Sunday Open House <> Vikings’ Game He (or she) who ignores the first rule of Sunday open houses — “thou shalt not compete head-to-head with a Vikings game” — is likely to regret it. Or at least, have a sparsely attended open house, with only one of the decision makers present (the non-football watching one)....Read More
Ballpark Estimate: $35 Billion “Resale values on Volkswagen AG‘s diesel cars in the U.S. have taken a tough hit in the weeks since auto maker’s emissions scandal emerged, falling an average of 13%, or about $1,700 per vehicle since mid-September as car dealers stay away from the tainted vehicles, according used-car pricing guide Kelley Blue...Read More
Challenge: Defining “First Substantive Contact” [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.] In an online, hyper-connected 24/7 world, when do Minnesota Realtors trip the threshold for delivering a required state disclosure to consumers? Called “Agency Relationships” and...Read More
Stale vs. Fresh Data in a Fast-Moving Market Test your knowledge of residential real estate, and field this question: What is the best way to quickly find out the status of a “For Sale” home? A. Check Zillow or Trulia; B. Look on MLS (assuming you’re a Realtor); C. Look on Realtor.com; D. Request a...Read More
Weighing Three Variables Homes on busy streets typically fetch a discount. Is there an equivalent discount for homes located across from a school? (which, in a way, is really just a subset of the “busy street” discount). I’ve never seen data on this, but I’d guess “yes.” I’d further speculate that the discount varies depending...Read More
“Lake Wobegon”. . . for Real If Minneapolis’ Lake Calhoun had an equivalent to “Denali” — a long-established Native American Indian name used by locals — I’d be all for it. But, as a (mostly) life-long Minnesotan, I’m not aware of any such alternative (sorry, “Bde Maka Ska,” the Dakota name for “White Earth Lake,”...Read More
