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The Stage Coach cracks the case of the mystery Home Staging Co. [Satire]

By Michael Fontana

Home Stager with Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging

January 05, 2010 07:04 AM

[Warning! *Satire & Sarcasm*]

For several years now, a local Home Staging company has been offering Free Vacant Home Staging services and promising they will turn "vacant homes into living models that sell." Their pitch is to move a family of Unicorns into the home and they will magically make the home appeared lived in and remain nice and tidy. Well, actually, that's an exaggeration - there are no Unicorns. But their promise is almost that fantastic: they provide Home Managers to pay rent to the home owner, move into the home while it is for sale, and take care of the home. Viola! Free Home Staging!

In Austin, I get one or two calls a month inquiring about this service. And, I tell them that I honestly do not know any one who has ever successfully used the service. I also point out that if they search the interent, they will find out about the Home Manager who was running a Call Girl service out of one home in the Atlanta Area.

Anyways, today I received an intriguing Google Alert, and upon clicking on it, I discovered the secret to finding Qualified Home Managers who can not only afford to pay rent, but can also provide quality furnishings to transform the house, and keep up appearances until the house is sold! [Unicorns might be easier to find...]

Their secret: (link has expired - see below) [Click Here]

A Craig's List Ad! Why didn't I think of that? If I wanted to find trustworthy persons to rent a home listed for sale, and expect them to deal with the REALTOR showings, and the responsibilities involved in keeping a home prepared, I only had to post an ad on Craig's List! They were sure to specify, "You must be naturally tidy and qualify by having enough nice furniture to outfit the home..." What could possibly go wrong? Especially with a 'background check!"

Caveat Emptor: Buyer Beware - know what you're getting when you sign an agreement with your Home Staging Company. I can now add to my list of what I know about this company, "They find their managers by posting on Craig's List".

Meanwhile, I will just continue looking for the Holy Grail with my Unicorn Friends skipping under the rainbow...

[***Updated - the Craig's List ad expired! Having expected this, I made a copy that I could post.***]

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Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging

Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR

"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Michael ~ Caveat Emptor for sure!! Looking for "home managers" on CL is pretty risky, considering anyone could be reading and applying for this "position" and it's hard to really know how "neat and tidy" they'll be. Hiring a professional home stager and staging a vacant home makes a lot more sense in most markets. If I were selling my property, I'd much prefer that the home be vacant, but properly staged. I wouldn't want other people and their stuff in it! My ROI for the staging will be the much quicker sale of my home.

These staging companies that use home managers usually say their service protects against break ins, but we've never had security become an issue; we regularly check on our staged homes along with the listing agent; we also give our cards to the neighbors and ask them to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. I hate to see posts that try to "scare" the public about the "dangers" of having a vacant home staged ~ since any problems affect such a very small % of the total number of staged homes.

Jan 05, 2010 07:21 AM

Cathleen DeLoach

Long and Foster - Washington, DC

Whoa! That's a new one. Thanks for the warning!

Jan 05, 2010 08:14 AM

Connie Tebyani

Platinum Home Staging, Inc. : RESA-Pro - Calabasas, CA

Platinum Home Staging, Los Angeles and Ventura County

SCARY! I would make a copy of this Craigslist ad for your records (since the postings only last 7-30 days depending on the area) just in case anyone should ask for "proof" of such claims.

Jan 05, 2010 10:49 AM

Ginger Foust

Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA

Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Michael it seems that one can find ALMOST ANYTHING on Craigslist these days. It's power, IMO, has been seriously diluted by false claims throughout the ads. Thanks for sharing this.

Jan 05, 2010 11:05 AM

David Peterson

Synergy Staging ~ specializing in vacant home staging - Portland, OR

Home Stager Portland OR-Synergy Staging-Portland Oregon

That is just amazing! I've heard of home managers - but didn't know some found them this way - AND make them pay to live there. Unbelievable!

Jan 05, 2010 01:12 PM

Kathy Nielsen

http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA

Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

I lived thru the nightmare of the home manager running a call girl service living here in Atlanta. I remember watching the news and all of a sudden they said something about home staging. My ears perked (of course) and when they did the story, I was in complete disbelief. I do think this was an isolated incident. However, it was absolutely horrible.

