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twin cities real estate agents

“Will You Cut Your Commission?” Top 10 Replies

“Just Say (Hell) No!” ” Realtor Version; or “It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask, Right?” Wrong! [Note to Readers: Realtor rant alert ” if you are one of the vast majority of prospective home Buyers and Sellers who value and respect your Realtor’s considerable efforts on your behalf, please skip the following. If, however, you’re not...
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Multiple Offers and Asterisk Clauses (aka “Escalation Clauses”)

How to Suddenly Go From Two (or More) Buyers to None [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.] Thanks to practically zero inventory — and almost zero...
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Converting a One-Car Garage Into a [Fill-in-the-Blank]

Avoiding “The Bowling Alley” Effect First, a caveat: unless there’s also a detached garage in the back of the house (typically, off an alley), converting a one-car garage into something else is a non-starter. That’s because going from a one-car garage to a no-car garage is guaranteed to destroy much more value than it creates....
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And Repeat: “Never Negotiate Furniture,” “Never Negotiate Furniture. . .”

Novice Realtors Rush In Where Pro’s Fear to Tread “Never negotiate furniture.” “Never negotiate furniture.” “Never negotiate furniture.” “Never negotiate furniture.” Realtors who don’t know the above rule ” or forget it ” soon get the opportunity to (re)learn it. That’s because negotiating the sale of personal property, particularly furniture, can be more challenging than...
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“You mean, there’s no deal AND they get their earnest money back?!?”

Financing Contingency Pitfalls [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.] One of the surprises lurking in the standard Minnesota Financing Addendum is the weaker of the two clauses addressing...
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“Spec House,” Defined

“Build It and They Will Come” Real Estate Development “Silicon Valley Spec House Seeks $42.8 Million.” —Headline, The Wall Street Journal. For the uninitiated, a “spec” or “speculative” house is a home that a developer first builds, then tries to sell. That’s opposed to a home that’s commissioned by/for an existing client, and built according...
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