Laurie's Blog

What NOT to do at an open house - Seller Tips - Part 1

Laurie Furem — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:33:26 -0500

It used to be a hobby of mine to go and stop in at some open houses. OK, to tell the truth, my husband and I would ALWAYS visit those held open that we could never afford! :>

If you are an unrepresented Seller aka For Sale by Owner, here are some things you probably DON'T want to do at your open house!

DON'T leave a messy home. Buyers don't want to have to imagine what the house would look like without all the dust bunnies :> And they will also wonder if there are maintenance problems that might have to be addressed. (paraphrased from Inman News)
DON'T leave any items of value in sight.
DON'T leave pets unattended and roaming free. Not everyone is a pet lover:>
While we are on the subject of pets - and other odors that might be offensive, have a friend do the "sniff" test and if there is some noticeable odor; DON'T cover it up with air freshener - try baking something simple (cookie dough cut into slices and baked) just before the open house. That should make potential Buyers drool! (paraphrased from Inman News
DON'T leave clutter all around. This would be a great time to get the kids to put their toys away.
DON'T leave clothes hanging around.
Give your counter tops a "look-see" and evaluate whether they can be cleared a little bit. You DON'T want the the potential Buyer to think "gee, there's no counter spacer," when in fact there is!

The next sign you want to see in your yard is this one:

The sub-prime market - what a mess!

Laurie Furem — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:35:02 -0500

Hello my fellow Active Rainers from one of the leading foreclosure states - Georgia.

It is my opinion that we could be (or already are) in for a bumpy ride for our low income and credit challenged Buyers. Couple that with the fact that we are (and have been ) in a Buyer's market for a few years now and it's no wonder my hair gets grayer by the minute (but only my hair stylist knows for sure :>).

Here's today's scenario for me. I have Buyers coming in from FL this weekend with some credit challenges. They are paying out-of-pocket for their moving expenses and although they will be reimbursed, it cuts their savings down to nothing.

With sub-prime sources drying up all over the place, and regulations tightening, mortgage brokers are having one heck of a time getting ANYONE to approve these kinds of loans. The mortgage banker I am working with for this couple sent credit info out to multiple sources and actually was able to get ONE approval - a first at 9.25% and a 2nd somewhere around 12-13%. Anyone having flashbacks to the '80's?

The Importance of Networking and Alliances

Laurie Furem — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 03:03:32 -0600

Over this past weekend, I had the opportunity to be a vendor (under the Keller Williams logo) in a Home and Garden Show at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, GA (a "Class A" Mall). The Show took place over 3 l o n g days! lol

Although the advertising or rather the lack of advertising and a Mall sign had somehow miraculously appeared pretty much in front of our display cut down visibility substantially there were some definite advantages to having participated in this event.

Also on-hand at this display were a mortgage banker, an appraiser and a financial service specialist. Advertising handouts were available in other relevant areas of real estate (pest control, closing gift ideas, etc.)

Although we did not get the traffic we hoped for, the synergy between my alliance partners was fantastic. As dedicated professionals we were all there for a common purpose and we were able to effectively work together to "give the people what they wanted."

We were also fortunate enough to have enlisted Sears to loan us a 50" TV to use for our power point presentation!

We are in the midst of following-up on our leads and I will keep you posted on the results.

When buyers won't make a move, what do you do?

Laurie Furem — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:55:37 -0600

I came across an article in Innan News by Matt Carter (might only be viewable by subscribers) from last October which really hit home, especially in the Metro Atlanta market where we have a very large standing inventory of homes for sale (10+ months). The gist of the article is based around the growing nationwide rise of housing inventory and the fact that the Feds have left interest rates alone for quite some time.

With those thoughts in mind, today's Buyer may be thinking that the "best buy" is just around the corner and with fairly stable interest rates, there's not the same sense of urgency as in a more stable housing market.

Carter has a few suggestions on what an agent might do if they find a property that meets the Buyer's needs, is fairly priced and the Buyer "remains on the fence"?

Buying a house (as we all know) is extremely stressful for a Buyer and one of their main concerns is financing. One way to ease their minds and build confidence is to go over the numbers first. Have them speak to a lender to find out just how much house they can comfortably afford (standard operating procedure, right?).

