Want to Check Out a Community? Go to the Public Library Whenever my parents traveled, to get to a feel for the local community — cultural, historical, religious (they’re Jewish), architecture, etc. — they would always visit the local synagogue(s). Me? I go to the local library. I head there not just to check...Read More
I’ve got a hunch how — at least in some people’s minds — “tray” ceiling became “trey”: “très” is French for “very” (as in “very beautiful”). From there, it’s just a small step (and single letter) to “trey.” Of course, that’s also how the word sounds phonetically. However, the correct adjective for a recessed ceiling...Read More
Prospective Sellers can (and do!) spend thousands improving their home’s curb appeal. Most popular items: new landscaping, cement steps and walk, and fresh paint. However, less ambitious Sellers may want to consider a more limited (and inexpensive) tactic: a new front door and/or door color. While it can be tricky to get right, a well-chosen,...Read More
Dual Agency Dilemma #17 Never having represented both the Buyer and Seller in the same transaction (I consider it a classic conflict of interest), one of the questions I have for agents who do act as dual agents is, “how do you navigate things like the Buyer’s walk-thru inspection? Provided for in the standard Minnesota Purchase...Read More
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” –Daniel Patrick Moynihan Substitute “Comp’s” — as in “Comparable Sold Properties” — for “facts,” and you’ve got a pretty good rule of thumb for pricing residential real estate. So, while prospective home sellers can (and do!) compare their home to any properties...Read More
Compare With “the Zero-Second Showing”** My first thought when I heard a colleague say that she recently had a 16-second showing on one of her listings was, “how on earth did she know that??” My knee-jerk assumption was that she’d downloaded the log from the electronic lockbox on the front door, and noted that exactly...Read More
