New Pottery Barn in Edina

Pottery Barn has somewhat redefined how the classic, traditional American home is decorated.  Their furniture and accessories are well made and give instant style to any room.  Their price point is moderate to high however they also have great sale prices…just keep an eye on their website and clearance sections of their stores.

I have posted several times on the importance of putting your homes best foot forward when putting it on the market.  This purpose of this post is to let you know that a brand new Pottery Barn is now open in the Galleria in Edina.  A new store is always fun however the new Pottery Barn offers free decorating classes that are worth your time if you find yourself stuck in a decorating rut. You can get great ideas and tips on how to make your home beautiful and make a great first impression to any visitors.  And I would bet you have lots of great items already on hand in your home to create similar looks that you may see.  Check out their current class schedule at

http://www.potterybarn.com/customer-service/store-locations.html

Have fun and happy decorating!

Ike's Minnetonka Now Open

Minneapolis dining institution, Ike’s, is now open in Minnetonka.  Located near the corner of Hwy 101 and Hwy 7, Ike’s is trying on the suburbs for size…and we like it!

Ike’s has classic, tasty American fare served in a cozy atmosphere.  The lunch and dinner menu offers all sorts of delicious meals like Chicken Pot Pie (frequently sold out…order it when you can), a Hot Turkey Sandwich and Stuffing with Gravy, Carolina Style Chopped Pork Sandwich, various flatbreads, salads (Seafood Cobb is amazing), seafood, and of course, steaks.

Ike’s has a full bar as well.  If you are a fan of Bloody Marys you need to give theirs a try!  You may want to consider it an appetizer as it is loaded with all sorts of goodies like a celery stalk, jalabeano, lime, and skewers of pepperoncini, black olive, green olive, cocktail onion, dill pickle, American cheese, chilled shrimp and a spicy smoked beef stick.  Yum!!

Ike’s Minnetonka is located at 17805 Highway 7
Minnetonka, MN 55345  and their phone number is (952) 681-7099  Reservations are recommended, especially on the evenings and weekends.  Enjoy!!

Moving Contact List

As we all know, moving to a new home takes a lot of planning.  Not only is there the physical move and all that goes with it but there is also a lot of behind the scenes stuff.  I thought it may be helpful to compile a list of names and businesses that you would want to consider contacting with your forwarding address.  Each category can have several sub categories.  Also, consider that many of these people and companies can be contacted via internet.

·         Post Office

·         Subscriptions to magazines

·         Doctors/ Dentists

·         Credit Cards

·         Bank

·         Tax Preparer

·         Charities you like to contribute to

·         Place of worship

·         Place of Employment

·         Insurance

·         Mobile Phone Provider

·         Friends and Family

·         Schools

You will also want to remember to discontinue service from places like:

·         Utility companies (gas, electric)

·         Phone/ Internet company

·         Television service

·         Garbage Service

Commute Times

Are you moving to a different city or state for a new job?  Moving can be stressful under the best circumstances but when you are moving to an unfamiliar place that stress can be compounded. 

Internet searches can be so helpful in determining where to look for your new home.  One thing you may want to consider before looking in a specific area is your future commute.  Consider that sometimes even if you live fairly close to where you work the commute can take long.  As you plan your move take the time to research traffic patterns.  Visiting local news websites are an easy way to do this.  Pay attention to traffic levels at the time that you would plan to travel.  Also, ask your Realtor about traffic.  They will know the in’s and out’s of the city as well.  

A little due diligence before the move can help you in the long run by helping you make informed decisions about your location.  If you are not fond of long, slow commutes you will thank yourself every time you get in the car to go to work.

Simple Ways to Manage Moving Expenses

So you are going to move!  Exciting times are ahead in your new home but you have to get there first and it can be expensive!  Here are some tips that can save you money on moving costs.

1.        If you are going to move yourself in a rented truck, time it so that your rental is in the middle of the month.  Most people move at the beginning or end of the month which puts high demand on trucks and can drive up rental costs.  Mid month rentals are generally less expensive.

2.       One of my favorites….edit your belongings!  Slowly go through your house before the move and donate things you don’t need, want, or simply won’t fit in your new home

3.       If you are going to use a service to move you, consider packing up small items yourself.  Packers will spend less time packing which equals less money for you to pay.

