Then: “Let Them Eat Cake” Now: “Let THEM Wear Masks” [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] Seven months into a worsening Pandemic, and scarcely one week after...Read More
Undermining Seller Credibility Either the Kitchen in the photo above has a walk-in, commercial-sized freezer. Or, something’s not quite right about the photo dimensions. Based on the other Kitchen photos accompanying the listing, the answer is option #2. Never Just One Cockroach So, what is the other reason not to use a wide-angle lens or...Read More
Adolescent Bravery, Then & Now Contrary to popular legend, an adolescent George Washington never confessed to cutting down his father’s cherry tree (it’s a famous myth, posthumously fabricated by one of Washington’s biographers). But, a certain Kaplan offspring did confess to something roughly equivalent this morning: the reason our extra car (and his ride to/from school)...Read More
“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” –Mark Twain Once upon a time, unscrupulous people were said to “push” or “peddle” lies. In an era of ubiquitous fake news, apparently that’s not energetic enough. Now, if a lie is to get anywhere (never mind “around...Read More
Homes That Don’t Measure Up (Literally) Hush, little baby, don’t say a word. Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird And if that mockingbird won’t sing, Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass And if that looking glass gets broke, Papa’s gonna...Read More
Good Thing No One Saw It. Not. My take on the meth disclosure on the standard Minnesota Seller Disclosure is the same as my view of accused murderers on the witness stand: if you’re potentially capable of murder, you’re certainly capable of (and motivated to) lie about it under oath. In the same vein, someone...Read More