real estate: Rental Market Surging - 05/08/08 01:28 PM
The Rental Market is Surging
At Showhomes, we place Home Managers in vacant homes for sale and use a mix of their furniture and our inventory to stage the home. The Home Manager gets to live in a mansion for a really low monthly fee and the home owner gets an occupied … (4 comments)
|
real estate: Staging or Design? - 05/08/08 11:46 AM
Patti Eagan posted this comment on one of my blogs today:
"Staging is more "depersonalized" where model home merchandising is specifically designed to a buyer profile and target market and includes a "faux" family including children's names, ages schools and extracurricular activities."
This is a great point. At Showhomes we strive to create … (8 comments)
|
real estate: What does Staging Mean? - 05/07/08 04:36 PM
At Showhomes, we refer to our company as America's largest home staging company. We earned this right by staging well over 25,000 homes and contiuning to stage thousands of homes all over the country as we grow.
As a pioneer in the 'staging' industry, we define staging as:
"adding furniture, accessories and art … (8 comments)
|
real estate: CNN Feature on Home Managers and Staging - 05/07/08 04:11 PM
I was able to get a copy of the CNN story on Showhomes and uploaded it to youtube:
Nashville based Showhomes is America's largest home staging company and with offices in 27 locations and 19 states, has helped over 25,000 homeowners and their Realtors sell vacant homes valued at over $8 … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Featured on CNN - 05/07/08 01:27 PM
If you are watching CNN today, Showhomes was featued in conjuntion with a Money Magazine article:
http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/moneymag/2008/05/06/money.foreclosure.special.mansion.moneymag
This is a 4 minute clip interviewing an Orange County Home Manager for Showhomes. This Home Manager, Jim Fisher, has been with us for 2 years and plans to be with us for a while longer … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Great study on using photos to sell homes - 05/06/08 09:55 AM
I saw a great blog on the photography group linking to a study relating to photos and home sales:
Here is the link to the article:
http://fsbo.fizber.com/2008/05/01/the-successful-combination-of-photography-and-real-estate/
>>Another study relating to the number of photos a listing posts compares photos to the number of Days on Market (DOM). The findings show that listings with … (11 comments)
|
real estate: Haven't seen that before...... - 05/06/08 09:24 AM
I enjoyed reading Elaine Maines' humorous post on staging a bachelor's home:
There's no JACK DANIELS in decorating!!!I get to tour homes all over the country and its always fun to see what we have to work with and what it looks like after we are finished. A well-intentioned Home Manager set … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Money Magazine feature on Showhomes drops today - 05/06/08 09:17 AM
Money magazine ships its June, 2008 issue today. Showhomes, America's largest home staging company, is featured in this issue! This resulted from some of our PR and blog entries. Active Rain works!
In addition to the Money magazine article, CNN is airing a new feature on Showhomes today. I don't have the … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Great traditional staging in LA - 05/05/08 10:53 AM
That's Lower Alabama (LA)
Angela Blankinchip, owner of Showhomes - Mobile and Bladwin Counties on the Alabama Gulf Coast, posted these photos of a vacant home staging she recently completed.
This home was dark, super-traditional and had some loud color choices. Best of all, it had an owner who refused to spend money … (7 comments)
|
real estate: More Press for Showhomes - 05/05/08 07:57 AM
If you didn't read Sunday's LA Times article on using Home Managers to stage vacant homes, please do:
Staging featured in LA Times We are really excited about it! In addition to this article, we are featured in this month's Money Magazine. It ships this week and although I have not … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Staging featured in LA Times - 05/03/08 01:35 PM
The LA Times wrote and article on using Home Managers to stage high end vacant homes today:
House Sitting on a Grand Scale
Forget staging -- the latest weapon in the savvy seller's arsenal is the home manager. It's a sweet deal for both sides: Owners get occupants … (0 comments)
|
real estate: NBC Feature on Showhomes - 05/02/08 01:26 PM
I've been uploading some of the wonderful press Showhomes has received onto YouTube. Like real estate tours, Youtube allows for embedding in blog posts and on HTML marketing. This is great for email marketing and Active Rain!
