...if you are into this kinda stuff.

Zillow has an interactive Home Value Report Map that, I have to admit, surprised me quite a bit... but in a good way. You may be shocked to find out where the values have gone up and where they have drastically gone down in the United States. Check the mad map out here.

A couple of things to do there:

See how home values have changed across the U.S.

Click on cities to compare neighborhood home values.

Download detailed city reports for more information, including single family vs. condo comparisons, and a ranking of neighborhoods within an area that are most popular on Zillow.

WallMarker, an arrow shaped piece of chalk, makes picture hanging easier when staging a home. How? The adhesive side sticks to the back of the frame. You then press the picture against the wall where it will be hung, and wall-ah! You have a chalk mark pointing to where you will hammer in the nail or hook.

WallMarkers are reusable and come in a pack of two, a blue for light walls and a yellow for darker walls. The price is right at just $2.99 plus a small amount of shipping and handling. Order them here, I did!

We have noticed quite a bit of publicity for the senior moving companies lately. A feature in the newspaper drew our attention, followed by the need of these services by a widowed down-sizer who was moving out of the country, and finally a phone call from our local yellowpages rep. The rep gave us a connection to a downsizing company in Northeast Ohio who may be able to refer us to clients for our interior redesign and staging services. So we did some research on this up and coming industry.

Here's a quiz for you. We certainly would have underestimated our own answers. Let these stats stick to your brain and find out if wisdom truly comes with age...

1. How many baby boomers are there in America?
2. What year will they first begin to reach retirement age?
3. Senior moving services is currently a $________________ dollar industry and is increasingly in  ________________.
4. What services can stagers offer to downsizers and elderly?
5. What can be done to make the transistion easier for elderly downsizers?

Find the answers here. 

 

We're all aware of the need to lessen our environmental impact. But do we practice what we preach? Do we help our clients make the right choice too? We specify so much paint, generally 75% or more of our clients need to repaint. So why not specify products that don't damage the earth or make homeowners sick?

Paint companies like Sherwin Williams and Mythic have great products that won't kill a sale or your client. Mythic paint introduced a revolutionary new non-toxic paint line that protects the environment and your health.  "Traditional household paints contain cancer-causing toxins that can still be released into the air years after drying." The paint contains zero VOC's, no harmful toxins, and no unpleasant odors. The paint is also washable and offers the same quality performance and durability. Plus we love the retro graphics.

Of course I don't even have a mythic color deck (yet), but I don't leave home without my Sherwin Williams samples. Their eco-friendly and people friendly lines feature the "Green Sure" symbol. Duration Home is my personal favorite because it is green, low VOC, contains mildewcide, and provides a rich coat of durable and washable paint.

I have also added a link to Mythic paint's website on my blog since it seems to be a tricky product to find online through searches.

 

Think back to your college statistics class or high school math. What makes a good survey? When is a survey biased? Not all surveys are done correctly and fairly to produce accurate, truthful results. There's one in particular that really upsets me... NAEBA's anti-staging report. There are more members in my city's area Board of REALTORS than there is in the NATIONAL Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. That said, how do the results of their survey compare to a survey with a more diversified group of participants? There are no concrete statistics proving that staging did not work consistently for any of those who participated in the survey.

A good stager is not out for the money, but is looking to help get the home sold as quickly as possibly and for the highest selling price, thus maintaining a positive reputation for themselves, their businesses, and the staging industry.  According to the 2003 HomeGain Survey of 2,000 real estate agents nationwide, home staging produced an average return of 169% of the initial investment, with 76% of Realtors recommending home staging services. http://www.homegain.com/news/ibd080400?mi=ae&ht=hp_rn_ibd

Good staging advice does, in fact, add equity to the home. If the roof needs replacing, we tell the homeowner to do so.  We tell them to replace anything that is in bad condition and would deter a sale because a buyer would have to replace it, such as leaks, flooring, or light fixtures. Often we suggest kitchen updates. A kitchen is the number one selling feature of a home and has the highest return on investment of any interior home improvement.  Another way staging can add equity is through the homes selling price.  Appraisals are based on recent home sale prices in the area.  If the homes in the area are selling for the highest prices then the value of the area homes are also going to go up.

It is up to the real estate agents to fully disclose a home's flaws and issues. It is up to a homeowner to ask the questions and really analyze the home before they buy it and get a home inspection. A good stager, who is truly a professional, does not cover up serious issues; instead they insist that the homeowner make all repairs before even considering showing the home.

What do you think about this bogus report? Has staging helped you?

I recently posted a request for advice on the content of my newsletter. The active rain community was there to help. Now I have another question...

Does anyone use AWEBER as their newsletter host? 

We want our newsletter to be as graphically stunning as our website. Does aweber allow this? Is it simple to use? Please help! I'm looking for a few more good references (from you, activerainers) before I proceed with the switch. Any advice or experience you would like to share would be very appreciated!

Staged Makeovers: "We recommend that you paint your kitchen cabinets white to brighten them up and make them look new."

Homeowner: "Why would anyone want to paint that beautiful wood?"

Staged Makeovers: "Golden oak is outdated."

Homeowner: "But it is wood!"

Staged Makeovers: "When was this house built? Let me guess... 1989?"

Homeowner:"Ummmm....1988."

Staged Makeovers: "Your home is competing with brand new homes. As a buyer, which would you choose? 80's outdated or bright and new?"

This is a typical conversation with a homeowner on the topic of painting outdated cabinets. It's not easy to talk them into what is best for their home to sell, especially in a market with a surplus of new builds. They bought the house when the style was in and are used to it. What they don't realize is that the home is no longer their own. It is now a product for sale and the product must compete with all the new products with their bright white kitchens.

While reading about low-cost cabinet updates, I found a very credible source that you can use to convince your clients. Even if your homeowners don't listen to you, they'll trust the quote from this source. Read the quote and find out who it is.

 

 

 

Bathrooms are easily one of the hardest things to sell when they are not what the buyer has in mind. Everyone wants a fresh, clean bathroom with gleaming white fixtures. But what if you seller has an outdated bathroom and a tiny budget? What if your eldery downsizer found the perfect home but requires an easily accessible shower, and that perfect home only has a bathtub?

Inexpensive answers can be found here. Trendy white hot tile and tub transformations await.

Yay! I am no longer a newbie. I just passed my two month mark on activerain and have gotten things down (well...I'm still drowning in information). Thanks to everyone who has helped me in my learning experience. I'm not done yet! I look forward to getting even more advice from the ar community.

Next step is the reformatted e-newsletter that I have been intimidated by. If you have any tips or advice, please add a comment or link to one of your articles. It'll be a great help. Thanks activerainers!

Staged Makeovers is currently in the process of revamping its old fashioned and neglected newsletter to make it oh-so-delicious! What we want to know is what kind of info REALTORS/agents crave. We've added a newlsetter sign-up form and hope to launch the new and improved newsletter soon. Spam is just yucky and we wouldn't want to send anyone junk that they will just skip over and delete. We need your feedback!!!

Here's the problem... I need your help. Add a comment letting us know:

• What tastes good to you?
• What kind of content do real estate professionals drool over?
• What leaves a bad taste in your mouth?
• Give us a sampling of your favorite real estate newsletter ingredients and a link to your newsletter.