Outsource vs. Do-It-Yourself; Racing the Inspection Clock (or Not) True or false: the $10 home radon tests sold at home improvement stores (Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.) are less reliable than the $200+ tests performed by professional home inspectors (note: the do-it-yourself kits also charge a $35 lab fee for normal processing turnaround, for a total...Read More
The Case For — and Against In a microcosm, the considerations for doing an open house on Easter Sunday are the same as for deciding whether to list a home during a traditionally slow time of the year (like around the holidays). Here’s how the arguments shape up: Pros: –Not much competition from other open...Read More
Putting Clients at Ease (Just Not Too Much) My guess is, if you’ve worked with a Realtor (or any salesperson) lately, what you were ultimately asked to sign wasn’t referred to as a “legal contract.” It was called “paperwork” (sample agent-to-client dialogue: “if you’re comfortable with everything we discussed, let’s get the paperwork taken care...Read More
Deciphering Teen-Speak OK, so this post just might have something to do with having three teenagers under my roof. But, as they say, “write what you know.” In that vein, no one is more familiar than me with all the nuances and shadings of that timeless phrase, “Shut up.” Here’s my lexicon: One. “I don’t...Read More
Or Maybe They Should be Called “Dismaying Jeans” Yeah, yeah, I know what fancy-schmancy retailers mean when they refer to “distressed jeans”: jeans whose various holes and patches somehow make them look chic — and worth a huge mark-up (also referred to as “vintage clothing” in some quarters). My definition of “distressed jeans” is a...Read More
Establishing — and Testing — Boundaries If you go to the Business section of any bookstore, you’ll see any number of books on negotiation titled, “Getting to Yes!,” “Win-Win Negotiation,” etc. In my experience, however, the key to effective negotiation lies not in getting to “yes,” but getting to ‘no.” Or perhaps more accurately: before you...Read More
