advice for sellers: Common Scents - 02/23/12 09:22 PM
Home sellers can create spaces that appeal to prospective buyers by employing a little psychology and by engaging the 5 senses......You see, our brain takes all the sensory data it receives and transforms it into feelings and those feelings can be either overwhelmingly positive or overwhelmingly negative.  
The clever use of design elements in a home for sale can help sellers engage the senses of their prospects and thus trigger the desired positive emotional response.  Last week in, Love at First Sight, I discussed ways sellers can engage the sense of SIGHT to elicit desirable feelings in home buyers.  Today I'll cover the … (62 comments)

advice for sellers: Love at First Sight - 02/10/12 01:29 AM
As we get ready to celebrate Valentine's Day, what better time to discuss the subject of falling in love.  After all, when you're preparing your home for sale, your goal is to get buyers to fall in love with your house. Just like all other matters of the heart, the home buying process is extremely emotional.  How can savvy sellers use this to their advantage?  Let me count the ways......     A great place to start helping your house elicit the love response, is by using psychology to engage your buyers' 5 senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste. Today we'll … (14 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #3 - 09/27/11 03:48 PM
Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them
It's not uncommon for sellers to get in the way of their own success when selling a home.  Learn from the mistakes others have made and avoid these common traps…
MISTAKE #10:  Waiting until after you’ve tried - and failed - to sell your house before preparing it for market 
MISTAKE #9:  Selling “AS IS”
MISTAKE #8:  Over-Improving
MISTAKE #7:  Covering up Known Defects
MISTAKE #6:  Not Containing or Relocating Pets
       MISTAKE #5:  Selling Before You’re Emotionally Ready
MISTAKE #4:  Failing to De-Clutter
MISTAKE #:  De-Cluttering Too Much
Avoid the temptation to get … (16 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #4 - 09/26/11 03:03 PM
Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them
Don't stand in the way of your own home sale success.  Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these common traps…
MISTAKE #10:  Waiting until after you’ve tried - and failed - to sell your house before preparing it for market 
MISTAKE #9:  Selling “AS IS”
MISTAKE #8:  Over-Improving
MISTAKE #7:  Covering up Known Defects
MISTAKE #6:  Not Containing or Relocating Pets
       MISTAKE #5:  Selling Before You’re Emotionally Ready
MISTAKE #4:  Failing to De-Clutter
Clutter Kills Equity! Buyers are willing to pay more for a larger home, doesn’t it make sense to … (6 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #6 - 09/24/11 11:28 AM
Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them
In hard enough to succeed in today's housing market - there's no need to make it any more difficult.   Sometimes sellers can get in the way of their own home sale success.  Why not learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these common traps…
MISTAKE #10:  Waiting until after you’ve tried - and failed - to sell your house before preparing it for market 
MISTAKE #9:  Selling “AS IS”
MISTAKE #8:  Over-Improving
MISTAKE #7:  Covering up Known Defects
MISTAKE #6:  Not Containing or Relocating Pets
This is a very touchy subject … (18 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #7 - 09/20/11 02:45 PM
Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them
Why not learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these common traps…
MISTAKE #10:  Waiting until after you’ve tried - and failed - to sell your house before preparing it for market 
MISTAKE #9:  Selling “AS IS”
MISTAKE #8:  Over-Improving
MISTAKE #7:  Covering up Known Defects
Avoid a potential lawsuit - disclose your home’s known defects - failing to do so could end in disaster.

