It is Friday and Friday are for fun. What could be more fun than having Easter on April fools day? We don’t need to hide eggs for the children all we have to do is tell them that we did. Ha Ha, Apri Fools!
I had to do a little research because Easter Sunday on April 1st has to be rare. The last time Easter fell on April Fools’ Day was in 1956. Seriously that was before my time. Easter will fall on April 1st two more times during this century. The next one is 2029, and then again in 2040.
April 1, 2018, is indeed a rare occasion. I plan on making the most of it.
Home sellers sometimes assume that if their house gets a lot of showings as soon as it comes on the market that it will get an offer right away.
It doesn’t always work that way. Showings are not the same as offers. There are few houses on the market and as a result, buyers are looking at houses that they would normally ignore.
Buyers will tour a house that is almost a good fit or that could be a good fit. We are in a strong seller’s market. During the last buyer’s market, home buyers could cherry pick what they wanted to see.
On average each St. Paul home that is on the market will get 11 showings and the number has been climbing and at the same time, the number of days that it takes to sell a house is decreasing.
The median number of days on the market in St. Paul is around 24. Those days include the days that the house is has a contingent offer on it. Ten days is a kind of standard length for an inspection period.
River Park Lofts – a parking spot is often included
One of the benefits of working with a real estate agent who has experience with downtown condos is that we know a lot about the parking situation and what questions to ask. Some condos come with a parking space and some do not. Some of the parking is in ramps and some of it is outside in parking lots.
If a parking comes with the unit ask to see it. Make sure that the number of the parking spot is in writing. It is also a good idea to check and see if the owner of the condo you are buying actually owns the parking space being sold with the unit. In some buildings, the parking spots will have a number and a separate tax ID number.
Some condo owners park in surface lots that are not owned by the condo association. They have a contract with the company that manages the lot.
I can think of at least one building that had a parking lot. The land is still there but it isn’t a parking lot anymore. I mention this because unless a condo owner owns the parking space there really are no guarantees of a parking spot.
The condo documents that condo buyers are given ten days to review before committing to purchase a condo contain a wealth of information about the unit and the parking situation. Buyers should always ask questions and never make assumptions about parking. Agents working with downtown condo buyers should always verify any information they receive about parking.
Today I saw a comment in the “agent remarks” of a downtown condo listing stating that the current owner has a one year contract for parking. The comment doesn’t mean much because usually, those spaces are not transferable, and sometimes there is a waiting list which means that the buyer of the condo might not be able to use the space.
There are real estate agents who have a kind of “buyer beware” mentality. Buyers should do some research on parking before purchasing a condo. If the plan is to lease a space in a ramp or surface lot contact the lot or ramp directly.
When I write about mortgage interest rates I like to keep it in perspective. Mortgage interest rates are lower than they were a decade ago and lower than they were before the great recession.
When my husband and I bought our first home we got a deal on a bargain basement interest rate of 8.38% with points. However, the price of the house was about 25% of what it would be today.
Sometimes home sellers will leave partial cans of paint behind when they move out so that the buyers have paint for touch-ups. Old paint isn’t really that great and if it isn’t used it has to be disposed of.
It is super easy to match up paint colors when small amounts are needed for touch up. Usually, you can use a scrapper and find some loose paint or peel some off with a razor blade. It isn’t hard to find tutorials on the internet. Take it to a home improvement store or where ever you buy paint and they will make the color for you.
When I paint I write on top of the can the date I bought the paint and what I used it for. I don’t keep leftover paint more than five years and that is probably too long. Check with your county for information on how to dispose of old paint.
If you are buying a home and the seller offers you partial cans of paint it might just be easier to say no thanks. If the sellers offer to leave a ladder behind say “yes please”.
It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. We usually think of bunnies as being cute. Here is the bunny that stands in front of Wescott station on West 7th street in St. Paul. Dressing it up doesn’t help. The bunny is scary. I think it is the eyes.
