Introduction to Home Staging

Expired listings are the hottest “cold lead” you can find. These people tried to sell their home, and the market unapologetically told them it didn’t want it, which creates a more motivated seller with a dose of realism. If you’re in a reasonably busy market, you could probably make a healthy living from just expired listing marketing alone.

There are several people representing their system as the magic bullet for this booming market. In this article, I’ll show you how to leverage some off the shelf parts and very quickly, and efficiently create your own expired listings marketing system. Our goal for you is creating a very turn-key system that simply delivers leads to you with minimal to no work.

Any expired listings system will require several parts:

First, you’ll need source data of expired listings. Typically this coms from your MLS, but there are 3rd-party providers of this as well, which will attempt to run a name-match on the address, and will send you data in a format easier to deal with. One such company is TheRedX (no affiliation), though you can certainly get this data free from your MLS. What one pays for is ease-of-use, as they will email you a CSV file. My opinion is this service is definitely worth the cost, but for those concerned more about money than time, you can certainly pull this data yourself, then key it into a reverse-address-lookup to try and get a resident’s name.

Second, you’ll need a way to get in front of these potential listings, which will require using postcards. In most cases, a phone number is not available or the resident is on the do-not-call list. It’s not enough.

Here you have a few choices:

a. You can wait until the listings stack up to 100 or more, then use a postcard service to print and send them all at once. This is inferior because expired leads depreciate in a matter of hours, and within a few days are pretty much worthless. You need to reach the potential seller very quickly. You need the right information seen by the right people at the right time.

b. You can deliver them to the house, or have someone else do it. This is the best for timeliness, as if you’re first in line, you can “lay a bear trap” for other real estate agents, as I’ll show you in a bit. This helps you get the listing, but is time-consuming, or costly if you hire someone else to deliver these for you.

c. You can pre-print the postcards, then hand-address them as you get the data. This is a bit of work to set up, but low cost overall. The biggest drawback to this is that it will require your time every day, and most people quickly fall off doing this as soon as they get busy. Also, if you use multiple cards, this can get complicated quickly, as you’ll have certain people on day 1, others on day 2, others on day 3.

d. You can purchase a postcard automation system which will print, stamp, and mail, in your own handwriting, even multi-card campaigns for roughly $.52 per postcard. This is especially effective for postcard campaigns, where doing it oneself would get horribly complicated and time-consuming. This card automation system allows for pre-created campaigns and typically includes scanning of your handwriting to turn it into a font. One upside to this is if you subscribe to a 3rd-party data source, you can even, with a bit of work, make this 100% hands-free.

Third, you’ll need your message. This can be a bit tricky, because it’s easy to fall into being the bearer of bad news. Personally, I’m a big believer in using video, because people are busy, and sometimes lazy. If they need to read a lot, you’ll need to catch them with a killer headline, or your postcard will go straight to the trash. Two proven techniques I’ve seen work are to first, tell them it’s more than just about the price, and second to make it clear “the Market” has told you the house isn’t worth that. Using a video, phrased as a 3rd party, can also deliver news the seller doesn’t want to hear – which is that the house was probably overpriced.

Only 1.5% of all agents follow up over 5 times, yet 60% of sales happen after the 5th contact. See the pattern? Now you know the reason for the 80/20 rule, about 20% of the real estate agents outselling the other 80%. The trick: automated followup, via email sequential autoresponders and card campaign automation.

Your expired listing marketing system should let the potential seller know it’s about pricing, promotion, and presentation. They may be able to leave the price as-is, provided they increase how the home is presented (read: add staging, re-paint, cosmetic repairs, etc.), and promotion (read: reach a wider audience). If you are the one to tell them their house is overpriced, they’ll shoot the messenger. Don’t be that casualty. Instead, try “the market of supply and demand has told us in it’s current condition, the price requires adjustment.” I like to remind people I’m like the weatherman – I don’t make the weather, I just let you know how to prepare. Expired listing sellers are probably frustrated, so use caution in your language.

Our company, has produced a customizable video called “Help! My Home Won’t Sell” or “Why Didn’t My Home Sell?”. If you decide to produce your own video, be sure to have a crystal-clear “call to action” for them to call you at the end, and illustrate the value by doing so.

Whatever course you choose, I hope this helps you get more business. Real estate marketing is competitive, but can lead to many closed transactions and millions in income. Investing just a few hours to set up your turn-key expired listings marketing can provide a pillar of business for years to come.

For more information about our product, please visit http://www.Movoxo.com/expired-listing-marketing-system You’ll find a free “expired listings success” video and e-book, and more information out our expired listings marketing options.

Roger Vetruba
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/expired-listing-marketing-system-how-to-build-one-736778.html

When selling your home, it’s important to remember outdoor staging is almost as important as indoor staging. Just as you want to create a favorable first impression, inside your home, curb appeal can attract buyers when you least expect them.

