Runner-Up Buyers “Once bitten, twice shy” may be true in romance, but it definitely does not apply in residential real estate. At least, that seems to be the case in housing markets with scarce inventory and rising prices — true in many parts of the country now, including the Twin Cities. More Aggressive On the contrary, would-be...Read More
1 Picture = 1,000 Words 2 Pictures = 2,000 Words If you ever wondered what “millwork” is, these pictures answer it. Specifically, it’s all the visible wood in the house except the hardwood floors. That includes: built-in’s (buffets, storage, etc.); crown and cove moldings; doors; arches and columns; the beams in a box-beam ceiling; and window...Read More
Deciphering Teen-Speak OK, so this post just might have something to do with having three teenagers under my roof. But, as they say, “write what you know.” In that vein, no one is more familiar than me with all the nuances and shadings of that timeless phrase, “Shut up.” Here’s my lexicon: One. “I don’t...Read More
Putting Starbucks to Shame “Starbucks is Expanding Its ‘Reserve’ Brand Amid Super-Premium Coffee War.” –Fortune magazine Starbucks has nothing on Linden Hills’ Coffee & Tea Ltd. While the ubiquitous Seattle-based company plans to roll out a new chain of high-end coffee bars, Coffee & Tea Ltd. has long sold an exotic type of coffee bean,...Read More
Q: How Seriously Did the Buyer’s Agent Take the Feedback Form? Answer: ‘No Response’ I call the following feedback form, received by the listing agent from the buyer’s agent after a showing, the “my-client-didn’t-like-it stop-bugging-me” feedback: Interior — General Condition? Fair Exterior — General Condition? Fair Curb appeal (lot/landscaping)? Fair Staging (cosmetics, updating)? No Response Appropriately Priced? No Reponse...Read More
Let’s Hear it For Hoigaard’s! “Everyone should live in California, but leave before they get soft. Everyone should live in Manhattan, but leave before they get hard.” –anonymous I’ve got nothing against Manhattan: I’ve lived there, got married there, and enjoy visiting family and friends there. But, I’d rather live (and raise my kids) in...Read More