In our initial contact with the potential Buyer, consider doing a Buyer's analysis of their housing needs that can be used as a checklist as the process moves forward. I have found this to be a great tool when a Buyer is waffling just a little. The checklist gives us a clue as to whether the hesitation on making an offer is rational or emotional. We all know that the Buyer knows "the right house when they see it" right?

The article goes on to talk about educating our Buyer clients/customers that "homes tend to be good investments and the only way many Americans ever save any money."

The article also touches on the "renters" market and indicates that it is rapidly shrinking. When we educate Buyers as to how much they can "save" by owning a home, it opens up that whole target market. The question is, at least for me, how to reach that transient market.

There are 3 parts to the total article and IMO, worth a look-see

As always, comments and questions are welcomed.

Sandy Springs GA without water?

Laurie Furem — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 07:12:11 -0600

As of earlier today, the AJC reported that a "boil water advisory" remained in effect for a small area of Sandy Springs in Fulton County. It is anticipated that the advisory will remain in effect until at least tomorrow morning.

The problem that initially caused the advisory to all of Sandy Springs was due to a water-main valve that cut pressure to the main line serving the city of 86,000 people. That low pressure allows for the possibility for "contaminants into the water supply," said Janet Ward, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. "The advisory will be lifted only after lab tests determine that there are no contaminants remaining in the water."

Watershed workers will be visiting homes in Sandy Springs today to ask for water samples, Ward said.

Residents who have not lost water (or got it back) are being asked to conserve that water usage to ease the pressure problems.

Relo fees that seem to grow and grow

Laurie Furem — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 08:00:51 -0600

Earlier this week, I completed and e-filed my 2006 Income Taxes (what a joy and a pleasure that was). Although I track my figures throughout the year, I was absolutely blown away when I looked at my 1099 from Coldwell Banker where all of my closed transactions had been from relo business and saw what I actually had earned (can I hear an ouch?). I do state up front that I was fully aware of the terms involved. Relo charges had increased up to 35-40%. Now that's a lot of money when you consider you still have your broker split to consider. In April of 2006, I left CB and joined KW where I no longer do relo! LOL

I came across an article in Inman News from 2/13/2007 which seems to be right on point. The article addresses how relo fees have "risen over time from 15 percent to 20 percent of a real estate agent's share of a home-sale commission to 35 percent or more -- several real estate professionals told Inman News that relocation company fees can exceed 40 percent. This is causing lots of real estate folks to "just say no" to relo,

IMO, there;s also the age old question, why do they (relo companies) charge so much when WE do so much work to close the deal. On this listing side, the paperwork alone is time consuming, on-going and tedious. Some of that work (BMA's, EMC's) has to be done before you even get the listing and if you don't get it...time spent=money lost.

The article is well worth a look see.

Disclaimer: Writer acknowledges that she has not yet had a 2nd cup of coffee :>

USA Today: Atlanta: Saturated market...

Laurie Furem — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:03:36 -0600

There was a not so flattering article on February 12th in the on line version of USA Today (brief synopsis provided) about the Atlanta housing market.

Mike Wright of the Atlanta Board of Realtors is cited in this article. He states that we have a saturated 11.2 months inventory of homes and condos on the market as compared with 7.2 months of inventory in December. He fails to state the average months of inventory on a yearly basis for 2006. It was predicted that our inventory would grow from approximate 10 months for 2006 to 12 months for 2007.

IMO the full title of this article (Atlanta: Saturated market, mortgage fraud fallout has flattened home prices) gives misleading information to the public. Is it really mortgage "fraud" that has caused a tremendous jolt in our foreclosure rate and hence the number of homes on the market?

Might it have started in the aftermath of 9/11/2001 when the "2nd home" market became flooded? Might it be that the "interest only" mortgage loans that were so popular only a short time ago are a strong contributing factor? Or, might it also be the changes in the rate of transferees into the Metro Atlanta area?

Forsyth County initiated a 90-day (renewable) building moratorium on residential rezoning last month in an effort to help the County keep up services for the growing population and to review its failing infrastructure.

Is our market "saturated" truly because of foreclosures and mortgage fraud, or is the continued over-building of residential properties a very large factor?