Kathy

Jan 05, 2010 11:44 PM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

@Kathy: I agree it is probably an isolated incident, but having a Home Manager comes with all of the thrills and chills of renting your house, only, it's For Sale! So you have Strangers living there, showing the home to other Strangers... Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

@David: if you read their website, you get the feeling that they work with Executives - not that they find any ol' renter from the street.

@Ginger: Agreed.

@Connie: Way ahead of you - I printed a hard copy to file and a PDF. If they pull the ad and kill my link, I can always put the ad up on the internet as an image file!

@Cathleen: You're welcome!

@Maureen: Well said - personally, and this may be untrue/stereotype, but I associate Craig's List with the lower economic end of things. I also associate it with Massage/Hookers, Scam artists, and "The Craig's List Killer." Apparently, I watch too much news!

Thanks for stopping, y'all!

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Jan 06, 2010 12:14 AM

Karen Dembsky

Peachtree Home Staging LLC, Home Staging in Atlanta, GA - Peachtree City, GA

Atlanta Home Staging

first I must mention I loved your sarcasm! Made me smile and the humor was good!

Ths sad Part about what happened in atlanta -- is that the media presented it as if that was what all home staging was about.

I hope the media does not see the craigs list posting . . .

Jan 06, 2010 03:09 AM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

@Karen: I hope you've been able to overcome that prejudice! The Public is fickle...

I coined a great term this morning when discussing this with another local Home Stager: "Glorified Apartment Finder..."

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Jan 06, 2010 05:11 AM

Melissa Marro

Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL

Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Michael - WOW!!! This is well, should I say shocking? I almost feel like nothing is shocking anymore. Amazing! We've seen a local staging company here begin offering the same services that you mentioned... kind of makes us nervous for the clients. Now I think I'll even be moreso!

Thanks for educating us!

Jan 06, 2010 10:41 AM

Tom Thornton

Realty Austin - Austin, TX

Broker Associate, MBA, ABR, CRS, GREEN, GRI, SRES

Yikes. Thanks for mentioning this to all of us. I've also gotten inquiries about these services. I believe there are others that do additional screening.

Jan 06, 2010 11:32 AM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

@Tom: for a while, this company was aggressively targeting RE offices in Austin. I heard from many REALTORs who had heard their presentation that the promise was pre-screened tenants, most of them executive types, looking for temporary housing. If it's not apparent, I have always been skeptical of the concept. In their defense, I do not know anyone who has had any experience working with them.

@Melissa: I agree with you - but some people like the concept of being paid to have their house "staged". They better understand that you get what you pay for!

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Jan 06, 2010 12:16 PM

Shoshana Shay

St. Pete Realty - Treasure Island, FL

Do they supply leprechauns and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow along with those unicorns? After all, it's so easy to find these perfect tenants (!).

Jan 06, 2010 01:40 PM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

@Shoshana: [*chuckling*]

Update: Another Craig's List showed up in my Google Alerts today! This time, it's a home!

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Jan 07, 2010 06:27 AM

Connie Tebyani

Platinum Home Staging, Inc. : RESA-Pro - Calabasas, CA

Platinum Home Staging, Los Angeles and Ventura County

OMG!!!! I Just found MORE THAN ONE in our local Craigslist?! Is this the same guy?!

http://ventura.craigslist.org/rts/1545574399.html

also note the NAME of the company - think I need to send this to a few people I know - YIKES!

Jan 10, 2010 02:37 AM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

www.vcnewhomefinders.com

Does not come up for me... may be they don't even have a website yet. The group in Austin worked with out a local representative for months. Well- I guess it's possible they are still not local, but at least they use a local area code now.

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Jan 10, 2010 02:45 AM

Rich Cederberg

eXp Realty - Albuquerque, NM

eXp Realty Agent Albuquerque

I've never been impressed by these companies. The "staging" and upkeep is not usually stellar.

Jan 20, 2010 12:30 PM

Michael Fontana

Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX

@ The Stage Coach

Hi, Rich:
I'd love to see one of these homes... just for curiosity's sake... Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it is possible... But the cynic in me says this is not a deal for the home owner.

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Jan 20, 2010 11:46 PM