Ike Strike, Part Three

He's almost here, you can feel it in the air. The sunset was gorgeous, all but gone now...only a glimmer of light remains to reflect the dark shadows cast by the racing clouds. I watch as the news reporter based in Galveston gives his update of the conditions there. No power. So dark. Looking outside it's beginning to appear like that here.
Hard to imagine just a few short hours ago we were walking Zoe around the block. It was her second outing of the day, extremely rare because she is such a stodgy old biddy. We took her to the dog park before noon, I remember at 11:10 the wind blew the hat from my head. I noted to Marc that historical tidbit in case I forgot, but I knew I wouldn't. Finding the irony in life is one of my favorite tasks. 7:55 PM and the reporters lament, it didn't veer. HUNKER DOWN. This is the official phrase of the 2008 Ike Devistation Show. I haven't heard that phrase as much in my entire life as I have in the last 3 hours. 7:58 PM and I can't even attempt to go outside with my hat on if I want to ever see it again. We know we are in for the night when we're forced to stow the last 2 patio chairs. We'll do that once they won't stay out of the pool. But for now, I need to experience the true ambiance of impending disaster. I think 'll go sit by the pool.
Part Four in a bit.

Thoughts of Ike, Part Two...still no relation to staging!

I tried to tell my darling daughter Jackie to be careful what she wished for. She was one of the few who was disappointed when Rita grazed Houston, sparing us the devistation those just North and East of us were so unfortunate to bear. Now it appears she's gonna get her wish. I hope she's ready. She's always been fascinated with mother nature's wrath and longs to chase tornadoes and rainbows and such. She is my little Tink. I hope she realizes how she is flirting with disaster. At least she has A/C...for now!
The increased wind speed is giving us some merciful air movement inside the house. I hate to see what happens when the rain hits and the windows will have to close. I wonder if it's safe to spend the storm in the pool. From what I recall, there's usually not alot of lightening and thunder, just massive wind and rain. Looking out from our bedroom with the windows as open as they can get, I see the few light pieces of patio furniture shaking precariously in the wind gusts. In the distance I hear something fall over...hoping it's nothing major and better yet, not in our yard. How terrible.
Part Three to come.

Thoughts of Ike, Part One...totally unrelated to home staging!

I'm bored, trying to pass those unbearable hours waiting for the storm to get on with it. So many interesting thoughts have come and gone over the hours, but finally I decide to capture some of the more illuminating thoughts that flitter through as if on the wings of a hummingbird. This series of rantings will be my chronicle of those thoughts, in symphony with the realities of the wrath of Ike.
This ain't my first rodeo. But it's been a looooong time since I felt that certain adrenalin rush thats associated with the approach of a hurricane. A strange mixture of excitement and fear sprinkled with true anticipation. Memories of the transformation of the day, which started as beautifully sunny, somewhat humid and unseasonably warm at 80 degrees for the early hour of the morning, trapse randomly through my mind. "Get off the seawall", I hear the news anchor repeat while showing unbelievable photos of the surging tide, the storm still hundreds of miles off shore. The brightness of the morning mingled with the cooling breeze, increasing in intensity, mocked the anchor's warning, promising a lovely beginning to what is sure to become an historic day, at least in our local history.
As irony would have it, our central air conditioning decided to freeze up, discovered only minutes after I loaded my freshly removed bedroom ceiling fan into it's new owner's vehicle. Figured the we could easily live without the ceiling fan for a few days since the hurricane would necessitate indoor living, and the AC would just remain on. Despite our best efforts, by the time we realized that no AC service person would magically turn up on our doorstep to fix the dead blower motor we were stuck to "weather it out" without the benefit of being cool. Despite the heat emitting from the brain of my laptop, I continue to type, while clouds begin to overtake the sun's rays in a foreboding manner. Now I wondered who was being mocked.
Part Two to follow.

What IS Home Staging?

