I’ve got a hunch how — at least in some people’s minds — “tray” ceiling became “trey”: “très” is French for “very” (as in “very beautiful”). From there, it’s just a small step (and single letter) to “trey.” Of course, that’s also how the word sounds phonetically. However, the correct adjective for a recessed ceiling...Read More
High Quality Problems For an Agent to Have [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.] Which of the following roles pose a potential conflict of interest for...Read More
Listing Agent Retort: “I’ll Tell You Right After You Tell Me How High the Buyer is Willing to Go” You (almost) never hear a listing agent (representing a Seller) say to a Buyer’s agent at the outset of negotiations: “let’s cut to the chase; what’s the most your Buyer will pay for my client’s property?”...Read More
Easier Sell in Summer? The problem with tuckunder garages is what’s “over” the “under”: usually, a bedroom. If that bedroom happens to have hardwood floors, and it’s Minnesota in the winter . . . it can be unpleasantly cold. The two other problems with tuck under garages: 1) they tend to be single stall; and...Read More
Consumer Psychology and the Too-Precise Price When you see an oddly-priced “For Sale” home, there are two possible explanations (at least in my experience selling residential real estate): One. Drawing Attention. The way to stand out** from homes listed at $389,900, $399,900, etc. is to price at $398,731 or some such (I haven’t seen a home...Read More
“The More Things Change” Department Once upon a time, when I started selling real estate in 2002, the worksheet that Buyers and Sellers signed at closing was simply known as . . . “the settlement statement” (or just the closing worksheet, to avoid any jargon). Then it became the “HUD-1” (HUD stands for “Housing and...Read More
