Ounces of Prevention What does the Fall 2017 Parade of Homes ” set to start this Saturday (September 9) in the Twin Cities ” have to do with passing out Realtor business cards? Just this: if a Buyer you’re working with goes through a Parade home and decides to buy it, you may have a “procuring cause” issue...Read More
“Recent surveys suggest that . . . maybe 40 percent of Republicans are what you might call conservative white identitarians. White identitarians are conservative, but their white identity is quite important to them, sometimes even more important than their conservatism.” –David Brooks, “How Trump Kills the GOP” (The New York Times; 8/29/17). At his best,...Read More
Pre-Labor Day Weekend Housing Market Slow-Down One other variable that can be very relevant for homeowners deciding whether to list now or wait till after the market picks up, post-Labor Day weekend: the availability — or lack thereof — of any needed contractors. The list includes photographers, handymen, and assorted contractors (stagers, painters, electricians, etc.)...Read More
One Showing ” or Two? If Sellers were OK with it ” and Realtors’ “smart” keys worked then ” it would be possible to show homes in late June in Minnesota between 9 and 10 p.m. After all, the sun sets after 9 p.m. on June 21, and twilight lingers almost till ten. Unfortunately (or maybe not...Read More
Telling Buyers’ Agents What to Lock — and What NOT To It may be a surprise to home owners, but — at least in my experience as a listing agent (representing Sellers) — it’s exceedingly rare for Buyers’ agents to finish a showing and fail to lock up the home properly. In fact, I’d say...Read More
Not-So-Subtle Clues Animal biologists who want to understand wild animals’ habitat and diet study their droppings (other names: “scat,” “poop,” etc.). Fortunately, modern-day parents of teenage kids have an easier option: examining their kids’ bedroom waste baskets (a very fringe benefit of being my household’s designated garbage collector). I did the other day ” and it wasn’t a pretty...Read More
