Playing Down the Price “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” –Samuel Johnson The real estate equivalent of Johnson’s line is, “when you’ve got nothing else (left?) to sell, sell price.” That’s not to say value is irrelevant. With ever-more discriminating consumers, online information, and high tech tools and savvy generally, value has never been more important....Read More
Other “Votes”: the Lender, Local Municipality, and Insurer Unbeknownst to the Seller, the Buyer’s inspection uncovered a material problem with their home that the parties agree should be fixed. When that happens, who takes care of it? The short answer: “whomever the parties agree” (at least if no one else has a say — see...Read More
Not Just Superstition Any More I’ve long suspected that at least a few home sellers were eavesdropping on prospective Buyers with listening devices. But I just, umm . . . heard (through the grapevine, as they say) of a substantiated case in Minnesota. Apparently, the Seller overheard the Buyer say how much they would pay for...Read More
Guilt-Free Day Off Today may very well be the climactic day of the year for retail shopping. But, it’s a day off for most Realtors. Edina Realty is officially closed, as are all other major brokers. Going Against the Grain With so many (all?) offices closed today, it can be tough for agents who don’t...Read More
Ratings Criteria: “Quality,” “Punctuality,” “Responsiveness” If I were rating Realtors, the attributes most important to me would be things like: –Marketing skills –Negotiating ability –Legal knowledge and familiarity with real estate contracts –Honesty/Integrity –Market knowledge –Personality and interpersonal skills Now, compare the above list to the criteria for rating Realtors on Angie’s List: –Price –Quality...Read More
“You WILL Like This House.” “You WILL Like This House.” “You WILL Like . . . “ Way back when, I commented (approvingly) on the listing agent (representing the Seller) whose lockbox code was “W-O-W.” Even better (and more obvious) was the Minnetonka home I previewed for a client yesterday, with the lockbox code “B-U-Y.” See...Read More
