Vanity License Plates Not that I ever tailgate, but I’d think twice about getting too close to the car I saw yesterday with the license plate, “IRITABL.” Maybe that’s their point. Or, the owner is named Irit Abelson (“Irit” is a common Israeli name).Read More
“Don’t Mind Me”I really don’t care if you talk on your cell phone within my earshot in public (trust me, you’re not that interesting). And I don’t necessarily lose it when you dawdle using the ATM while I’m standing behind you. But — and here’s the part that seems self-evident — if you’re going to...Read More
“Would You Take . . .?” In the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneck if . . .” string of jokes (sample: ‘you’ve been married 3 times and still have the same in-law’s’), I offer up the Realtor equivalent: You don’t need a Realtor if . . . you want to go...Read More
I’ll Take That as a “No” “Minnesota Nice” plays out in a lot of funny ways in real estate. Like at one of my open houses this weekend. I greeted one woman at the front door, directed her to the literature and disclosures on the dining room table, and invited her to look around. Ten...Read More
West St. Paul’s Cesar Chavez Blvd. One of the fringe benefits of being a Realtor is being exposed to parts of town outside your usual orbit. So, in the course of showing homes earlier this year in West St. Paul, South St. Paul, and Maplewood (where my client ultimately bought), I discovered a two block...Read More
“Minnesota Nice” for Non-Minnesotans For non-Minnesotans reading this blog, first a definition: “Minnesota Nice” refers to the locals’ custom of being preternaturally pleasant on the surface . . . and seeming to be chilly and unavailable just below. Non-natives, especially from bigger cities (like New York) invariably find the practice off-putting if not outright annoying;...Read More
