Minnesota Seller Disclosure Confusion The heart of the Minnesota Seller Disclosure is an alphabetical table listing the home’s various features, followed by a “Yes” or “No” after each item to indicate whether they’re in working order. Since time immemorial, at least a few Sellers have misunderstood the “No” to mean, “No, I don’t have that item”...Read More
“Live and Learn” Dept. For about a decade, my family has been paying for a deluxe home warranty covering our HVAC, all appliances, and even our main sewer connection. Also included: our backup, standalone freezer. Or so we thought all these years. “Location, Location, Location” We found out otherwise when the freezer’s compressor failed the...Read More
Hearing it From Seller > Hearing it From Neighbors As advice to home Sellers regarding disclosure goes, it’s hard to beat, “tell what you know.” The other standard caution to Sellers is, “it’s not what you think is relevant, it’s what Buyers think [is relevant].” But, there’s an even more practical test. “Meet the Neighbors”...Read More
Need a Contractor? Take a Number If you’re a Twin Cities homeowner trying to remodel a Bath, re-paint the Amusement Room, or even deal with a plumbing emergency, you doubtless already know: local contractors are in scarce supply. So, which trade/specialty has the longest backlog right now? My nominee is radon remediation contractors. Thanks to beefed-up...Read More
Buyers: “What is the Seller Hiding??” Sellers don’t HAVE to incriminate themselves — make that, their homes — when they put their house on the market. At least in Minnesota, one of the sanctioned Seller’s Disclosure Alternatives is for the Seller to waive disclosing anything at all (the Buyer has to then agree to that)....Read More
Coming Soon? Maybe (and Define, “Soon”) The Twin Cities’ Southwest Light Rail line sure has traveled a bumpy path. And that’s just the discussion phase — never mind the actual route. The latest, uhh . . speed bump: Whether a stretch of the line in Minneapolis is to traverse Lake of the Isles and Cedar...Read More
