick just one example, son #2 and I were bringing his birthday cake, ice cream, etc. to the party room where we were hosting his friends the other weekend. My hands were full, so...Read More
Test your knowledge of modern residential real estate practice, and answer the following multiple choice question: Q: Who should the listing agent (representing the Seller) meet at the home? A. The appraiser working for the Buyer’s lender; B. The home inspector doing the city Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing (“TISH”) inspection; C. The photographer; D. The Buyer’s home inspector. Correct...Read More
