Risk of Unintended Consequences At least to economists, the question of whether the minimum wage should be increased — and by a lot, as many on the political left advocate — is tricky. In a perfect world, the higher the minimum wage — hell, all wages — the better: higher pay = more disposable income...Read More
Learning to Love (OK, Like) Split-Level’s What’s so great about opening the front door of a home and finding yourself standing in the middle of the Living Room? Or maybe Kitchen? That’s been my experience in any number of newer, upper bracket homes — homes that supposedly boast the latest and greatest of everything, and...Read More
1 Picture = 1,000 Words Just in case there’s any doubt, the wide-angle shot (above) of this Lake Nokomis home definitively answers the question: “is it a corner lot?” Realtor conventional wisdom is that some Buyers prefer them, because of the extra light (and one less neighbor). Meanwhile, others avoid corner lots, because of the...Read More
Pro’s & (Mostly) Con’s “Don’t be a secret agent.” –Advice to new real estate agents just starting out. Why would the owner of a “For Sale” home want to skip putting a “For Sale” sign in front? Search me. Here are the four most common reasons I hear — followed by my Realtor rebuttal (in...Read More
Contingent Offer Multiple Choice [Editor’s Note: Nothing in this post or on this blog should be construed as offering legal counsel. If you require legal advice, please consult an attorney.] Test your knowledge of the Summer, 2015 housing market and field this question: Contingent offers — when a Buyer buys contingent on being able to...Read More
Market Exposure > Days on Market; When 1 Week on the Market ≠1 Week on the Market I’m a big fan of aggressive, pre-list marketing. One of the easiest (and cheapest!) methods, especially for a home in a high-profile, high-demand location: install the “For Sale” sign early, and attach a “Coming Soon” rider (note:...Read More