Many states have mandatory disclosure laws - it would be a very good idea to know if your state is one of them. To find out, simply contact … (7 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #8 - 09/19/11 11:20 AM
 Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them 
It's hard enough to turn a profit in today's housing market - there's no need to make it any more difficult.   Sometimes sellers can get in the way of their own home sale success.  Why not learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these common traps…
MISTAKE #10:  Waiting until after you’ve tried - and failed - to sell your house, before preparing it for market.  
MISTAKE #9:  Selling “AS IS”
MISTAKE #8:  Over-Improving.   Buyers might not appreciate your expensive upgrades as much as you do.  Be very careful … (12 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #9 - 09/17/11 05:13 AM
Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them 
In today's tough housing market it's not uncommon for sellers to get in the way of their own home sale success.  Why not learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these common traps…
MISTAKE #10:  
MISTAKE #9:  Selling “AS IS”
Sell “as is” ONLY if you’re not concerned about getting the best price possible for your home.  Houses described as “handyman specials” might frighten away average home buyers.  On the other hand, bargain-hunting investors eagerly search out homes like these. They jump at the chance to buy an undervalued house and … (17 comments)

advice for sellers: Costly Mistakes Sellers Make - #10 - 09/16/11 08:39 AM
Top 10 Costly Mistakes Sellers Make and How to Avoid Them 
Sure the market is tough, but it's not uncommon for sellers to get in the way of their own home sale success.  Why not learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these common traps…

MISTAKE #10:  Waiting until after you’ve tried - and failed - to sell your house, before preparing it for market.  
Timing is everything.  The best time to prepare your house for sale is BEFORE it is listed.  Sellers will often wait until after their house sits on the market for months before realizing they need to do … (14 comments)

advice for sellers: Priced NOT to Sell? - 07/23/11 05:04 AM
Earlier this week Brenda Mullen wrote a fabulous featured post Priced to Sell!!....Aren't They All? In a witty, lighthearted yet insightful way, Brenda asks a very good question .... aren't they all priced to sell - what's the alternative "priced NOT to sell"? 
I think Brenda's intent was to poke a little fun at the silly things Realtors sometimes say in their advertising.  And the phrase "priced to sell" IS pretty silly.   If a house is not priced to sell - there's a problem. This post and the many great comments it received got me thinking about sellers who are … (27 comments)

advice for sellers: Challenges of Selling a Vacant House - Dealing with the Negatives Part 4 - 07/20/11 04:27 PM
Accentuate the Positive - Deal with the Negatives  Problem 4:  You've moved all your furniture out and all you can see are flaws in the floors and walls.
This week in a series of posts, I've been sharing a variety of tips for dealing with the not-so-great aspects of a home, after all every house has them.  Monday I touched on a few ideas for dealing with an unsightly view.  Tuesday traffic-noise.  Wednesday I covered what to do when your neighbor's house is a run-down mess. Today, in the final day of my series, I'll discuss selling a vacant home.  … (15 comments)

advice for sellers: Your Neighbor's House Is a Run-Down Mess - Dealing with the Negative Part 3 - 07/19/11 01:57 PM
Accentuate the Postive - Deal with the Negatives  Problem 3:  Your neighbor's house Is a run-down mess
This week in a series of posts, I've been sharing a variety of tips for dealing with the not-so-great aspects of a home, after all every house has them.  Monday I touched on what to do with an unsightly view.  Yesterday I covered traffic-noise.  Today's subject is a touchy one - what to do when your neighbor's house is a run-down mess. 
You've done everything you can to make the house you're selling beautiful but the house next door is an eyesore.  Perhaps … (8 comments)

advice for sellers: Traffic Noise - Dealing with the Negative - Part 2 - 07/18/11 02:43 PM
Accentuate the positives while dealing with the negatives - what to do about traffic noise.
This week in a series of posts, I will be sharing a variety of tips for dealing with the not-so-great aspects of a home, after all every house has them.  Yesterday I touched on what to do with an unsightly view.  Today I will cover Problem 2:  Traffic noise
We know it's all about location, location, location.  So what do you do if you live on a busy street or near a highway?  How do you tone down the traffic noise? 
Some solutions include installilng solid … (9 comments)