4.       Did you know that if you are moving for a job you can deduct your moving expenses on your taxes?  Save those receipts!  It could make a big difference on tax day!

5.       Look for moving boxes on sites like Craigslist.  They are much less expensive and you can list and sell them when you are finished with them, too.  There are even a few stores that sell used boxes and will buy them back after your move.

A Tidy Kitchen

You know the drill...bathrooms and kitchens sell a home.  Give yourself a leg up on the competition and make sure your kitchen is tidy, clean, and organized.  The kitchen truly is the heart of the home and it may simply not be enough to to have it clean or tidy.

As you know, when potential buyers are going through your home they are peeking in on the very spaces that we commonly like to hide behind a closed door.  Take your pantry for instance.  Upon inspection, are items crammed into place stacked one on top of the other all willy-nilly?  At first glance this could suggest that there is not very much room in the panrty.  On a deeper level, if it is really cluttered, people may extrapolate that since it is so messy the rest of the home may not be well cared for.  As a seller, you obviously do not want to communicate this to a would be buyer.

Here are some ways to clean up the mess and make it look good.  First, pull everything out of your pantry.  If you find items that are past expiration go ahead and toss them...you need the space and you don't want to get sick.  If there are some items that you know you will not eat but have not expired, set them aside to donate to a nearby food shelf.  Next, group items together in a way that makes sense to you.  For instance, canned foods can be put together and even subdivided into things like prepared foods such as soups,  to canned veggies and beans, to sauces etc.  When placing these back on the shelves make sure they are turned so the  lable points outwards.  It is a small detail that makes a big impact.  Perhaps you would like to keep boxed foods together?  Keep pastas together? A cereal spot?  Have a cookie/ cracker shelf?  Get a nice basket for items like  potatoes and onions?

Do this for your fridge, too.  Consider keeping it fresh by keeping a box of baking soda on in there to absorb any odors.  Not everyone looks in your fridge but if they do it is nice to be prepared.

There is no right way or wrong way to organize,  In the end, it should make sense to you and how you live.  Ultimately, it just needs to look organized and clean.  Your pantry will look bigger, you will be able to find what you need more easily, and people will be impressed and assume that if your pantry looks this great you must take great care of your home.

Decorating Your Home for the Holidays While it is Listed

As the holiday season falls upon us many of my clients ask me if it is appropriate to have holiday decorations displayed in their homes while they are trying to sell them. The answer is yes and no.
Helping potential buyers envision themselves living in your home is your main goal. We discuss things like removing clutter, taking down most family photographs, and staging the home so it shows buyers how their personal items can fit into the space. Similarly, having a few holiday items on display can also aide in buyers imagining how they may spend the holidays in the home.
The key here is editing. Do not go overboard with excessive amounts of decorations. Even if they are done really well they can be overly distracting. Remember, you want people looking at the home, not your decorations. Some festive pillows on the couch, a seasonal doormat, a display of gourds or greens, holiday scented candles, and a wreath on the door is appropriate and enough for Halloween and Thanksgiving. During the Christmas season keep your decorations contained primarily to one space if possible. If you have a glorious place for a Christmas tree by all means play that up. If you have a great mantle for stockings, show that. Again, pillows and candles go a long way to set the scene without being excessive.
Timing as to when you should display seasonal items is important. If at all possible, wait 7-10 days before the holiday to decorate. Similarly, remove items within a week or so of the holiday passing.
I know it can be a challenge to have your home on the market during the holidays. Keep in mind, you are looking to impress potential buyers and asking them to spend their money to purchase your home. You want to make sure they are seeing the important aspects of your home and not becoming distracted with your decorations. Perhaps it would be a good time to daydream on how you will decorate your new home!

Viewing your Property Through a Camera's Eye

The final installment of this series: 

And photographs have other uses, too. While photographs themselves are placed front and center in advertising to sell your home, any photos, even amateur ones, have a deeper purpose – they can help you see what others are seeing. With the ease of digital photography, you can use your camera to help you hone your eye for the great and not-so-great aspects of the home and property you are seeking to sell.

This second use of photography is designed to help you see your property in multiple ways: as someone who loves it, and as someone who is seeing it for the first time, and as someone who is critical of it. For you, seeing it “new” might be a hard thing to do, but this is exactly the view that the prospective buyer has, and so it is in your best interest to walk into and through your home with this experience in mind. Using photographs in the early stages of readying your home to sell can be as way to prioritize your “to do” list.

