“Costco to Pay Special Dividend of $7” Costco shareholders (I’m one) got the welcome news last week that the company is paying a special $7 dividend per share next month. That’s enough to buy two (very) large slices of pizza, soft drinks, and a salad at the in-store snack bar (pictured above). In other words, lunch...Read More
Inspection Addendum: “Buyer Shall Cap Any Inspection Requests at $500” [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.] How do Buyers competing in multiple offers differentiate their offers? By offering...Read More
Proof That High Pressure Sales Tactics Don’t Work At least in my experience, the odds of any one showing leading to a consummated transaction are perhaps 1 in 10. The exception to that? If the Buyer’s agent is headed to the airport, or otherwise under acute time pressure. When that’s the case, I’d estimate that...Read More
Fixtures vs. Personal Property: The Proactive Solution It’s not always clear whether something is a “fixture” or “personal property.” In theory, the test is straightforward: is the item in question permanently attached? The rub, of course, is what constitutes “permanent”: one person’s easy removal and repair (usually by the Seller) is another’s “of course it...Read More
MLS: “This Beautiful Home Offers 3 Bedrooms on 1 Level, Custom Office with ‘Narnia’-style Closet, Master Suite with Private Bath . . .” Wait a second . . . “Narnia-style closet?!?” After searching MLS for other references to the term — I didn’t find any — and coming up blank personally (I’m not a huge CS...Read More
Seasoned vs. Green Buyers; The Role of Pre-List Networking It’s accepted wisdom amongst veteran Realtors — which I happen to agree with — that “the first Buyer is (often) the best Buyer.” Why’s that? The explanation has to do with the nature of the pool of home Buyers at any given moment, plus Buyer behavior...Read More
