“What’s the Matter With Kansas Iowa?”** In modern English, a shibboleth can have a sociological meaning, referring to any in-group word or phrase that can distinguish members from outsiders – even when not used by a hostile other group. It is also sometimes used in a broader sense to mean jargon, the proper use of...Read More
The Bruce Willis Estate in Sun Valley The Twin Cities doesn’t really have celebrities, excepting certain Vikings, Twins, and Timber Wolves. Ergo, it doesn’t really have celebrity homes.* But, if you’re the listing agent representing a famous client, do you broadcast that fact? Keep mum? Privacy vs. Cachet My Upper Midwest sensibilities say the latter,...Read More
Is That, “No Finished Square Feet in Lower Level?” or, “There’s NO LOWER LEVEL . . . AT ALL?!?” “If your parents don’t have kids . . . you won’t either.” –Anonymous “If your listing doesn’t get showings . . . you won’t get offers, either.” –Real estate corollary, Ross Kaplan [Editor’s Note: The views expressed...Read More
Winter Reprieve Unless you’re a recent transplant to the Upper Midwest, you know not to be fooled by the calendar: every day of mild weather past Halloween is a gift. (If you’re an old-timer, you may actually recall the area’s biggest, modern-time snowstorm: the Halloween blizzard of 1991.) So, save the movies, library, and Mall...Read More
