So THAT’S Why It’s Been For Sale Forever (Maybe) As I tell clients, the “good stuff” on MLS is invariably buried in the “Agent Remarks” field — which consumers can’t see — rather than the “Public Remarks” field, which they can. Even so, I can’t previously recall a listing agent trying to defuse a VERY...Read More
“What’s Sauce for the Goose is Sauce for the Gander” I suppose the opposite of that is, “what isn’t sauce for the goose isn’t sauce for the gander.” Huh?!? One of the insights into pricing a “For Sale” home well is recognizing that some properties ARE more difficult to value, due to their uniqueness, location,...Read More
Second Home Selector, or “Hello, Palm Springs!” That’s not just a map (above) of how much February, 2015 global temperatures departed from global averages the last 30 years. If you live in Minnesota, it’s a 2nd home (or winter vacation) selector. So, if your principal residence is in a purple area experiencing temps -5º below...Read More
How to Show Up in Twice as Many Home Buyer Searches Psychologically, $299,900 somehow just seems cheaper to Buyers than $300,000 (just like $2.99 a gallon appears to be less than $3). But, it’s a mistake to price residential real estate that way — at least around century and half-century marks ($100k and $50k). That’s...Read More
The cute two-story Linden Hills (Minneapolis) home I saw on tour this Tuesday certainly had its charms: good curb appeal, updated Kitchen, nice backyard. But, there were plenty of negatives as well, starting with low overhead upstairs — I doubt much over 7′, the legal minimum for finished square feet; the three upper level Bedrooms were...Read More
The Factor in Selling a Home Today If you have a choice between price and terms . . pick terms. –famous real estate line Once upon a time, when mortgage rates were in the stratosphere, “terms” — specifically, financing terms, if the Seller was providing it — were everything in real estate deals. Fast forward...Read More