Deafening Silence: When Hours Seem Like Days The inspection was completed, but the Buyer has been uncharacteristically incommunicado. What’s the likeliest explanation? A. The inspection was a disaster, and the Buyer intends to back out. B. The inspection went fine, but the Buyer got cold feet anyways . . . and intends to back out. C. The...Read More
Deal Maker or Deal Breaker? What is the premium (or discount) for a backyard swimming pool? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a single, reliable number. That’s likely because a pool’s appeal is very much Buyer-specific — not to mention variable by price point and geographic region. Minneapolis vs. Miami So, for example, for a...Read More
How is Minnesota’s Governor Doing? Ask Minnesotans The sad news from the Land of 10,000 Lakes (and nearly 50,000 state employees) is that Minnesota has been implementing the disastrous Covid-19 strategy made famous by New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The essence of the plan is to forcefully reduce the income of people at low risk,...Read More
Channeling Emily Litella (and Gilda Radner) For obvious reasons, humor is in short supply right now. Which is precisely why it’s so important. If Gilda Radner were still around — and it’s hard to believe it’s been 31(!) years since she was — I know exactly how she’d update her classic SNL bit: righteously indignant-but-befuddled...Read More
Trump’s Presidential Forebears [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] In almost 3 1/2 years in office, President Trump has variously invoked Lincoln, Washington, FDR, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama (especially Obama) to make...Read More
