A Little Passover Irony, or “Wait a Second! Isn’t ‘Exodus’ Associated with Getting OUT??” I’ve made my peace with paying close to $10 for a movie ticket. However, $4 for a smallish candy bar or a box of M&M’s is another thing. So — full confession — we Kaplan’s have been known to smuggle a...Read More
What a Novel Idea! (Actually, Not) For the first time, Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting (held in Omaha this Saturday, April 30) will also be online. Who could have predicted that? Actually . . . yours truly. More than 21 years ago. Here’s an excerpt from my article in The New York Times: “Electronic meetings have several...Read More
Global Warming Fallout “High and Dry”: being in a helpless or abandoned position. –Definition, Merriam-Webster Dictionary Once upon a time, “high and dry” — as in being left high and dry — was decidedly a bad thing. Today? In an era of looming global warming and rising seas, “high & dry” seems likely to take...Read More
Law of Diminishing Returns Show me a “For Sale” home that’s open Sunday after Sunday, rain or shine, and I’ll show you a house where: a) the home is likely overpriced and going nowhere in the market; b) a frustrated Realtor is trying to placate an impatient owner; or most likely c) both “a.” and...Read More
The Too-Good-to-Be-True Buyer Client (Hint: They Probably Are) It doesn’t happen a lot — especially in a Seller’s market with (very) limited choices — but once in a while Buyers’ agents run into the client who seemingly likes everything. What’s up with that? That “Uh-Oh” Feeling Possibility #1 is that the Buyer has a need-to-please...Read More
Nosy Neighbors, Take #14 Long before the Buyer’s home inspector lays eyes on it, or the Buyer’s title company checks for closed permits, wanna guess who (else) knows whether the Seller’s recent Kitchen Remodel is high-end? (or not, as the case may be). The neighbors. In the course of the months-long project, it’s a good...Read More