Who Should the Listing Agent Meet Personally? Test your knowledge of modern residential real estate practice, and answer the following multiple choice question: Q: Who should the listing agent (representing the Seller) meet at the home? A. The Appraiser working for the Buyer’s lender; B. The home inspector doing the city Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing (“TISH”) inspection; C. The...Read More
Practice Tip for Agents Whose Listing Sold in Multiple Offers “Whoever has the gold, makes the rules.” –The Golden Rule What trumps The Golden Rule (at least temporarily)? What I’ll call “The House Key Rule”: whomever controls access to an MLS-listed home controls the sale. That’s particularly relevant in the wake of multiple offers, when...Read More
Distinction Without With a Difference: “A,i” vs. “P” Once a “For Sale” home is under contract, Sellers are required to tell prospective Buyers (and their agents) of that fact. Otherwise, Buyers who view the home and write an offer — only to be told it’s already sold — tend to get upset! (and do things...Read More
From 16,000 Houses Down to . . . a Dozen or So “Before you’re addicted to heroin, you have lots of worries; after you’re addicted . . . you just have one.” –George Carlin on the “virtue” of being a heroin addict. “I’m not in favor of abolishing the government. I just want to shrink it...Read More
Fill Out the Form and Forget it? Not Necessarily OK, there’s no such thing as a “living, breathing document” — with the possible exception of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, etc. What I have in mind, though — at least in the context of residential real estate — are contracts/disclosures where one party...Read More
How Lenders (& Local Governments) Avoid Getting Left Holding the Bag First, a word about real estate’s better known — OK, less obscure — acceleration clause. Also known as a “due on sale” clause, it’s that little paragraph in very fine print at the end of each mortgage that provides if the homeowner transfers title...Read More
