“Why Should I Help Pay the Buyer’s Closing Costs??” To the “Greatest Generation,” Millennials (roughly ages 18 to 30) can seem spoiled and irresponsible. To Millennials, the “Greatest Generation” — those who were alive during World War II — can appear stubborn and unreasonable. How does that generation gap play out in residential real estate deals?...Read More
“I Still Consider Myself a Novice” OK, so Jones’ advice was actually about acting, not real estate. But, substitute “journeyman Realtor” for “journeyman actor” and “deal” for “thing” (Jones’ term for “acting gig”), and I think he strikes just the right tone: “The secret [to longevity] is never forgetting that you’re a journeyman actor and...Read More
“Put the Interests of the Client First. No Excuses. Period.” In a world where individual investors have few friends (sadly), Vanguard founder John Bogle — now 83 years old – is a true champion. What does he propose doing now to fix the stagnant economy and (still) battered financial system? Bogle advocates taxes to discourage...Read More
Politics isn’t the only field that has incumbents and challengers. Real estate does, too. The “incumbent Realtor” is the Realtor who helped the now-selling homeowner buy the home, however many years back; the challengers are all the other Realtors vying for the listing. Average Realtor “Career”: < 2 Years I’d guesstimate that something like one-third of...Read More
Keeping Negotiations Positive “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at your behavior.” Anyone who’s ever been a social worker — or the offspring of one (me) — can relate to the above (although when you hear it at age 7, it does seem a tad bit, shall we say, “conceptual”). Still, the comment can...Read More
