“The Answer to the Seller’s Question, “Do You Think I Should [ _____ ] . . . ?” is Always “Yes”** Consider the rather provocative question ” from a homeowner contemplating selling their home in a few years ” posed to The Ethicist, an advice column in The New York Times: We live in a large house...Read More
Bad Call? The best way to sell a house is to exceed Buyers’ expectations (plus dangle a tempting price, and stir up lots of “pre-list” and “new list” buzz). The corollary? “The best way to lose a Buyer is to disappoint them.” —-Ross Kaplan, “Realtor Sales Secrets”; City Lakes Real Estate Blog. Is it a mistake not to...Read More
Five-Step Checklist One of the last steps before closing ” in fact, sometimes done on the way to closing* ” is the Buyer’s walk-thru. To my mind, at least, the Buyer’s walk-thru has these five goals: One. Determine that there’s been no change in the home’s condition since the Inspection Contingency was removed. What can...Read More
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong ” but that’s the way to bet.” —Ecclesiastes (with an assist from Damon Runyon). For the benefit of non-Realtors, here’s a “Top Ten” List of ways that seasoned Realtors know that a home Buyer is serious: 10. They’re represented by a good,...Read More
Man Bites Dog ” Real Estate Edition One of the odder anecdotes from a continuing ed class the other week was the hapless home seller who got sued not because their house was haunted ” but because it wasn’t. Apparently, the Seller had disclosed in their Minnesota Seller’s Disclosure that the home had experienced “paranormal...Read More
Not Exactly a Non-Issue, But . . . [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] “To your knowledge, have any of the following previously existed or do they currently...Read More