Disclaimer: Writer takes no responsibility for random thoughts written before 6:00 a.m. on any given day :)

Just my .02 folks, thoughts???

2007 GAR Purchase and Sale Agreement

Laurie Furem — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:02:31 -0600

In reading and re-reading the new Purchase and Sale Agreement, I just want to clarify a point that was previously posted in terms of the financing contingency. There has been no change in the form regarding a Buyer losing his/her earnest money if the Buyer finds out that a property doesn't appraise. **

Either the Seller reduces the sales price to reflect the appraisal, another appraisal is obtained, the Buyer decides to pay the difference or the contract is void and the Buyer gets his/her earnest money back.

For our newer agents :> although we are still very much in a Buyer's market, IMO it is usually best to make the offer as "clean" as possible. Usually, a Buyer can get through the financial process in less than 10 days (much less with my preferred Lender! lol), so if I am using the "due diligence" clause (and depending how soon the closing date is) I would probably use a 10-12 day window in total.

If we think of it from the Seller's perspective, why would they want to have their property off the market for a longer period when the Buyer can walk away for any reason at all.

Just my .02...comments, questions, suggestions are always welcome.

Laurie

**during the financing contingency period

Spell check your blogs and other Internet forms

Laurie Furem — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:23:27 -0600

I don't know about you, but when I am focusing on what I am writing and not always the spelling of words that my fingers seem to run away with.

As we all know, all blog formats are not equal and not all have spell check. I'm sure I got this tool from someone, probably on RealTalk, an absolutely wonderful web based real estate community. Anyway, there is a handy little tool called ieSpell - a spell checker for Internet Explorer.

It's easy to install and to use and has certainly helped me countless times. Too bad it doesn't check grammar too! lol

If you try it, let me know what you think.

Laurie

Building your brand with blogging

Laurie Furem — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:01:53 -0600

I am in the process of reading the book "Realty Blogging" by Richard Nacht and Paul Chaney. The overall premise of this book is to "build your brand and outsmart your competition."

A really terrific feature of a blog is that it allows for a dialog between you and a client or prospect to increase your opportunities to build long-term relationships. "Blogs provide a low-cost, high results to for community building competitive differentiation marketing, sales, customer relations management, media contacts and corporate collaboration." In effect, a blog is like sending out an email to everyone!

A topic that caught my eye was the concept of "niche" blogs. As I understand it, niche blogs are "well suited to creating your own market. These blogs enable you to reach that target market more 's effectively."

I will report more when I get further into the book.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has read the book and learned from it (or not) and of course and comments.

Have a great day!

Laurie

2007 GAR Purchase and Sale Agreement

Laurie Furem — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:38:38 -0600

I recently completed the Georgia Contracts - 2007 online course and found it to be very informative and helpful, especially since there are some major changes over years past. If you are planning on using the 2007 GAR Purchase and Sale Agreement and haven't already had coursework offered at your office, I would suggest looking into this course. The cost is $30 and you get 3 hours CE credit.

One thing I was unaware of is that the 2007 GAR form is merely "suggested," and not mandatory. Earlier forms of a Purchase and Sale Agreement may be used as long as it is accepted by both the Seller and the Buyer.

Anyone have any thoughts on the new contract?

Some Georgia trivia

Laurie Furem — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 08:44:14 -0600

It seems you never know what you'll find when you look through historical records at the State archives these days

On Wednesday, Gregory Jarrell, an archivist, found what was indeed an important and forgotten piece of Georgia's history. Apparently, Mr. Jarrell was looking at some microfilm when he saw the date March second, 1977. Archivists believe that the bound volume in which the original document was found was in fact Georgia's only written recording of the Declaration of Independence

State Archives Director David Carmicheal says "the handwritten document probably was recorded by a scribe or clerk after Congress dispatched a copy of the original document from Philadelphia to the nation's 13 original states."

90-day rezoning moratorium in Forsyth County

Laurie Furem — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:44:35 -0600

The Board of Commissioners decided in it first meeting of 2007 to approve a 90-day moratorium on residential rezoning for applications submitted after June 5, 2007. There is an option to extend the moratorium by 90 days in place.

