all blogs: Denver Home-Sellers Ask: "Should I Offer a Paint & Carpet Allowance instead of actually doing the work?"
- 09/29/09 09:25 PM
Question: "Should I offer a "paint and carpet" allowance instead of actually doing the work?" JA: Homesellers- I feel for ya. When you're getting your home ready for market, the to-do list seems endless, doesn't it? The last thing you want to do is to relocate your furniture to refinish the floors or take down all your artwork to paint the walls. It would be much easier to just offer an allowance, right? Besides, the buyer probably would prefer to pick out his own carpet or paint color, wouldn't he? Unfortunately, no. The problem with offering a paint or carpet allowance in lieu of … (4 comments)
all blogs: What's the Big Deal with Family Photos When Selling Your Denver Home?
- 09/27/09 11:17 PM
The article below was contributed by Geri Bigum of Staging Denver. Staging Denver is ONLY the very best homestaging company in Denver, and, in my opinion, anywhere in the world. Okay, okay, maybe I'm biased because I had a hand in creating the company back in the 90's, but seriously - these gals are good. While I'm not involved in the company any more, I enthusiastically recommend their services to my clients and use ‘em myself whenever I sell a home I personally own. What's the Big Deal About Family Pictures? We've often noticed homes on the market with a ton of family … (5 comments)
all blogs: Should You Hire a "Listing Specialist" to Sell Your Home?
- 09/26/09 12:31 AM
I might ruffle some feathers with this blog, but I'm okay with that. I'm usually up for a good debate! Many real estate agents market themselves as "listing specialists" - that is - they focus mainly on marketing houses for sale instead of working with buyers. Many "listing specialists" hire buyer agents to work for them, to handle the calls they receive from their many For Sale signs. On the surface, this sounds logical; after all, don't we all want a "specialist" to represent us when we're looking for expert assistance? Sure we do! But when I think of a "specialist" … (19 comments)
all blogs: Houses aren't Pet Rocks! No Amount of Marketing Can Sell a Stupid Product
- 12/31/08 02:42 AM
Back in 1997, one of my first seller clients asked me the question: "Jennifer, I assume our house will sell quickly because it's so cute (it was), but if it doesn't sell right away, what will you do?" Hmmmmmmmm. Hell, I dunno. I was a green bean agent; I'd only had one other listing in my career and didn't have a clue. I came up with something that probably sounded like this: "I'll do a broker open house, I'll do mid-week open houses, I'll distribute color brochures throughout the neighborhood and post an ad on the nearby college's bulletin board." Lucky for … (1 comments)
all blogs: What a Difference a Window Makes!
- 09/12/08 08:27 AM
My cute little 1927 Denver Bungalow is on the market. What fun I had getting it ready! Oh, yeah, the BIG TO-DO list provided by my favorite real estate agent (that would be me). Well, my stager kicked in a few assignments, too... including having my windows professionally cleaned. Ugh. Just what I need, ANOTHER $200's out the door just to ensure that I don't chase away that one buyer who has a dirty-window phobia! Is it REALLY that important? Will it REALLY make a difference? Uh, yes. Wow. I couldn't believe the difference. My windows are 80 years old and you'd … (5 comments)
all blogs: Woo Hoo! My Listings Are No Longer Naked!
- 08/17/08 03:39 AM
Colorado agents... can you relate??? My recent listings have been naked since they've gone on the market - that is - NO SIGN! With our lovely drought (it HAS been a beautiful summer!), yards are as hard as concrete and no amount of pounding, jumping or swearing is gonna get that Red, White and Blue sign in the ground more than a half an inch. But now... after our weekend monsoon... Yippeeeeee! My listings are now properly attired!!!!
… (13 comments)
all blogs: What do Bathtub Spiders Eat?
- 08/13/08 12:37 AM
I have a confession to make. There are two spiders living in my guest bathtub and they've been there for weeks. I've grown kind of fond of them and at this point, don't have any desire to flush them away. However, that doesn't mean that I have any desire to pick them up for relocation purposes, either, so... there they stay. In my guest bathtub (that no one uses, don't worry). Not that I keep an 24/7 eye on them, but as far as I can tell, they never leave the confines of the tub. How on earth do they survive?? One of … (22 comments)
all blogs: Denver Rookies... a Free Seminar Just for You!
- 07/24/08 02:47 AM
Do you know a Denver rookie real estate agent who is floundering? One who has the drive, energy and brainpower to succeed, but doesn't seem to be putting the pieces and parts together in the right order to bring in a paycheck? It's a tough business, ‘specially these days. ‘Specially for rookies. Most rookies fail; that's a fact. But it doesn't mean they all will. Some will survive. Some will even thrive. What does it take to survive & thrive in today's Denver real estate market? Knowledge. Confidence. Enthusiasm. Let us help you find all three. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER August … (0 comments)
all blogs: There Ain't No Bugs on Me!
