Laura Wilson's (lgwilson5) Blog

Why I Hate Social Media! And You Probably Do Too But Won't Admit it! (A REVISIT)

Laura Wilson (AccuStagers) — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:00:10 -0700

For some reason this blog resonated well with me. Just curious...how many of you out there have actually produced meaningful business using social networking? I haven't. How many of you dread a new posting of a "friend" who has a seemingless unending update of their new listing or open house, not to mention how their farm is doing, or how many points they have in the newest game. I must even admit, that if I were to be hiring a real estate agent, it probably WOULDN"T be the one who is peppering my wall with endless information. In fact, I have probably already "hidden" you from my wall...or at least the game/event you are posting. Tweeting? I mean, come on...do we really need to have a constant update on the goings-on of your life? Do you really care what I'm doing 24/7, or am I afraid that if I don't keep up, I will have no friends and I won't be in the forefront of your mind at all times. Let's consider going back to life as it was, say five years ago...where technology was useful, where we could easily gain access to whomever we want, whenever we want without being constantly bombarded with tidbits of information... It's taking up too much of our valuable time, time that we should be spending doing more important things, like spending it with our families! Yes...I guess it's all making me crabby! Would love to hear your thoughts...I wrote this about 9 months ago, and Bob Stewart thought it deserved another visit. I like sharing my opinions so I can't say I disagree. I reread it, and I don't see that my thinking has changed. I enjoyed writing this - the reality as well as the sarcasm - and hope you find it worthy of a read, whether you agree or not. After all, we're both entitled to our opinions. I would be curious about what YOU think. I really do see the value of social media, otherwise I wouldn't be there in spades. But there is some stuff that, quite frankly, just irks me, so I tend to ignore or avoid it. Or poke fun at it when I can. Enjoy. Or not. ****************************** Why I Hate Social Media! And You Probably Do Too But Won't Admit it! Like so many I've joined all the popular social media sites, and some not so popular ones. I've spent countless hours adding profiles, uploading photos, adding videos, and sharing personal information and I've had it. I hear there's a point to all this, but quite honestly, I have grown to hate social media. Here's why: THERE ARE TOO MANY SOCIAL MEDIA SITES - every time I think I am on all the right ones, another one makes an appearance, and I feel obligated to join. My spreadsheet for tracking sites, log ins, and passwords is totally beyond control and impossible to maintain. And worse, I often get invited to join a new site by someone I don't even know. I have created more avatars and screen names and passwords than anyone in their right mind ought to be doing. I'm just not inventive and it takes too much blasted time. AM I A TWIT, a twitterer, tweeple or a tweeter? Am I tweeting or twittering? There are more darn applications and things you can do that start with Tweet or Tw. And the number of new words in our lingo as a result of one bloomin' site is enough to make an English professor commit harakiri. And who is this Mr. Tweet character? Is he a real person? And then there's Twellow, and Twellowhood, Tweetdeck and Twirl, and on and on and on. Enough of the T word. The S word comes to mind. Not the one you're thinking. THE GUILT around not having enough followers, friends, connections or links is enough to keep me in church 7 days a week. Confession isn't even part of my religion and I feel compelled to confess my inadequacies as a participant in the social media world. Just when I think I am making headway some idiot with 1,315,719 followers wants to follow me. Now that's a blow to the ego. Perhaps I should follow all the get-a-million-followers-per-day techniques that I see out there. Then Adam and I could be on the same playing field. I couldn't keep up with it all but so what. Isn't it all about the numbers? I FEEL ASHAMED I don't feel like sharing intimate details of my bodily functions, discussing what I am eating and where and how I feel about it, or passing along personal reflections on how wonderful life is because of the great attitude I woke up with that morning after only 2 hours of sleep even though the dog died, my kid is a druggie, and my client is suing me for a million bucks which I don't have because my mortgage is in default but that's OK because I'm working on a loan mod with BOA. I still feel great, though, because I know telling you that will inspire you to become the best you can before the end of the day. You can watch my vid about it...trust me. It'll work. DM me if you need help. THERE ARE MORE FRIGGIN' QUOTES out there from famous people than you can possibly keep track of, or even begin to ponder and hope they will make your measly life better, which of course they won't. And if I hear one more quick way to make a million dollars using Twitter in 1 hour I'm going to barf. No doubt I needed to share that and someone will have a video I can watch that will help me cure the nausea, which of course I will then have to retweet ad nauseum so others can DM me to congratulate my new-found success, and then I can write an e-book and become famous overnight and gain billions of followers. And start my own special fan club on Facebook. I DO NOT GET THE FRIEND THING. Why is it so many people want to be my friend? I don't want to be your friend, I don't like your avatar (I think that's what they call those ugly pictures on people's profiles), and your mindless blathering doesn't interest me one iota. But I know if I don't let you follow me or I block you I will feel extreme guilt and need to spend more time in church, which I don't have time for. And you will probably keep pinging me to follow you, or join your mindless fan club, or attend some stupid event for an idiotic cause I have never heard of and that I could care less about, which of course means I am not engaging with others on-line as I should and therefore will probably get blacklisted or have my account deleted. I HAVE LOST MORE SLEEP than I ever imagined I could survive without.It was bad enough when I started blogging several years ago but keeping up with all the updates, tweets, RTs, DMs, link and follow requests means I have to get by on even less sleep than I did pulling all-nighters and partying in college. I thought I was beyond that. I'm sorry but I DON'T feel social at 2 in the morning when I have to get up at 6, but I seem to have no option. There's that guilt thing, again, about social media. There must be a Cure That Guilt video out there somewhere. PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES ME AS PARANOID as...well, you know. I know I am going to say something that will offend someone and get sued. Or my identity will get stolen because of all the personal stuff they ask me to share in order to set up my profile that everyone in the world can see. I know someone already is stalking me...I think...or maybe I am just paranoid. But they keeping DM'img me on my phone. Perhaps you've realized by now this is all in fun...well, mostly. Maybe you just don't get it. I guess I wouldn't be doing what I do if this all really irked me. Or maybe it does and I just can't admit it out of guilt. Who knows?!

