Instant Access to 1,600 Realtors Does Realtor-to-Realtor networking really work? Well, consider this: With about 20% of the total listings in the Twin Cities housing market, the percentage of Edina Realty listings sold by other Edina Realty agents is 40%. That could just be because “we” — all 1,600-plus local Edina Realty agents — really...Read More
Did the Late Bird Get the Worm?? Although I take issue with some of the math underlying the analysis, there’s no denying that the drop in interest rates since April 30 — thanks to the Eurozone crisis — has at least partially offset the benefit(s) associated with now-expired home buyer tax credits. Missing the tax...Read More
“Not a Drive-By” Quick, test your knowledge of Twin Cities real estate, and guess how much the single family home pictured above is listed for: A. $149,000B. $249,000C. $419,900D. $599,900 Give up? Here are three more, very significant clues: 1) the home has been completely remodeled; 2) it’s located in Minneapolis’ tony Kenwood neighborhood (just...Read More
The More, The Merrier? One of the weird things about the local housing market at the moment is that small, entry-level homes are hard to find — and (therefore) seem to be fetching a healthy premium. Meanwhile, north of seven figures, there seem to be TONS of choices, many steeply discounted. That disconnect suggests a...Read More
Why Such a Big Discount For Big Homes Needing Updating? Want a novel — but not at all far-fetched — (additional) explanation for why so many nicer, bigger homes are facing significant discounts in today’s market, especially ones that need significant updating? Keep reading. Far and away, there are three big reasons why such homes...Read More
Calculating the “Rent Ratio” Sometimes, the decision whether to buy a home or not seems to require an economics Ph.d. Are interest rates headed higher? How strong is the economy? Are home prices now recovering, or will there be a “double-dip?” It’s enough to make your head spin — or hurt. If the foregoing (unanswerable,...Read More
