Realtor Pet Peeves: When Less is More Once an editor, always an editor (in my case, heading the venerable St. Louis Park high school newspaper, the Echo, a long time ago). These days, the object of my ire is fellow Realtors and their (occasionally) less than efficient marketing verbiage. In that vein . . ....Read More
When Older is Better Older may not be better when it comes to furnaces, roofs, and major appliances. However, if there’s any question about whether a home’s basement is wet, old is very good. Why’s that? Because carpeting that repeatedly gets wet and dries out becomes moldy, discolored, and generally starts to deteriorate. Ditto for any...Read More
“Meetcha at Stall #356 in 30 Minutes” With nicer weather (and a long holiday weekend), the Minneapolis Farmer’s market is suddenly teeming with traffic. Which makes it easier for families to get separated. No-Tech Coordinates The simplest, quickest way I know to reunite everyone isn’t to use satellite coordinates (courtesy of cellphone GPS’s), north-south-east-west directions, or the...Read More
Proof That High Pressure Sales Tactics Don’t Work At least in my experience, the odds of any one showing leading to a consummated transaction are perhaps 1 in 10. The exception to that? If the Buyer’s agent is headed to the airport, or otherwise under acute time pressure. When that’s the case, I’d estimate that...Read More
How Many Showings? Determining the right number of showings before making a purchase decision is a bit like asking, “how many dates before you get engaged?” In both cases, the right answer is: ‘until you know it’s the right one’ (house or person). Some lucky Buyers know from the first instant they walk through the door...Read More
Seasoned vs. Green Buyers; The Role of Pre-List Networking It’s accepted wisdom amongst veteran Realtors — which I happen to agree with — that “the first Buyer is (often) the best Buyer.” Why’s that? The explanation has to do with the nature of the pool of home Buyers at any given moment, plus Buyer behavior...Read More
