Before and After Pix Painting stucco, a cement-based siding, used to be a “no-no”: the exterior paint didn’t adhere well, which meant that, forever after, the home needed frequent re-painting. Which sort of defeated the purpose of stucco in the first place: its famously low maintenance. Now, thanks to more stucco-friendly products, the interval between re-painting...Read More
Safety in Numbers vs. Tyranny of the Majority Who wouldn’t prefer a smaller condo or co-op building, where the scale is manageable, and it’s possible to actually know one’s neighbors? As desirable as that may be, would-be Buyers (and their agents) should be aware of three issues that can be more challenging for a small...Read More
Before and After Pix Painting stucco used to be a “no-no”: the exterior paint didn’t adhere well, which meant that, forever after, the home needed frequent re-painting. Which sort of defeated the purpose of stucco in the first place: its famously low maintenance. Now, thanks to more stucco-friendly products, the interval between re-painting is much...Read More
Before and After Pix Painting stucco used to be a “no-no”: the exterior paint didn’t adhere well, which meant that, forever after, the home needed frequent re-painting. Which sort of defeated the purpose of stucco in the first place: its famously low maintenance. Now, thanks to more stucco-friendly products, the interval between re-painting is much...Read More
Is Trump Sui Generis?** [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] Since trashing Donald Trump is — as the Wall Street boys might put it — a (very) “crowded trade” at the moment, let me play the contrarian...Read More
From Steep Premium to Discount In the wake of the 2008 Financial Crash, rates on jumbo mortgages (over $417k in most parts of the country) skyrocketed to 7% or even higher. Assuming you could find one. Fast forward to Fall 2015, when jumbo’s can now be had for as little as 3.75% — a slight discount to...Read More
