New Lender Refrain: “These Rates Won’t WILL Last!” or, Three Buyer Worries With home prices now rebounding in many markets nationally, prospective Buyers these days usually have two main worries: 1) that prices will rise (further), making a purchase unaffordable — or at least more expensive; and 2) that interest rates will rise . ....Read More
Realtor “Lifelines” and Shortcuts When most people think of home inspections, they think of the Buyer’s home inspection. But at least in the Twin Cities, 14 municipalities have their own, Seller-required inspection. Navigating that labyrinth — at least for Edina Realty agents — is ordinarily a two-step process: 1) log on to Edina Realty’s “ProKit” software,...Read More
So, The New York Times has finally weighed in on the “Has Housing Bottomed?” debate, casting its vote on the side of the bulls. Its leading example? The Twin Cities housing market: Joe Niece, a real estate agent in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie, said he recently concluded a streak of 13 consecutive bidding...Read More
OK, Two-Plus Years I started writing about virtual staging on this blog almost 2 1/2 years ago (“Is Virtual Staging ‘The Next Big Thing?‘”), and began using it for clients a few months later. The Star Trib? Today’s Sunday paper has an article titled “Sellers Turn to Virtual Staging.” Previously on this blog: –“Virtual Staging: Ready...Read More
How Long Should Sellers Wait to Reduce Their Price? “If a tree falls in the forest in forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” –Philosophy riddle “If a Seller drops their price when the market’s slow, does anyone notice?” –Corollary, Ross Kaplan Not all “days on the market” are...Read More
Gauging Buyer Interest “Please leave lights on. There are multiple showings today.” –Note to Buyers’ agents on Kitchen table at a newly listed home It’s certainly not as important as knowing whether a home is in multiple offers, but one of the things Twin Cities home Buyers are running into these days — especially Buyers...Read More
