When a prospective buyer walks through the door of your home for sale, you need to entice every one of their senses... in a positive way!  Give them something to see, hear, smell, feel, and speak about your home.  Don't let a prospective buyer walk away from your home without saying, "You had me at hello." Successful Home Marketing begins with Staging!   1. 1st Impressions Count!  Start with great pics on the Internet.  Give them a reason to call and want to see your home.  Once you get them there for a showing, make sure the front yard is righty tidy!  A properly staged exterior will entice them to want to see the inside.  Cut the grass, trim the hedges, rake the leaves, sweep the sidewalks and power-wash the driveway, if necessary.  Hide the trash can and put away the extra "stuff" la... 04/19/2009

Melinda Peterson was thinking about coffee, among other things, when she decided to open her new real estate company, Real Estate Café.  The company concept was the brainchild of Melinda Peterson and her daughter Rachael, after several years of working together for other local real estate franchises.  When Rachael married in 06' and moved to CA with her husband in 07', Melinda tabled the idea for a later date.  That date came around sooner rather than later last November, when Melinda became intrigued by something Warren Buffet said; "When people are greedy, be fearful, and when people are fearful, be greedy."  When she realized the only thing stopping her from starting her own company was fear, Melinda decided it was time to act.  Real Estate Café is a brilliantly inspired full servic... 04/17/2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCtt7g1VvTw  check out the video on this beautiful Ranch for sale in Grants Pass, Oregon ! Set up for raising horses, or restoring cars....dreamy.   04/05/2009

I was watching the 11pm news this evening and realized I almost forgot to turn my clocks forward an hour tonight.  I am not looking forward to losing an hour of sleep.  But, I guess gaining an hour more of daylight is not a bad trade-off.  So, it's TIME to CHANGE... your clocks, that is! Courtesy of Real Estate Cafe' 03/07/2009

4 Tips to Sell Your Home in a Crowded Market.  What should you do when there are several homes for sale in your neighborhood?  Here are some tips for getting your home noticed in a crowded market.- Hold a Neighborhood Open House.  Collaborate with other sellers and/or their agents to hold an open house at the same time, making it easier for buyers to view all of the homes listed in your neighborhood.  Each owner/agent can share in the cost of a map published in the newpaper or online at Next Door.- Make it a Progressive Open House.  Each open house can provide a different appetizer/entree/dessert/wine to make things more interesting and allow buyers to linger in each home a little longer.  Food always seems to create a happy mood and help initiate conversation.- Staging Your Home.  Many... 03/05/2009

I visited a friend today, who shared with me her personal anguish of possibly having to sell her beautiful home in Grants Pass, Oregon, due to the sagging economy.  After viewing her property, I could see the love and care that went into each and every corner of the place.  My friend cried at one point, as she contemplated what her next move would be. Many of us have had to re-evaluate our personal circumstances with the thought of survival in mind.  I too, have had to let go of some personal property that was dear to me.  However, in doing so, I felt a sense of freedom from the "things" that seem to entangle our lives.  I can't help but believe that making these personal sacrifices will make us stronger in the long run.  As I sit at my desk, listening to the weather report (forecastin... 02/28/2009

You are invited to our annual Spring Fling! The Seller's Seminar - Selling in Todays Market  will start things off. John Jones will give a talk on Promoting Your Home Susan Mckenzie will give tips on Staging to Help You Sell Louis Parks will talk about Seller's Incentives Matt Barnes  will give a talk about Avoiding Foreclosure   See you there! RSVP 541-476-6502 Century 21 JC Jones American Dream 858 NW 6th St. Grants Pass, Oregon 97526     02/26/2009

A Homeowner called me after their listing had expired, asking me if there was anything I could do to improve their chances of selling their home.  My answer was an immediate YES, after taking one look at the previous agent's pictures of the home.  To the right, is a picture of the dining room, taken by the previous agent.  Notice the semi-closed curtains, the dark (and almost dingy color in the room), along with the over-powering plants. Now, take a look at the new picture I took of the same dining room (below).  The only thing the homeowner changed was the light fixture!  What a difference, huh?!   This home was on the market for 6 months with the previous agent.  After I listed the property (with new pics), the home sold is just 41 Days at full price!  The homeowner was so happy, she... 02/26/2009

Okay, I must admit, this one surprised me a bit!  I spoke with a close friend today, who has been renting a home in Grants Pass, Oregon for the past two years.  She said she received a call from her Landlord the other day, telling her they wanted to LOWER her rent!  The Landlord said they are acutely aware of these tough economic times, and they wanted to let her know that they appreciate her as a tenant, so they are going to lower her rent.  Unbelievable!  How many Landlords do that?  A simple act of kindness can go a long way!  Can you imagine the effect, if some real estate brokerages would do the same thing! Click Here for more information about Southern Oregon Real Estate!   02/25/2009

