Play Fair!

I've been working with a very nice young couple who are looking to buy their first home. They have done things right. They have excellent credit, good jobs and money in the bank for a down payment. For a realtor, this couple is a dream come true. And to top it all off, they are truly fun to be with.We start looking at houses and very quickly we find their dream house. But we don't know for sure

Agh! I Hate Internet Mortgages!

I'm selling approximately 40 houses a year and I've yet to have an "Internet Mortgage" close. Most of the time I can convince my clients to do some comparative shopping and they always find a better rate and/or less junk fees by working with local bank or brokers. Every once in a while, a client becomes defensive when I suggest they shop around for a mortgage and I let them find out the hard way.

Stinkin' Radon

Of course radon is an odorless gas, but when you are trying to sell a house and the inspector finds radon, well, that stinks! And that is what happened today. The house is in Livingston County and after studying the Radon Maps of New York (http://www.wadsworth.org/radon/data.htm) published by New York State Department of Health, I guess I should not have been shocked. In recent tests, 41% of the

Judging for Real Estate Blogging Award Ain't Just Easy as Black & White

Real Estate gives bloggers a variety of colorful subjects to write on. In fact, as a guest judge for this week's Carnival Of Real Estate, I had so many GOOD posts (about 30) to choose from, I have to admit, it was tough to narrow it down to just one overall winner. Since working with color is a basic tool that a stager relies on, I choose it to be the award's theme... so, that allowed me to narrow the field down to six R-O-Y-G-B-V Finalists, from which one would reign as the Most Colorful and winner for the 46th Carnival of Real Estate.

The six R-O-Y-G-B-V Color Finalists for this week's Carnival of Real Estate (in no particular order) are:

The RED FINALIST AWARD goes to Michael Simonsen. Red is the color for danger, power, passion and desire. It also it the color of energy. The fascinating pricing "heat maps" Michael presents in Bay Area Price Reductions Heat Map posted at Altos Research Real Estate Insights are FULL of red energy.

The ORANGE FINALIST AWARD goes to Brian Brady. Orange is the color that represents creativity, determination and success. Brian is writes a post with "character" as he offers his fresh and "memorable" advice in Realtors Should Stop Selling Houses... posted at BloodhoundBlog.

The YELLOW FINALIST AWARD goes to Oliver Muoto. Yellow is associated with joy and happiness but also can be a cautionary color. Oliver warns Realtors of the primary importance of using good quality pictures when advertising listing in A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words posted at vFlyer Blog.

The GREEN FINALIST AWARD goes to Michael Price. Green symbolizes growth, harmony and, as we all know, money. Michael reminds us that growth can come from looking at new business models. People that think differently will enjoy his Book Report: Be Unreasonable posted at Mike's Corner - Web 2.0 For Real Estate Pros.

The BLUE FINALIST AWARD goes to Dr. John Yacenda. Blue embodies trust, loyalty, wisdom and intelligence. While John definitely demonstrates all those traits in his tale, the same can not be said for his clients. ?Pro Pro Per Pla? ? A Cautious Buyer?s Motto, and It?s not Latin! is a fun read posted at RenoRealEstateVoice.

The VIOLET FINALIST AWARD goes to Karen Rhodes. Violet (purple) is often associated with wealth, extravagance, dignity and independence. However, sadly these noble traits were mischievously played with and convoluted by so many parties involved with the loans. Karen writes of the Subprime troubles in The Party is Over posted at Chattanooga Real Estate Blog.

But when it comes down to it, the #1 post for this week that should be read, is all about RED. The heat maps posted on Michael Simonson's blog entitled Bay Area Price Reductions Heat Map captivated my interest... it was new, fresh, interesting and different. Because I am a home stager, I have seen time and again how it helps to sell people by helping them see. Micheal shares a tool Realtors could use in any market to help visually explain and then create effective pricing strategies with their client home sellers. CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL this was the Most Colorful post and this week's winning post!

So... those are the colorful award winners for the 46th Carnival of Real Estate here on Home, Staging Rants & Ravings... I hope you enjoy reading them and learning from them as much as I did. I have to say I am truly honored to be the FIRST HOME STAGER ever in the nation to be selected to host and judge this forum that represents the best voices within the Real Estate Industry. Zillow recognizing stagers helps the home staging industry Stage It Forward. The next carnival will be held on Monday, June 18 at RE Agent in CT. Please submit your best post by Sunday, June 17, to be considered.

