First Rental Cars, Now Hotels Consolidate It’s been awhile since I studied Anti-Trust in law school, but it sure looks to me like a couple consumer-oriented industries are getting awfully concentrated. And I’m not just talking about airlines and cable companies. The latest example of “the urge to merge”: Marriott Hotels gobbling up competitor Starwood...Read More
Designer Cabinets & Real Estate Couture “Fantastic sun-drenched West-facing, 2-story (top floors) each with a balcony (top-floor’s is huge), Valcucine cabinets, large center island, granite, open floor plan and hardwood throughout.” –MLS listing, “Public Remarks” field. [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or...Read More
I confess: until I encountered the term last week, I honestly thought that “pergola” was related to “arugula,” and went in salads. It’s not. Rather, it’s an archway-like structure — usually in a garden or backyard — that serves as a foundation for vines, ivy, or other climbing plants. See also, “‘Flatwork,’ Defined“; and, “Stuck...Read More
Doing Realtor Damage Control Thanks to a Star Tribune story Tuesday chronicling a supposedly overheated Twin Cities housing market, crestfallen Buyers who repeatedly(!) came up short in multiple offers this Summer, etc., etc., several thousand local agents had to take a chunk out of their busy schedules this week to do damage control with their anxious...Read More
15306 Mason’s Pointe in Eden Prairie: Broker Open From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday What: Almost 7,000 square ft. Robert Mason-built home with 162′ of shoreline on Red Rock Lake. Beautifully landscaped grounds on 1.37 acre. Where: 15306 Mason’s Pointe. Directions: from Highway 212, go south on Mitchell Rd. to Boulder Pointe Rd, then...Read More
Born For a Role: Aubrey Plaza as Pip Tyler Scarcely a dozen pages in to Jonathan Franzen’s terrific new novel, “Purity” (I’m now halfway through), it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before the book is turned into a movie. Who’ll be cast as the book’s main characters? My candidate to play the...Read More
