Rochester City Buyers--Consider this Seminar! - 03/27/09 09:55 AM
Are you considering purchasing a home in the City of Rochester? You may want to think about attending the following program. For only $10, it covers many aspects of homeownership.

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Top 5 Staging Mistakes To Avoid When Selling Your Home - 03/26/09 10:25 AM
Fantastic advice from a home staging professional in Ohio!
Via Teresa Meyer-Home Staging Cincinnati-OH. Stage a Star: Home Stager Cincinnati (Stage a Star Staging & Consulting Services):
You've heard the saying "You never have a second chance to make a great first impression" right?  If you are selling your home or will be shortly, you need to take that little saying to heart.  I'm going to share with you my top staging mistakes to avoid and hope that you'll apply what you've read today and be on your way to a successful sale.Staging Mistake #1: BAD MLS Photos Did you know that over … (0 comments)

Sharing the Good News About the Rochester Real Estate Market! - 03/25/09 07:33 PM
I was just thinking today about how long it has been since I've posted a blog entry! In additional to having a slight case of writer's block, I've also been busy lately, which is a fantastic thing!! Still, I apologize for my absence.
 
As my first blog post in weeks, I thought it would be a great time to share some positive news about the Rochester real estate market. Luckily, there has been plenty of good news lately. It's shaping up to be a fantastic Spring market!
The first article I want to share, Home sales ascending nationally and in … (0 comments)

Top 5 Things Buyers Don't Like About Your House - 03/11/09 06:54 PM
This post just about says it all! Some great advice for sellers from Pam Simpson in Mississippi.
Via Pam Simpson - GRI, Broker-Assoc. (Bob Leigh & Assoc., LLC):
Top 5 Things Buyers Don't Like About Your Houseby Pam SimpsonDesoto-Tate County Real Estate
I came across a discussion on city-data forum the other day on what people dislike about looking at homes.  The following items were mentioned over and over again.  Here are the Top 5 Things That Buyers Don't Like About Your House:
SMELL...Overwhelmingly, the #1 complaint among prospective buyers were unpleasant odors in the home.  The chief offenders were smoke, pet odors, and … (1 comments)

Times are Changing! Are You Keeping Up? - 03/11/09 11:06 AM
At our office meeting yesterday, my manager played an amazing video. It was a great way to start the meeting and get us all thinking about how everything in life, including the real estate industry, is changing at an exponential rate. Take a look...

The fact that we're all on Active Rain is a good sign! As the video mentioned, all types of social media and Web 2.0 are increasing in popularity every single day. Is it a challenge to change with the times and keep up with all these new technologies? You bet! But our buyers and sellers are using … (7 comments)

Barbie Turns 50!! - 03/09/09 03:07 PM
It's hard to believe, but the iconic Barbie Doll turns 50 this week. Barbie has just about done it all. Her careers have ranged from astronaut to presidential candidate to pediatrician.
As a woman, it's been interesting to watch the values of society reflected in the many incarnations of the Barbie Doll. As controversial as she's been over the years, she's certainly shown young girls that they can do anything they put their minds to.
I'm sure the unstopable Barbie will be around for years to come. I just have one question... When can we expect REAL ESTATE BARBIE?!
 
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Thinking of selling this Spring ? -- NOW is the time to start the PREPARATION ! - 03/08/09 09:43 PM
This is an excellent post by Sheldon Neal, an agent in NJ. He's right; this is the time to start getting ready to sell!
Via Sheldon Neal -- ThatBritishAgent -- (Bergen County, NJ - RE/MAX Real Estate Limited):
If you are planning to put your home up for sale this upcoming Spring, don't be surprised if it creeps up on you, and that you find Spring is here before you know it !! It is already more than a week into February and the Groundhog has already seen his shadow - but these next six weeks will probably fly by, and you may find yourself faced with the less desirable … (0 comments)

Tax Credits: Old vs. New! - 03/05/09 01:44 PM
At the Home Buying Seminar I held this past Tuesday, several of the attendees had questions about the new $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. I purposely added it to my presentation this time because it seems to have caught everyone's attention! Although it's not too complex, there are still some restrictions and guidelines.
That's why I wanted to share this fantastic chart I received this morning from a mortgage professional I work with. The items highlighted in mauve represent the major changes between the old $7,500 tax credit and the new credit.

I hope this helps! This credit really represents … (0 comments)