The viewfinder or small screen of your camera is a tool that can help you gain that necessary fresh perspective. Looking through a viewfinder, or framing a photograph in the small screen of a camera is key – what details to keep, what to focus on, what to throw away? Photographers constantly ask themselves these questions as they look through the lens, and all three elements are helpful in re-seeing the home and property that you are selling.

Try going through the list of must-have photographs. Take your camera and walk through your home and around your property. Then go and take every photo you can imagine. Take every room in the house, take a photo looking out every window, and take a photo of the walkway up to the front door, another of the garage doors, and look at details through the eyes of the camera.

Try taking photos at different times of day, in different seasons, if possible, and in different weather conditions. Note the light at different times of days and seasons, how the landscaping flatters or detracts from the house, and if there are elements of the home or property that might be out of proportion or place – especially if they might be easily fixed.

Get very close up: Outside the home get details of walkways and steps, foundation, decks and windows. Take photographs that show the condition, the materials, improvements, flaws, potential hazards or issues with lighting, style or architectural or landscaping details. Inside the home look at banisters, window details, fireplaces, hearths, cabinets, molding and door details, light fixtures, heating vents, walls, paint or wallpaper condition, flooring, stairs and landings, and other details.

Get mid-range photos: Back up a bit and get the bigger picture. Outside the home you are seeking to get photos from the driveway and from the curb, as well as standing at the edges of the property from all sides. Inside the home, try standing in the far corners of the room and down the hall, to feel the approach to a room and the feeling of leaving one room to go to the next. Note if you are challenged with long hallways or other architectural issues and consider ways to improve how they show or even use them to your advantage. Pay attention to the paint, windows, screens, shutters, roof and look for any improvements or issues that a potential buyer might raise.

Get the first glimpse photo: That’s the photo where you can first see the house from a distance. This will be your least useful photo, but it is the first thing that might be seen, so you should know what that feels like. If you have a lot of foliage blocking that view, ask yourself is this in keeping with the neighborhood or the image you are crafting for your home.

Consider printing these photographs out and making an album or putting them on a large board. Additionally, online tools such as Pinterest, Facebook, Flickr or others can enable you to organize, share, track them and to get feedback. Note how they make you and others feel, and immediately create a list of items that are positive, negative, and possible to change easily.

This simple exercise of using your own camera, if done in the early stages of readying your home and property to sell, can give you an edge as a seller. An ability to gain a distance and dispassionate view of the home will enable you to be more aware of and in control regarding the property that you are selling. And with that aim, using photography to your advantage is definitely an art to learn.

Professional Home Photographers

Next in our series is some information that many people never consider...hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of your home.

Depending on your property and the market, consider hiring a professional real-estate photographer. Capturing the details of a home or property is only one facet of what a professional achieves. In addition to a “professional eye” a real-estate photographer will often bring specific camera equipment, lighting and digital photographic software. Professional portrait or landscape photographers also can do the job, but may have varied experience in getting the shots that compare with the real-estate photography that you will be up against, so check the results carefully before paying money to a photographer who might not be as experienced in the areas that you require.

The goal is to enable your home to show in photographs with a realism that draws people in and makes them want to view it in person. Getting the details of the front of the home, the darks and lights in the landscaping and eaves as well as the brights of the lawn and siding can be a tricky thing, and depicting the light and feel of the inside of the home is often beyond the scope of photographers who lack training.

There are ethics involved in real-estate photography. Representing your home in photographs is a balance of revealing the beauty and details, along with a realism that shows the property in a true light. Photographs that misrepresent the home lead to disappointment in the viewing stage, and ultimately can undermine the trust needed to work through the sales transaction. Be sure that the photographs truly show your home, and not some fantasy version with lighting or sense of scope that is vastly different than what will be seen in a walk-through.

There are some photos that you should leave out, as well. For example, is a half-bath worth bumping the picture of the delightful, custom garden shed or the view from the amazing deck? Leave the lesser bathrooms for the walkthrough and spend the valuable shot on something that is unique to your property. Not every bedroom requires a photograph, and basements, garages and storage areas are good bonus features for a walk-through. If appliances, art, or other elements are not being sold with the home, avoid putting them in photographs, or minimize their focus.

