Nesting Instinct It’s not just would-be Buyers who are tirelessly searching for a home this Fall, before the arrival of colder temps and harsher weather. So are critters (and insects, if that’s a separate category). The list includes bees, wasps, mice, squirrels, & raccoons (a few years ago in the Twin Cities, it was even...Read More
Dueling Comp’s (and Spreadsheets) Real estate negotiation can involve lots of back-and-forth and numerous fine points, but in my experience, it’s usually not productive to get into a detailed discussion of/argument over the Comp’s, also known as “Comparable Sold Properties.” Put it it this way: I’ve yet to have the other side say, mid-negotiation, “you...Read More
Issues That Do (and Don’t) Come Up on Inspection Want to know how much it costs to fix a cracked chimney cap? A veteran Realtor probably has at least a ballpark idea. Ditto for a new roof, boiler, electric service panel, or central a/c. However, it’s a good bet that the same agent doesn’t have...Read More
Deciphering Teen-Speak OK, so this post just might have something to do with having multiple teenagers under my roof. But, as they say, “write what you know.” In that vein, no one is more familiar than me with all the nuances and shadings of that timeless phrase, “Shut up.” Here’s my lexicon: One. “I don’t...Read More
This Weekend (Sept. 27-29) in Twin Cities I certainly understand why remodeling aficionados — or simply the “housing curious” — would want to peek at the latest high-end remodeling projects in the Twin Cities. But, why would would the owners — who presumably just endured months (years?) of dislocation and inconvenience — want the world...Read More
Staging Malfunctions, or, Seller Cold Feet Call it the real estate equivalent of a “wardrobe malfunction”: the staging appointment, made weeks (or months) earlier, finally arrives, and . . . the client just can’t go through with it. That just happened this week to a stager I regularly work with. Unfortunately, she had been planning...Read More