Commissioner Dave Richard, who is considered to be one of the commissioners who is concerned about rampant development, said "the county must slow down rezonings to study county infrastructure and assure the county could support any further development that is approved."

The moratorium was the first order of business on the agenda for the new Board. Two of the major issues are traffic congestion which is already saturated and there is not enough water to go around for the current residents. Schools get overcrowded as soon as they are built and county services are unable to keep up with growth.

So, any thoughts on how the temporary moratorium (shorter than the last one) will affect our business? If we are looking at a standing inventory of homes of 10-12 months for 2007, can this be a good thing?

...rainy day in Georgia

Laurie Furem — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:30:38 -0600

Hi and Happy New Year to all.

I'm having a lazy day and am thinking about what I hope to achieve in 2007. I am losing the first 2 months of the year as I recover from back surgery (more time to type - lol) and I still intend to have my best year yet!

I am really excited about the fact that I will have a booth (with my partner) at one of the Home Shows at a local mall at the end of next month. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience in doing these kinds of shows and if so, might be willing to share some thoughts. I am open to any ideas/suggestions from anyone :>

To me, this kind of exposure can't help but grow my database and further down the line, my pocketbook too. lol If mall traffic is at a 50,000+ count for a weekend, the possibilities seem almost unlimited.

Thoughts?

Changes coming in 2007 GAR forms

Laurie Furem — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 04:29:12 -0600

There are new GAR forms that will take effect in 2007. If you have not yet seen them, check out the GAR site to take a look at their training (sample) forms.

In looking at the new Purchase and Sale Agreement, there are some notable changes which seem to favor the Seller. For instance, the Seller will no longer be responsible for providing a Wood Infestation Report. The wording is as follows: "9C Termites: Buyer shall be solely responsible for inspecting for any wood destroying organisms and obtaining any Official Georgia Wood Infestation Report that may be of interest to Buyer or required by Buyer's mortgage lender9s)."

Take a look at the new forms and let's discuss the implications (if any) of the changes.

Welcome!

Laurie Furem — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:17:21 -0600

Welcome to the Georgia real estate group. I hope this forum will be a great place to exchange information and network with Georgia colleagues. I am open to suggestions on formatting. I'd like to keep the context local to Georgia.

In my opinion, our maket is not one of those experiencing a "bubble" burst because we didn't have one to begin with! lol

Top Negotiating Skills Are A Must For Success

Laurie Furem — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:05:57 -0600

In an article by Seth G. Weissman in the current Georgia REALTOR® Magazine, he says: "There are two fundamental truths in the world of real estate brokerage. The first is that most REALTORS® thrive on making deals happen. The second is that great deal makers are great negotiators. If you agree with these statements, you now understand why REALTORS® who are looking to become more successful, invariably focus on improving their negotiation skills."

What follows is a summary of my interpretation of the article. Comments and questions are most welcome :>

All REALTORS® need to improve their negotiating skills significantly. With more information at their fingertips than ever before, consumers are increasingly questioning whether or not we add enough value to justify our commission. Negotiating is at the top of the list of value-added services. "A great negotiator can usually save a client more than the fees they charge."

5 Key Skills to Good Negotiating

1. Participate in the negotiation while being a detached observer.

Filling that dual role takes practice and requires a different mindset. When we are being the "active participant," we are not necessarily detached from the outcome. The active participant is more likely to take things other people say at face value and tend not to observe what is going on around them.

The detached observer is skeptical, takes nothing at face value and observes closely what is going on around them. In a negotiation, the detached observer is always asking themselves questions pertaining to the transaction. When we focus on those questions during the negotiation, we find that we see things differently.

In most cases, being a detached observer requires detaching from the outcome, staying focused and not "losing it," no matter what.

2. Be the mediator

If we are truly to be good mediators, we need to keep in mind that our success can be defined as helping clients achieve THEIR goals instead of the goals we might have if we were the owners of the property. It is often only to easy to forget that we are negotiating on someone else's behalf and respond accordingly to a good or bad offer.

