This Weekend (Sept. 27-29) in Twin Cities I certainly understand why remodeling aficionados — or simply the “housing curious” — would want to peek at the latest high-end remodeling projects in the Twin Cities. But, why would would the owners — who presumably just endured months (years?) of dislocation and inconvenience — want the world...Read More
Shaving the Bologna Ever-Thinner First, Starbucks tried to make me learn Italian. Always bad at languages, I ignored their preferred “venti” and “grande,” and continued to order my (very occasional) “16 oz. skim latte,” same as always. Next, I had to decipher the rental car companies’ vernacular. Let me save you 20 minutes on hold: a...Read More
Winners Announced: NYC, Northern Virginia “It’s possible that [Amazon’s] plan all along was not to open a second headquarters, but to open two, smaller satellites. What’s unlikely, however, is that the deals being offered to Amazon will change significantly, even though the company is effectively halving their investment.” –“Amazon Scammed America’s Hurting Cities”; The New...Read More
Best Places to Live: Minneapolis Beats Out Austin, Portland, Nashville and Other Hot Spots “Slow and steady wins the race.” –Proverb, Aesop’s Fables; “The Tortoise and the Hare.” I’d rather be picked by Ashlea Halpern than by Jeff Bezos. Jeff Bezos, of course, is the gazillionaire founder and CEO of Amazon, which received proposals from 238...Read More
Flies Tenants, Honey, & Vinegar “A home sale can have many potential deal killers. Emotions can run high. There can be hidden agendas. From tenants who don’t want to move to the child who doesn’t want to see the family home sold, third-party players can block or undo a transaction. For agents, it can mean...Read More
Full Service vs. Discounted Limited Service Give the agent with the idea for that billboard credit: he got lots of people’s attention (including mine). But, I doubt he’ll attract much business that way. That’s because, once you convert that offer** into a dollar amount ($2,000? $5,000??), it’s just another discounted commission. In this business, there’s “full...Read More