AN IDEA CAN PEEK OUT like a prairie dog from it's hole and then disappear into the hole just as quickly. In Rose Park while walking yesterday morning, a sweet little prairie doggie had his nose poked out from a little opening just beside the concrete picnic bench next to the playground.  The perky little nose peeked out just an inch or so and that  was it. It reminded of a time a person  told me that she often had felt like she was peeking out from under a rug in her marriage.  Fortunately prairie dogs seem to be happier critters and was just poking his head out to see if the sun was just right! A thought, a sight, a saying, a chance encounter all can trigger an idea. The best idea is one that is tried with gusto and proven to work or not, while the worst idea is the one that lanquishes... 07/15/2010

The  7850 Saddle Creek -FOR SALE - ABILENE TEXAS- The good news in Abilene is that this summer has had plenty of rain so far that is... The bad news is that the lawns want to be mowed once a week.          This past week, I turned my house  lawn duty over to the neighborhood kids and they did a pretty good job.  Lawnmowing they did okay with, however, word to the wise,  I wouldn't let them cut my hair. The weed wacking/edging left a little to be desired.    The front walk seems to have a drunken jagged grass edge to it now from the erratic swirl of the weed eater.   But I'm picky,  I am a home stager.  Yes, there's talent required for a great yard mowing.      What a difference landscaping makes.  Landscaping softens the edges and that is why no matter how drought starved we get, we nee... 07/15/2010

Thought for the Day... No matter how badly yesterday treated you, just walk tall with your head high. This is a brand new day, baby! I thought this was too good not to share!  If  a half plucked chicken can stand tall and strut it's stuff so can  you. It's never too late to start another blog.  How quickly time flies since my last blog.  One lame excuse is to blame the computer except in this case it's true for a few days anyway over the 4th..  My computer has been revived for now by Computer Guyz of Ablene, who I highly recommend as do about 26 other people who took their computer to them the day they came back from vacation!  So computer fixed, can't be too chicken to blog. It's never too late to start another blog.  I had some thoughts the last  two weeks,  but promptly forgot what ... 07/13/2010

If your house is for sale and there is no tub enclosure and there's a shower head over the tub, an inexpensive staging trick is to update your shower curtain and rod and and don't forget the curtain rings. My favorite stores in Abilene for shower curtains are Target, KMart, or Family Dollar.   They are my favorites because they are the only places I have bought shower curtains.  Walmart has shower curtains, but mainly I just buy shower rods from them. Yesterday I was in KMart, looking at you guessed it the shower curtains,  and there was a young couple deliberating their choice of shower curtains and I couldn't help myself, I asked what color are you looking for and they had started out thinking of a black curtain, but couldn't find one.  Anyway, I shared my generous knowledge of avail... 06/25/2010

In this project, the furnishings and decor and art work  had already been placed inside the house for staging. As the home stager I only arranged what was already there.   Here is the living room before:       Here is the living room arranged.  I took the couch which was pushed under the front windows and floated it at an angle in front of the fireplace.  I added decor to the fireplace and found the living room lamps in the bedroom and found the sofa table in the "office"  and that is pretty much it!  Voila,  buyer move in ready to kick up one's feet in the recliner to watch TV or just chill out!       Kitchen BEFORE:     The Kitchen was just a little rearrangement of the decor.  The Palm Harbor Manager stated that they wanted it to look like someone lives here. That explains the spices... 06/24/2010

I spent 2 hours yesterday  morning at PALM HARBOR HOMES, Abilene, TX 3301 Hickory Street , arranging a model home, one of the funnest things a home stager can do.   - only glitch, no air conditioning and it was a hot summer sizzler day in Abilene.  Not to worry, the air will be on for staging show time, I'm sure.    The slightest cool morning breeze was a welcome relief after a little staging due diligence at moving the couch and rug to float them out and away from the walls.  I started thinking about looking out over a cool calm harbor of  water.  In Abilene, you have to imagine your own harbor of water! Here's the water of an Austin Texas Lake,  It looks really cool right about now!         06/22/2010