Color It Forward...

Me

PS: In the future, if you are interested in offering your thoughts and ideas you write of in your own blog (YES HOME STAGERS... YOU TOO should be submitting posts!) to the Carnival, all you need to do is submit your blog article to a weekly edition of the Carnival of Real Estate using their carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

DING DONG, Stage It Forward Calling... with a FREE Member Button for YOU!

As a member of both Active Rain and Stage It Forward, I LOVE the fact that it is open to all… And because it is so, many home stagers have joined over the past year to shared tales of their experiences and their wisdom. But, I am most proud of the fact that since joining Active Rain its group Stage It Forward... has become one of the most active and THRIVING sub-communities on this HUGLY popular real estate industry networking site.

WOW do Home Stagers have a lot to say and WOW do they ever say it.

Home Stagers and the Home Staging Industry are lucky that Active Rain came along when it did.

Since November 2006 over 600 members have joined and have posted over 2,400 articles about home staging in the group. Because of this fact the group has rapidly become a nation-wide noted resource for home staging information. What makes it so special the fact that collectively the group created itself… which is something each member should take pride in. The collective home staging voice is being spoken hear AND is being heard.

A few months back a special "staged" doorway into the group was created. And while it was GREAT to have the doorway... getting to the "door" became an issue. You see, you still need a "door bell button" that “rings” into this amazing industry resource and community.

So here you go... I have been asked for a link that a stager can use to display their involvement. Here is a button of a working "doorbell" that can be FREELY added to websites or blogsites. All you need to do is copy and paste the HTML CODE that I can email to you. (Image shown below is an actual working sample.)

Clicking on the button will take people visiting your site on to the Stage It Forward Gateway site. At the Gateway they will read a quick overview of the group you are a part of and committed to. Then they can move on into Active Rain’s Stage It Forward group.

So if you would like to show your affiliation to the group... just click on the link. The HTML code that you can insert on your website and/or your blogsite that will create this linking button can be found on the Stage It Forward Gateway.

I, like many of the home stagers that visit this blog, know that home staging works. But I also know that getting the general public and real estate community to understand and believe in what we do has been a bit of a challenge at times. However now, because of Stage It Forward, our voice speaking as one helps tell our story... that's for sure. This membership button is just another subtle "less is more" way to SHOW people we do have a collective voice as an industry.

More good Stage It Forward things are to come... I promise.
Me

Success in Home Staging Business is NOT Just "Pretty" Hocus Pocus Magic!

A few blogs back I wrote of the upcoming publication of a book by Barb Schwarz of StagedHomes.com called: "Building a Successful Home Staging Business."

Well, it has been published and I have read it and here is my promised "Book Review".

First, while I don’t agree with everything Barb and her co-author Mary Goodbody wrote of... I have to admit, overall I was pleasantly surprised. I found this book to be MUCH better than I expected!

Yes, this book is a little schmaltzy. Yes, Barb repeatedly states throughout the book that she “invented” home staging to the point that it feels annoyingly boastful at times. But Barb does masterfully "walk the line" I spoke of back in my original post. I think readers of this book will find it to be better written and NOT the "self serving big ego dump" and not a "fluffy disguised piece of advertising" for StagedHome.com seminars... which were some of the complaints she received for her last book entitled: "Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money."

However, unlike what the back cover claims… this book is still not so much a "How To" operate a home staging business as it is a "How About" the business. So, while it is a nice overview for anyone interested in getting into the business, if you have owned and operated a home staging business, you will find much of what Barb reveals is no great new news.

But, for the budding stager this book is a nice summary of the tribulations, trials and necessities involved with the start up of a home staging business. The authors make it clear this business requires NOT just having the creative talent to "redecorating a room". I totally agree with this key point, as I think many people are first attracted into this business because they hope it is a way to utilize, tap into and apply their creative skills and desire to decorate.

Unfortunately, dealing with the cold hard reality of STARTING, OPERATING, and MAINTAINING a business is often the after-thought for people who get into a home staging (or any) business. From this book, readers will surely see that a "glamorous staging career" is REALLY about being an entrepreneur that has to work hard at growing their staging business.