When I had my last home up for sale, I was outside gardening when someone drove up and asked me about the house. He proceeded to go home, collect his wife and family and bring them over for a complete inspection, and subsequently purchased our home. I believe this buyer’s mind was made up before he toured the home. In a similar circumstance, I saw a picture of our current home on the internet and decided this was the house for me.

Keeping this in mind, never underestimate the power of curb appeal and its ability to market a home. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind for staging the outside of a house. Most of this is common sense and requires more elbow grease than cash investment.

1. Just as with the inside, clutter on the outside of a home is a definite “no, no”. Tidy the sidewalk and find a home for garden tools, kid’s toys, garbage cans and recycling containers.

2. Add eye catching splashes of color by using hanging planters and containers. Draw people’s attention to the area’s you want them to see by creating a positive first impression.

3. Mulch, mulch and more mulch! The best way to make a garden appear professionally landscaped and well maintained is with a thick layer of mulch. Use it to hide weeds, and create borders around trees and shrubs. Choose from colors such as green, brown, red, and natural cedar chips.

Mulch can also be used to create easy walkways, just add a border and stepping stones.

4. Keeping the grass well mowed. Not only does short grass look neater, the trimmed weeds are hidden and prevented from flowering. You may consider having artificial grass installed in areas where natural grass doesn’t grow well. You’ll be shocked at the overnight transformation into a lush, green yard.

5. Edge the sidewalks and remove any weeds growing between the concrete.

6. Not only should the driveway be cleared of clutter, but cleaned of stains and unsightly spills as well.

7. Do whatever it takes to make your front porch shine. Touch up the paint on the railings, steps and front door if necessary. A poorly maintained porch gives the impression that the entire home has been neglected.

8. Wash all the windows, soffits, windows and gutters.

9. Pressure wash the deck to make the wood look like new.

10. As important as it is to add new plants, be objective about the existing trees and shrubs in your garden. Anything overgrown should be trimmed back or removed.

Josh Sloan
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/10-tips-to-perk-up-your-yard-for-sale-740925.html

An indoor waterfall or fountain is one of the loveliest ways to decorate your space. The beauty and peace of trickling falls in your home, not to mention its beauty, is reason enough to consider buying one for your home. A waterfall can only add to the tranquility of your home and can help create your own little indoor paradise.

However, you don’t want to buy just any fountain or waterfall; choosing the right one for your home is important and shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. There are some important factors to consider, such as the space and size of your home, your existing décor, whether you want it on the floor or on the wall, and if you have a family or pets.

Space is one of the most important considerations; interior fountains and waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes, so make sure you measure the area you’re going to put it. This includes length and width, and make sure you have a little leeway. Use common sense and don’t put it in risky places. If it’s on the floor, make sure its in an area that gets light foot traffic.

This is especially important to consider if you have small children or pets. You need to take into account wandering hands and paws, so it might be best in this case to mount it on the wall above the height of your children until they are old enough to know not to play with it; this is doubly important if you have pets. In this case, investing in the flattest waterfall possible might be your best bet. If you insist on having a floor fountain, consider putting something like a delicate, transparent glass barrier around it that’s child and pet safe.

Choose your waterfall to blend in with your existing décor, or make it your centerpiece; there are a wide variety of colors, materials, designs and models; add something like a soft light to a waterfall and you have a amazing ambience.

In all, choosing a water fountain or waterfall for your home is an individual decision, so get the one that’s right for you and fits with your lifestyle. A fountain is definitely a unique way to decorate that will win many compliments from visitors and look amazing in your home, no matter what type you live in.

For more information, visit http://www.earthinspiredproducts.com/

for the worlds finest indoor wall fountains and custom water features.

Kausik Dutta
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/interior-decorating-buying-a-water-fountain-or-waterfall-for-your-home-103125.html

Let’s say I knew how to play guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums. And I had entire original songs recorded, to be played back while I performed with a single instrument on stage. Of course I’d be singing at the same time too.

Which instrument should I play? And why?

This is all hypothetical of course. ; )

Really it should be what you do best in. But uhh, generally speaking, it’s hard to drum and sing at the same time, which is why you don’t see any Drum Singers around. Bass is hard to play and sing at the same time, as some bass licks can get rather complex. You can do rhythm guitar. Lead guitar is doable, but like bass it can get hard. Key Board is good too, but it’s visually not as cool nowadays. It worked for something corporate and panic, so yea. there you go.

