Two Risks, Not One [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.] If Buyers can waive a home inspection altogether (they can), it stands to reason they can get...Read More
Items that Trigger a Purchase Agreement Amendment, Post-Inspection Want to know how much it costs to fix a cracked chimney cap? A veteran Realtor probably does. Ditto for a new roof, boiler, electric service panel, or central a/c. However, it’s a good bet that the same agent has only a rough idea how much it costs to...Read More
What, No Security Alarm? “Code to enter the building is *76521. The lockbox is located in the dry cleaning closet which is to your left once you enter the lobby. The code to the closet is 3149#. The lockbox is marked. The code is 8147.” –Excerpt, MLS showing instructions If you’re a Buyer’s agent planning...Read More
Can’t Show = Can’t Sell “If your parents don’t have children, you won’t either.” –old joke. “Show and sell!” –Common listing agent exhortation in the “Agent Remarks” section of MLS. It’s axiomatic that if, as a Buyer’s agent, you can’t get your client into a property . . . you ain’t going to sell it,...Read More
Meticulous Record Keeping = Meticulous Maintenance? One of the first questions on the standard Minnesota Seller Disclosure asks whether the owner is in possession of the previous owner’s Seller Disclosure, and if so, whether it’s attached. As a Buyer’s agent, I always like to see the previous Seller’s Disclosure, for two reasons: One. It provides a more...Read More
Tax Records vs. MLS I don’t know about other Buyers’ agents, but before I show clients a 1.5 story home — or one that’s billed as a 1.5 story home on MLS — I first check the county tax records. When the county says “1.2 stories,” I know that any upstairs Bedroom is marginal at...Read More
