Realtor Payday Roller Coaster December, January, and February may be the rainy season in Florida, but it’s very definitely the dry season for Realtors. Especially Minnesota Realtors. That’s because from Thanksgiving through the Super Bowl is typically the slowest (chilliest?) time of the year for the local housing market. Because most transactions (at least in Minnesota) close six...Read More
“It Only Takes One” Q: What do you call the person who finishes last in their medical school class? A. “Doctor.” It may surprise non-Realtors to hear that even well-prepped, well-priced homes — destined to sell quickly for close to full price — typically collect more “Nay’s” than “Yea’s” from prospective Buyers. But it’s true. In...Read More
“Hey, Guys, I’m Over Here!” What’s a “zombie blog?” A blog that, weeks or even months after the last post appeared, continues to attract visitors. Exhibit A? The earlier incarnation of this blog. In fact, three months after switching from blogspot (“Model T”) to WordPress (“Porsche”), the older version of the City Lakes Real Estate...Read More
Fun, Character-filled Duplex 8 Doors to Lake Harriet Where: 4310-4312 Colfax Avenue South in Minneapolis’ East Harriet neighborhood. What: Up/down duplex with 2 Bedrooms and one Bath per unit, with almost 2,300 finished square feet. When: on market since Monday (3/28) How much: $329,900 Who: listed by Ross Kaplan, Edina Realty You won’t find a...Read More
Daunting Math for Homeowners Down ≥ 30% One of the most powerful psychological barriers to selling a home these days is owners’ insistence on breaking even. Unfortunately, after a 30% drop in prices nationally since 2006 (more in some locales), the math for many homeowners who bought near the market peak is daunting. So, even if you assume...Read More
Quarter Half-Hearted Marketing Campaign Given that something like 30% of all MLS listings are cancelled or simply expire, unsold, it seems fair to ask, “why didn’t it sell?” My Realtor’s answer is that, it’s usually never just one thing. So, poor (or no) staging; a quarter half-hearted marketing campaign; too few and/or unflattering photos; too...Read More
