Window Washing “Gotcha’s, or, Avoiding a Paneful Bill (Sorry) How many windows do you count in the bay window pictured above? A. One. B. Ten. C. Sixty. D. One hundred and twenty. Most people would say they’re looking at a single, bay window. A smaller subset might say they see two rows of five windows, for...Read More
Cost: More Than a Furnace, Less than a Roof (Usually) One of the biggest stealth expenses for homeowners is a new driveway. Depending on the driveway’s size and construction material (concrete vs. asphalt), the cost can easily exceed $10k. When should would-be home Sellers contemplate replacing it?** The Consistency Criterion My 2¢: the most important variable...Read More
When Doesn’t “Sold” Mean “Sold?” When it comes to residential real estate, when does “Sold” not mean “Sold?” When it means “Pending” (as in, when there’s a big, bold “Sold” sign in front of a “For Sale” home). Huh?!? At least in Minnesota, once the Buyer’s Inspection has been removed,** the convention is to switch...Read More
Just because a home hasn’t sold doesn’t mean that the Realtor is doing a bad job. But, if your home is lingering on the market, it’s imperative to know why. Here are four signs that the problem may not be your home, but your Realtor. One. Mediocrity (or worse). Fortunately, egregious Realtor ineptitude is usually...Read More
Star Tribune Headline After Vikings’ Comeback Win: “Better Late Than Denver” “Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29” –Harvard Crimson headline (Nov. 23, 1968). Nothing comes close to the classic Harvard Crimson headline above (Harvard miraculously scored 16 points in the game’s final 42 seconds to tie arch rival Yale). But, kudos to hometown paper Star Tribune for...Read More
Checking Your Teeth — and Your Voicemail Messages In retrospect, it DID seem a little quiet yesterday, even though I wasn’t hosting an open house, doing showings, or otherwise involved in a deal. The explanation? My cellphone’s voicemail was full. I found out when a client sent me an email. In contrast to a few...Read More
