Q: Do the Pages in a Real Estate Contract Have to Be Numbered? I know that some fellow agents — and perhaps an Office Manager or two — may strenuously object. However, it’s my blog, and I am a former corporate attorney. So, here’s the answer: ‘no, they don’t.’ Rationale I’ll go even further: not...Read More
Did Someone Say, “Is it Quitting Time?!?” When is a (very) quiet Friday afternoon, approaching Thanksgiving, not reflective of market conditions? When the local MLS is down (true since around 1 p.m.), and it’s not possible for Twin Cities Realtors to search for new listings, request showings, or do most of the things agents normally...Read More
“Let My People Go”: Blocking Senders as a Last Resort No sooner had I clicked “unsubscribe” on one of the automatic newsletters Realtors get bombarded with these days, then I saw a new email in my inbox. From the same vendor. It was a form letter saying they were “sorry to see me go,” and...Read More
Cheap(er) Copper = Less Expensive New Homes? “U.S. Housing Starts Fall 11% in October.” —headline, WSJ (11/18/2015) According to today’s Wall Street Journal, copper prices just fell to fresh six-year lows (about $2/lb.), in part due to softness in new home construction. Which begs the reciprocal question: will falling copper prices reduce the cost of new...Read More
First Rental Cars, Now Hotels Consolidate It’s been awhile since I studied Anti-Trust in law school, but it sure looks to me like a couple consumer-oriented industries are getting awfully concentrated. And I’m not just talking about airlines and cable companies. The latest example of “the urge to merge”: Marriott Hotels gobbling up competitor Starwood...Read More
Not Measuring Up? There’s no harm in touting that a home has an especially nice backyard, sits on a large or impressive piece of land, etc. However, the term “double lot” — at least to me — has a specific, defined meaning. Namely, it’s a least twice the size of a standard city lot. In...Read More