When is the Best Time to Hire a Home Staging Professional?

Laura Wilson (AccuStagers) — Wed, 19 May 2010 05:35:02 -0700

When is the best time to hire a Home Staging Professional???The short answer??? When you are thinking about putting your house on the market, before you start talking with real estate agents or brokers.Why? A home stager will look at your house through the eyes of a potential buyer and will make the necessary changes needed to appeal to a general audience. A home stager will not benefit from the sale of the house in the way of commissions so therefore can be considered a neutral advisor. The home stager is on "everyone's side", meaning that we work closely with the seller so that their house hits the market ready to "wow" the potential buyers who are looking at the house...as well as with the listing real estate agent. Our services benefit the Real Estate agent because, if fully staged, the house will show magnificently both in "real life" and also in virtual photos, therefore making it statistically likely to sell quicker and in less time than an un-staged home.What does a Home Stager do? A Professional Home Stager, like AccuStagers, who has experience in the real estate industry as well as the decorating field, will "undecorate" the house, neutralizing it and taking the personal affects away from the home. Don't be fooled, however...it's not just a matter of taking pictures off the wall. It takes someone with knowledge of color, balance, room flow, lighting and with strong organizational skills to stage a home properly. How Does a Home Stager Work? A Professional Home Stager should be a Real Estate Agent's best friend. We will kindly, but firmly make sure that the collections and knick-knacks are carefully packed away. We will discuss the virtues of removing the cat's litter box from the living room (and remove it..and any lingering odor), and will suggest that removing the bee-covered bush from the front walk might be in everyone's best interest. We will be the "bad guy" so to speak so that you can develop a wonderful, professional relationship with your client without having to enter into those "awkward" conversations that can sometimes backfire and come between you and the seller. When the house sells quickly, and for top dollar, the real estate agent will be the hero, will collect the commissions, and everyone will be happy!Your Home Staging Professional is ready, willing and able to work together so that it's "win-win" for all! If you haven't considered using a Home Stager, like Accustagers, give it a shot! It'll be one of the best professional decisions you will ever make.... AccuStagers...the first impression experts. Your Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey Helping houses sell for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. Contact us: Laura@AccuStagers.com973-428-6128-office 862-812-6110-cell AccuStagers 8 Druetzler Court Studio 102 Hanover Township, NJ 07981 From Bungalows to Mansions...vacant or occupied...no house is too small, or too big.

In a Challenging Market....Think out of the box!!!!