This is an NBC story about Showhomes that showcases some really wonderful million dollar … (10 comments)
|
real estate: Are your employees Engaged? - 05/02/08 11:13 AM
I saw this on a blog and its good food for thought...
Twenty-six years after publication of The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard has written The One Minute Entrepreneur. Blanchard, co-founder of an eponymous, 300-employee consulting firm in Escondido, California, spoke with editor Mike Hofman about leadership and fair pay. Your new … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Who is Showhomes? - 05/02/08 09:11 AM
Showhomes: America’s Largest Home Staging Business - No Industry Experience is Necessary
Showhomes is based in Nashville, TN and has offices in Memphis and Nashville. We're active on AR and are looking forward to meeting people from our state!
Here is some general info on our company:
There’s a reason the … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Speaking of Red Ties... - 05/02/08 09:03 AM
In my previous post I mentioned the power of red during a discussion of red couches and the sale of homes. I mentioned that I occasionally wear a red tie and was able to dig this broadcast story on Showhomes from CNN Open House, a now-defunct real estate show on CNN: … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Red Couches Sell Homes? - 05/02/08 08:43 AM
I was reading this great post:
Is this "magic" staging furniture? It sold 3 different homes in days - Before & AftersIn looking at the photos, I remembered our Ann Arbor, MI office had a lot of luck with this furniture:
This furniture sold several homes in a row. Why?
I believe most … (10 comments)
|
real estate: Blast from the Past - 05/01/08 01:14 PM
I uploaded this video from the Travel Channel about Showhomes.
In 2001, the Travel Channel did an article on Showhomes as part of a lifestyles of the rich and famous series. This show has been in continuous rotations since and every time it runs, I get a flood of phone calls. … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Staging contest winners for March - 04/30/08 10:36 AM
March Staging Contest Winners: Showhomes holds an internal staging contest each month based on photo entries of stagings active during that month. We just released in our internal newsletter our monthly winners and I'd like to share this on Active Rain:
This month's winning rooms all display outstanding application of the key … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Vacant homes for sale hit new record - 04/28/08 02:05 PM
Vacant homes for sale hit new record highVacancy rate climbs to 2.9 percent; western states hit 7 percent
WASHINGTON - The percentage of vacant homes for sale in the U.S. set a new record high in the first quarter of this year, the government said Monday.
The Census Bureau report shows that … (3 comments)
|
real estate: Name this Flower! - 04/25/08 11:01 AM
Showhomes's home office in Nashville is located in a really cool restored home near Vanderbilt University in Hillsboro Village. We really love our office and earlier this week I was happy to see a beautiful live arrangement on the foyer table when I walked in. Phyllis Spencer, our business manager brought … (14 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes featured in the Long Beach Signal Tribune Newspaper - 04/25/08 08:15 AM
Offbeat Occupation : Staging company turns a house into a Showhome March 20th, 2008<!-- by admin --> · By Heather Posey, Staff Writer
After several years of success, real estate markets all across the country have slowed to a trickle of what they had been in previous years. Homes have become … (0 comments)
|
real estate: More Before (and after) - 04/24/08 04:50 PM
I hope you enjoy looking at before and after photos as much as I do!
Here are some new before and after photos from Little Rock Showhomes stager Heidi Ross:
I love balanced design and really liked the two pieces of art on the sidetable. I could easily see myself crawling … (8 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes featured on RIS Media - 04/23/08 03:14 PM
5 Tips for Selling a Vacant Home
Showhomes featured on RIS Media:
Click stars to vote (left is low, right is high) (11 votes, average: 3.73 out of 5) . RISMEDIA, April 8, 2008-This spring, as it becomes a popular time for homeowners to begin preparing their homes for sale, … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Stages a New Builder Home - 04/23/08 02:55 PM
This is a real estate show of a recent Showhomes Nashville staging for Ernst Builders in the exclusive Fairvue Plantation development north of Nashville. This fall, Showhomes staged a $1.4 million dollar model home for Ernst and it sold in less than 30 days. This beautiful home on Potter Lane is … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Minneapolis Before and After photos - 04/23/08 01:36 PM
Cindy Montgomery, our Showhomes Minneapolis frnachise owner and the winner of our top design award two years in a row, emailed me these photos of a home her team staged last week. Cindy is on fire in Minneapolis these days, having sold 9 homes so far in April. Staging and staging … (3 comments)
|
real estate: Some Before and After photos from Little Rock - 04/22/08 03:39 PM
Jeff and Heidi Ross, the Showhomes Little Rock owners, sent me these great before and after photos of some of their recent staged homes:
This is a 'catch point' - a space in a home where people collect when walking through the home with a realtor.