So while I was glad Barb writes and says it takes work to own and operate a home staging business, I have to say the book still is a little too simplistic and idealizes what it actually does take to run a staging business. Some of what Barb wrote of is incomplete advice and a little glossed over (ie Chapter 3 "Your Business Plan" - only 8 pages long) and some of what she shares would be GREAT guidance if we operated in a perfect world and a perfect marketplace where there was NO competition. But in spite of her somtimes over simplistic view, I was glad to see that Barb was clear about the fact that starting and running a home staging business is not hocus pocus magic. Ultimately she communicates to the reader that what it takes is a combination of talent, a lot of hard work, positive perseverance and a little bit of luck.

So in closing I have to say… Barb Schwarz's new book is a nice OVERVIEW for those considering opening a home staging businesses, but for those of you already in the industry just know that this book is NOT the promised “practical guide that will show you exactly how to” do “what it takes to make it in the Home Staging Industry”. There is so much more that can, needs and will be said to move your businesses and this industry to higher levels. Luckily, much of what needs to be shared and said can be found over in Active Rain’s Stage It Forward group.

Me

Staged Home Raises Funds to Benefit Art Center

Well, I gotta admit it really is odd to see the house empty again… but just one weekend later that's how this house sits.

However, LAST weekend, this newly constructed luxury home in Park Ridge, Illinois was staged and GLORIOUSLY TRANSFORMED (as these photos show) into the premier site on the Artistic Living Tour of Homes.










Last weekend was the culmination of over year of preparation for a unique fund raising event. The weekend's festivities were no small undertaking, as it took an army of volunteers, who graciously donated their time, talent and treasure, to totally transform this site into a beautiful staged show-house... all for the benefit of Brickton Art Center.

I am happy and proud to report that the Artistic Living Tour of Homes, a show-house plus 5 tour residential tour homes, was a wonderful success. With over 300 people touring the sites… everyone is already buzzing about next year. The volunteers are excited and full of ideas and anticipation on how to make next year’s tour even better. One resident even already offered their home as a tour site!








This “staged” fund raising event was for Brickton Art Center. Brickton does amazing things with and for the arts and is one of the “crown jewels” of our community. It is one of those unique resources within Park Ridge that makes this city such a desirable community to live in.

Brickton, is a small art center tucked away in a corner of the downtown area, currently fulfills the cultural and creative needs of over 6,000 Park Ridge and Northwest Chicago community members each year. It offers over 200 fine arts classes and has hosted nearly 100 gallery exhibits featuring established, emerging and developing Illinois artists. PLUS, and most importantly, Brickton creates beautiful changes in the lives of at-risk populations through it’s out-reach and art therapy based programs.








However, like any not-for-profit, raising funds to continue Brickton’s mission is critical.

At Real Estaging, where one of our core values is to support not-for-profit organizations that are making a difference in the world, it made total sense to offer our help and support such a wonderful organization. We've known how staging can be used as an AWESOME marketing tool for selling... so it made perfect sense to adapt it for this event and create an entirely new version of Brickton’s Artistic Living event.

This event was no small undertaking… besides creating a fresh adaptation of the event and then coordinating all the creative talent of the Gallery Home, whose rooms were each separately "staged" by 9 different designers and/or retailers, we also worked with 5 residents in Park Ridge who graciously opened up their homes as sites on the first ever Park Ridge Tour of Homes. We received accolades for having the “perfect mixture” of big homes, small homes, contemporary homes, traditional homes, new homes, and old homes. The homes we selected were a perfect cross section of all that Park Ridge has to offer.

Having a great idea is one thing, but a weekend long city-wide event of this magnitude takes hundreds of helping hands, including individuals, business organizations, artists, designers, home stagers, elected officials, corporations, residents, neighbors, and families. It took a community working together to make this event the success that it was.

So, needless to say Brickton staff and the army of volunteers were THRILLED that after all their hard work the Grand Opening ceremony was recognized by state Senator Dan Kotowski. Senator Kotowski came and cut the ribbon kicking off the tour and opening the Gallery Home last Friday night at the Gallery 1033 Cocktail Party. More pictures of the gallery home and the cocktail party can be seen here.

So, all I can say is a heartfelt “thank-you” to the many of you that helped stage this successful event.

Finally, to my fellow home stagers, I share this idea with you… for while this one event showcased how we transform spaces, more importantly it shows that we can Staged It Forward... by giving it back.

Keep Staging It Forward...
Me


PS: Oh... Real Estaging staged the Red Living Room & Dining in the pictures above and in the link.

THANKS NBC CHICAGO... for featuring this story on your web site.