Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That . . . (on the contrary) Wanna guess what the phrase, “well-cared home ready for a new owner” invariably means? A. Everything in the house is in working condition. B. The owner’s lived in the home for decades. C. The home is hopelessly dated. Correct answer: all of...Read More
That’s “Ugly Fruit,” not ugly fruit It’s turns out that “Ugly Fruit” is actually a proper name, not just descriptive. Discovery #2: it’s perfectly suited to staging. I count four reasons for that: One. It’s pleasingly colorful (vs. glaringly so or too muted). Two. Ugly Fruit is big. You only need a few to fill up...Read More
Outsiders Trump, Sanders Take New Hampshire “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” –Deuteronomy 16:20. One of my favorite classes in college was “Criminal Justice,” taught by Stanford Law School Professor John Kaplan (no relation). Kaplan asserted that there were only ever four reasons to imprison lawbreakers: 1) punishment, i.e., to hold them morally accountable; 2) isolation,...Read More
Confusing Correlation and Causation “The Super Bowl Indicator.” “Dogs of the Dow” (Jones Index). “Sell in May and go away.” “The hemline index.” What do each of these (and doubtless dozens of other) investing strategies have in common? They were all, once upon a time, reliable investing formulas. Until they weren’t. At least as far as...Read More
If you want the scoop on a busted deal, a good starting point is the listing agent (representing the Seller). However, if you want the real scoop . . . talk to the former Buyer’s agent. That is, assuming you can find them — and if they’ll talk. MLS Status Once there’s a signed Purchase Agreement,...Read More
Not Just Inclement Weather “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” –Mail carriers’ motto Unlike mail carriers, there’s actually a list of weather conditions that will cause home photographers to scrub. Like rain, snow, fog, and — especially for interior shots...Read More