Here is another room … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Great trade show booth pics - 04/22/08 02:35 PM
Showhomes attended two local real estate shows this week:
In Toledo, we attended the Sylvania Business Expo. We have discovered that small business trade shows, such as this one or a local chamber of commerce show. I really like the chair and rug - it looks like anything but a trade show … (11 comments)
|
real estate: Have Home Inspections Hurt Your Business? - 04/16/08 11:32 AM
We recently had a home sell and ran into what I thought was an unusual situation:
The owner of this home bought the home less than a year ago and had it inspected. He never moved in and decided to sell it instead for a price high enough that he could recover … (9 comments)
|
real estate: Passing the 10,000 point mark - 04/10/08 09:51 AM
Hey, we passed the 10,000 point mark on Active Rain!
I've enjoyed blogging about Showhomes and Home Staging and I really appreciate all the wonderful comments I've received on blog posts and via email from others in the Home Staging Industry!
Its been good to build awareness of our company and … (0 comments)
|
real estate: New Gallery Uses Real Estate Shows - 04/09/08 10:23 AM
… (7 comments)
|
real estate: Great video on why you need a wide angle lens - 04/09/08 09:43 AM
Great video from You Tube on why you need a wide angle lens for shooting photos of homes
I've posted a few times about how important using a camera with a wide angle lens is when shooting photos of real estate and homes for use in your home staging business. I … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Ever wonder what a Short Sale was? - 04/08/08 12:18 PM
What is a 'Short Sale' and why is this important to my Home Staging business?
We have been running into more and more short sales lately when marketing to homes that need staging. I don't know if you've ever wondered what a short sale was but here is a good primer:
A … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes to Exhibit at the International Franchise Expo in Washington DC - 04/08/08 12:10 PM
Showhomes to Exhibit at the International Franchise Expo in Washington DC Nashville, TN <April 8th> Showhomes, a Nashville based home staging franchise company, will be exhibiting at the 17th Annual International Franchise Expo. The expo will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC, April 11-13, … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Near DC? Meet us in Person! - 04/03/08 11:56 AM
I've enjoyed blogging on the rain and have really enjoyed reading everyone's posts in the staging groups.
I'm looking forward to one day meeting some of you in person!
If you are going to be anywhere near Washington DC, April 11-13th, come by and visit us at the annual International Frachise Expo:
Showhomes … (0 comments)
|
real estate: New Panasonic Camera Great for Home Stagers - 04/03/08 09:19 AM
If you read my recent posts on camera recommendations for Home Stagers, you know I am a fan of the Panasonic Lumix FX series cameras. I have been using the Lumix FX07 for about a year and recently learned about a new Lumix that I think offers some signifigant improvments on … (7 comments)
|
real estate: How many sneakers a year do you buy? - 04/03/08 08:26 AM
I read this article today:
"Always buying sneakers? It's the sign of a leader: poll Tue Apr 1, 9:50 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Got a passion for buying sneakers? It could be a good sign, with a poll finding that people who buy three pairs of sneakers or … (34 comments)
|
real estate: Showtime for Showhomes - 04/01/08 11:02 AM
April 1, 2008 - 2nd Post by Cindy Allen, real estate blogger from LA: Showtime for Showhomes During the last major southern California housing downturn in the nineties, I spent almost three years as a gypsy moving from one vacant home to another. I would set up house with all my furnishings until … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Housesitting on Top of the World - 04/01/08 07:45 AM
Cindy Allen, a prolific LA real estate blogger, posted this today on her Redfin real estate blog about Showhomes:Thanks, Cindy!
