The Virtue of a Well-Stocked Pipeline “We will sell no wine before its time.” –Ad campaign for Paul Masson wine. [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] If you’ve...Read More
A Rose Penthouse by Any Other Name “Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?” — Caption, New Yorker cartoon. Quick! Guess how tall the hotel pictured above is (located in Cancun, my wife and I recently celebrated our 21st(!) anniversary there). According to the resort’s owner and its marketing literature...Read More
Key Variables: Which School? Which Buyer? 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 “busy street” — call it, an “intermittently busy street”). I’ve never seen data on this, but I’d guess “yes.”...Read More
Porsches, Picasso’s, and Stradivariuses A Steinway piano is a hand-made marvel, full of intricate detail and workmanship, sought by collectors and valued accordingly. A true “piece of work,” one might even say. Ditto such treasures as a Stradivarius violin, a Picasso painting, a Porsche sports car, and a Rolex watch. So . . . how...Read More
Northern Light** “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor take warning.” –Old proverb. With Twin Cities temps now (well) below freezing, there aren’t many local sailors divining weather clues from the sunset and sunrise. All the same, I suppose it’s a good omen that the snapshot above — looking southwest across...Read More
