“The Curb Cut Clue” ” and the Clincher It’s not always the case. But, +90% of the time, when there’s a curb cut (and possibly driveway) in front of a home that leads nowhere . . . the owner (or a previous one) converted what had been a 1-car garage into finished square feet. Clue...Read More
Not-So-Subtle Clues Animal biologists who want to understand wild animals’ habitat and diet study their droppings (other names: “scat,” “poop,” etc.). Fortunately, modern-day parents of teenage kids have an easier option: examining their kids’ bedroom waste baskets (a very fringe benefit of being my household’s designated garbage collector). I did the other day ” and it wasn’t a pretty...Read More
When Older is Better Older may not be better when it comes to furnaces, roofs, and major appliances. However, if there’s any question about whether a home’s basement is wet, old is very good. Why’s that? Because carpeting that repeatedly gets wet and dries out becomes moldy, discolored, and generally starts to deteriorate. Ditto for any...Read More
Resale Mystery Amongst the new Twin Cities listings debuting on MLS today, this Minneapolis home caught my eye: 5/31/17 (1:03 p.m.): Closed 5/31/17 (2:53 p.m.): Active Why would someone buy a home — in multiple offers, no less — than immediately put it back on the market? No, it’s not a flip: the Seller paid $330k, and...Read More
“The Curb Cut Clue” — and the Clincher It’s not always the case. But, +90% of the time, when there’s a curb cut (and possibly driveway) in front of a home that leads nowhere . . . the owner (or a previous one) converted what had been a 1-car garage into finished square feet....Read More
Is There REALLY Other Buyer Interest? The Buyer’s agent submitted a request to show a home to their client, and — along with the confirmation — received the “heads up” (above) about the home’s status from the listing agent (representing the Seller). How do you know whether: a) it’s a bluff — that is, there’s...Read More