When the (Earnest Money) Check ISN’T in the Mail Normally, the Buyer’s earnest money check is due as soon as the Buyer and Seller have entered into a valid Purchase Agreement. However, I just handled a deal where the Buyer’s offer stipulated that the earnest money wasn’t due until after the Inspection Contingency had been...Read More
Hearing it From Seller > Hearing it From Neighbors As advice to home Sellers regarding disclosure goes, it’s hard to beat, “tell what you know.” The other standard caution to Sellers is, “it’s not what you think is relevant, it’s what Buyers think [is relevant].” But, there’s an even more practical test. “Meet the Neighbors”...Read More
Big and Little Home Seller Questions Examples of big questions that home sellers must grapple with include, “How much should I list for?” and “What prep should I do beforehand?” At the other extreme are little — but still important — questions such as, “Do I need to be home to let the city inspector...Read More
What Radon and Polygraph Tests Have in Common If your furnace goes out in January in Minnesota . . . it’s a pretty high priority repair. Ditto for a central a/c compressor that decides to konk out in July. Fortunately, there’s a perfectly good, temporary solution for basements that are discovered — sometimes in the...Read More
“Pillow Top?” Actually, More Like “Pillow Bottom” I wouldn’t rip up perfectly good carpet to do it, but . . . assuming the Seller is already planning on replacing especially worn or dirty carpeting, I would recommend splurging on a plush (read, thick) carpet pad to go with. Added cost: a couple hundred bucks, max....Read More
So THAT’S Where “Hands On” Comes From . . . Which tailor would you rather buy a custom suit from? A tailor who makes perhaps a dozen suits in a year, handling each stage of the process — fitting, measuring, fabric selection, stitching — themselves? Or, a tailor who delegates to multiple assistants and whose...Read More