March 28, 2008
Housesitting on Top of the World Almost fifteen years ago I was on the short end of a short sale on a bungalow I owned in North Hollywood following the 1994 Northridge … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Social Marketing Trends for Your Staging Business - 04/01/08 07:09 AM
Get On Board with Latest Social Marketing Trends Written on March 25th, 2008 by Joseph in Franchising Developments.
(This is a good article on social networking and marketing your business that appeared on a franchising forum I subscribe to. Active Rain is a great example of a tool available to us stagers … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Expensive Homes Drop in Value - Is Staging the Answer? - 04/01/08 07:02 AM
Zillow report: Homes with higher values see steeper drops Negative equity is more likely for buyers of lowest-value homes(from Inman News)
(We are seeing this in almost all of our markets and we believe the value of staging to these homes is higher than ever before. What's your impression?)
By Inman … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Destined to Design: A Realtor and Mother Takes Control of Her Life and Future - 03/28/08 10:47 AM
Destined to Design: A Realtor and Mother Takes Control of Her Life and Future
Showhomes is a great example of an ideal business for women who want to enjoy both their family and the rewards of owning a thriving business. Showhomes enabled Barbara Bliss of Lake Forest, IL to find this … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Now I have a Camera, What Software Do I Need? - 03/28/08 07:43 AM
Now I have a Camera, What Software Do I Need?
So, you've done it: you've gone out and purchased your new wide angle digital camera to take photos of your homes. You need high quality images of your work for your portfolio because just like in staging 'It's all about presentation."
Most … (11 comments)
|
real estate: A great basic Staging from Minneapolis - 03/27/08 08:04 AM
A great basic staging from Minneapolis
See also:
Minneapolis Home Stager Earns National Top Design Award – 2 Years in a Row
Cindy Montgomery, our 2007 Design Award Winner emailed me these photos of a home she staged last week. As usual, even with basic items, she works magic! I especially liked … (4 comments)
|
real estate: Chicago Success Story - 03/26/08 12:30 PM
Chicago Staging Success Story
Chicago Showhomes franchise owner Barbara Bliss, the one who compiled the wonderful staging stats for her market, emailed this success story about a recent Lake Forest home she staged which sold for $1,120,000 - just a bit shy of its $1,199,000 list price.If that were not enough, … (3 comments)
|
real estate: Offbeat Occupation : Staging company turns a house into a Showhome - 03/26/08 10:47 AM
Offbeat Occupation : Staging company turns a house into a ShowhomeSignal Tribune Newspaper, Long Beach, CA features Showhomes - Orange County
March 20th, 2008 By Heather Posey, Staff Writer
After several years of success, real estate markets all across the country have slowed to a trickle of what they had been … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Staging Case Study - 03/25/08 12:59 PM
Showhomes produces market case study for staging
Showhomes North Shore, a Chicago area franchise owned by home stager Barbara Bliss recently completed a case study comparing homes in the North Shore area of Chicago that had used Showhomes against homes that didn't use Showhomes. The results are eye-opening!
Barbara tracked 18 … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Home Stager Joins Extreme Makeover Crew - 03/24/08 01:43 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3-23-08
SHOWHOMES WORKS WITH ABC’S EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME ADDITION IN NEW ORLEANS TO REBUILD THE HOME OF THE USEA’S America’s Largest Home Staging Company Works with ABC-TV Extreme Makeover: Home Addition to Build a Home in Just One Week.
