10 Staging Tips to Help Your Home Sell

Want to sell your home? Get out the bucket, mop and elbow grease. The key to making a positive first impression is simple. Get it clean, clean, clean and cleaner!. If your house isn’t squeaky clean, it instantly sends up negative thoughts that the home is not well maintained.

After cleaning the next step is to “stage” the house to make it as attractive as possible. Basically, you want to strip the house to its bare essentials, depersonalize it so potential buyers can see themselves moving in and living in the home.

1) Visit model homes and look at home magazines for inexpensive decorating ideas. Always keep in mind you are not decorating for yourself but for the general public.

2) Start with the outside. Give the house a fresh coat of paint, add shiny hardware to the front door and plant a few flowers to send a subliminal message the house is loved and well cared for.

3) Declutter every room to make it look larger. Get rid of family pictures, trophies and knickknacks. Closets and drawers should be no more than 30% full.

4) Invest in eco-friendly but bright lights. Open the drapes or remove them completely. Light, bright rooms give the impression this is a happy place—and everyone wants to move into a happy place.

5) Feature only a few pieces of furniture with mainstream appeal. Pull pieces away from walls to make rooms look bigger.

6) Make sure a room’s primary use is obvious. A bedroom should look like a bedroom, not an office, hobby center or gym.

7) Bedrooms and kitchens are difficult to stage because they are in daily use, but make the effort. Clear everything off the counters and nightstands, roll up the rugs and hide the laundry hamper. Buff the cabinets with car wax and clean under the sinks. Invest in pristine white bed linens and towels.

8) Minimize the “pet effect.” Remove food bowls and litter boxes to the utility room. Deodorize thoroughly.

9) Organize the utility room and garage. Hang up the bicycles, roll up the hose. Renting a storage locker is worth the cost if it helps you sell faster and for a higher price.

10) Once your house is staged, invite your friends or Realtor over and walk them through to get an objective opinion.

When do you want to sell? Call your Sea Coast Exclusive Properties REALTOR today!

August 2010

Just a quick August report on the market for those of you that follow our WebBlog. August was a good month. Much better than you would assume from the media. The North San Diego County Coastal area is doing pretty fair with sales continuing along at a steady pace. The doom and gloom in our area has been over for quite some time now. Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside seem to be particularly solid and on track at this time. There are many hot pockets of sales activity where sharp properties will obtain two or three offers. This of course makes sellers very happy.

What is making buyers happy are two things: Low interest rates and more inventory to choose from. There are some very sharp homes out there right now looking for a new owner. Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe along with Olivenhain continue to look as good as ever. If you need help finding the right property call anyone of our top agents. They are all first class and can help put the key to your new home where it belongs...on your key ring.

Relax...We'll handle the details!

Mike Evans

Sea Coast Exclusive Properties

Neda Nourani...Beautiful Job!

Dear Neda,

The prospect of relocation, especially selling a home where we made so many good memories and made so many dear friends, was unsettling at best.

Early on, I started telling myself, “You can do this Angie, and while you are at it you can sell the house yourself … think of the money you’ll save”!

This letter is to thank you and acknowledge how much we appreciate you~

We had been thinking for years that Real Estate Agents were not really worth the percentage that they were paid. We had the conception (now a misconception) that all the agents did was put the sign in the yard and wait for escrow to close. We had heard a lot of horror stories. Neda, you changed our mind … and the minds of many of our friends and colleagues …we learned that the experience and outcome can be phenomenal if your agent is a solid, experienced professional.

You were not pushy but you were prompt and prepared. There was no “rush to sign on as the selling agent” there was a peace and insightful perspective that you lent immediately to the process..

We continue to be amazed at your cadre of outstanding resources, from inspectors to painters, you have the best connections of anyone I know!

Once we started working together we were very impressed by your gift of listening, we felt comfortable sharing our concerns and ideas. You actively participated in our brainstorming sessions.

