Remembering real estate columnist Bob Bruss

Tom Kelly, a business columnist at the Everett Herald in Washington state, remembers real estate columnist Bob Bruss, who died unexpectedly late last month.

Kelly wrote, “Bruss was smart, ethical, thrifty (‘I want you to know I spent $19.95 of my hard-earned, writing money on your book — you’re lucky it was worth it.’) and eager for you to know where you could save a buck — be it on Broadway play tickets or home services. He was generous with his time, eager to help consumers understand their rights and he went out of his way to explain the pros and cons of owning the roof over your head.

“I did not always agree with his advice to readers, but he was usually spot-on. He once wrote that a single woman, a regular reader of his columns, should not be in a hurry to pay off her mortgage, and should rather wait and ‘pay it off with tomorrow’s inflated dollars.’ The woman called our business news desk, saying she would ‘sleep better at night’ if she knew she owned her home free and clear.

“‘I hope you told her that her sleep was more important than a few potential extra dollars,’ Bruss said later. ‘I would hate to think I caused her to lose sleep.'”

Read more here.