Need a Contractor? Take a Number If you’re a Twin Cities homeowner trying to remodel a Bath, re-paint the Amusement Room, or even deal with a plumbing emergency, you doubtless already know: local contractors are in scarce supply. So, which trade/specialty has the longest backlog right now? My nominee is radon remediation contractors. Thanks to beefed-up...Read More
What Not (NOT!) to Put in an Inspection Addendum It’s never smart for home buyers to overreach on Inspection issues, but a strong (and strengthening) Seller’s market is an especially bad time to do so. Why? Because any daylight between what the Buyer requests and what the Seller is willing to do gives the Seller an “out”...Read More
Seller Goal: Fast But Not TOO Fast After years of seeing lengthening timetables for the Buyer’s Inspection and Underwriting approval, the pendulum is now swinging the other way — at least on some deals this Spring. Which ones? Homes in multiple offers. Unrealistic Deadline(s)? That’s the word from Edina Mortgage’s Steve Mohabir, who’s noted the...Read More
But, Isn’t There Already a “Closer?”** Baseball “save“: the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the closer, until the end of the game. –Wikipedia Wanna know why, even though some of baseball’s all-time great pitchers date back more than 50 years (think, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, et al), all the...Read More
Test your knowledge of residential real estate, and take a crack at this multiple choice question. What are possible explanations for a home being “TNAS” (Temporarily Not Available for Showing”) on MLS: A. A pipe burst, and the owner is cleaning up the mess; B. The owner is out-of-town for a few days, and doesn’t...Read More
Not Necessarily “Open & Shut” One of the issues that can come up during the Buyer’s inspection is a loose thread — or several — concerning previous work done on the home. Exhibit A: an open permit pertaining to a past remodeling project or home addition. For the Buyer, the approach is easy: stipulate that...Read More
