Loose Door Knobs and Caviar-Stocked Fridges Test your knowledge of today’s housing market, and answer the following question: Which of the following issues are properly raised by a Buyer’s home inspection, and resolved either by a Seller price concession, or the Seller assuming responsibility for repair(s)? A. The dated Kitchen; B. A concrete driveway with multiple...Read More
Listing agents (representing home sellers) are big fans of home warranties. Personally, I love them. Test your knowledge of residential real estate today, and see if you know why: A. Realtors don’t pay the premium (Sellers typically do). B. Realtors get a commission for each home warranty policy they sell. C. Listing agents know that...Read More
Target Market: Realtors “Get Met. It Pays.” –Advertising slogan of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. It turns out that companies selling home warranties — increasingly, a feature of many home sales — market their policies the same way other insurance companies do. Namely, by touting how many claims they pay. The difference is that the...Read More
What Can Ruffle a Veteran Realtor Just Before Closing Thankfully, the list of things that can rattle a seasoned agent (OK, me) just before closing is mercifully short. Assuming the Buyer can perform financially, and any final walk-thru inspection issues have been addressed . . . there’s not much left. Don’t Panic . . . Yet...Read More
Buyer’s Agent Practice Tips “Seller shall provide documentation from licensed HVAC contractor (not gas company) that forced air furnace and central a/c are in working order.” –Amendment to Purchase Agreement At least in my capacity as a Buyer’s agent, whenever my client’s inspection raises concerns about the home’s HVAC system, I’m careful to explicitly require...Read More
“Undetectable Pre-Existing Condition” With the first 90º day forecast this season (tomorrow, in fact), Twin Cities homeowners will soon know if their central a/c works. That includes recent home buyers, who purchased earlier this year when chilly local temps (who’da thunk?) prevented testing their units. Fortunately, Buyers who negotiated for their Seller to include a home warranty — or...Read More
