Financing Contingency Pitfalls One of the surprises lurking in the standard Minnesota Financing Addendum is the weaker of the two clauses addressing the Buyer’s financing. In layman’s terms, it says that if the closing date arrives and the Buyer’s financing falls through: a) there’s no deal; and b) the Buyer gets their earnest money back. For...Read More
Proof That High Pressure Sales Tactics Don’t Work Based on 13+ years experience representing hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, I’d estimate that the odds of any one showing leading to a consummated transaction are perhaps 1 in 10. The exception to that? If the Realtor is headed to the airport, or otherwise under acute time...Read More
“Just Say (Hell) No!” — Realtor Version; or “It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask, Right?” Wrong! [Editor’s Note: Realtor rant alert — if you are one of the vast majority of prospective home Buyers and Sellers who value and respect your Realtor’s considerable efforts on your behalf, please skip the following. If, however, you’re not — or you’re a Realtor...Read More
MLS: “Pets – Cats Allowed; Pets – Number Limit” As you may (or likely may not) remember from high school civics, the U.S. Constitution provides that any powers not expressly granted to the federal government are reserved to the states. When it comes to pet restrictions, condo associations are the same way. Not Expressly Allowed = Forbidden...Read More
Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That . . . (on the contrary) Wanna guess what the phrase, “well-cared home ready for a new owner” invariably means? A. Everything in the house is in working condition. B. The owner’s lived in the home for decades. C. The home is hopelessly dated. Correct answer: all of...Read More
“Wait Till Next Year Weekend” Unlike, say, the new baseball season, there’s no official “Opening Day” for the Twin Cities Spring housing market. Rather, local Realtor convention holds that the annual Spring market kicks off (sorry) the first mild weekend after the Super Bowl. By that measure . . . it’s still Winter (local temps today...Read More
