I’ve got a hunch how — at least in some people’s minds — “tray” ceiling became “trey”: “très” is French for “very” (as in “very beautiful”). From there, it’s just a small step (and single letter) to “trey.” Of course, that’s also how the word sounds phonetically. However, the correct adjective for a recessed ceiling...Read More
Prospective Sellers can (and do!) spend thousands improving their home’s curb appeal. Most popular items: new landscaping, cement steps and walk, and fresh paint. However, less ambitious Sellers may want to consider a more limited (and inexpensive) tactic: a new front door and/or door color. While it can be tricky to get right, a well-chosen,...Read More
Prefab Lite You expect to see 100′ foot cranes hovering over commercial construction sites. New residential homes, not so much. Yet that’s exactly what motorists, pedestrians, and neighbors saw last month on the 2800 block of Inglewood Avenue in St. Louis Park’s Fern Hill neighborhood. In fact, drivers had to view the massive crane from either 28th Street or...Read More
What’s in a Word? “Imˈ- pound”: seize and take legal custody of something — especially a vehicle, goods, or documents — because of an infringement of a law or regulation. –Dictionary definition Once upon a time, the fees that lenders collected in advance from home buyers for such things as property taxes and home insurance...Read More
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” –Daniel Patrick Moynihan Substitute “Comp’s” — as in “Comparable Sold Properties” — for “facts,” and you’ve got a pretty good rule of thumb for pricing residential real estate. So, while prospective home sellers can (and do!) compare their home to any properties...Read More
Unintended Consequence of Raising Awareness of Distracted Driving You’d think that once a teenager got their driver’s license, the family would consider moving further away from, not closer, to the high school their kid(s) attend. But, I’ve now just handled my third transaction in under a year where one of the driving (sorry) motives for...Read More
