Exactly What Part is “Partial?” I certainly know what a “partial basement” is. At least in the Twin Cities, that often goes with a pre-1900 structure, and is commonly made of limestone. On the other hand, I have no idea what a “partial bathroom” is (and certainly wouldn’t want to use one!). That was the term...Read More
“Houston, Washington, We Have a Problem . . .” “If you are 20 or 30 you probably see capitalism in terms of two dramatic themes. The first was the crash of ’08, in which heedless, irresponsible operators in business and government kited the system and scrammed. The second is income inequality. Why are some people...Read More
Three Factors How much do you discount for a one-car garage? The short answer: ‘it depends.” Specifically, I think that the three most important variables are: One. What is the surrounding housing stock like? In close-in, older Minneapolis neighborhoods, many homes have one car garages (still). Detached, one car garages. When that’s the standard, the discount...Read More
Target Market: Baby Boomers Who Want to Age in Place The term “life cycle build” is new, but the concept isn’t: a new construction home that’s versatile enough to accommodate the (invariably Baby Boomer) owner’s various life stages. Typical features include: —Two owner’s suites, one on the main floor and the second on the upper...Read More
Also Known as “Splash Stick,” “Lid Sip Hole Plug,” & “Green Thing” (Just Don’t Call it a “Swizzle Stick”) Want to know why you can get one of those “dip sticks” (my term) at Starbucks — but not at Caribou, Dunn Bros., or other coffee chain? Starbucks has a patent on it. Or more specifically,...Read More
Batteries Land Not Included Of the 626 single family homes that sold in Minnetonka in the last year, a grand total of 3(!) fetched less than $135,900 — the asking price for the 3 BR/1 Bath home (pictured above) that just came on the market two hours ago. So, what’s the catch? I count five,...Read More