- 07/22/08 12:36 AM
Denver, Colorado isn't perfect. We have a Brown Cloud, it snowed on Mother's Day and I-25 rush hour traffic is the pits. But there's something we have here that is pretty darn special. And no, it's not the Democratic National Convention, coming soon to my fair city. It's July 22nd and I have NO mosquito bites! Zero! Haven't had even one all summer. You can safely and comfortably go outside, any time of the day, sans bug spray, with no worries of being dive-bombed by nasty flying creatures. Neither do my dogs don't have fleas or ticks, and we rarely do termite … (15 comments)
all blogs: "What Takes Communication, Expertise & Creativity?" (Answer correctly and win a prize!)
- 07/10/08 11:27 PM
As promised, today we're celebrating the release of SWS II, otherwise known as Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect. Go, me (and the rest of the SWS team)! How to partake in the festivities? Oh, it's real easy. (But I sure do wish it were live and in person so we could all meet and toast with a real adult beverage. Oh well, we'll do a cyber-toast, k?) Anyway... here's the scoop. To claim your Thank You gift, just visit my bookstore - www.swsStore.com - and find the answer … (3 comments)
all blogs: It's SO CUTE! My New Listing in Evergreen - a Mountain Retreat for City Folk!
- 07/07/08 02:13 PM
I just listed the cutest little house ever... in Evergreen, Colorado. It's the kind of place you walk in and say "Oooooh, I want this!" Pottery Barn meets Santa Fe - the owner is an artist and the place just feels good. Warm... cheerful... flooded with light. For those familiar with Evergreen, it's not one of those "mountain retreats" that sits at the tippy-top of a hill, three long brutal miles up a winding, pot-holed, street-sign-free dirt road. Nope, it's just a mile from downtown, off Hwy 73, easy-peasy to find and get to. The lot is small - city-size actually - … (2 comments)
all blogs: Sorry about the drought, my Colorado friends...it's all my fault
- 07/06/08 02:13 AM
At the risk of sounding oh-so-arrogant, you can blame me for our recent lack of rainfall. I take drought with me wherever I go... and when I leave, it starts to rain. I swear. In 1989, I graduated from college and within a week moved to San Francisco. It didn't rain in the Bay Area for the next five years. Honest to gosh, it didn't. In 1994, I decided to move to Denver, and as soon as the decision was made, for sure for sure... it started raining and caused all sorts of upheaval. Remember the house on Telegraph Hill that … (6 comments)
all blogs: So, THAT'S Why They Call it HIGHlands!
- 06/28/08 05:39 AM
I've lived in Northwest Denver on and off (mostly on) for over 14 years. And yeah, I've been aware the entire time that sections of my beloved 'hood are called "Highlands" (West Highlands, Highlands Square, East Highlands, Potter Highlands, etc.). Never gave it much thought, though. After all, the city next door to me is called "Lakewood" and I've never seen a lake or even a woods there. So, I recently went on a bike ride with some friends along the Platte River. Now, by definition, a "river" tends to be a low spot, as opposed to at the top of a hill. … (5 comments)
all blogs: Looking for Denver Foreclosures/Short Sales/REO's in Denver... but don't know where to start?
- 06/17/08 01:17 AM
Frankly, neither do I. I've made the executive decision that the Foreclosure market is not my thing. In the late 90's, I worked with a lot of investors, but that was a different world - one in which the sellers actually seemed to want to sell! I've heard so many horror stories of deals that seemed too good to be true... and were. Or sales that dragged on and on for months only to eventually disintegrate after wasting an incredible amount of time and energy. Nonetheless, today's Denver market does offer incredible opportunities for the amateur or professional investor and I'll bet … (0 comments)
all blogs: Six Hours and Three Minutes from Denver... Heaven on Earth (okay, Kansas)
- 06/11/08 11:54 PM
I just returned from a 3-day camping trip to... the middle of Kansas. Yeah, I know. I had my doubts, too. Why Kansas? Well, the LDR DBF was going to be in Kansas City for Rockfest 2008 (no, I wasn't invited and that's 'cause he really likes me), so we figured it made sense to meet halfway between KC and Denver for a little rendezvous. He suggested Wilson Lake State Park. For those of you who have ever been stranded in Hays, Kansas during a snowstorm; it's about 50 miles east of there, and then 8 miles north of I-70. And … (5 comments)
all blogs: I Love My New Panasonic LUMIX!
- 06/11/08 12:50 AM
On the advice of Jeff Turner, I recently purchased a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX35 to replace my no-longer-trusty-old Kodak V705. While I loved my Kodak, it's recently started to act up and I figured that since it's discontinued, it made more sense to purchase rather than repair. I've used my new camera for both business and personal reasons in my first week of ownership and I'm quite happy. Last week I photographed my new listing - a small house built in 1907 (this is relevant because in these types of homes a wide-angle lens is imperative) and was thrilled with the results. … (18 comments)
Question: "Should I offer a "paint and carpet" allowance instead of actually doing the work?"
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