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On a Personal Note
As I sit here writing it is yet another wintery day with icy conditions outside. I say Uncle already, winter! In spite of the weather the 2015 market is off to a strong start with lots of new buyers out there. If you are contemplating selling, now is a GREAT time as inventory is extremely low and demand is high. GIve me a shout and we can discuss your personal circumstances and determine how to make your home sale the biggest win for you.
Check out these great properties in McLean, Great Falls and Old Town Alexandria:
Homes for Sale in Langley High School District
Old Town Alexandria Homes for Sale HOT LIST!
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Jennifer Halm Real Estate Consultant McEnearney Associates REALTORS j enniferhalm.com jenniferhalm@cox.net |
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Win a $20 Starbuck's Card...
It’s easy to win! Find the quiz question inside this newsletter, then email me your answer. Each month, all correct entries have an equal chance of winning a FREE $20 Starbuck’s card.
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Last month’s question: If you were running a race and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?
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Answer: 2nd Place. (Many people mistakenly say 1st place.)
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Realism or Idealism in Listing Photos… Which Works Better for Selling a House?
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The psychology of house listing images is not hotly debated. But maybe it should be, because listing photos can make a huge difference in how fast and for how much a home sells.
The important question is this: Which works better to sell a house…a realistic image, or an image “dressed to advantage” to enhance the size or angles of a room?
On the buyer side, I can tell you that home buyers are often disappointed or even angry when they see a home that doesn’t measure up to the ideal images they saw online.
I can also tell you that sellers love photos that make their homes look as special as they feel. There are no ugly children when it comes to selling a home.
But which works better in terms of selling? Take a look at the two images above. You see the same bathroom photographed for two listing periods with different agents. One listing lasted three months and had no offers. The other listing received an offer right away at the asking price. Which image from above do you think went with the faster sale?
If you guessed the one on the right, you are correct. Apparently realism in images is not a deciding factor for buyers. What is a deciding factor is how many people see the house in person.
Statistics show us that the more people who go through a house, the faster it will sell. Therefore, enhancing a room through staging and good photography (not fakery, though) can help a home sell faster simply by getting more people to the house. Once at the house, people quickly forget the photos as other aspects of the home attract them. |
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St. Patrick’s Day
Now Worldwide
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Tuesday, March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, an event now celebrated all over the world. But what, exactly, is the purpose of that holiday?
Obviously, you might say, the day is to honor Ireland's patron saint, who introduced Catholicism to the Irish and rid their land of snakes. Right?
Of course not. Everyone knows the Irish love a good party, and St. Patty’s Day is as good an excuse as any to wear green and celebrate. When you think about it, St. Patty’s Day is smart marketing that maintains an image of the Irish as Puckish people who enjoy a jig and a bit ‘o fun…whether true or not! |
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 Thank You Friends and Clients
Welcome to new clients and Thank You to friends who’ve trusted me with their referrals.I appreciate my wonderful friends and clients who thoughtfully introduce their friends, family and coworkers to me.
Gionfriddos — Clemmensens — McDermotts
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Just for Fun: Lost Luggage
After his return from Rome, Joe couldn’t find his luggage in the airport baggage area. He went to the
lost luggage office and told the attendant there that his bags hadn’t shown up on the
luggage carousel.
She smiled and told him not to worry, and said he was in good hands…that they were all trained experts at finding lost luggage.
“Let me ask you a few questions, OK?” she said. “First of all, has your plane arrived yet?”
Joe decided right then that he might as well write his luggage off forever. |
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Put an Extra $$$ in Your
Pocket When You Sell
What you do before you sell your home can put thousands of dollars more in your pocket at sale time. Too many people leave this "easy" money on the table. Don't let that money go! Contact me for an in-home consultation to assess your remodel, repair, and staging needs up to a year before you plan to move.
Email me: jenniferhalm@cox.net ♦ Text or call me: 703-851-2255
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 How DIY Projects Can Cost You Thousands…
In homes for sale it’s common to find odd or poorly executed DIY projects that were done by owners who wanted to give it a try. After all, doing what you want to your home is one of the joys of home ownership! Unfortunately, a feature that someone poured their heart into can look unprofessional and even weird to potential buyers. Picture sloppy paint trim, an extra window cut into the kitchen to pass food through, or the cork-board wall that was cool in the 1980’s.
Why is all this a problem? After all, buyers can easily fix things if they don't like them.
Unfortunately, buyers tend to avoid making offers on homes they perceive to have a lot of small instant projects they'll need to remedy. Even though the projects may cost just a few hundred, their perception is that they’ll need to get “a great deal” on the house before taking on those projects. The result is that you’ll get lower offers—often many thousands below asking price.
So before selling, remedy DIY projects that lack universal appeal. That may mean spending hundreds now...but the payoff may be worth thousands later. Call me a few months (if possible) before you plan to sell so we can see what needs to be done to get your house ready for the market!
~image from the website www.uglyhousephotos.com
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March Quiz Question
If you had only one match, and you entered a cold, dark room where there
was an oil heater, oil lamp, and a candle, which item would you light first?
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Exercise the Mind: Paradoxically Speaking...
What's the Right Answer?
Paradoxes are situations that seem to make perfect sense when looked at one way, and perfect sense when looked at another, opposite way, too. Here are three of my favorite paradox questions:
- A man builds a wooden boat. Every three months he takes off one board, replaces it, and sets the old board aside. After a long period of time he has replaced every board on the boat. He then assembles the old boards into a boat. Which boat is the old boat—the one built of newer boards or the one made of old boards?
- If God is omnipotent, can God create a rock that’s too heavy for him to lift?
- Is the statement, “There is no truth,” true or false?
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From the Heart:
Words of Wisdom that Resonate
 A friend of mine says that “knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.” In that vein, I’d like to share an article that’s been making its way around the internet. Here is an excerpt from Important Lessons in Life by Omer B. Washington.
- I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
- I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people don't care back. It's not the end of the world.
- I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
- I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.
- I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.
- I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
- I've learned that it's not what happens to people, it’s what they do about it.
- I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
- I've learned you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
- I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
There is much more, and you can google Omer Washington for the full text online. |
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Free Report
Can a Pre-Approval Letter Help You Get a Better Deal When Buying a Home?
Yes! Including a good pre-approval letter with your offer can make a real difference. Likewise, a bad letter can hurt your offer. This month's report shows you exactly what needs to be in your lender pre-approval letter to give you an advantage. Email me for a copy of this report...I can also forward it to someone else you know is planning to buy a home. |
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 How Do Plants
Know When to Bloom?
Scientists have known since the 1930s that plants sense the length of the days and use that information to decide when to flower. It was only in 2005 that studies revealed a gene called FT which is active in the leaf and whose activity is regulated by day length. FT produces a messenger molecule that is transported to the shoot tip where it activates a “gene program” that leads to the formation of buds. The program causes proteins to form that then talk to other proteins that exist at the future locations of buds.
Why does all this matter to scientists? Daffodils bloom in spring as the days get longer. Roses wait until summer. Rice flowers in the fall as the days shorten. Nature does fine, but humans sometimes want to fool her. Consider the benefits of early flowering rice. In certain parts of the world, this could allow the production of more than one harvest per year, further reducing world hunger. |
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