“Designated Survivor” Plot It’s not a spoiler alert if the spoiler is in the TV show’s title. So, just in case you missed the premiere episode of “Designated Survivor” last night, the premise is that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (played by Kiefer Sutherland) suddenly becomes President when the Capitol building is destroyed...Read More
Realtor Peer Review Fortunately, the only thing that (possibly) gets hurt in the wake of a real estate “S.W.A.T.” team swooping in is the feelings of the listing agent (representing the Seller) getting all the feedback.* The term refers to the practice of several colleagues helping a fellow Realtor size up a problem listing and...Read More
Closing Checklist . . . for Listing Agents I actually like 8 a.m. closings for a lot of reasons, especially when title companies are swamped (like now). If there’s a hitch with wired funds, there’s plenty of time to correct it; there’s no chance of a glitch in the closing(s) before delaying yours; clients are...Read More
Realtors, Too (Don’t Forget About Realtors) “In a new lawsuit, the Chamber of Commerce is seeking to prevent the government from holding retirement advisers to the same standard as doctors, lawyers or accountants ” known as a “fiduciary” standard ” which requires people in positions of trust to always act in their client’s best interest.”...Read More
Establishing Credibility With Sellers I was on a (successful) listing appointment in Linden Hills last week, when the topic of neighborhood expertise came up (I had it to spare). It certainly helped that I had handled several recent transactions within a few blocks; used to live less than six blocks south, in the adjacent Fulton neighborhood;...Read More
Overpriced Home as Buyer Bait? Maybe, Maybe Not [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.] I know many of my colleagues vigorously disagree with me — especially in a seller’s market with crazy-tight inventory like today’s —...Read More