Category: Home ownership and repair

  • Still misunderstanding myself

    Last week, I discussed a classic negotiation blunder made by none other than myself: misunderstanding my own preferences. Since the consequences of the initial mistake continue to accumulate, why not continue the story? I hope that this post, if not the last one, can make your own life more negotiable. To review my previous post,…

  • Misunderstanding yourself: A classic negotiation blunder

    Even negotiation instructors sometimes make negotiation mistakes. Since I recently made an exceedingly common mistake, perhaps it’s worth the public shaming that will necessarily come with sharing. At best, the story should make your own life more negotiable. At worst, it’ll offer me a form of catharsis. Most of us tend to assume that we…

  • Negotiating while the iron’s hot

    In many negotiation situations, you have no choice about when to act. If your car breaks down, you’d better negotiate with the dealer. If your teenager brings home a biker, you’d better negotiate now. In more negotiations than you think, though, you can actually choose when to negotiate. Since picking the right moment—the moment when…