“Yeah, Those Things, Too” What makes for a great closing? Warm feelings between the Buyer and Seller? For sure. All the “professionals” — the Realtors, closers, and lender — knowing their assigned roles and discharging them well? Absolutely. But what really makes for a great closing is . . . getting the names of not one but two new babysitting...Read More
Too Much of a Good Bad Thing With pouring rain and dark skies in the Twin Cities at the moment, today’s a scrub for any exterior photography. In my case, that means two different clients’ shoots will have to be postponed (one’s actually a re-shoot). While overcast is good (no shadows) . . . pitch-black isn’t.Read More
Deal Hurdles and “Closing Clean-Up” The last couple deals I’ve handled, it’s been a challenge getting everyone on the same page. Strong personalities? Sure. Market conditions? Absolutely. But I actually meant logistics: it’s been a challenge lately getting all the parties to the transaction on the same page — literally. Deal Logistics That’s the case...Read More
A: When it’s a short sale You’d think that a Seller who received a full-price offer on their home would automatically say “yes,” and the Buyer and Seller would be well on their way to a consummated deal. And in most situations, you’d be correct. However, with a short sale — that is, a home...Read More
Why Aren’t More Banks Pursuing Deficiencies? It’s the housing market equivalent of “the dog that didn’t bark”: with hundreds of thousands of homeowners nationally on the hook for mortgage deficiencies in the wake of short sales and foreclosures, why aren’t more banks trying to collect? Anecdotally, there appear to relatively few such actions, leaving lawyers, Realtors, and...Read More
Ideally, the first photo of a property on MLS is the front exterior. However, if the curb appeal is misleading or otherwise underwhelming, agents will occasionally substitute the Kitchen, Living Room or whatever they believe is the home’s most flattering feature. But I can’t recall ever seeing a lead photo of a . . ....Read More
