Client to Agent: “What Would You Do?” You break it, you own it.” —The Pottery Barn Rule. “You make it, you own it” (translation: if you make a decision for a client . . . you are responsible for the consequences). —Real estate corollary, Ross Kaplan. Whether it’s in the context of choosing a home,...Read More
“Location” x 3 Quick! Test your knowledge of today’s Twin Cities housing market, and guess how much this Spartan-looking, 400 square foot cottage in South Minneapolis is listed for: A. $89k B. $149k C. $249k D. $400k Before I give the answer, here are a couple clues: —-The property is located just west of Cedar...Read More
“So, Why Are You Selling . . . ??” Realtors who aren’t skilled at determining prospective clients’ motivation . . . usually aren’t Realtors for long (in fact, something like 90% of all new agents don’t make it to year #3). So, how do good Realtors determine Seller motivation? A good starting point is asking them...Read More
Better Than Blueprints: The “Jumping-Up-and-Down” Test One of the issues that can come up for downsizers moving from a single-family home to multi-family housing (condo or townhome) is privacy ” specifically, noise. I don’t know about townhomes (see below), but I do know a surefire, albeit not-so-scientific way to test how quiet a given condo...Read More
High Winds, +3″ Rain in Twin Cities Last Night [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] A LOT of recent Twin Cities home buyers will be asking...Read More
“For Sale” Home Languishing on the Market? It (Usually) Shows Realtors constantly warn their home-selling clients about the risks of overpricing (especially in a soft market). Anyone who doubts that should tour a few homes that have just listed, then view homes that have been languishing on the market, unsold, for months (years?). Study in...Read More
