Official Beginning of Winter 2017-2018 in Twin Cities: Yesterday! (Dec. 5) “Welcome to Stanford! Last year, 95% of you were in the top 5% of your class. Today, 95% of you are in the bottom 95% of your class.” –Stanford Dean of Admissions Fred Hargadon, to each year’s entering freshman class (including mine a long time...Read More
MLS Shorthand for “Potential Tear-Down” Test your knowledge of today’s housing market, and field this question: How can you determine that a “For Sale” home on MLS is a potential tear-down? A. The MLS photos show a home in decrepit condition — or, there are no photos. B. In the “Seller Terms” field on MLS,...Read More
State-of-the-Art HVAC & Mechanicals. Or Not. Even with a maximum of 24 photos allowed on MLS now, you typically don’t see pictures of electric service panels (above). That’s because people buy homes emotionally, and — let’s face it — electric service panels don’t inspire much emotion (at least for most people). The exception(s) to not...Read More
3516 Fuller Street in Edina for $1.69 Million You don’t typically see a staircase showcased in the first photo on MLS or in marketing materials (like the one above). That spot is usually reserved for a photo of the front exterior. But, when the home has a staircase as cool as the one in 3516 Fuller in Edina...Read More
1 Picture = 1,000 Words Not every garage billed as a three car garage on MLS comfortably accommodates three cars. Perhaps to dispel any Buyer skepticism, the listing agent included the photo above. Certainly looks like a 3-car garage to me — with some extra overhead storage, to boot! See also, “That Garage is HOW Big??”;...Read More
Undermining Seller Credibility Either the Kitchen in the photo above has a walk-in, commercial-sized freezer. Or, something’s not quite right about the photo dimensions. Based on the other Kitchen photos accompanying the listing, the answer is option #2. Never Just One Cockroach What is the other reason not to use a wide-angle lens or otherwise...Read More
