Appearances vs. Reality Though it doesn’t look it, this 1 1/2 story Longfellow (Minneapolis) home truly packs 5 Bedrooms and 4 Baths into its three finished levels. The explanation for the “appearances vs. reality” mis-match? The home is a walk-out — that is, on a lot that slopes down from the front — and functionally...Read More
How to Decipher the Condition of a Foreclosure (at Least in St. Louis Park) Without Actually Going Inside “Sold As Is. Great rambler in the most desired SLP location, minutes to Uptown, Southdale, shopping, etc. Needs work. Highest and best due by Friday October 11th at noon. As Is Addendum required. See supps, escrow required by...Read More
The Many Guises of Realtor Networking The usual meaning of “Realtor Networking” is plugging a pre-listing or new listing, or highlighting a Buyer need. But, there are other kinds of Realtor networking, too. Like my checking out a HUD foreclosure with the resident office expert (who also happens to live nearby). Verdict? “Skip it,” because...Read More
Seasonal vs. Unseasonal Photos I thought this pair of pictures would underscore the point I made in the previous post (“What’s Under All That White??”). Alliterative-minded readers will note that that’s five “P’s” in a row — plus the “Ph” and “F” in the headline. 🙂Read More
Winter Wild Cards It’s a genuine dilemma for listing agents (representing Sellers): if you show a seasonally “white” winter photo of a home’s front or backyard, Buyers can’t really see anything. However, if you show a non-seasonal Spring or Summer photo, Buyers (and their agents) may draw the mistaken conclusion that the home has been for...Read More
New 2013 Continuing Ed for Realtors: “Contracts and Minnesota Distressed Properties” Investing types know that the one of the keys to divining markets is determining market psychology — then acting against it. Call it, “Contrarian Principle #1.” Noise vs. Signal Given Principle #1, it’s no surprise that figuring out exactly which signals reflect consensus sentiment is something of...Read More
