Sign of the times: empty lot

Where: 7508 West Lake St. in St. Louis Park

What: .24 acre lot

How much: sold for $75k

When: deal closed just after Labor Day

Who: listing agent - Ross Kaplan; broker - Edina Realty

So what's the big deal about an empty lot in St. Louis Park?

It's not just a lot -- it's a lot I listed and sold for the owner. Almost 3 months ago.

And it IS Minnesota, where the ground is predictably going to freeze sometime soon, closing the window for digging out foundations (and thereby building) until Spring.

No Sign of Life

After a recent trip to Sam's Club, I swung by to see if the Buyer -- who had just gotten married and intended to build a new home -- had broken ground yet (the lot is a couple blocks west).

Nope.

In fact, the only change I noticed was some debris that hadn't been there before.

Following a hunch, I looked up the Buyer's St. Louis Park condo, which had been on the market since July.

Yup, there it was: 'Expired' (as of Oct. 31).