Used Car Salesman ~ or ~ Real Estate Agent?  I had a good laugh (and a thought provoking moment) at the gas station the other day.  The gas station attendant approached my car (in Oregon, we don't have to pump our own gas!), and asked the following question... Used Car Salesman or Real Estate Agent?  I suppose he got a good look at my personalized license plates: BUY NOW.  After chuckling, I answered; "Real Estate Agent."  The conversation quickly jumped into the disparaging similarities of both professions and the "impression" one can surmize from having previous bad experiences with both.  It's not the first time I have heard the comparison, and probably not the last.  But, each time I hear the saying, it is a reminder to me of how we (Real Estate Agents) need to be diligent in dealin... 01/26/2009

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words... I was searching the MLS and stumbled on this photo of a home for sale in Southern Oregon.  I had to laugh at first, because the house is obviously leaning... or was it the agent who was leaning?  Oops!   It's definitely an attention getter, no doubt!  A brilliant marketing ploy, perhaps.  I'm just not sure the average Buyer searching on the Internet would think so (let alone the Seller).  Sometimes we forget to look at our marketing efforts through our client's lens.  Do we see what they see?  Obviously, this is an attractive home, in spite of its crooked appearance.  How many times have we seen pictures of homes for sale on the MLS or Internet, where the interior/exterior photos offered little to be desired?  Sometimes the rooms look dark and dingy,... 01/12/2009

Here are the latest Grants Pass Southern Oregon Real Estate Stats for December 2008 1026 - Active Residential Listings 63 - Homes Sold 39 - Listings Pending 101 - Average Days on Market $237,913. - Average Sold Price Stats provided as a courtesy of Real Estate Cafe.  Source of information is the Southern Oregon MLS - Monthly NAR Statistical Report.  Information herein has not been verified and is not guaranteed. Click Here for more information regarding Southern Oregon Real Estate 01/11/2009

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...  We're all familiar with the song... and today it's become my inspiration to stay indoors and search the Internet for new ideas!  A wealth of knowledge exists on ActiveRain and various other real estate related sites and I intend to take advantage of this rainy day to get inspired.   The real estate climate is a bit frightful right now... all the more reason that it's important to find something good to talk about in a wavering sea of bad news.  Let's make 2009' a year to refine our ideas and change the typical ways we've been doing business.  If we can weather this storm, perhaps there will be a rainbow with a pot of gold waiting for us after the rain :-)     Let's inspire one another and be inspired! 01/04/2009

Real Estate Cafe - Breaking Free From The Giant.  I did it... I finally took a leap of faith and started my own Real Estate Company, leaving the huge franchise (RE/MAX) behind.  Nothing bad to say about RE/MAX.  Some of my best professional years were with them.  But, it's time for a change.  For years, I've had a passion for doing things out-of-the-box.  God knows, I've bucked the corporate world more than once in my life.  Now, I'm doing it again and I'm already loving it.  My vision is clear... to create a boutique style real estate office that offers a bit of ambiance (hardwood floors, fireplace, and a red front door) and create a warm and inviting atmosphere for agents and clients to gather and chat about real estate over a yummy cappuccino.  Real Estate Cafe is just that place.   ... 12/06/2008

Deer Creek Vineyards is a pretty place to visit. It is located in the beautiful Deer Creek Valley, less than 2 miles outside of the community of Selma. Deer Creek Vineyards produces 3 types of exceptional wines - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. If you would like to try their wine, the tasting room is open 11am - 5pm Daily. For more information - Phone (541) 597-4226 The address is: 2680 Deer Creek Rd. Selma,OR. There are alot of nice Vineyards in Southern Oregon, for more information try Southern Oregon Wineries Association                                09/09/2008

Stage Your Home to Sell.  Real Estate Cafe LLC offers a unique and stylistic approach to marketing homes for sale throughout Central and Southern Oregon by helping Sellers stage their homes prior to listing them for sale.  Our philosophy is short and sweet; showcase your home by creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for potential Buyers.  Sounds easy, but most Sellers don't know where to begin.  That's where we can help.  We turn boring into beautiful, and chaos into shabby chic with just a few inexpensive techniques.  Call us today for a free consultation.  We'll share at least five ideas with you on how you can prepare your home to sell faster and for more money in today's market!  06/30/2008

With recent declines in tax revenues due to the slight slowing in our local economy we've been experiencing, plus the phasing out of our Federal timber funding, a Southern Oregon project that is impressive by its own accord becomes of even greater import to the communities it will affect in Josephine County.                                          The development of Paradise Ranch Resort is underway. The centerpiece of this incredible development is a ruff-graded 18-hole golf course co-designed with Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II, a course that is the third largest in the State of Oregon and the largest in Southern Oregon scheduled to be opened in summer 2009. With 200 home sites planned on average lot sizes of ¼ acre, the setting here is amazing. Although this isn't quite a fly-in... 04/22/2008