Backup Offers As high school seniors (and their parents) are acutely aware this time of year, colleges have waiting lists. But so does residential real estate. It’s just that the real estate version is called a “backup offer.” The usual scenario: a runner-up Buyer is very interested in a property that is now under contract, and wants...Read More
Quick Answer: “It Depends — But Usually Less Than Buyers Think” “At the closing table, the Seller will walk away with a check ” and whether the money comes from the Buyer or the lender doesn’t matter.” –“Do Home Buyers Who Pay Cash Get a Discount?”; The Wall Street Journal (11/4/2010). The answer to the...Read More
< + Δ [Editor’s Note: Nothing in this post or on this blog should be construed as offering legal counsel. If you require legal advice, please consult an attorney.] If you want to skip my post, “Counteroffer vs. Amendment vs. Addendum” and cut to the chase, here it is, in three easy symbols:...Read More
Buyer’s Agent Beware [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] Thanks to heightened concerns about the security of online data, Minnesota Realtors are no longer supposed to scan and email copies of Buyers’ earnest money checks when...Read More
The Too-Good-to-Be-True Home Equity Loan When is a home equity line of credit (“HELOC”) — offered at a 2.99%, six month teaser rate — too good to be true? When, four months after the would-be Borrower first applied for the loan, the very big (and very overwhelmed) national lender still hasn’t approved it. Ticking Clock Usually,...Read More
Real Estate Layaway It’s not just flat-panel TV’s and furniture that can be bought now, and paid for later. So can residential real estate. Sort of. Unbeknownst to at least some Buyers, it’s customary for there to be a 6-8 week lag between consummating a deal, and closing (that is, paying for the house and...Read More
