From Steep Premium to Discount In the wake of the 2008 Financial Crash, rates on jumbo mortgages (over $417k in most parts of the country) skyrocketed to 7% or even higher. Assuming you could find one. Fast forward to Fall 2015, when jumbo’s can now be had for as little as 3.75% — a slight discount to...Read More
“Mamas, Don’t Let Your Boys Grow Up to Be Cowboys Congressmen” “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don’t let ’em pick guitars or drive them old trucks. Let ’em be doctors and lawyers and such. Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys. ‘Cos they’ll never stay home and...Read More
Pro’s & (Mostly) Con’s “Don’t be a secret agent.” –Advice to new real estate agents just starting out. Why would the owner of a “For Sale” home want to skip putting a “For Sale” sign in front? Search me. Here are the four most common reasons I hear — followed by my Realtor rebuttal (in...Read More
Halfway There Here’s one way to report the status of the (partially) just opened Minnetonka Blvd. exit on Highway 100 in St. Louis Park: Open: the northbound exit** and the northbound on-ramp; Still closed: the southbound exit and the southbound on-ramp. If that’s too confusing — or you’re dyslexic, like me — try this instead:...Read More
Coaches & Parking Lots @ the Stroke of 12:00 (Midnight and Noon) Cinderella’s coach turned back into a pumpkin at midnight. So, too, at 12:00 (noon) today, the Edina Realty – City Lakes parking lot will turn back into . . . a parking lot. But, for the next few hours, it’s host to several...Read More
The Doubled-Edged Sword Called “Potential” Although you wouldn’t necessarily believe it looking at all the MLS listings with the word “potential” in them, Realtors use the term carefully, if not reluctantly (or at least I do). That’s for two reasons: One. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder — at least to a point...Read More
