Novice Realtors Rush In Where Pro’s Fear to Tread “Never negotiate furniture.” “Never negotiate furniture.” “Never negotiate furniture.” “Never negotiate furniture.” Realtors who don’t know the above rule — or forget it — soon get the opportunity to (re)learn it. That’s because negotiating the sale of personal property, particularly furniture, can be more challenging than...Read More
A Rose Penthouse by Any Other Name “Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?” — Caption, New Yorker cartoon. Quick! Guess how tall the hotel pictured above is (located in Cancun, my wife and I recently celebrated our 21st(!) anniversary there). According to the resort’s owner and its marketing literature...Read More
Almost $400k(!) Below Tax Assessed Value of $1.34M Where: 3515 Cedar Lake Ave. in Southwest Minneapolis, overlooking Cedar Lake and the downtown skyline. What: 5 Bedroom, 4 Bath Italianate Style, 3-story home with 4,200 finished square feet on a gorgeous double lot. Who: listed by Ross Kaplan, Edina Realty — City Lakes. How much: $950k. You simply...Read More
“List Price: $325k – $350k” There’s a trend afoot — at least amongst some listing agents — to market an upcoming listing within a price range, as opposed to naming a specific asking price. I’m not a fan, for two reasons: One. When the price is given as a range, Buyers immediately fixate on the lower end,...Read More
Where: near Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. When: Labor Day Weekend, 2017. What: under construction townhome. How much: no idea. You’ve got to hand it to the listing agent for this Philadelphia townhome: their sign “made ‘ya look.” While there’s obviously more to real estate sales than that . . . it’s a good start!Read More
Resale Mystery Amongst the new Twin Cities listings debuting on MLS today, this Minneapolis home caught my eye: 5/31/17 (1:03 p.m.): Closed 5/31/17 (2:53 p.m.): Active Why would someone buy a home — in multiple offers, no less — than immediately put it back on the market? No, it’s not a flip: the Seller paid $330k, and...Read More
