Elevator Pitches for Realtors “A Recession is when your neighbor loses their job. A Depression is when you lose yours.” –Anonymous Yeah, Yeah, when acquaintances ask, “How’s the market?,” they usually mean the overall market — not, how I’m doing personally. Still, it’s hard not to let your personal circumstances color your take on things...Read More
Practice vs. Theory One of the biggest areas of confusion in residential real estate is, “exactly what constitutes a legal bedroom?” In particular, to be a legal Bedroom, does the room have to have a closet? The short answer: it depends on the local city’s code requirements (some require it, some don’t). MLS Guidance However,...Read More
Real Estate Terminology 101 “Final acceptance” sounds like something that happens in a hospice, or perhaps what Woody Allen has been seeking in therapy all these years. Fortunately, the real estate version is not so macabre: it’s just a fancy way of saying, “Done Deal!” “Signed, Sealed, & (Constructively) Delivered” Specifically, “Final Acceptance” refers to...Read More
What Realtors Routinely Get Wrong; or, “How Come There’s No Such Thing as a 2-Season Porch??” If Realtors routinely confuse the various types of porches . . . I don’t know what chance a layman has. Perhaps that’s why, as a public service for Twin Cities Realtors, the local MLS has a post describing the...Read More
“That’s Rich” may not have the protean meanings of some other phrases, like “Shut Up!!” or “Hot Dog!” See, “Shut Up!” Has 9 Different Meanings? Shut Up!! (No, YOU Shut Up!)”; and “The Many Guises of ‘Hot Dog.'” But, it has more definitions than you might initially guess: One. Caloric. “That chocolate mousse is rich.” Two....Read More
Tying Up Loose Ends & Open Offers Admittedly, there’s usually not much doubt. But if you want absolute, “case-closed” proof that a Buyer’s offer qualifies as a lowball, here it is: when the Seller rebuffs it*, they never even bother to withdraw it. Either the offered price is so preposterously low they know the Seller will never...Read More
