CRANK UP THE CURB APPEAL!       MY GRANDMOTHER had a sewing machine that you cranked and now I have a sewing machine with a computer chip inside with funky stitches that most of them  I hardly ever use.         The old crank machines were easy to understand  - turn the wheel and the needle went up and down through the fabric creating a nice basic straight stitch.  It was a simple basic approach to sewing. I miss the simple approach.      CURB APPEAL TO HOME SELLING IS BASIC  TOO, just like the basic straight stitch.  Curb appeal is basic to marketing a home to sell. Cranking up the curb appeal is simple to accomplish!    Here are tips to crank up the curb appeal:   1.  Get fresh perspective by going to the curb of the street in front of your house to sell and take a photo.  Photos don't... 08/24/2009

When life hands you lemons, make lemon aide, is common folk wisdom.  Despite  marketing hype to the contrary which often advises folks to stop making a landlord rich and buy instead of renting.  Unfortunately, I am not getting rich from people paying me rent.  To prove this point, a recent past tenant gave me pause when there was dog poop found inside the house, and a truck load of trash to be hauled away just for the start of the cleanup.  Now you can better understand the saying that when life hands you lemons, make lemonaide.  A SKILL I have acquired and honed to an art  form is the marketing strategy of home staging.  I have marketed successfully sold numerous staged homes for sale.  The main  trick I have up my sleeve is the understanding of balance, proportion, and scale as it app... 07/18/2009

My prior post on Why Not to Be a Property Manager depressed me and didn't get any comments toboot! In order to rectify the situation, here are five good reasons to be a property manager.   1. Property Management provides the manager and the owners another stream of income. 2.   A property manager helps make other people money and owners love to get checks in the mail! 3.  A property manager accomplishes what other owners  don't want to do!   4.  You help make housing more available by successfully  renting or leasing  owner  homes out and increasing the available affordable housing. 5.  You help owners accrue equity in real estate that has long term financial benefit to owners.   I think these reasons are a little more palatable than discussing leaky roofs, dog poop, trash in the yard, ... 07/02/2009

Life is good when sellers are motivated to sell. and they follow  staging recommendations.  Well, my sellers did it.  They painted the backsplash and walls around the counters and appliances back to a neutral color.  The backsplash was previously  purple.   They also removed  an old chain link style kennel from the back yard.  It just gets better and better.  They painted the patio posts.   Now it is on painting some patio door trim!     Here are the kitchen photos before and after  Note the dark colored backsplash.before#1     and now Today!  FRom purple backsplash to neutral tan 06/11/2009

I am a 27 year old professional woman from Abilene, TX.  Being born and raised in Abilene makes me a specialist in this part of the world.  I have accomplished above and beyond the required training to represent any potential client to the best of my ability.  I have been married for almost 7 years, to my soul mate, and have two amazing and beautiful daughters.  I stayed at home with my children for the first 4 years when I decided to get into Real Estate after successfully subdividing land, building spec homes to sell, "flipping" a few properties, and other Real Estate endeavors from home.  I finally realized that all of my passions lead me to Real Estate in one way or another.  I guess it is just fun for me to improve the quality of living for my fellow Abilenians.  I was constantly c... 06/10/2009

Today I talked to a "For Sale by Owner" and they own a house t hat I have previously staged. One positive outcome to staging a home, is that one never forgets that experience and there remains a bond to that home that doesn't disappear entirely.  When I saw that For Sale By Owner sign in less than a year a little pain went through my heart and I felt the question arising from deep inside: "What has gone wrong?"  Fortunately after visiting with the current owners, they have good reasons to move on, to get closer to a job and closer to family. When I asked for the listing, they explained they wouldn't be able to afford to as if that is any surprise to anyone!    Money is the reason I hear most often from "For Sale by Owners."  Does this reason pan out?   Obviously not or the For Sale sign... 06/09/2009

I got a call from my daughter asking plaintively,  Can you help my friend?   I feel so bad for her.  She has a cute house built in 2006 and she confided in me that the house has now been on the market with a Realtor for 356 days and ONLY six showings!   Is there anything she can do?   Of course, there's always something to do!  The two variables that an owner has complete control over are the price and the condition.   The easiest and the simplest to do FIRST is to enhance the condition with home staging.   The way buyers evaluate a  home on the Internet is through the photos and the simplest place to start is to see if the photos can be enhanced.   With buyers making decisions based on the photos that they see, one needs to evaluate the photos and take new ones if they don't showcase y... 06/06/2009

 This is a home office that was designed to be a home office but all the furnishing had been moved out except for the one lonely deskand deer. This is after staging with same desk and added decor and loveseat!  What a difference!   05/20/2009

ART IS A POWERFUL COMMUNICATOR. AS A beginning stager I didn't tackle using art in the home. This was because I didn't have many art pieces suitable for home staging and was investing in other staging inventory. Another reason is that I did not appreciate how art solves many home staging gaps, balances out furniture placement, and creates interesting pops of style and creates mood, drama and appeal. Now, that I am a little older and wiser or at least older, smile, I am starting to acquire an inventory of home staging art.  SPEAKING OF GETTING OLDER - it's finally sinking in that someone who has a bachelor of science degree in home economics is almost extinct. A requirement at Oklahoma State University in the 70's was to take three credit hours of art. I got a "C" in my art class and my ... 05/19/2009

http://www.rebateontexashomes.comI find this to be on of the most exciting offers in the Abilene Area. Send me an email and let me know what you think,How does this program work? Almost all Home builders in Texas will pay a Real Estate commission to a licensed real estate broker. As a Texas Real Estate Agent in I can share this commission with you, the buyer, and give this to you as a Cash Refund. Most people don't understand that the price of a house is the same regardless of whether you have an agent or not. This is how I can offer you this service for FREE and help you save, thousands of dollars! It's a great way to be rewarded. See my website for all the information you will need. http://rebateontexashomes.com   02/24/2008