By definition, Home Staging involves preparing your home to sell by accentuating its advantages and eliminating or reducing the perceived negatives. The results are often a quicker sale for more money than expected. The marketing aspects of staging include all the work done to persuade a buyer to make an offer, including promotional activities, listing materials and how the home is presented.

Staging is about determining what you can do to place your property at the top of the show and sell list. The major difference when designing to sell is not to focus on your own particular taste but rather on the target market that will be attracted to your home. Remember that buyers usually choose the home with the most space and amenities within their given budget. It is human nature to pick the biggest and best for your money. Space is a matter of perception, so the main goal is to make your home feel open and inviting.

Cleaning up clutter and packing up personal items is necessary to achieve that crucial selling advantage. Essentially, buyers need to picture themselves living in your home. A neat, tidy and nicely arranged home without the reminder of daily maintenance is the best way to project the image of pride of ownership. Buyers want value and style, so it is important to tastefully accessorize to achieve mass appeal.

Make necessary repairs prior to showing your home to the buying public. When a purchaser sees even one thing that needs to be fixed, a red flag goes off in their head. They are given the impression that the home is not well maintained, and actually start to look for other issues. With every imperfection (and let’s face it, no home is completely without them) they mentally reduce their offer. By making those necessary repairs first, they have nothing to base a low offer on. Additionally, the repairs will eventually get addressed during the inspection phase which would result in the buyers asking for monetary compensation to have them taken care of, so be proactive and keep your equity in your pocket. Fix ‘em now!

First impressions are everything in real estate. Staging should be your first step in the home selling process. Make sure your home is in top condition before showings commence, and then Prepare Yourself for all of the benefits of staging your home!

Houston Property Sales Retreat Further In March

Single-family home prices hold up amid seventh consecutive monthly slide in overall property sales; home sales reach highest level of 2008

HOUSTON — (April 15, 2008) — Total property sales across greater Houston tumbled for the seventh consecutive month in March while sales of single-family homes edged up to the highest level so far this year, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR). Sales of all property types for March 2008 totaled 6,098, which represents a 17.3 percent drop compared to March 2007. Total dollar volume for properties sold during the month was recorded at $1.2 billion compared to $1.4 billion one year earlier, a 16.7 percent decline. The average price of a single-family home continued to increase, growing by 2.0 percent last month from March 2007 to $208,105. The median price of a single-family home was flat at $151,000. “Home buyers and other consumers are tightening their belts during some of the toughest economic times we’ve experienced in decades,” said Michael Levitin, HAR chairman and principal of HTownRealty.com. “Many of those postponing home purchases are opting to rent for now, while those who have sold homes recently are reaping the rewards of pricing that has held steady even as sales have cooled. Houston continues to fare better than the rest of the country on the housing front and new employment figures show us leading the way with strong, sustainable job growth. Throw in historically low interest rates and Houston’s comparatively low cost of living and there’s every reason to believe that local consumer confidence will improve and help boost the real estate market.”

