Do Realtors Really Add Value? [Note: Since it appeared more than 3(!) years ago, this post has become one of the all-time most popular on City Lakes Real Estate — just on the earlier (software) version of this blog. I’m re-posting it now for the benefit of blog newcomers, and to make it easier for the search engines to find...Read More
“Don’t Be a Secret Agent,” the Corollary What’s one way to avoid racking up market time — the enemy of every home seller trying to get top dollar for their home (in other words, all sellers)? Don’t formally put your house on the market. Instead, more would-be Sellers appear to be quietly networking their homes...Read More
Maybe Madoff Can Be a Judge NAR economists promised to study the [issue of overstated housing sales] during a December conference call that included economists from the Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and CoreLogic. –“Home Sales Data Doubted“; The Wall Street Journal (2/22/11) One of the real...Read More
“I Heard it on the (Realtor) Grapevine” I just got a heads up from an acquaintance about an upper bracket home in Minnetonka that will be coming on the market shortly as a “For Sale By Owner” (“FSBO”). The home reportedly needs work, was last on the market decades ago, and the homeowner has no residential...Read More
51 Weeks to Thanksgiving, 2011! Working off what seems like a couple tons of Thanksgiving leftovers, it occurs to me that novice Turkey preparers like myself and FSBO’s (“For Sale by Owner’s”) have a lot in common. Namely, we’re not any good because we do it so seldom. “Wait Till Next Year” Fresh off my...Read More
In the stock market, open market purchases of company stock by senior management (“insiders”) is considered to be bullish. After all, executives may sell stock for many reasons — to diversify, to raise money for things like real estate purchases, college tuition, etc. Presumably, however, there’s only one reason insiders buy: they think their company’s...Read More
