first time buyers: Exactly 12 Things Agents Must Never Do In a Real Estate Transaction - 08/28/18 07:07 AM
Over the years, I’ve made some blunders and eventually learned that a closed mouth gathers no foot. Instead, think like a cop. If you watch with two eyes, listen with 2 ears, and speak with only one mouth you will make some amazing discoveries. Here’s a few nuggets that I found that don’t work:
Argue with the parents of a first-time buyer. You’ve already lost. You might know more than they do, but the buyer loves them. Hang onto a client you can’t stand. It sucks the life out of you, and it’s worse for them. Stick to your opinion when … (5 comments)

first time buyers: How Many Houses Do You Need to See? - 03/01/18 09:34 AM
First time buyers are used to scrolling through hundreds of options on Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com. Some think that they need to see every home on the market to make a decision. They form a wish list from houses online, and by visiting a few open houses. There is a better way.
Searching for homes has gotten easier, but still requires a little due diligence. In the late 1990s, buyers were sure that they knew everything about a house from a 1” square photo online. After seeing a few homes in person, they quickly discovered that one small photo didn’t tell them … (7 comments)

first time buyers: What I Love About Google Maps for Real Estate - 01/30/18 08:34 AM
It’s more than just finding the right address.
Did you ever find yourself standing outside of a house that you loved online, but.. the yard is tiny, or it backed up to an airport?  Or, it’s next to a gas station, bus stop, trailer park or swamp?
Google maps are usually current, and we can do a lot more than find an address.   Real estate listings describe the house, the photos show it’s best features.   The info isn’t always 100%.  Google maps fill in some of details that a listing feature sheet can’t cover.   It’s my number ONE tip for buyers searching homes online.  You … (4 comments)

first time buyers: Thank You for your Patience While we Comb through 28 Offers……… - 02/06/17 01:00 PM
Last week I showed a home that just came on the market to a buyer who has been waiting for some new options in South Minneapolis.  This home was well priced, excellent condition, and had everything a first time buyer could want. 
 
Of course, he loved it, but his wife was out of town, so he hesitated to write an offer.
 That evening an email came in from the listing agent.  “Thank you for showing our new listing and your patience while we are combing through 28 offers…..”
 
It’s no accident that this home had multiple offers. There are reasons why it happened:
… (3 comments)

first time buyers: 5 Things we Need to be Telling our Clients about 2017 - 12/12/16 01:34 PM
Last week I had the privilege of attending two real estate forecasts for 2017. One was with Ted Jones, chief economist for Stewart Title and Steve Harney, CEO of KCM. During the Recession I poured over economist’s forecasts and found most of them less accurate or entertaining than the weatherman. The opposite is true of both Ted Jones and Steve Harney. Though their points of view are different, each echoed the direction of the other, and it’s all backed by data. There may be some thunderclouds, but we’re in for a sunny real estate market. 
Millennials surpassed Boomers as the largest generation, … (6 comments)

first time buyers: Minneapolis/St.Paul Market Update - 02/24/10 09:48 AM
Do Statistics Lie???
 
We all believe that statistics give us a true overview of the marketplace.  They can give us a broad understanding, but when we drill down there are stories that numbers don't address.  Statistics chill the heat of the marketplace into cold numbers, pulling all emotion out of the process.
Minneapolis/St. Paul  Market Update as of February 24, 2010
Over the last three months there were 7, 189 Purchase Agreements signed, and last year during the same period there were 7,186 PA's written.  So, are conditions last year the same as this year?  Not by a long shot.
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