Ask your real-estate agent about professional real-estate photographers in your area and about their experience with using professional photography in listings. Many report higher sales prices and quicker sales, offsetting the cost of the investment. And, for those who want, you will have these professional photographs as memories you can keep for future generations.

Capture Your Home in Pictures

Below is the first in a series on the importance of taking pictures that willl help to sell your home.  The series is a reprint of a monthly newsletter that I email out from RE/MAX.  The information is so important that I thought I would share it here as well.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this day of instant information you will want to make sure that you arm yourself with relevant and attractive images of the asset you wish to sell...your home!  

Let me know if you would like to be included in my monthly email list.

Part 1 - Taking pictures yourself or having your Realtor do it for you

Smart sellers know that presenting a home for sale means putting it in the best shape ever. Of course, all that work deserves to be shown to the best advantage – both in “real life” and in each and every view of your home. Often, this first impression comes from photographs.

Putting your home on the market without a photo is essentially not putting your home on the market at all. People want to peek before taking the time to view. Newspaper advertising, online listings, take-sheets – each contain photographs designed to draw potential buyers to come walk through the home and to experience your property with a view towards ownership. Often photographs are what people keep with them as they are making decisions and considering what to bid.

As many as 10-12 photographs may be placed in listings online, but every property should have at least 3-5 shots that tell a story. The goal: to enable the viewer to imagine themselves living in the home. Squander your photographs by offering the wrong ones, and you are missing out on one of your greatest tools to pique the interest and imagination of buyers.

Must-have photos include front of home, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, master bathroom, dining areas, significant features, such as out-buildings, exceptional garages, mother-in-law quarters, and other perks. Include photos that contain elements that set your home apart. If you garden, keep horses, have a game-room, pool, patio, deck or some other feature that photographs well, use it. In listings powerful copy can play a feature up, but a single, considerate photograph really is worth a thousand words. And about those photos… who should take them? Some agents photograph homes themselves, some hire professional real-estate photographers, some request photographs from home owners. Which way is best? If the agent takes the photographs or hires the photographer, the “ownership” of the photographs might be in question. Change agents, and you will need to start with fresh photographs.

Next blog - Hiring a professional photographer.

Closets

I was recently speaking with a friend of mine and she told me about her new, master bedroom closet.  It got me thinking about the importance of clutter-free, organized spaces and how they can sell your home. 

Take the humble closet.  Most of us have a bar or two, a few shelves, and stack our shoes on the floor.  You do not have to spend a ton of money to make the simplest of spaces look more inviting.  For instance, if you can, have all your hangers match.  It lends continuity to the space and instantly pulls it together visually.  You can pick hangers up at IKEA for a small investment which you can take with you when you move.  They have quality wood hangers which cost $4.99 for 8 hangers.  While it could be spendy to do every room in your home with these consider high profile closets like the front closet and your master closet.


IKEA hangers come in several colors

Bed Bath and Beyond also has a wide selection of hangers at a fair price.  The Slim Grips brand sells for $14.99 for 18 pieces.  These take up less space in the closet and keep your clothes from sliding around.  Keep an eye on the mail...Bed Bath and Beyond frequently sends out coupons which would knock your price back even more.

Slim Grips from Bed Bath and Beyond


Next, group similar items together.  Short sleeve tops go in one section and long sleeve in another.  You can get really organized and divide by color.  Keep folded items in neat stacks.  Consider finding some kind of a shoe rack to organize all your shoes, too.  It sounds extra fussy but once it is done the look is clean, tidy, and impressive.  Also, a well organized space quite often looks bigger!  Who ever complained about having too much space?

It is always important to remember that you get that one chance to make a strong first impression.  Help potential buyers look at the attributes of your home by taking away distractions like a messy cluttered closet.  Start small with the front closet and move on from there.

Fall 2012 Parade of Homes

Can you believe that it is almost time for the fall 2012 Parade of Homes?  The Parade of Homes will be held from September 8-30.  Hours are Thursday-Sunday from noon-6p.m.    There are 282 new homes on the Parade this year and they range in price from   $139,900-$2,780,000.  Of course the parade is fun to visit and you may even find a home that you would like to buy, but one of the other great things about the parade is the inspiration you can gain from seeing the cream of the crop.  You may gain valuable decorating and staging ideas which could come in handy if you are looking to sell.  You may also glean some ideas from a parade home for a clever use of space or color choices.