The job of the mediator is to act as a go-between in trying to make a deal happen. Instead of attacking someone else's position (low offer), the mediator tries to understand the other party's position (ask lots of questions) so that they can explain it in the best possible light to their client. A mediator understands that that a negotiation is a discussion between the parties to see if there is enough common ground to do the deal.

Using the example of a low offer, the mediator (acting as listing agent) might say: "I've received your offer and, of course, I will immediately communicate it to my client. Based on what my client has already told me, however, I don't think this offer is in the ballpark." When the other party asks why, the mediator's response might explain that there are 3 recent comparables for like properties not in as good a condition as this property. "My seller is aware of these comparables and has priced his home at the same level as the others that have already sold. Frankly, even if you pay full-price for the listing you'd still be getting a pretty good deal."

Now, not only should the buyer not be offended, but the discussion is put on a level to help the buyer understand the seller's position and hopefully make a better offer on the next go-round.

3. Practice Patience

Although patience may be one of the hardest things to have when your client is desperate for a deal, it is probably on of the most important traits of a great negotiator. It requires that we not be too eager and give the other party a reasonable amount of time to respond.

Part of the learning curve is learning to accept that negotiations take time, may involve several back and forth offers (and counters) and sometimes never result in a deal. Educating clients that they need to be able to walk away from a deal is essential as is leaving room for compromise. Being too eager many times translates in money being left on the table to the party who has a hard time letting deals evolve in their own time.

4. Know the value of the real estate you are selling (or buying)

This article suggests a terrific exercise for newer agents in trying to learn about property value. The gist is, determine a neighborhood (subdivision) that you are interested in and track the properties that are currently for sale. Preview those properties and write down the price (or range) at which you think they will sell and days on market. "Modify your predictions when any adjustments are made in the listing price. Then compare your predictions with what happens in the marketplace. If you regularly engage in this activity, you will become better at discerning the true value of a property in that given area. And if you keep the information, you will be creating a personal database that will have real value to both your buyer and seller clients."

What makes us good negotiators is knowing the value of the property we re negotiating for and thereby knowing when we get a good deal.

5. Establish the procedure of negotiating before an offer is ever made

The negotiating process should begin way before the parties ever make a serious offer. We need to educate buyers and sellers on what to say (and how to say it) when they are around a party from the other side as their words can have a very strong affect.

Consider what message phrases like "motivated seller," "will consider all offers" or "must sell" sends to the buyer and how they affect the seller's leverage in the negotiation. Likewise, when a buyer starts talking in front of the listing broker about "the wonderful meals they can cook in that kitchen," "won't this bedroom be perfect for little Mary (or John" and where the furniture goes, the buyer's leverage is affected.

The good news is that negotiating is a learned skill that can improve with practice, practice, practice.

Zoo Atlanta's panda girl gets her name

Laurie Furem — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:04:51 -0600

Today was the day of the long awaited 100-day naming ceremony of Zoo Atlanta's panda girl cub. The name was determined through a public online poll sponsored by the Atlana Journal Constitution. Voters had a list of 10 names that were suggested from various sources including Zoo Atlanta, local media and the people of China. Mei Lan won with 22% of the vote.

"Mei Lan" means Atlanta Beauty. Dennis Kelly, Zoo Atlanta President and CEO said "the name recognizes both her birthplace and her homeland. " The naming ceremony was also attended by many Chinese dignataries who applauded Zoo Atlanta's commitment towards "conserving the species in the wild."

At her checkup yesterday, Mei Lan weighed in at 12 pounds and had taken her first steps. You can expect to see her debut somewhere in the next few weeks. In the meantime, Mei Lan can be viewed Monday- Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on panda cam :>

Home Depot set to enter the Chinese home improvement market

Laurie Furem — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 08:04:11 -0600

Atlanta based Home Depot reported on Wednesday that it plans to buy "The Home Way" and estabish a retail presence in China. They expect the deal to close by the end of 2006 and it has already been approved by the Chinese government. Near the end of 2004, Home Depot had opened a business development office in China to evaluate marketplace strategies and gain consumer insights.

The Home Way is a Chinese home improvement retailer with 12 stores located in 6 cities and around 3,000 employees. Get this: the Chinese home improvement market has been growing at a compounded annual rate of 20% and is valued at $50 billion.