Laura Wilson (AccuStagers) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:25:02 -0700

Accustagers...Professional Home Staging in Morris County, New Jersey In a Challenging Market....Think out of the box!!!!! It's hard to know how to conduct one's business today. One day, the media reports negative trends regarding the local economy; housing sales continue to struggle to close, it's a rental market. The very next week...behold! Things are improving, we've hit rock bottom, it's only going to go up from here. UGH!!!!! How are we real estate professionals supposed to proceed? Do we spend money that we don't have to market ourselves? Do we hold back, relying on the contacts that we've established over the years? What if we're just starting out? Get a part-time job until the economy improves? One thing is for sure...we have to be innovative, creative, not “same ole, same ole”. Whether buying or selling, our clients expect nothing less than supurb representation from everyone they deal with, virtually every step of the way.... Regardless of the trends of the industry, one thing is for sure. Business has changed. Buyers are demanding because they are concerned...maybe even scared. We can't rest on our laurels and rely on what worked in the past. We must THINK OUT OF THE BOX!!!!! For Real Estate Staging Companies, like Accustagers in Morris County, New Jersey who count on the support of the industry in general, times are particularly challenging. Even though it's been proven time and time again that a house that has been staged by a Home Staging Professional sells faster and for more money than houses that haven't benefitted from professional home staging, we are fighting to gain the support of Real Estate salespeople and brokers. Sure, you read the statistics and know that staging works. Sure, you listen to our pitches, promise to consider us in the future, vow to promote us to your clients. But, do you follow through? We've all heard the old real estate mantra...location, location, location. In this market??? Staging, staging staging. According to Barb Schwarz, the creator of the home staging industry, "even in today's slower housing market, 95% of Staged homes sell (on average) in 35 days or less. On the other hand, homes that are not Staged take 172 days or more to sell, if they sell at all." Hiring a Home Staging Professional, like Accustagers in Morris County, New Jersey saves you and your client time...and makes you both money. It's WIN-WIN for everyone. Think out of the box, and hire a home stager TODAY!!!www.Accustagers.com 862-812-6110 Home Staging Professional in Morris County, NJ

Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey

Laura Wilson (AccuStagers) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:32:36 -0700

Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. AccuStagers. ...the first impression experts Selling houses for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. Servicing Morris, Essex, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union Counties in Northern New Jersey From Bungalows to Mansions...vacant or occupied...no house is too small, or too big. Making First Impressions The average prospective home buyer takes 10 seconds to form an opinion of a house, often without even getting out of the car!!! You only get one chance to make a first impression. AccuStagers, your Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey will give your house that "wow" factor. A future buyer will be able to envision their own belongings fitting in your house...hopefully, their new house!!! What is Home Staging? Home staging is the art of rearranging furniture and accessories in a home with the purpose of creating a clutter-free, polished environment, therefore appealing to a wide range of potential buyers. Staging a house with AccuStagers , allows the prospective buyer to look beyond the owner's personal belongings to see the positive features that the house has to offer... like the layout of the room or square footage. Staging with a Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, typically sells quicker and for more money than a house that has not benefited from a home staging professional. How do I know who to hire as a Home Stager? Home Staging is part of the real estate industry, not the decorating industry! The home staging industry is not regulated, therefore anyone can call themselves a home stager. In fact, you might see "accredited home stager”, or "certified home stager" elsewhere. That simply means that person paid to take a 1-3 day course, or paid a fee to join an organization and can therefore call themselves a home stager! AccuStagers...it's all about EXCELLENCE!!!!!!! Laura Wilson, owner of AccuStagers, your Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, holds a B.A. Degree in Clothing and Textiles from Albright College, and studied Interior Design at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City. She was a retail buyer for major department stores in Manhattan for 14 years, traveling the world to select and design items for their customers. She has worked with many of the world’s top designers, and developed a keen eye for what the customer wants to buy. While raising her four children, she completed the NJ Real Estate Licensed Salesperson course, as well as the 200 classroom hours required to become a Certified Residential Appraiser, passing the rigorous state exams. Laura Wilson understands the importance of making a great first impression. Laura's warmth and friendliness, combined with expertise, high standards and professionalism makes AccuStagers the best choice when considering a Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. AccuStagers...the first impression experts. Your Home Staging Professional in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey Selling houses for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. Contact us: Laura@AccuStagers.com973-428-6128 AccuStagers 8 Druetzler Court Studio 102 Hanover Township, NJ 07981 From Bungalows to Mansions...vacant or occupied...no house is too small, or too big.