advice for sellers: What to do with an Unsightly View - Dealing with the Negatives Part 1 - 07/17/11 07:46 AM
Accentuate the positives while dealing with the negatives - What to do about an unsightly view. 
Stagers like me are always saying how important it is to "accentuate the positives".  Of course we want to highlight a home's BEST selling features but what should we do about those not-so-positive aspects of a home?  They must be dealt with - notice I did NOT say covered up!   
In a series of posts this week I will be sharing ideas for dealing with your home's flaws, after all, every house has them...
Problem 1:  Unsightly view from a window
While we're … (9 comments)

advice for sellers: Advice for Couples Selling a Home Because of Divorce - 06/10/11 02:42 AM
Advice for Couples Selling a Home Because of Divorce.
I recently read a very compelling and insightful blog post by Scott Hayes on the subject of Divorce and Real Estate.  Scott offers advice that should be required reading for any couple with a home to sell because of a divorce:
"As soon as a couple files for divorce, you instantly form a business relationship. When a home is involved, that is most certainly the case. Although it is very difficult to keep emotions in check, it is imperative that divorcing couples become partners in the business of home ownership."
(90 comments)

advice for sellers: Buying Decisions Are Emotional - How to Use that to Your Advantage Part 1 - 05/04/11 04:14 PM
Buying decisions are emotional.  When preparing your home for sale you want to tap into your buyers emotions - and it's not as hard as you might think! 
You can use decorative accessories to suggest all kinds of feelings like warmth, coziness, peace, serenity, prestige, etc. Here are just a few ideas of how it can be done.  
Suggest romance with candles and flowers on a night stand or jet tub. Bring to mind a feeling of coziness by strategically draping a quilt or afghan at the end of a bed or sofa. Imply a feeling of calmness and serenity … (4 comments)

advice for sellers: So you're thinking about downsizing.... - 04/12/11 04:53 PM
So You're Thinking About Downsizing....
Are you getting tired of cutting the grass and shoveling snow?  Are you uncomfortable lugging laundry baskets and groceries up and down stairs?  Perhaps the thought of moving sounds good, but the thought of selling your home and and moving to a smaller space overwhelms you.  If so, you're not alone! 
Making the decision to move to a smaller space is extremely diffiuclt for many older adults. If you've lived in your home for several decades, then leaving it may feel like an enormous loss.  If your children have moved on, it may feel like … (70 comments)

advice for sellers: I've never met ANYONE who likes doing IT.... - 04/07/11 06:08 PM
I've never met ANYONE who likes doing IT....
IT is not difficult.  But IT is messy.... IT is not expensive. But IT is time-consuming....  Home sellers hate doing IT.  Home buyers hate IT even more.... A few serious home sellers will do IT - but most will not (and then wonder why their house isn't selling).... Home buyers will typically choose a house where IT doesn't have to be done....  What is IT?  Care to take a guess? IT is a dreaded home improvement project hated by most.... Do you know what IT is? - - - - 'IT' is removing … (49 comments)

advice for sellers: Banks Are Starting to Get It! - 04/05/11 03:18 PM
Banks are finally starting to get it!  According to an RISMEDIA article March 19, 2011, "...banks are spending thousands of dollars on some foreclosures. In addition to new paint and carpet, floors are being refinished, old windows are being replaced, and leaky roofs are being repaired .... in the past, banks rejected such suggestions, viewing them as throwing good money after bad." For years real estate stagers and real estate agents have been advocating the practice of sprucing up a home to help it sell faster and for more money.  Banks like, Wells Fargo are finally starting to recognize the value … (7 comments)

advice for sellers: How to Compete with Foreclosures - 04/01/11 10:09 AM
Discouraged home sellers often ask me how their home can possibly compete against low-priced foreclosed properties in their neighborhood. My answer - the same way Neiman Marcus competes with Walmart.  They're really is no competition - just different products and different buyers.  There are different kinds of home buyers.  Sellers, you need to think about which kind you want to attract.
Home buyers and sellers alike are frequently shocked when they learn the condition of many foreclosed properties. Dilapidated foreclosures often have major issues such as water damage, mold, broken windows and missing plumbing fixtures, just to name a few. … (42 comments)