New Orleans, LA – New Orleans … (7 comments)
|
real estate: Five Essential Tips for Selling your Vacant Home - 03/21/08 10:44 AM
Five Essential Tips for Selling your Vacant Home
Showhomes shows home sellers how to make a good first impression
Nashville, TN <March 20th, 2008> -- Whether you are getting ready for a job interview, preparing to meet someone special for the first time, or selling your home – first impressions … (10 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes releases new E-Book for Franchise Sales - 03/18/08 10:12 AM
Showhomes released a new e-book for franchise sales:
http://showhomes.dublinblue.com/CoverOne/ShowHomes_CoverOne.htm
Take a look and let us know what you think. The new e-book explains about Showhomes and gives lots of detail on our rapidly growing business. Showhomes is a mix of pure staging and using live in Home Managers to stage … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Remax Tells Agents to Stage, Stage, Stage - 03/18/08 09:05 AM
Judy Pokorny, the franchise owner of Showhomes - Toledo emailed me this:
"RE/MAX announced to all their agents at their national convention, if they weren't staging vacant houses, they weren't doing their job. Dave Lininger told the agents to cash in 401 K's to fund staging if they had to, but get … (22 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Home Staging Featured on CBS in Minneapolis - 03/17/08 11:16 AM
Showhomes Home Staging Featured on CBS in Minneapolis
To View the Video Clip, click here:
http://wcco.com/video/?id=34255@wcco.dayport.com
Home Managers Could Help Your Home Sell Faster http://www.showhomesminneapolis.com/
With the housing market in a slump, home sellers are looking for new ways to stand out and some are turning to house managers to transform their properties.
House … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Are Vacant Homes Black Holes That Suck the Life Out of their Own Sales? - 03/17/08 10:21 AM
Here is a great blog post from our Showhomes company forum posted by Milwaukee Home Stager Donna Muelver:
>>This is an article regarding a 2007 blog from USA Today that I thought was still relevant in the market today:
Photos in this blog are from Showhomes Ft Myers / Naples, FL staged by … (14 comments)
|
real estate: Staging sells 1.4 million Dollar Spec Home Despite 3 Year Supply of Homes - 03/17/08 09:27 AM
Showhomes Middle Tennessee helps sell a $1.4 million dollar spec home for Ernst Builders on Old Hickory Lake
Ernst Builders, one of Nashville's premier builders, has been busy building out Fairvue Plantation north of Nashville. With the slowing real estate market, there is currently a 3 year supply of spec homes in … (0 comments)
|
real estate: $3.6 Million Dollar Home Sells in less than 90 Days - 03/14/08 09:49 AM
Another Showhomes' Success $3.6 Million home sells in less than 90 days after a year on the market. Showhomes has been staging in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley for the past decade and Showhomes franchise owner Kathy Haase has won our Franchise of the Year Award in 2004 and 2005. Her … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Middle Tennessee Sells Another - 03/13/08 10:53 AM
Showhomes Middle Tennessee has had a string of quick sales successes. Here is the most recent:
This 1.5 million dollar home sold to the first person who looked at it after 15 months on the market. The builder consulted with Showhomes and used a trained Home Manager to help stage … (6 comments)
|
real estate: Homes for Sale Converting to Rentals - 03/13/08 09:12 AM
Are you seeing this in your market?
We have had a run in the last quarter of cash-strapped homeowners deciding to pull their homes for sale off the market and convert them to rentals. This has happened even when the homes are beautifully staged and are getting showings.
We find this happening in … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Posts Double Digit Growth for 2007 - 03/13/08 07:35 AM
Showhomes Calls Business 'Shining Success Story' NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(March 13)--After several years of an amazing boom, real estate markets allacross the country have slowed to a trickle of what they had been inprevious years. Homes have become much harder to sell, there are morehomes on the market than at any time in … (8 comments)
|
real estate: Showhomes Releases Home Sales Results for 2007 - 03/11/08 01:18 PM
Showhomes, America's Largest Home Staging Company, released its annual home sales results for 2007:
Showhomes 25 offices helped home owners and their Realtors sell 209 homes with an average list price of $850,000 in 2007 totaling over $192 Million.
In most markets, Showhomes helped its home owners and Realtors beat local … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Minneapolis Home Stager Earns National Top Design Award – 2 Years in a Row - 03/11/08 10:50 AM
Minneapolis Home Stager Earns National Top Design Award –
Two Years in a Row!
Nashville, TN (Grassroots Newswire) <March 11> -- NASA-funded scientists have proven that lightening really can strike the same place twice. The chance of this happening though is still a very rare occurrence. But earning … (0 comments)
|
;)
Links;)
Archives
