“Not-So-Minnesota Nice” Leaving the always terrific Clancey’s butcher shop in Linden Hills yesterday, I was chagrined to discover a black BMW parked scarcely 3″ in front of my car, effectively boxing me in. Watching the situation unfold, Clancey’s busy owner, Kristin Tombers, came outside and introduced herself. Kristin offered a description of the offender, and...Read More
Buyer’s Walk-Thru Inspection Multiple Choice Which of the following is an acceptable reason for the Seller to leave their home in (much) less than pristine condition for the new owner: A. Their Seller left the home a mess for them when they bought (call it, “the anti-Golden Rule”). B. They ran out of time. C....Read More
“Bundle of Sticks” — and a Club At least in Minnesota (where I sell real estate), Sellers who aren’t moved out by closing — and thereby risk derailing the deal — occurs much less than you’d expect. In fact, in 14+ years in the business, I’ve never had a closing postponed or even delayed by a...Read More
New Way to Deal With Tailgaters If the driver in front of you does something they shouldn’t — or doesn’t do something they should (like move when the light turns green) — you honk. Eventually (it IS Minnesota). 🙂 But, what if the offending driver is behind you? Then, it often seems like Driver...Read More
“Everyone should live in California, but leave before they get soft. Everyone should live in Manhattan, but leave before they get hard.” –Anonymous [Editor’s Note: David Letterman may be about to broadcast his last show, but his comedic contributions — including “Top Ten” lists — will live on. In that vein . . . I...Read More
Artfully Sloughing Off Seller Requests for Feedback — or, “Minnesota Nice — Realtor Version” The Realtor equivalent of “How are you?” or “Have a nice day!” is telling would-be home Sellers (and their agents) that their client is “just starting to look.” While that may occasionally be true, more often it’s code for one (or...Read More