You definitely steered me away from the slippery slopes down which the novice seller would certainly slide, but throughout the process you remained open to ideas and provided workable solutions. But when it came down to it, Neda, you held the ground for us. When we were tempted, out of fear or frustration, and the flakes that we had encountered, to lower the price, or to pull out of the market, or make a decision that was based on emotion, you held us firm. You brought us into a rational mind set, together we made plans and set milestones it was during these challenging times, when we truly valued what you represent …a partnership with a person who is a strong, talented advocate and a seasoned, savvy negotiator.

Looking back, we can see even more clearly see how you protected our sale and our position in all aspects of the offers, counters and during escrow …regular follow up with the buyer agent, lenders etc. making sure that we were protected. You made it a point to be on property for appraisal and inspections (we have to take a bye for the flakes whose inspector had to come and do a last minute fly by when no one could be there …ugh!) It is not lost on us that as a result of your frequent follow up and hands on approach that the buyers were kept on their toes …there was not going to be any fooling around or foot dragging on Neda’s watch. No way, no how.

Neda, we could not believe how hard you worked on our behalf … your work ethic is one of the strongest I have ever known. We were amazed by your follow up, follow through, your tireless efforts, and your professional expertise. In fact, dear Neda, you spoiled us and we ended up having to let our first agent in Florida go. You set the bar very high!

We have so much to thank you for …all the “behind the scenes” activities that kept the ball rolling in the right direction, your positive approach, wise insight and warm smile. You know that we loved our home, it was hard to leave, but having you as our agent (and now our friend) we will look back on this experience with warm thoughts and good memories …

Your Friend and Fan Forever,

Angie and Mike Magill

FORECLOSURE PREVENTION HELP FROM FANNIE MAE

Since the start of the housing downturn, the number of Web sites and foreclosure-prevention companies claiming to offer help to struggling borrowers has greatly increased. While some of the businesses are legitimate, others are fraudulent and offer services that consumers may be eligible to receive free of charge.

• This month, Fannie Mae – the government-sponsored entity that helps set lending standards for most mortgages—started a Web site, KnowYourOptions.com. The site contains elements distinguishing it from those aiming to prevent foreclosure. All of the information on the site is available in Spanish or English.
  
  
• KnowYourOptions.com provides video explanations of what users might accomplish in each of the tabbed section of the site. In the “Take Action” section, for example,” struggling homeowners are advised that the first step to take in seeking help with their mortgage is to contact their mortgage company.
  
  
• Other features of the site include contact information for mortgage companies and loan counselors, calculators to determine if the borrower is eligible for assistance, and information on commencing short sales or deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure.
  
  
• Another helpful Web site for consumers is Hope LoanPort, which allows struggling homeowners and housing counselors to submit financial documents to mortgage companies and track the status of their efforts to avoid foreclosure. Hope LoanPort was created by Hope Now, a consortium of 12 mortgage companies and 250 counseling agencies.

Kitchens Remain among Most Popular Remodeling Projects

Kitchens have long been among the most popular remodeling projects. Not every budget can afford high-end brands. But, as with fashion and automobiles, the top-of-the-line products set the trends. The styles, materials, colors and technical advances seen in luxury showrooms today inspire the more-affordable versions that show up in the big-box stores tomorrow.

The kitchen has become the place to congregate in today’s homes. It’s where families cook, eat, relax and entertain. And in today’s open-plan home designs, homeowners prefer kitchens that blend with adjacent spaces—living and dining areas, bars and patios.

Kitchen Design Trends

Counter tops: Stainless steel, antiqued marble, lava stone, wood, concrete, mosaics and flamed granite with a textured, matte finish.

Cabinetry: Fewer overhead cabinets. Lift-up or sliding doors, self-closing drawers, glass-fronted cabinets and glass shelving, tracks inside doors for attaching storage accessories, pantries with multiple storage options. Fresh finishes, from smooth, high-gloss and matte lacquer, to textured, horizontal-grain laminates.

Appliances: Free-standing accent pieces and fully-integrated designs that blend with cabinets. Fridges with more crisper space, less freezer space; combination gas/electric ranges; designer range hoods; super-quiet dishwashers; specialty sink faucets; luxury items such as warmer drawers for coffee mugs.