Adding WOW to your Windows

As stagers, we are always coming up with new and inventive ways to inexpensively add that “WOW” factor to our clients’ homes. One of the most effective ways to spruce up a room is to add fabric valances to your windows. Today I will share with you one of the methods we use to create beautiful valances with minimal time, skill and cost. There is no hardware to hang, all you need are rubber bands, a couple of nails, a hammer and double stick tape.
First, measure the width of your window(s). Now, determine the length of the drop on each side of the window. You need to decide what will look best on your particular window. Generally, you will want to choose one of three options; a short, scarf like end of only a few inches, sill length or floor length . Add the measurements for the drop for both sides with the width measurement, and add an extra 18 inches. It doesn’t need to be exact, as you will be able to adjust it when hanging. Better to have too much than not enough.
Now choose a fabric. Usually fabric comes in one of two widths, 45” or 60”. Since your valance will only be anywhere from 6 to 10 inches wide when finished, you can cut 2 or 3 strips from one piece of fabric and sew the lengths together to give you the total length you need. If you aren’t in to sewing, you can use heat fused stitching tape. We always check the sale tables at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond first for pre-made window scarves, as they require no sewing. Get 2 if they are too short, there are many ways to “tie them together” to get the length you need. You can also get creative with table cloths, flat bed sheets or scarves. When staging your home to sell, you’ll want to choose light, airy and colorful fabrics that blend with your home’s style and décor. You don’t want to cover your view, just enhance the window.
Create your valance by sewing or fusing your fabric pieces to achieve the total length you need. Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, and trim to the desired width, allowing ½ inch or so for seam allowance. Now stitch across the raw edges and turn right side out. When finishing the ends, turn raw edges under and stitch close to the edge. Your valance is now ready to hang!
Install a small nail with a head to each upper corner of your window an inch above and outside of the frame. Leave enough nail protruding to hook your fabric on to so you can stand back and check for evenness. Drape the valance across the top of the window, hooking the fabric onto the nails. Make sure your drop is the same length on both sides. Grab the fabric where it sits on the nail, and bunch it up to make a “rosette”. Secure the rosette by wrapping a rubber band around the knot of fabric. Fluff out the fullness of the rosette, and hang from the nail with the rubber band. Repeat for the other corner. To finish, apply double stick tape to the wall across the top of the window and smooth the fabric against the tape. VOILA! Instant charm!

This example shows how we used 2 premade window scarves to create a lovely showcase for the view from these windows. The ends were brought together in the center of the treatment, creating a keystone center. This treatment took about 10 minutes to hang and cost about $20.

Press Release - Home Staging Open House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 A.M. EDT, March 25, 2008

ENTRANCES HOME STAGING TO HOLD STAGING OPEN HOUSE

KATY, TX, MARCH 28, 2008: In conjunction with April OPEN HOUSE
month, Entrances Home Staging will be hosting a Staging Open
House on Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, CST.
Visitors will be able to tour a staged home to get a first hand
view of how home staging is implemented. Pictures of the rooms
before staging will be posted. Entrances staff members will be
on hand to answer questions and provide information and tips
about staging. The open house will be held at 2131 Enchanted
Park Lane, Katy, Texas, 77450, which is in the Oak Park Trails
subdivision. Refreshments will be served.

“With the summer selling season fast approaching, home sellers
need to be aware of the many benefits staging provides them”
says Nancy Albea, founder of Entrances Home Staging. “We want
people to know that it isn’t just successful on TV. Staging has
proven to sell homes faster and for more money, and in today’s
slow market, sellers need every advantage available.”

Based in Katy, Texas, Entrances Home Staging prepares homes to
sell quickly and for top dollar. From preparing Complete Action
Plans for do-it-yourselfers to providing furnishings and
accessories, their services are fully customizable to fit every
budget and need.

-End

Location and Price and Condition….OH MY!

Responding to what buyers are looking for can help you maximize your return!

In today’s competitive market, you really have to stand out to capture a buyer. It is commonly known that there are three vital factors that determine salability of a home; location, price and condition. Taking an in-depth look at each factor as it relates to selling your home can help you easily determine if your strategy will produce a sought after stand-out.

Location, Location, Location!

This is such a popular expression in the real estate industry. It’s almost as if nothing else matters. In fact, this is very nearly the reality of it. The prettiest home in town with all the bells and whistles can’t draw buyer attention if it is surrounded by alligators. With so many fluctuating dynamics affecting location such as new road construction, neighborhood maintenance, and traffic flow changes, it can be difficult to predetermine a good one. A stunning home in a posh, gated community would lose tremendous value if, after years of gaining equity, a major thoroughfare were built behind it. The key items that buyers consider when evaluating a home’s location are accessibility, topographical factors such as highways, utility lines and railroad tracks, neighborhood amenities and overall desirability. Location is the one element in the equation that cannot change, so if it is less than prime, the other 2 factors have to take up the slack.

