Three Factors How much do you discount for a one-car garage? The short answer: “it depends.” Specifically, I think that the three most important variables are: One. What is the surrounding housing stock like? In close-in, older Minneapolis neighborhoods, many homes have one car garages (still). Detached, one car garages. When that’s the standard, the...Read More
“Can I Please Speak to Myra Mains?” Courtesy of retired Edina Realty office manager Josh Kaplan, here is a classic April Fool’s joke for — make that on — Realtors, especially “newbie” Realtors. The front desk leaves a voicemail for the intended Realtor-victim (plural, ideally), telling them that they have a lead for them. The...Read More
Why No One’s Rooting For FREE* Ice Cream Once upon a time, people in the Twin Cities knew that when the thermometer dived, ice cream at local favorite Sebastian Joe’s went on sale. So, when the thermometer dipped to -17º below last night, the corresponding discount would be a cool (sorry) 25%, per the chart above....Read More
Realtors’ Investment: Skill, Time, & Marketing $$$ How long should a listing contract be? The short answer: “long enough to sell the property being listed.” How long that is ” assuming that the home is well-priced, staged, and marketed ” is typically a function of price. Under $250k in the Twin Cities today, you’d estimate...Read More
“I’m Not Being Rude . . . I’m Just Being a Realtor” It’s purely anecdotal, but my guess is that nobody can (and does!) end a conversation faster than a veteran Realtor. They/we aren’t being short or abrupt. Rather, we’re just juggling lots of balls, and know that, when a hard-to-reach client pops up on your caller ID...Read More
Best Advice to Home Sellers: “Tell What You Know” (Whatever That Is) [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.] Homeowners can be forgiven for not knowing the...Read More
