What’s in a Word? “Imˈ- pound”: seize and take legal custody of something — especially a vehicle, goods, or documents — because of an infringement of a law or regulation. –Dictionary definition Once upon a time, the fees that lenders collected in advance from home buyers for such things as property taxes and home insurance...Read More
Establishing — and Testing — Boundaries If you go to the Business section of any bookstore, you’ll see any number of books on negotiation titled, “Getting to Yes!,” “Win-Win Negotiation,” etc. In my experience, however, the key to effective negotiation lies not in getting to “yes,” but getting to ‘no.” Or perhaps more accurately: before you...Read More
“Bundle of Sticks” — and a Club At least in Minnesota (where I sell real estate), Sellers who aren’t moved out by closing — and thereby risk derailing the deal — occurs much less than you’d expect. In fact, in 14+ years in the business, I’ve never had a closing postponed or even delayed by a...Read More
Gutter Extension Camouflage I usually associate “staging” with the inside of a home. But, when it comes to selling a house, few things matter more than curb appeal, and a key ingredient of curb appeal is landscaping — specifically, in front of the home. Ergo, the advice my stager gave to a Southwest Minneapolis client...Read More
Moot Issue . . . Unless the Deal Hiccups One of the biggest concerns residential home Buyers have is who holds their earnest money check. Due once there is an accepted Purchase Agreement, earnest money typically is equivalent to 2% – 5% of the purchase price, and plays a dual role: a) it signifies the...Read More
Better Read the Fine Print — and Take Good Notes Along with the proliferation of home warranties in home sales — the option to include such a warranty is now baked into Minnesota’s standard Purchase Agreement — has come (at least to this practitioner) a spike in complexity as well. Here’s just a partial list...Read More