Visit the Parade of Homes website for more details at http://www.paradeofhomes.org/ or get your free guide at any Holiday Stationstore and start mapping out which homes you would like to see!  Have fun!

A Punchlist of Fall Home Maintenence Projects

Well, Labor Day has come and gone and the streets are now dotted with school buses.  It still feels warm outside but as we Minnesotans know, colder days are inevitable. 

Get a jump start on taking care of some winter home maintenance items before the rush begins.  Many businesses even have specials and promos for homeowners who schedule early.  Here are a few maintenance items to consider:

Tune up your furnace.  Do it now so you won’t feel the chill unexpectedly during a cold snap.  Don’t forget to replace the filter so you start off the winter with a clean one.

Clean out your duct work.  Hire someone to clean out ducts so that once you do turn on the furnace, you are not blowing dust and other particles around your home.  Don’t forget your dryer vent!  Make sure that lint and other particles are not obstructing the flow of air from your dryer to outdoors.

Tend to your chimney.  If you have a wood burning fireplace make sure to schedule a chimney sweep.  Regular cleaning will allow smoke from your fire to exit your home easily.

Clean range hood filter.  A clean filter will allow for more efficient removal of smoke and oil from the air above your stove.

Change your humidifier filter.  If you have a humidifier attached to your furnace, make sure that the filter is replaced so you will get the best performance from your unit as possible.

Good News for Minnesota Real Estate

Great news!  All indicators are pointing to a sustained growth in the MN housing market!  For 6 consecutive months, housing prices have risen and the time a home is on the market prior to selling has shrunk a bit.  For instance, in July the average home was on the market for 92 days.  In 2011 average time on market was 112 and in 2010 it was 104 days. In addition, the 7 County Metro Regions are boasting a 16.7% increase in median sales prices…that beats the statewide average of 11.1%.  During the month of July, on average, homeowners were pleased to get 93% of their asking price.  That is a step in the right direction! 

Buying a Property with Others

Here is a copy of my most recent newsletter.  I find that people are interested in finding different ways to take advantage of low home prices and interest rates.  For some, going in on a deal with another person is one way to make that happen.  Whether the second party is a spouse, sibling or family member, or friend, the following information should bring your attention to issues that need y thought and consideration

 

Transactions for the Team:

Buying a Property with Others

Under any circumstance, buying a home or property raises emotion, evokes concerns and hopes, elevates stress, tests relationships, and causes people to learn about wants, desires, and reality. Entering into the adventure of home-buying with others is doing all that through the faceted lens of a kaleidoscope, and sometimes without the beautiful results. Simply put, buying a property with or for someone else can be a trying experience.
Somehow spouses manage to accomplish the task, but even then it can be a tricky transaction that sometimes leaves one party feeling steamrolled, or both parties feeling discontent. When parents and children, or siblings, or even whole families come together to purchase a home or property, things can get tricky. Work closely as part of a team, understanding all the aspects of the task at hand and you will leave every member of the buying group more satisfied and your home-buying experience will be a slam-dunk.

Rule 1: Know the Game being Played

Before you go looking with a realtor, it is highly advised that the group develops a team of commonly-trusted professionals that will guide the team in its thinking and decision making process. Each member of the buying team should understand who is working with them, and the function that they serve, to ensure that the goals of the purchase are being met.
Whether you are buying property with friends, family members, or investors, work to ensure that every person involved in the purchase has a clear understanding of the structure of ownership and tenancy, tax, insurance, investment and estate issues, if they are relevant. Before you can pick a property, all of this should be sorted out and clear. This will enable the group to move more quickly should the need arise, and allow all the parties to work together in a united front as negotiations unfold in the purchase of the property, the final minutes of play.
Once everyone understands the mechanics of the purchase, it’s time for the team to bring on another member. That’s right; the right team member can be the key to a successful strategy in finding the right property for everyone involved.

Rule 2: Bringing in a Top-Draft Player

Real estate agents can move around the court quickly and efficiently, helping to facilitate a purchase, and generally affect the flow of the game to keep all the players doing their job in an orderly and efficient fashion. They have played this game before, they know the rules, and they understand the psychology of the players. Often real estate agents have worked with agencies, lenders, inspectors and other service providers, so they can share their experiences and leverage that knowledge to your team’s benefit. It’s rather like knowing the referee, and understanding how they might call a shot.
But your real estate agent, like any team player, can’t do their job without having insight into the game plan and the other members of the team. Developing a business relationship that allows your real estate agent access to the game plan and profiles of the players will enable the entire team to have a strategy for optimizing the purchase of that perfect property. Bringing in a top-draft player can take a team quickly and efficiently to the win, but the game is still played by a team.

