What’s in a Name Label? After decades(?) buying Costco’s Kirkland (house) brand — slapped on its milk, eggs, toilet paper and dozens of other items — I’d always assumed Costco had its headquarters in Seattle suburb Kirkland, just north of the city. Unh-unh. Costco’s headquarters (pictured above) is in another suburb, Issaquah, located about 10 miles...Read More
The Art of Comp Selection One of the trickier home features to account for in a Comparative Market Analysis (“CMA”) is a busy street. For a family with little kids, a busy street may very well be a deal breaker — in which case the discount is theoretically infinite. At the other extreme, an investor looking...Read More
What Can Ruffle a Veteran Realtor Just Before Closing Thankfully, the list of things that can rattle a seasoned agent (OK, me) just before closing is mercifully short. Assuming the Buyer can perform financially, and any final walk-thru inspection issues have been addressed . . . there’s not much left. Don’t Panic . . . Yet...Read More
“Accept No Substitutes” (or Proxies) No, “Which companies are in S&P’s Homebuilders ETF?” isn’t a, “Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?” question. It turns out that a majority of stocks in the index don’t make homes — they make the things that go in them. That includes bed manufacturer** Tempur Sealy (3rd largest position); carpeting giant Mohawk Industries...Read More
Ounces of Prevention What does the Fall 2017 Parade of Homes ” set to start this Saturday (September 9) in the Twin Cities ” have to do with passing out Realtor business cards? Just this: if a Buyer you’re working with goes through a Parade home and decides to buy it, you may have a “procuring cause” issue...Read More
Talking Your Way Out of $50 I imagine there are a lot of emotional appeals at this parking ramp, exactly 31 minutes (& 37 minutes, & 43 minutes, etc.) after unwitting customers — at least the first time — return to their cars: “But, I got stuck in a long Starbucks line!”; “My kid’s school bus was late!”;...Read More
