One Set of Pipes or Two? First, a caveat: for the record, I’m never in favor of winterizing a home, even one that’s vacant, even in Minnesota in the winter. In my experience, it’s almost always more cost-effective to empty such a home, move any to-be-disposed-of personal effects into storage, and expeditiously get the home on...Read More
In Conclusion . . . What’s the opposite of “winterize?” (as in, “winterize a pool, cabin, etc.”). Answer: ‘summerize.” 🙂 For more in this (corny) vein, see “USPS Forever Stamps,” “What’s the Past Tense of Sight See?”; “Landmark ” or Watermark?”; “Dried vs. MORE Dried Apricots“; “Wild and Crazy” (vs. Conventional) Fruit; and “What’s the...Read More
“They Can’t Do That!!” (Can They??) Add one more item to the list of annoyances — and expenses — associated with buying a foreclosure in the Twin Cities. So, word the last week or so is that at least some banks in town selling REO (“Real estate owned”) properties — also known as foreclosures — are...Read More
It’s certainly one of the odder real estate misnomers. So, “winterizing” a home doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s winter. Rather, what it invariably means is that the home is: a) a bank-owned foreclosure; b) vacant; and c) therefore not being watched vigilantly. To minimize carrying expenses and potential liability, banks will typically have the water...Read More
(Also Known as “Serendipitous Showings”) Teresa Boardman (St. Paul Real Estate Blog) has a nice post giving the agent’s side of why, just maybe, you may not be able to show a prospective Buyer you’ve never met a home on the other side of town at 4 p.m. when they call at 3:10 p.m. The...Read More
