Market Appreciation vs. Home Depreciation In all cases in which work is produced by the agency of heat, a quantity of heat is consumed which is proportional to the work done.” —Rudolf Clausius, first law of thermodynamics. “An overpriced, “For Sale” home depreciates in value faster than an appreciating housing market rises.” —Ross Kaplan, first...Read More
How to Suddenly Go From Two (or More) Buyers to None [Note to Readers: 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.] Thanks to practically zero inventory — and almost zero...Read More
Putting a (Too) Good Face on Things? It’s a fact of (real estate) life: sales fall through. Buyers change their minds. Inspection issues come up. Buyers can’t get financing** (the honest explanation at least 80% of the time). When any of those (or other) unhappy events occur, listing agents have the demoralizing task of switching...Read More
Staging “Do’s” and (Mostly) “Don’ts” At least IMHO, staging is at least 80% subtraction ” removing, uncovering, and emptying out ” rather than addition, i.e., adding wall art, accents, flowers, etc. to the about-to-be sold home. Exhibit A: NOT covering a big, light bay window with a dark, light-blocking panel TV (center right of photo,...Read More
“For Sale” Home Languishing on the Market? It (Usually) Shows Realtors constantly warn their home-selling clients about the risks of overpricing (especially in a soft market). Anyone who doubts that should tour a few homes that have just listed, then view homes that have been languishing on the market, unsold, for months (years?). Study in...Read More
“There Oughta Be a Word For That” Dept. What do you call all the things outside a home ” like concrete steps, pavers, custom handrails, retaining walls, etc. ” that don’t quite qualify as “landscaping?” Answer: “Flatwork.” “Flatware” — the word it’s frequently confused with — refers to eating utensils and plates.Read More
