Eyes may be the window to the soul. But, at least in the housing market — and specifically, when it comes to remodeled homes — it’s exactly backwards. Namely, the condition of the home’s windows frequently tell you everything you need to know about the quality (or lack thereof) of the remodel. Cutting Corners? Show...Read More
No More Penthouse Storage If ever there was an overlooked (if not long-neglected) commercial property in the Twin Cities, it was Calhoun Towers just northwest of Lake Calhoun in Southwest Minneapolis (note: the street address is 3430 List Place, but the locals commonly refer to it as “the high-rise behind Whole Foods”). Twenty-one stories tall with 360° views...Read More
Getting to Deal Breakers (Like Projected Remodeling Costs), Faster Eighteen months ago, when Wall Street-backed Buyers were vacuuming up Twin Cities homes, the first showing was effectively the inspection. That’s because such corporate Buyers purchased sight unseen (for cash!), and used the inspection to decide if they really wanted the home. See, “Cash Buyers, Sight...Read More
Trashing (Literally) The Golden Rule, or How NOT to Get Referrals From the Neighbors Normally, only cads “borrow” their neighbors’ garbage cans or dumpster without permission (in fact, I believe it’s illegal). However, I can think of at least one situation where that’s justified: when the source of the garbage is the neighbor’s remodeling project. I’m...Read More
Sizing Up Likely Winners and Losers With the dust literally still settling on the Minneapolis City Council’s March 7 decision to temporarily halt teardowns, it’s premature to sort out all the consequences. But, here’s my preliminary take on likely “winners” and “losers”: Losers: –Buyers and Sellers currently under contract for teardown homes in Minneapolis; –Prospective Minneapolis teardown Sellers; –Minneapolis-focused...Read More
Stuck in the Middle: the Plight of the “Near Tear-Down” While Twin Cites developers — and their clients — are once again on the prowl for tear-downs, unfortunately for would-be Sellers of such homes, not everything qualifies. In particular, a great many homes fall into a broad gray area, where they’re too expensive for many...Read More
