Different Homes, Different Buyers It may seem counter-intuitive, but just because two “For Sale” homes share the same block and are listed for the same price, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re direct competitors. In fact, I can think of at least two scenarios where there’s virtually no overlap in the pool of prospective Buyers considering both...Read More
Avoiding “The Bowling Alley” Effect First, a caveat: unless there’s also a detached garage in the back of the house (typically, off an alley), converting a one-car garage into something else is a non-starter. That’s because going from a one-car garage to a no-car garage is guaranteed to destroy much more value than it creates....Read More
3901 Sunset Blvd. in St. Louis Park [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.] But for the fact that it’s on my (3 block) commute to work at Edina...Read More
Recognize This House Today? Me, Neither When the listing agent (OK, me) wrote the marketing verbiage above a year ago, I was contemplating a standard overhaul. You know, gutting the dated Owner’s Suite upstairs, opening up the almost 400 square foot space, and putting in a new, larger Master Bath. So much for my crystal ball....Read More
Recognize This House? Me, Neither Scarcely six months after I sold 2521 Kipling in St. Louis Park’s Fern Hill neighborhood last Spring . . . the home is a veritable construction site. Which explains why the Buyer’s inspection went so smoothly: my recollection is that the Buyer raised few (if any) issues, and quickly removed their Inspection...Read More
Avoiding “The Bowling Alley” Effect First, a caveat: unless there’s also a detached garage in the back of the house (typically, off an alley), converting a one-car garage into something else is a non-starter. That’s because going from a one-car garage to a no-car garage is guaranteed to destroy much more value than it creates. But, assuming that that’s not the...Read More
