Question #2: Is That Different Than “Large?” “Original hardwood floors have just been re-done, four oversize bedrooms, tremendous woodwork & period fixtures.” –“Public Remarks,” MLS [Editor’s Note: No, this isn’t another Donald Trump-inspired post. If you’re looking for one of those, check out “Trying to Find Mar-a-Lago? Look for Donald Trump’s Very Big (in fact,...Read More
“Build It and They Will Come” Real Estate Development “Silicon Valley Spec House Seeks $42.8 Million.” –Headline, The Wall Street Journal (3/2/16) For the uninitiated, a “spec” or “speculative” house is a home that a developer first builds, then tries to sell. That’s opposed to a home that’s commissioned by/for an existing client, and built...Read More
“Wait Till Next Year Weekend” Unlike, say, the new baseball season, there’s no official “Opening Day” for the Twin Cities Spring housing market. Rather, local Realtor convention holds that the annual Spring market kicks off (sorry) the first mild weekend after the Super Bowl. By that measure . . . it’s still Winter (local temps today...Read More
“Cold Enough For ‘Ya?,” or “Go West North, Young Man” I’m sure that other people have their own preferred definitions of what constitutes a “true Minnesotan” (growing up knowing how to sheetrock? Ice skating before you could walk?), but here’s mine: “A true Minnesotan is someone who heads north, not south whenever they have vacation...Read More
Overpriced Home as Buyer Bait? Maybe, Maybe Not [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] I know many of my colleagues vigorously disagree with me — especially in a seller’s market with crazy-tight inventory like today’s —...Read More
Target Market: Baby Boomers Who Want to Age in Place The term “life cycle build” is new, but the concept isn’t: a new construction home that’s versatile enough to accommodate the (invariably Baby Boomer) owner’s various life stages. Typical features include: —Two owner’s suites, one on the main floor and the second on the upper...Read More
