“Name . . . That . . . Tune Market Time!!” I’d be terrible at “Name that Tune” (I’m tone-deaf and know next to nothing about contemporary music — or any other kind). If you blindfolded me, I couldn’t tell you if I was smelling a rose or rotten eggs (my sense of smell is worse than my musical aptitude). But if I went...Read More
Diagnosis: Lack of Buyer Motivation Key Symptom: Failure to Progress I certainly don’t do it often, but every couple years or so I find it necessary to “fire” a Buyer I’ve been working with. Or shall I say “non-Buyer.” While the specifics can and do vary, the root cause is invariably the same: lack of...Read More
“Pardon my French Condensation” Notwithstanding the oppressive weather in the Twin Cities the past few days, I’ve been busy showing homes. Which means viewing homes with tons of condensation on the windows; walking through basements with leaky or overflowing dehumidifiers; and seeing a/c coils that are laboring mightily. To their credit, in each case the listing...Read More
Category #4: ‘Out of the Money’ My favorite metaphor for how close a listing is to selling is temperature (“Listings and Pots of Water“). So, a new listing starts out at room temperature, heats up as showings (and second showings) accelerate, and reaches a boiling point by the time a strong offer (or two) comes...Read More
Not So Virtual “Virtual Staging” So, what’s holding up virtual staging? (see also, “Virtual Staging: Ready for Prime Time?”) Not Realtors, who by and large are game (even if they have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to do it). Not clients, who stand to save a small fortune on actual staging costs....Read More
Housing Market “Chicken & Egg” Problem Aren’t people supposed to “put their houses in order first?” That’s not what I’ve been seeing lately, at least in the housing market. Instead, the agents showing my listings all seem to be reporting that their clients can’t do anything until they sell first. So, why don’t they? Maybe...Read More
