Is Trump Sui Generis?** [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] Since trashing Donald Trump is — as the Wall Street boys might put it — a (very) “crowded trade” at the moment, let me play the contrarian...Read More
Is There Such a Thing as TMI (“Too Much Information”) on the Seller Disclosure? (Hint: “No”) I don’t know about other parts of the country, but here in conscientious, neighborly Minnesota, home sellers are more likely to volunteer too much information rather than too little on the required state disclosure form. As their Realtor, I’m...Read More
Why the Homestead Exemption Matters “If the Property Tax status is part- or non-homestead classification in the year of closing, Seller __ Shall __ Shall Not pay the difference between the homestead and non-homestead.” –lines 78. – 79.; 2015 MAAR-approved Purchase Agreement At least for more expensive Minnesota homes, the rule on non-homestead taxes is blissfully simple:...Read More
Exhibit A: Late 2015 Gas Prices Still believe in economic forecasting? Find me one analyst, less than 3 years ago, who got both or just one of the following right — and correctly forecast the economic effect of same: One. Wholesale gas prices will collapse. Retail prices (what consumers pay at the pump) will plummet more...Read More
The Opposite of “Easier Said Than Done” Real estate sales is a field (like many others, I’m sure) where a lot of things are “easier said than done.” Get Sellers to price realistically? “Easier said than done.” Persuade homeowners to spend a relatively nominal amount on staging, that will help sell their home faster, for...Read More
Dubious Campaign Promises — Exhibit A; How Many Loopholes Can YOU Spot? “If they’re too big to fail, make ’em smaller.” –George Shultz, Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of State (and a former Treasury Secretary). At least in some parts of the country, Hillary Clinton’s thread-the-needle comment about big banks last week would be met with a...Read More
