The Doubled-Edged Sword Called “Potential” Although you wouldn’t necessarily believe it looking at all the MLS listings with the word “potential” in them, Realtors use the term carefully, if not reluctantly (or at least I do). That’s for two reasons: One. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ” at least to a point...Read More
“Cock a Doodle Doo Don’t!” Nope, that “For Sale” home isn’t in the sticks somewhere, miles from the nearest neighbors. It’s less than 2 blocks southeast of Minneapolis’ Lake Harriet, in a neighborhood where homes fetch from $500k to triple that (at least) on the lake (this one’s listed for $525k). My Realtor understanding is...Read More
Option B: Trick Photo So, whaddya think: is that REALLY a 15′ sofa pictured above? And if not, why on earth would the listing agent use a wide-angle lens (or some other trick) to make it appear so? Give up? Here’s (more than) a hint: the couch is in the living room of Graceland, Elvis’ former...Read More
“Trick (Photography) or Treat” [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] Want to know whether a Dining Room is actually as roomy as it appears online? Here’s a quick tip: count...Read More
When? How Much? If an otherwise well-staged, well-marketed home isn’t selling after a reasonable interval on the market**, a price reduction is invariably indicated. How big? It all depends on how overpriced the home appears to be. Toss Out the CMA Once a home is actually on the market, interest from prospective Buyers ” or...Read More
Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder Buyer When should a listing agent (representing the Seller) explicitly market that a home “needs cosmetic updates” (or the equivalent)? Less often than you might guess. Here are my three reasons why: One. The pictures tell the story. Most MLS’s allow 24 photos; websites like EdinaRealty.com effectively allow...Read More
