Cost-Effective Home Improvements What are the most cost-effective home improvements? Actually, homeowners’ biggest bang for the buck isn’t improving anything — it’s fixing something that’s broken. As a listing agent, I’ve seen Buyers deduct $3 (or more) for every $1 in needed repairs. Why so much? A) because it’s a hassle; B) because the amount...Read More
The Two Secrets to Job Satisfaction In my 10 years at Edina Realty, I’ve attended easily 1,000 company meetings — small, big, and everything in between. Never, absolutely never, in any of those meetings, did I ever hear fellow Edina agents refer to their clients as “Muppets,” “marks,” or “suckers.” At Goldman Sachs, that happens...Read More
Identifying “Runners-Up” Buyers If you’ve been reading real estate blogs lately — this one and others — no doubt you’ve seen more discussion of multiple offers. That’s because, in a market with much lower inventory, we Realtors are seeing a lot more of them these days. In that vein, this post is about the pros and...Read More
It Takes Two to Tango Do a Deal SOUTHWEST MNNEAPOLIS 2+ Beds, 2 Baths, 1,300+ sq. ft. Swanky Modern or Mid-Century Modern Joseph Arcand: 612-821-4232 –Excerpt, Edina Realty ad; Southwest Journal (February 20 – March 4, 2012) What do you do in a Twin Cities housing market characterized by falling inventory, and frustrated Buyers who...Read More
My Picks (vs. Most Popular) When you post — on average — twice a day for a couple years, they can’t all be zingers. But after some 3,000 or so posts and drafts (yes, I’ve got another couple hundred posts teed up), at least a few have been spot-on, as they say: well-written, insightful, and...Read More
“Consider it . . . Sold!” A good marketing campaign strikes a chord in its intended audience. In a still-tentative housing market characterized by what might best be called “fragile optimism,” what better note to strike than . . . confidence and expertise? Cue Edina Realty’s 2012 marketing campaign. Paired with each of its four business segments is a variant of the tag...Read More