Lighting: Combinations of soft incandescent, bright halogen and cool, energy-efficient LED bulbs.

Colors: Warm neutrals such as walnut, slate, sand, celadon and magnolia.

Architectural elements: Wall niches and bump-outs for housing coffee machines, juicers, dinnerware, herbs, spices and collectibles.

What's your dream kitchen? Let's start with your dream home! Call your Sea Coast Exclusive Properties REALTOR today!

Tax Credit vs Weak Home Sales Numbers

Home sales "statistics" are likely to paint a picture of a weakening market through the end of 2010 and the first half of 2011. While it’s tempting to attribute the bleak numbers to a deteriorating housing market, an economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University said that does not tell the whole story.

“The year-over-year decline in existing home sales will be the result of comparing months when there was no tax credit with those from a year earlier, when the tax credit was artificially increasing sales,” said Dr. Mark Dotzour, the Center’s chief economist.

The $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers went into effect in January 2009 and was planned to expire in November 2009. Home sales gradually started to increase after the tax credit was announced, after bottoming out in January at an annual rate just above 4.5 million sales.

Existing home sales gradually increased in 2009 as buyers and real estate agents became more familiar with the program. Sales topped an annual rate of five million in July 2009 for the first time since September 2008.

As the tax credit deadline approached, home sales spiked in September, October and November 2009. November 2009 was the peak at an annual rate of almost 6.5 million.

The tax credit was extended late in 2009 to include sales with contracts written until April 30, 2010, and closed by June 30 (extended to September 30). Initial home buyer response to this extension was tepid, but sales picked up substantially in March, April and May 2010, when sales were up 18%, 28% and 18%, respectively, over the same months in 2009.

Then the process reversed itself. Pending home sales fell dramatically in May 2010, the month after the tax credits expired. This was followed by a significant drop in home sales in June and July. In Texas, July 2010 sales were down approximately 25% from July 2009.

Dotzour said August figures may not be much better since many buyers purchased homes before the tax incentive expired.

“When you ‘bring forward’ sales through tax incentives, sales will be lower after the tax credit ends,” he said.

Unless Congress creates a new tax credit, Dotzour said monthly sales for 2010 will likely exhibit significant variance from 2009, and a true reading of housing market conditions may not be possible until June or July 2011.

Planning your visit to CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO 2010

ATTENTION REALTORS.... With a little more than five weeks before the real estate industry event of the year, now is the time to start planning your visit to CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO 2010. CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO 2010 will be marked by many educational and entertaining sessions to help you succeed in the marketplace.

The “Sales” track will offer sessions impacting your day-to-day business, including: “Auctions and Real Estate: What’s in it for You?” and “How to Turn Leads Into Sales.”

The “REOs, Short Sales, and Foreclosures” track offers tactics to help you tackle the distressed property market with confidence. Hear from an industry pro who’s been in the trenches for years in “Short Sales, REOs, and Foreclosures: Still Hot,” or sink your teeth into “REOs and You: How to Find Them and How to Work Them,” where you’ll learn how to work with asset managers and where to find listings.

The third track, “Risk Management,” will offer sessions to help you brush up on your legal and financial facts. Do you know how to handle multiple offers? Learn how to alleviate your risk while providing your clients with the best counsel in Wednesday’s “Multiple Offers: Negotiating Secrets from the Pros.” In Thursday’s “Financing Options for Your Buyers,” you’ll hear from a HUD pro and a CalHFA expert who will offer tips and advice on how to find financing opportunities for your clients.

The final track, “Innovations and Trends,” will help you to breathe some innovation and technology into your outreach efforts. “Beyond Charts and Graphs: How to Use Data to Amp-up Your Business” will teach you how to localize, organize, and showcase your presentation data. Hear new and exciting ways you can use your Smartphone to connect with buyers, sellers, and renters in Wednesday’s “Mobile Marketing Trends.”

For a complete list of CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO 2010 sessions and for more information on special ticketed events like Tech Tuesday (Oct. 5) and REALTOR® Night Out (Oct. 6 at Disneyland®), visit http://expo.car.org/index.html.