WSJ: “Average Rate on a 30-year, Fixed-Rate Mortgage was 3.75% Last Week, Down from 4.94% in November” Sooner or later, industry mavens predicting higher mortgage rates will be right. But not this year. From a peak of almost 5% late last Fall, rates fell to 3.75% last week. Count that the 4th (7th? 9th?) year...Read More
Pre-List Networking Trial Balloon I’ve been in real estate sales for 18 years, and I still have no idea what a “$500-ish” price is. $520k, perhaps? Maybe $485k? In truth, I can imagine a “$500-ish” price falling anywhere between $480k to $530k or even higher. Buyer Trap? Which is no doubt precisely the point, especially...Read More
“Not a Drive-By!” “Must See!” Yada, Yada, Yada One of my favorite Mad magazine cartoons (circa 1970) shows a vendor in front of a food stand with the following sign: “turkey burgers,” “chicken burgers,” “buffalo burgers,” “tuna burgers,” “veggie burgers,” etc. etc. The caption: “we have some with ham, too, but we don’t know what...Read More
Real Estate Marketing and the Art of Self-Selection Realtor conventional wisdom is that some Buyers prefer corner lots, because of the extra light (and one less neighbor). Meanwhile, others avoid corner lots, because of the additional street exposure, potential loss of privacy, and ” at least in Minnesota ” 4-5 months of extra sidewalk to shovel. Net...Read More
“Hobby Farm” vs. “Farm Farm” When a home on a large lot somewhere in the ‘burbs doesn’t scratch your itch, what’s next? There’s alway a cabin up north (it IS Minnesota, after all). Other alternatives include a vacation timeshare, a 2nd home in another part of the country, or simply increased travel. But, for people...Read More
“Okay so, yes, it is across from a cemetery, BUT there’s nary a gravestone in site. It’s more like living across from a VERY QUIET park. In fact, it makes the views quiet uniquely tranquil for a city home. It also means there will never be neighbors across the street, which means there’s less of...Read More