Price

Often the bone of much contention, pricing your home right can make the difference between a swift sale and a languishing listing. A home with an inflated price tag will not even make the showing list of most agents. Setting the price on a piece of real estate is much more involved than coming up with a figure you would like to get. Several factors must be considered, including recent home sales, market conditions and the condition of the home. Among common methods of calculating listing price is to use a price per square foot calculation. This is done by analyzing comparable homes recently sold in the area, making adjustments for upgrades and amenities, and working some mathematical magic to determine the price your home should fetch. Thankfully, real estate agents are experts in assessing the value of a home. Generally, active agents who specialize in certain areas are aware of everything going on in that segment, and are the best resource in accurately pricing your home.

Condition

This is the factor that most homeowners consistently lose money on. Often overlooked, it is the one factor that sellers have the most control over. When the For Sale sign goes up on the lawn, your home needs to be dressed in its Sunday best. Potential buyers walking through the door determine within 10 seconds if the home is going to be a contender. They need to visualize themselves living in the home, and the more universally attractive it is, the easier it will be for them to create that bond. Home to most people is not only where they live, but how they live. All repairs and updates should be made before opening the door to buyers. That leaky faucet that you’ve gotten used to after all these years won't go over well with buyers, who naturally gravitate to the biggest and best value for their dollar. Small tasks such as removing dated wallpaper (authors note: ALL wallpaper is dated!) and painting a neutral color yield a 796% return on the cost. Cleaning and de-cluttering, with a whopping 594% return on investment, are by far the most important tasks on the home seller’s agenda list, yet frequently this is the task that gets the least attention. Condition will directly impact price, so it makes sense to put as much of your home's equity in your pocket as possible. Be careful how you spend your preparation dollars, though. Over-improvement is just as bad, if not worse, than not making any. Investing $50,000 on a new kitchen may not "pay you back" when it's time to sell unless it compares to what purchasers expect to find in your market range. With the other 2 factors under consideration, there is only so much you can invest before you hit the point of no return…on investment!

Recent press release from Houston Association of Realtors..."excellent time for home buyers to invest".

HOUSTON PROPERTY SALES CONTINUE TO SLIDE IN FEBRUARY

Sixth consecutive monthly decline is tempered by notable increases in average and median single-family home prices

HOUSTON — (March 18, 2008) — Property sales across greater Houston slid for the sixth consecutive month in February, but the decline was not as steep as January’s. While February sales of single-family homes dipped, the prices of those homes rose, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORSâ (HAR). Total property sales for February 2008 registered 5,266, which represents a 13.1 percent drop compared to February 2007; it’s an improvement over last month’s 17.2 percent fall. Properties sold during the month totaled just over $1 billion compared to $1.1 billion in sales one year earlier, a 7.9 percent decline. The average price of a single-family home rose 5.6 percent last month from February 2007 to $206,140, representing the biggest increase since last August. The median price of a single-family home increased 3.1 percent to $151,430. “Houston continues to feel the ripple effects of the national mortgage crisis,” said Michael Levitin, HAR Chairman and principal of HTownRealty.com. “However, many area Realtors are actually reporting brisk sales, which supports our contention that real estate is local, meaning some parts of town are doing well and others not so well. For Sale signs have gone up in many neighborhoods in recent weeks and sales of luxury homes remain high, so we’re hopeful that the overall numbers will soon show signs of improvement. With interest rates at historic lows, pricing that’s affordable and a good selection of inventory, this is still an excellent time for home buyers to invest.”

For full article go to http://www.har.com/mls/dispPressRelease.cfm

Are we ALL Savvy Stagers? The world deserves to know!

While taking my evening internet stroll through HGTV land, I came across an interesting feature I had not seen before. It was a quiz to test the ability to stage a home. Intrigued, I immediately launched the application, eager to discover my how my aptitude would rank. How hard could this be? By the time I hit question three, I was beginning to realize this wasn’t nearly as elementary as I expected. Feeling challenged, I persevered, choosing the best option of the multiple solutions given for each scenario. When asked what my home should smell like for a showing, I was tempted to select money …after all isn’t that my job? By the time I reached the end of the quiz I was sweating. What if I failed? What if HGTV declared me to be a Reluctant Seller or worse, a Staging Sellout?
I held my breath, afraid to click on the NEXT button…

Calculating Results….

