10. Getting into a car accident on the way to a showing. 9. Running out of gas with a client in the car. 8. Getting lost on the way to meet clients at a house. 7. Not being able to distinguish one house from another. 6. Discovering that the house isn't quite as the buyers […]
How do people search for a new home? I am a tech person, so I use technology for almost everything. However, I realize that many people may not want three different maps of the houses on their wish list, nor want to look through a hundred ‘just for you' houses that really may or may not […]
It's a great time to buy a Minneapolis house. I know, I've said this several times before, but I really want to emphasize the point. Interest rates are at an all-time low, and even better, the government wants to help first-time home buyers with a tax credit. Here's the deal. If you have bought a […]
Real Estate Abbreviations When advertising houses for sale, there are plenty of standard abbreviations and some not so standard abbreviations. Then there are those that even other Realtors can’t figure out. In this blog entry, we’ll look at some actual MLS entries. Some abbreviations look just like those cryptic singles ads. I can just see […]
House Advertising Words You know how some real estate agents have a knack for describing homes in glorious and grand ways? Well, sometimes the words are a slight exaggeration of the actual home. In our industry, we call that puffery. Here’s a list of some common terms used in advertising and what they really mean. […]
Green Home Guide Green Guide Green Home Guide for Families Green Office Guide Everybody is talking green, and by green, I don't mean money. Green is in. It's the latest thing. The government has gotten into the act by forming ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. […]
Many times, searching for the perfect house seems to be a daunting task. There are so many things to consider, including location, surrounding environs, not to mention features of the house. With all these thoughts racing through your head, it's easy to overlook one salient fact or another. The first thing to do is make […]
When I meet people for the first time, they usually ask THE question when I mention that I'm in real estate. The question: "How's THAT going?" or "Isn't that a tough business?" or "Isn't it hard to sell homes right now?" or somthing else to the effect. Frankly, the real estate market is not as bad […]
What’s the difference between a Short Sale and a Foreclosure? A Short Sale is when the homeowner owes more than the property is worth, and cannot pay back the difference. They are short of full payoff. Here’s an example: Let’s say the homeowner buys a house for $200,000, with a primary mortgage of $160,000, and […]
If you are looking at a specific house, and want to find out more information than what is on the MLS system, there are free resources that will allow you to find out things such as structure information, assessments, whether the property is in foreclosure, and more. This is public information, and much of it […]
In the Minneapolis / St. Paul and suburbs, the typical process for a foreclosure goes something like this. Upon missing the first mortgage payment, the bank sends a nice, friendly letter reminding them of a missed payment. After another one or two missed payments, the letters get a little less friendly. After 4 or 5 […]
The Star Tribune just published an article on having a shorter commute. Here's a link. I'm in agreement on living in the city. I currently live in a great neighborhood of South Minneapolis with great neighbors, a wonderful character-filled house, and lots of closeby amenities. We can walk to two different parks within 3 blocks, […]