Our agent says we are priced below our comps and that we get a lot of traffic on the internet and at open houses. Our house has been on the market for 38 days and we have has a total of 2 viewings apart from our open houses. Our house is nicely staged and it looks like a model home. What gives? What should we be asking of our agent? We basically have about $25,000 wiggle room in the price and we were hoping to use that as a "haggling" cushion. Should we shave the price now? Our house is a 1928 tudor in a neighborhood where comps are really difficult as no 2 properties are alike. Is it too early for me to freak out? Should I be concerned about lack of showings if we’re doing well with open houses and on the web as far as hits? Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can impart!
Also our next door neighbor is our agent and friend so it’s a lot more of a sensitive issue –so we can’t go all Rambo on our agent
Oooooo—good point, Angie! I didn’t really think about that. Do you think there’s a conflict of interest here?

How long is the contract with your realitor? Conflict of interest or not – it is is not selling, list it with someone else or try it on your own for say 30 days.

Offer seller concessions of up to 6 percent of the closing costs may help. Offer to pay the appriasal. Print up flyers to hospitals, factories, businesses, grocery stores, with the picture of your home. Listing price, selling price, give up some equity in the home if need be. Good Luck to you. (ok)

I was reading her interview, and she makes it seem so normal and so nice. But I think that is such a bad picture to portray to all teens out there. Because most are not well off like her and dont have their own house and, lets face it, having a baby is HARD WORK. I was young but married when I got pregnant and I was still terrified and scared to death with my first baby. I always thought I was doing something wrong. It took a long time to get comfortable in a routine and then, I had to go back to work. So that was hard as well. No sleep. A crying baby. Its not glamorous like she is portraying it. What do you think? I feel like shes setting such a bad example already but now, shes made it even worse.

I agree, but i am glad she stepped up and had the baby in stead of getting rid of it. I don’t think she should have done the article. I t seemed like she was glamorizing teen pregnancy .

To decorate and stage homes for sale

If you are asking how to do it…….one realtor told me some ways stage and quickly…unless it needs a total overhall. Weed and fresh mulch flowerbeds, clean windows, open blinds, all of them!!, wipe walls down with rag, and or walk around with that can of paint and a little brush and touch up where you have chipped it off. Get some lemon oil and do ALL of the wood baseboards and all. Rid it of clutter, get it out, store it, even in the garage. They said cleanliness is key….if you over decorate, which is nice, but they will spend time looking at that not your house. Last, bake some cookies or bread before an open house, it makes the house smell yummy and put them in an "at home" feeling.

his wings are fluffed
he has redness and loss of feathers around his eye
he’s trembling
he’s letting me pet him
he won’t eat all his treat
he’s about 8 years old

anything i can do, please.
would hand feeding her baby bird food help?

OK, first, look around his cage/ play area and see if there wasanything he can get into, like some toxic cleaner, or if hes chewed up anything he shouldn’t have

Some cages and toys with zinc coating can be harmful to your bird .Also, many plants, like the philodendron are VERY poisonus to your bird, do you have any plants near the cage, in which he could get to?

Teflon and birds – DON’T use Teflon in cooking and oven pans and frying pans and do not use products like it with non-stick coatings under other brand names. The fumes (not the smoke or smell) are very dangerous to birds by effecting the lungs and causing a quick and painful death. Heating over 300 degrees causes the release of these fumes.

Be sure that the cage is cat and rodent proof.

site i found, that might help

http://www.exoticbird.com/gillian/

Did you feed him any of these?
Avocado, guacamole (mashed avocado), apple seeds other fruit pits and seeds also), rhubarb leaves, alcohol, salt, caffeine , chocolate???

NOT BENEFICIAL: dairy products, raw peanuts, raw potatoes, eggplant, fried foods, too much sugar

Do not use toilet paper or other papers which break down easily giving off particles which may be breathed in. Do not use these materials to clean things or even to wipe up since small pieces of paper float around and can get in air passages and lungs of the birds.

Don’t use newspaper at bottom of cage – Many newsprint have a caustic ink or other chemical layer on the paper which has fumes which may not be healthy for the birds. At the very least it is not something which is good to smell all of the time.
Do not leave your birds out in the cold on open porches, etc. during the winter. First, birds which survive the winter on their own, find shelter most of the time. Secondly, most birds migrate during the winter to more temperate climates. And thirdly, Budgies are originally from Australia, which is a temperate (winters fairly mild) climate and are not used to severe cold.
Never leave your birds in a draft – summer or winter.

hope i helped!!

Good luck to you and your budgie

What are your favourites?

START HERE
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_33320,00.html

These are also good
http://interiordec.about.com/
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/living

And this is really good
http://www.behr.com/behrx/index.jsp
because it lets you pick a room, styles of that room, and see how different paint colors would look.

I am returning to teaching, have a french degree and would like to find a course to enable me to deliver french across key stage 1 and 2 – are there government funded courses available in wiltshire, and how long to they run for?

Hiya, I’m applying to do PGCE in Primary Ed in September. I suggest you check out www.gttr.ac.uk and do a course search for your area.

I know Newcastle University do a PGCE Primary with specialism in French! But I can’t speak for your area.

Good Luck!