The most important date in a residential real estate deal? Easy ” closing. So, what’s the second most important date? At least in Minnesota, the date that the Buyer’s Written Statement is due. See, “You Mean There’s No Deal, AND the Buyer Gets Their Earnest Money Back?!?” Significance Up until that date, all the home Seller...Read More
Multiple Offers, Momentum Shifts, etc. Unbeknownst to laymen, there is a predictable ebb and flow in the course of each housing transaction, whereupon each side is most (and least) vulnerable to the other. For a Buyer, the point of maximum vulnerability comes early: that would be after they have verbally come to terms to buy...Read More
“Bookends” at Beginning, End of Loan Process [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. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] As anyone who’s recently bought or sold a home in Minnesota knows, a Pre-approval...Read More
Financial Due Diligence for Home Sellers (and Their Agents) As a former corporate attorney and CPA, one of my strengths selling real estate is helping Sellers “vet” the Buyer’s finances. Before they get to closing. In a nutshell, it comes down to this: “Can the prospective Buyer financially perform?” (legalese for “can they afford the property in...Read More
Housing Deal Deadlines & Other Key Terms No, I don’t recall ever handling a real estate deal where the Buyer or Seller omitted to fill in the purchase price or the closing date. But, I have handled multiple deals where the other side left blank something almost as significant. The three biggest ” and most...Read More
. . . . Or One Realtors representing Sellers (better known as “listing agents”) tend to be a lot more focused on Written Statements ” and specifically, Written Statement deadlines ” than their clients. There are two reasons for that: 1) it can be a technical subject (see below); and 2) most Buyers’ lenders meet...Read More