Level vs. Pitched Parking Ramp Floors [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.] I knew that rental apartments could be converted into condos. But, I didn’t know that parking...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 fashion,”...Read More
Never Mind That Late 2018 Stock Market Swoon “Making money in the stock market is easy: only buy stocks that go up. If they don’t go up, don’t buy ’em.” —-Mark Twain I finally figured out why investing — in the stock market or anywhere else — is so vexing. Because there are only two...Read More
Is That Democrats’ Sense of Patriotism Talking? Or Their Self-Interest? [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.] Since Starbucks’ Howard Schultz announced on 60 Minutes last Sunday that he may run...Read More
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” –unofficial credo of United States Postal Service. There won’t be any mail carriers wearing shorts in the Twin Cities today. If fact, there won’t be any mail delivery at all. With local temps and...Read More
“The More Things Change” Department Once upon a time, when I started selling real estate in 2002, the worksheet that Buyers and Sellers signed at closing was simply known as . . . the settlement statement (or just the closing worksheet, to avoid any jargon). Then it became the “HUD-1” (HUD stands for “Housing and Urban Development,” the federal...Read More
