“Showing 1.5” What’s a “1.5 showing?” When one partner in a couple has seen the house and likes it, and gives their partner a green light to take a look. Rules & Exceptions As a general rule, Realtors acting as a Buyer’s agent prefer that both (all**) decision-makers be present at all showings. That’s not only...Read More
Getting to Deal Breakers (Like Projected Remodeling Costs), Faster Eighteen months ago, when Wall Street-backed Buyers were vacuuming up Twin Cities homes, the first showing was effectively the inspection. That’s because such corporate Buyers purchased sight unseen (for cash!), and used the inspection to decide if they really wanted the home. See, “Cash Buyers, Sight...Read More
When One Showing = Three The evidence is mixed about whether a quick jury verdict is good or bad for the defendant. But in residential real estate, there’s no such ambiguity: a quick showing is invariably bad for the owner, while a long one is very, very good. In fact, the longer the better. I...Read More
When the Inspection is Really the First Showing If it hadn’t just happened to my own client, I would have thought it was something straight out of Florida or Southern California, circa 2005 — not Minnesota in 2013. Namely, without so much as viewing my client’s home, an apparently “big bucks,” out-of-state corporate Buyer showed...Read More
Obstacle: “The Creepiness Factor” “After a quick scan of his Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pintarest, and Instagram, here’s what I know: “Likes” — Chicago Blackhawks, kickboxing, the movie “Die Hard,” and beer. He meditates, he loves Indian food, and he’s crazy about his dog, Otis.” –Haley Dunphy, reporting the results of her online reconnaissance on prospective home...Read More
“Pick a Card House, Any Card House!” I’ve certainly heard the insinuation: by shuffling the order they show a series of homes, Realtors can subtly (or not so subtly) “guide” their Buyer’s decision to buy the home they want them to. Specifically, the supposed strategy is to show the most promising property either first or...Read More
