A Jury of One: The Buyer “Two men were walking through the woods when a large bear walked out into the clearing no more than 50 feet in front of them. The first man dropped his backpack and dug out a pair of running shoes, then began to furiously attempt to lace them up as...Read More
Realtor — and Title Company — Trade Secrets; or, “What’s That Toaster Oven Doing Next to the Copy Machine??” Home Buyers associate fresh-baked cookies with open houses. The smell creates a nice “homey” vibe, and puts prospective Buyers in the emotional mood . . . to buy. But, I’d never encountered fresh-baked cookies at closing before....Read More
Making a Catch — or a Closing “Save” — Look Easy “Paul Blair never made a great catch because he never had to; he was always standing under the ball when it came down.” –Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles manager; “Paul Blair, Center for Champions, Dies at 69.” The New York Times (12/27/2013). How are great...Read More
Location of Closing I paid for that mike! –Ronald Reagan, 1984 Presidential debate You’d think that the home seller — who’s invariably footing most of the closing bill, starting with the Realtors’ commissions — would get to choose where to hold the closing. But by convention, it’s the Buyer’s call. Why’s that? I’d guess it’s...Read More
“Isn’t the Mortgage Balance Overstated?” One of the most common questions Sellers have at closing is why their online mortgage balance (or per their final statement) differs from the loan “pay-off” amount. If you haven’t sold a home recently, the latter is typically higher by anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on...Read More
Great penmanship may be an asset in many walks of life, but it can be a decided disadvantage at a real estate closing, especially if one party to the transaction has pre-signed. Then, the closer must determine that there’s an exact match between the absent party’s signature, and the document authorizing a representative to sign for...Read More