The chairman, president and CEO of Home Depot Bob Nardelli said: "This acquisition provides us with a great point of entry in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing home improvement markets"...."The Home Way is a strong brand that is already established as a value and price leader among Chinese consumers. We welcome The Home Way's leadership and associates into The Home Depot family, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve Chinese consumers. In addition, we are grateful for the support of this venture by local and national Chinese government officials."

Home Depot stock closed at $39.97 yesterday.

Big "Hogwarts" news in Gwinnett County

Laurie Furem — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:56:07 -0600

Hey all you Harry Potter fans in Gwinnett County, the Georgia Board of Education voted to keep Harry Potter on the library shelves in Gwinnett holding that the books are good tools to ignite creativity and encourage students to read. There have been year-long complaints from a mother who thought that the highly popular series might promote witchcraft in children.

I am sure that Ms. Rowling is deeply grateful to the Georgia Board of Ed and that the teenage wizard will fly once more.

And speaking of Harry Potter, did you know that the series have been challenged 115 times since 2000, making them the most challenged texts of the 21st Century, according to the American Library Association?

Holiday events around metro Atlanta

Laurie Furem — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 08:26:36 -0600

Christmas in Cumming Arts and Crafts show at the Cumming Fairgrounds - December 8 & 9

Breakfast with Santa - Saturdays through December 16 (reservations required) at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth

The Nutcracker at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Theater - through December 17

Live Nativity - December 16 & 17 - 7-9pm in Duluth

Merry Sounds of Christmas at the Cumming Playhouse - December 18 & 19 at 8pm

Magical Night of Lights at Lake Lanier Islands in Buford - through December 30. This event is not to be missed. It features approximately 6 miles of holiday lights and holiday displays (about 1 million lights), as well as a Holiday Village. Tip: go during the week as weekends can be jammed with lines of cars spanning miles. This will be my 8th time and I can't wait!

The Pink Pig at Macy's Lenox Square - through January 1 - a unique attraction for the kids!

More events coming

**links provided courtesy of Access Atlanta.

Reverse directory

Laurie Furem — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 07:49:58 -0600

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone is using a reverse directory, similar to Criss Cross. I'd love to be able to get names and addresses for some of those FSBO's that proliferate our market and only have phone numbers in their ads.

Thanks.

Laurie Furem, ABR, ACRE, e-PRO

Martha Stewart joins KB Homes in metro Atlanta

Laurie Furem — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 07:39:23 -0600

Martha Stewart joins KB Homes in building a community called Wynchase in Woodstock, GA. This is the second Martha Stewart/KB Homes community in metro Atlanta. The first one, Hampton Oaks, opened in July of this year in Fairburn, GA.

Wynchase is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2007 and will have 183 homes. Prices will start in the high $200,000's.

I wonder what accessory line might be shown to us in the model home?

Tree lighting at the Governor's mansion

Laurie Furem — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 04:41:53 -0600

Last night, families in and around the metro area joined together outside the Governor's mansion for the lighting of the Christmas tree. Governer Purdue said that the tree was the largest one to date weighing in at 2 tons. The onlookers were entertained by dancers, live music and a tour of the mansion decorated for Christmas.

At 6:40 p.m., the switch was thrown and the tree, strung with almost 40,000 lights, was lit.

The mansion is open to the public during the holidays. Tours are free.

Georgia Aquarium

Laurie Furem — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 07:21:01 -0600

In November of 2005 one of the world's largest aquariums opened in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium has more than 100,000 fish and animals from over 500 species. Atlanta officials have announced that Atlanta is having their largest tourism boom since the 1996 Olympics, due mostly in part to the opening of the Aquarium. Also, the aquarium is 505,000 square feet.

"The Georgia Aquarium was designed with both entertainment and education in mind," said benefactor Bernie Marcus. "From the very beginning, our team was composed of both ‘fish people' and ‘theatrical designers' who looked at everything from creative positioning of windows to innovative tactile concepts on the walls and the floors."

There are 5 different display areas (galleries), each provided by different sponsors, a 4-D theater, gift shop, food court and a ballroom. There is also an outdoor display and tables for your outdoor picnics.

If you have a chance, this is a definite must see!