You are a Neutral Know-It-All.

Your staged home is the envy of the neighborhood and a step up from your competitor's listings. You know how to lure buyers in and help them envision living in the space. If we have any advice for you, it's to be patient while playing the waiting game. Don't worry — those offers will soon be trickling in!

Whew!
Relieved and validated, after taking the quiz so seriously the first time I decided to give it another whirl. This time I threw it a few curve balls, being a bit more liberal in my selections. AGAIN, I am deemed a Neutral Know-It-All. What could this mean? When I’m good, I’m good…but when I’m bad, I’m better? Or is EVERYONE a Neutral Know-It-All? Hmmm…

Want to know how you rate? Test my theory. Take the quiz. Look for the link under "Sell Your Home Faster " and prepared to answer when asked... Are YOU a Savvy Stager?

Be sure to come back and take the poll!

The Stager gets Staged!

If any of you have had the opportunity to view my website, you most likely have seen the before and after pictures of my home when I re-designed and faux painted.

Click Here For Tour Of Home

Having taken drab to fab, at least to my personal taste, it now came time to downsize and list the home for sale.
Knowing the difficulty of disengaging one’s self from their home, I enlisted the aid of Kimber and Lisa, two of the most talented stagers I have met and had the privilege to work with.
It was like an episode of Designed to Sell gone bad.
How many times have I watched that show only to think to myself, are they crazy? How can they expect to sell with that purple wall with red polka dots?? Little did I know that I was just like them…totally subjective.
How could they not see the appeal in my pumpkin colored walls or my deep teal faux?

I assured them I could accomplish all the daunting tasks that were scrawled on my memory list in 5 days Strip the wallpaper? No problem. De-clutter the study? I can have that done in an hour! I was actually surprised that I only had to re-paint one room, and surely I could do that in a day. Only four walls of deep teal faux to cover.

I bet you can guess what happened. When did they stop making dry strippable wallpaper? The new contest on my website is going to be “Guess how many coats of primer and paint are needed to cover dark teal faux”! And in my next clinic, I will be emphasizing the importance of taping off at the ceiling before painting.

With Murphy’s Law in full effect, the staging date was pushed back a day, and an additional room was added to the paint list. Even then, I was not prepared as I should have been. How many times has a client assured me they had completely decluttered, only to have to wade through a sea of boxes trying to shift furniture around? Being the champions that they are, Lisa and Kimber worked their magic in spite of my hypocrisy. I was totally stunned by the transformation.

Click Here For Tour Of Home

I’ll let their work speak for itself!

Time for Texas to CATCH UP!

Florida builders offer to stage customers' old homes

ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
August 19, 2007

Here's the latest come-on Florida home builders are offering potential buyers: Stage your present home.
Pulte Homes and Toll Brothers both are making the offer, saying sign a sales contract with us and we'll pay for the services of a professional home stager to make your current home look great so it will sell faster.
Staging is the art of using furnishings and accessories in a different way to make a home look more attractive. It involves purging clutter, rearranging furniture and highlighting a home's best features without spending a lot of money on new things.
“There's a difference between living in a house and setting it up for sale,” said Deborah Ehrlich of Staging Plus in Hillsborough, Fla., which is providing the staging services for Pulte.
Pulte will contribute a maximum of $2,000 as compensation when the stager does an in-home consultation with sellers for outlays required to comply with the stager's advice, depending on the community and the type of Pulte home they are purchasing.
Toll Brothers offers a similar program, said Tom Wingfield, sales manager at the Estates at Harbour Isles in Apollo Beach, Fla. “If they have to spend money to follow the stager's ideas, we would cover the cost to a certain extent,” depending on the location and price of the Toll Brothers home sellers are buying, he said.
David Leonard is convinced the advice he got from a stager helped him quickly sell his 2-year-old house so he could move ahead with his purchase of a Pulte home. “They brought out things I never would have thought about,” said Leonard, 43.