Rule 3: Develop a Winning Strategy

Buying a home or property with others can be a lot like a long drawn-out game, requiring stamina and skills, or simply a whole lot of luck. In worst case scenarios players get hurt. Sometimes “fouls” stop the clock. Poor sportsmanship can ruin reputations. However, when a team is coach able, with excellent players and a real strategy, that same game is a lot more fun, and often results in a quicker, better win.
So How Do You Find Your strategy?
Look around at your team. Inherently there are roles that each member plays. This is not to say that any role is less important, but knowing the strengths of the players will enable you to make decisions that meet everyone’s needs. Every player will have something to add. Some team members play defense; they ensure that the property meets the most basic of needs. They are interested in the security of the inhabitants, the ease of living, the ability to maintain a property. Others play offense; they want to know that they got value, that the home is a good investment, that they will be able to sell it in the future, that the property meets a goal or a dream. Players that seem more like cheerleaders sometimes have good things to offer. Lesser-abled players might still have interesting information to add to the game plan, so make the effort to hear what they have to say. Even the lowly towel-boy or water-person, team members with less of a “say,” might have seen a thing or two watching the team members operate over time.
Also, note other skills that team members possess. Is there someone with a lot of skill or experience, who team members will listen to, that can be trusted to coach? Will the coach have a role in the playing of the game? Is there a clear choice for Captain? Ultimately, someone will have to be the voice for the group, and they will be communicating with a variety of people to ensure that the interests of the group are being met. Understanding if the Captain or other members of the team have more weight in making decisions will be key in a successful transaction, or winning game. As you develop the team strategy for picking a property, knowing the status of each team player will provide a clearer picture of your win in the post-game wrap up. Don’t discount players in the team; it is worth the trouble of working on the skills of every person involved.
In addition to team members, roles and skills, a good strategy includes plays that enable each member to participate. Randomly going to visit properties without a clear way that team members will operate can cause confusion and chaos. How will you decide when you have found the right one? Getting every player involved in the game will provide the team with information that will make that decision much more clear and ensure that everyone is invested in the win.
Successful buying teams have invented strategies that worked for them. One such team had each member develop a list of criteria that they wanted in a property or home. Each member of the team had their own list, and each list had 5 criteria on it. These criteria were the top 5 things that each member wanted in a property. They weren’t random, they weren’t picked for them, and they had to come from the heart and really address what the team member would need to feel right about the purchase. These lists were shared with each other so every member of the team could understand what was important to each other and why, but when members of the buying team viewed a property they would evaluate it using their own list. No one could try to influence another team member about what criteria were on their list; it wasn’t a contest of influence or persuasion, it was an exercise in finding the truth.
Together, members of the team came up with a plan for these evaluations. Each of the criteria on a list could earn 0 points, half a point, or a whole point. A perfect property would end up with a score of 5; a total “loser” in their book would get a 0. The group agreed to only consider properties that scored at least 3.5 on everyone’s scale. In this manner, every member of the team would get at least 75% of what they were hoping for in a property. Some teams might adjust this percentage – desiring to meet 80% or more of the each member’s criteria. This is just one strategy, but it exemplifies working together towards a common goal of achievable satisfaction. Oh, and sharing all of those lists with your real estate agent? That’s a very good idea.

When the Last Buzzer Sounds

Why All this Talk of Team Spirit and Sports? Purchasing a Home or Property isn’t a Game, Right? Think Again.
As in all sports – there is a goal: winning. We all want to buy the best house we can for the least amount of money, getting all of our criteria met. However, there are larger lessons we learn from playing team sports. We learn about playing a “good” game, we learn about working together to achieve a common goal, and we learn the best way of winning by doing it together.
The people involved with you in buying a home or property might be in your life for quite some time. Certainly you will have some relationship to them as you finish the transaction and continue to know and interact with them. More importantly, your work with them in purchasing the property will give you valuable information about yourself. Navigating that win, the purchase of a property with all team-members feeling like they were part of the game-winning play, now that is a game we all want to see. And, we might even want to play it again!