Era of “Supertall” Buildings . . . & Packaging People commonly think inflation means paying more for the same amount. But, paying the same price for a smaller amount also qualifies as inflation. In the last year, I’ve noticed everything from cereal to orange juice to Murphy’s Oil(!) being packaged in ever more svelte containers....Read More
“Retail Winter” vs. “Meteorological Winter” Scarcely one week after local wind chills of minus 50°(!) below — and with overnight temps of minus 17° below forecast this Friday night — you might think it a tad, umm . . . premature to herald the end of Winter in the Twin Cities. But, it’s most certainly...Read More
Trying to Save His Own Skin . . . by Threatening Everyone Else’s “Impeach me if you want to see a stock market crash.” –President Donald Trump; AOL.com (1/19/2019). [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced....Read More
Real Estate Jargon 101 What’s the difference between an “accepted” offer and a “fully executed” one? Absolutely nothing. As a former corporate attorney, I actually prefer the latter term, because it’s just a tad more precise, descriptive, etc. However, it can also sound a bit . . . intimidating (especially the “executed” part). Which is why...Read More
“Robbinsdale townhome — 3/4/2 — 2012 Built — Open Floor Plan — 2,000 FSF — New Carper/Paint — GREAT Location — $315K.” –Realtor marketing email (Jan. 15, 2019). If you didn’t know, a “carper” is someone who constantly criticizes in a petty way. Which begs these questions: 1) in the listing above, who’s the “New Carper?” (candidates:...Read More
Weighing Advertising Cost vs. Perceived Value “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” –John Wanamaker. So, how do Realtors tell if they’re spending their precious marketing dollars wisely? It’s purely anecdotal, but here’s my test: I simply ask whether my intended audience’s perception of value...Read More
