SMILES: 10 Basics For Getting Your Westchester House SOLD - 08/31/11 02:38 PM
SMILE: 10 Basics For Getting Your Westchester House SOLD While there are no breakthrough ideas here, the video is more light-hearted, ALWAYS an effective way to make the point. Enjoy!!   << How To Avoid the 10 Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Make on Howcast > … (10 comments)

IRENE: Why are You So Annoyed At All The Media Coverage?? - 08/29/11 03:36 PM
IRENE: Why Are You So Annoyed By All The Media Coverage??
Forty-eight hours out from Irene's entree, and twenty-four hours after her exit, both local events and reactions are all over the road. 
While unaccustomed to, and weary from the 24/7 media coverage,  this no-so-mini-rant comes down on those whining about it. 
In fact, I argue their annoyance was preventable, and largely self-induced.  (And before anyone gets their panties all knotted up, please note the use of both singular and  plural pronouns) 
 In our super-caffeinated, overly-stimulated world, too many have lost the ability to  prioritize and unplug themselves from the stream when appropriate. 
Information is king, and yes there … (27 comments)

The Unexpected Can Happen Wherever You Live - 08/29/11 03:10 AM
The Unexpected Can Happen Wherever You Live
  

 
Quite a week, here in sleepy, suburban Westchester; an earthquake AND a hurricane. 
Both were anomalies,  but  we've had A LOT of funky weather in recent memory-nor'easters... tornado activity... and hail big enough to make you wonder when the locusts would be arriving.  
 
Good reminder that the unexpected can happen  wherever you live. 
A largely uneventful climate can create a false sense of security. Remembering the panicked feeling of being unprepared could serve us all right about now: Losing power for even a few hours is annoying and inconvienent at best., but a little  planning now will save time, … (10 comments)

If It's Free, It's For Me: 2011 US Tennis Open, Flushing Meadows in Queens NY - 08/27/11 11:40 AM

If  It's Free, It's For Me:  2011 US  Tennis Open, Flushing Meadows, Queens NY 
Not a huge tennis fan,  but always up for a new adventure with pals... Dee is an old friend I have not seen much of lately, so when she suggested this, it sounded perfect.
Every August, in the week before the US Open is held in Flushing Meadow Park, is a free qualifying tournament.
YES!  Free parking, free access to all the qualifying tournaments-you just walk in and sit down. There were vendors selling programs, and I think , too, a listing of matchups and schedules, but neither of us … (9 comments)

How To Clean Soot Off A Fireplace Surround - 08/25/11 01:40 AM

 
 
 
 
 
How to Clean Soot Off A Fireplace Surround
Sooty fireplaces are yucky
Many homeowners, after being outside for so much of the season, often find themselves looking at their home interiors with new eyes at summer's end, as they make plans for spending more time indoors.
If you are selling, obvious, deferred maintenance will always set off alarm bells for buyers: 'what else did they neglect that maybe I can't see?' 
Fireplaces are often a  prominant feature in a front room, and are a big selling point in almost any market.  A clean, sootless fireplace surround pays big dividends: Great listing photos to … (13 comments)

Irenes I Have Known - 08/24/11 11:42 PM
 
Irenes I Have Known
Irene is not that popular a name, but it's a nice name, with presence, and history.
It comes from 'Eirene', the Greek goddess who personifies peace.
Irene Cahen d' Anvers was the subject of Renoir's 1879 "Little Irene".
The folk song "Goodnight Irene" was inspired by a few different songs in the late 1890s, but Huddie 'Leadbelly' Ledbetter is given credit for the classic, circa 1932.
The Weavers hit the #1 on the charts with their version in 1950; cover versions followed by many, including the Grateful Dead, John Sebastian, Frank Sinatra, Mitch Miller,Eric Clapton and … (9 comments)

They Got This Call Right - 08/19/11 12:55 AM
 

 
 
 
It takes a great deal of character stregnth to apologize quickly and out of the heart, rather than out of pity.  A person must possess himself and have a deep sense of security in fundamental principles and values to genuinely apologize.
-Stephen R. Covey
 
They Got This Call Right
Baseball is near to my heart,  but I really enjoy the 'human' aspect of most sports-the people behind the stats.
Last year I wrote about an incredible juxtaposition of sporting events, and unexpectedly, tonight the story continues. 
After viewing a most despicable display of poor sportsmanship … (7 comments)

Have You Made Your Labor Day Resolutions Yet? - 08/18/11 05:03 PM
Have You Made Your Labor Day Resolutions Yet?
 
