“It Takes Two to Tango Agree to Arbitration” Judging by the last few deals I’ve handled, there seems to be some Realtor confusion about how many parties are required to agree to Arbitration (at least in Minnesota, a popular alternative to litigation). The correct answer: two. In other words, both Buyer and Seller have to...Read More
Estimates So Broad You Could Drive a Truck Through Them [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.] RealAVM: $859,828 RealAVM Range: $662,068 to $1,057,588 Confidence Score: 66 Forecast Standard Deviation: 23 –Excerpt, MLS If you only...Read More
English, Please! “LL/BR is non-conforming. Lkbx on Bk dr. Frnt prch/crftsmn wdwrk/tiled bath/gleaming Maple flrs/HVAC-elect ’11, oven ’14/lrg walkin closet/maint-free ext./prof lndscpng/gorgeous 3 seas porch! Wkshp in gar.” –Excerpt from actual MLS listing. With only 500 characters and spaces in MLS’s Agent and Public remarks fields, there can be a temptation for overzealous listing agents (representing Sellers)...Read More
For the record, I like neither term: “attaboy” has a back-slapping, good ‘ol boy quality, while “props” are what the theatre arts department keep in storage. Meanwhile, “kudos” sounds like something that old, white men at the Harvard Club say. Regardless, Millennials have apparently decided that “props” is a newer, cooler way of expressing approbation...Read More
The Opposite of “Home Alone” It’s every home seller’s worst nightmare: they return home long after a scheduled showing, only to find strangers in their Living Room(!). With no Realtor in sight. While it’s an extremely rare occurrence — and an automatic $1,000 fine for the Buyer’s agent — that makes it no less upsetting for the owner. Buyer’s...Read More
The Best Adjective for “Home”? “Sold!” What do you call an Edina rambler that — at least according to my open house traffic the other weekend — was “too big,” “too small,” “too open,” “not open enough,” “too dated,” “too expensive” . . . and about 10 more fussy comments in a similar vein? Give up? Try, “Sold!” “Too, Too ....Read More