A number of Labor Days ago (before everything was online) the NYT had an op-ed piece exploring why Labor Day would make a better New Years, in that we are used to it representing a clean start, and  presents better  opportunities for new beginnings.
As I remember, the premise was first, there is too much going on at the end of the year...too much stress to be able to seriously affect any real long-term changes you may want to make. 
Then, largely because the start of the traditional school calendar has so ingrained a  rhythm in us, that end of … (8 comments)

SCSP seeks UCRw/D - 08/13/11 02:16 AM
SCSP seeks UCRw/D

SCSP (smart, creative Staging professional) (that would be me) seeks UCRw/D (upbeat, confident Realtor w/ Designations) (hopefully, that is YOU)  OBJECT: cooperative and content clients, more time on your hands, fabulous listing photos, and selling lots of properties quickly, and for the best price
YOU: Positive attitude, reality-based, open-minded, straightforward and direct, good communication skills. Value education and running a customer-service based business.  And ohyes, have the desire to sell lots of properties.
ME: All of the above, and passionate about it; kind, adaptable, supportive, quick-witted, able to manage both projects and sellers. 
Turn-offs: Cranky, jaded, complacent or rude … (12 comments)

Doing Good, Over Being "Right" - 08/09/11 02:06 PM
Doing Good, Over Being "Right"
Earlier this year I was called to a home by a Realtor I had done a lot of work with. Couple in their 50's, had lived in the house for over 20 years, raised their daughter, there, the whole 9 yards.
Lovely conversation on the phone, and a charming, funky house-right up my alley! When I got there, I liked them, and their house immediately.
By the end of the first meeting, several things became clear.  Yes, they loved this house, but they were ready to move on, and willing to do what was needed to bring … (19 comments)

Sunday Smiles: I LOVE THIS JOKE!! - 08/07/11 04:51 PM
Sunday Smiles: I LOVE THIS JOKE!!
There was a preacher who was recently assigned to a small, sleepy congregation in the midwest.
As he was en route to his new assignment, how to best connect with, and re-vitalize the new congregation was weighing heavily on his mind.  When he arrived at his destination, the answer became clear.

Set in the middle of an empty field, the building itself  had full exposure to the strong sun, and the paint was badly blistered and peeling.
It was a simple structure, so what better way to bring good energy to this parish than to give new … (13 comments)

The Difference Between Staging, And Preparing A House For Sale - 08/07/11 03:49 PM
The DIfference Between Staging, and Preparing A House For Sale
Am very big on quotes lately, another one of my favorites is from Mark Twain:
"The difference between the right word, and the almost right word is the difference between lightning, and a lightning bug."
In reality, there is no difference between Staging, and preparing a house  for sale. Perception is another story.
Bless those folks at HGTV.  YES they have elevated our collective recognition of the "S" word. YES most of us know the 'de-clutter, de-personalize' mantra.
Yet  for many "Staging"  is on par with Olympic Curling...we are fascinated! We watch as … (5 comments)

Students Would Choose Ebooks Over Sex And Dating-REALLY!! - 08/03/11 11:54 PM
Students Would Choose Ebooks Over Sex And Dating-REALLY!!
 
A recent survey determined a stunning 73% of college students would give up sex or dating...
 
IF  they could get their textbooks in a down loadable, easy to carry  e-book format.
 
 
 
Two thoughts: 
 
 
As a professional re-working my marketing approach, I am fortified, knowing where and how to find my next market.
 
DAMN!!  Are they making text books with lead-lined covers these days???
… (15 comments)

 
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Marie Graham Westchester County NY Home Stager

White Plains, NY

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The Refreshed Home White Plains NY

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