        'The Ship is About to Hit the Fan" was the quote printed on a note I found in a book I bought at the Friends of the Library Book Sale this afternoon. The Friends of the Abilene Library have a three day annual book sale at the Civic Center.  The last day which was today, Sunday afternoon, it is only $6 a bag for as many books as you can stuff in the bag.  This is a big  event for Abilene.  The Abilene Reporter News reported that the Friends of the Library predicted making $50,000 and from the crowd at the Civic Center this afternoon, I believe it. My Toastmaster friend told me she spent a $100 at the book sale yesterday.  The first two days, hardbacks are $1.75/piece and paperbacks only 75 cents.      I went today (Sunday) thinking to buy one bag of books but sure enough I bought... 06/20/2010

There's a book out called something like  "Eat that Frog!  This means do the hardest first or the task you have been putting off first.  For some people that might be cleaning the closet, reconciling paperwork,  calling a prospect back, or simply writing the next blog.  There is writer's block.  Is there blogging block?   If so, then the blog is your "frog"  Do the blog first.  Eat that Frog.  Blog It and eat that frog!       I help people prepare homes for sale and am a little bit of an expert of tasks that become frogs in the preparation of the home.  Decluttering is a big Frog that can be overwhelming if not approached with  some planning.  If you are like me you have a lot of stuff.  On top of my real personal stuff, I have staging decor, (the nicer stuff)   I have a 2 car detached... 06/17/2010

IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY A HOUSE IN ABILENE, TEXAS   REASONS: 1:  THERE ARE PLENTY OF HOUSES TO CHOOSE FROM: According to the Abilene Board of Realtors Monthly Statistics, there are over a 1000 properties for sale. 2.   LOW INTEREST RATES: Interest rates are still hanging around five percent.  3.    LOW DOWN PAYMENT OPTIONS. FHA loans are great loans to keeping your down payment small. Of course, veterans may be elgible for a zero down Veterans loan. 4.  IN  ABILENE, OWNING TRUMPS RENTING EVERY TIME!   First Financial Bank's website has a link to a rent-versus-own calculator that is easy to use. I played with it with 2 different market rents and available house prices both for five or seven years.  It turns out that  a homeowner will save a ton of money by buying versus paying it all ou... 06/15/2010

FIRST YOU STAGE IT!  THEN YOU LIST IT! THEN YOU SELL IT!   IT SEEMS THAT SOME WANT TO EXPERIMENT FIRST.  Let's just test the market. Let's put the house on the market and just see what happens.  Let's ask more than it's worth just in case someone will nibble. The experimenting, the testing, the sticking the big toe in the water theory is not going to get your house sold. Talk about guaranteed frustration.  What makes sellers think that a buyer is going to be tempted by an overpriced listing?   What makes sellers think that buyers want to overlook your deferred maintenance when there are dozens of new construction houses just sitting there on the market? I went to some open houses this weekend and .  Here are a few tips that are FREE FREE FREE! Most people have a door mat in front of the... 06/14/2010

SHOWSTOPPER STAGING HAS OPTION CONTRACT!!!   and AFTER MASTER BEDROOM STAGED and NOW S O L D   ! ! ! This is the Master of a 3 bedroom 2 bath staged in Abilene Texas on May 1st, then listed 2 days  later, and now under option contract!!!   06/12/2010

When your house is on the market, keep it cool in the hot weather. Now that the summer sun has warmed up into the 90's and even up to 100 here in West Texas, a nice cool air conditioned house will be remembered!   The houses that there is no air on or programmed to 82 -85 just won't have the same buyer impression.  In fact just this week, I previewed a house for an investor,and it was all I could do is make my self look at it,  it was hot, hot, hot!  There was no air on at all.   When your house is on the market, vacant or not, consider that you have company staying over and leave the air on at a comfortable temperature for likely hot showing times, afternoons and weekends. Keep it cool!  This is photo of the Rose Park Swimming Pool, Abilene, TX         06/11/2010

Tips for keeping the staging cool. This is one of my very rental properties in Abilene, TX.   1)  Make sure the front door is clean and not dusty. 2.  If there is a mailbox and porch light, clean them off too! 3.  Place a fresh welcome mat in front of the front door. 4.  If there is a front porch/courtyard, place a small bistro table and chair with a small green plant on it.   Water daily when in West Texas! 5.  Trim any errant branches on bushes or shrubs or trees hiding the front of the house. 6.  Check for trash, debris, or rubbage blown onto the property particularly blown up against the alley fences. 7.  Appeal to summertime living with a pop of emotion.  Perhaps a rocking chair on a front porch. a Chef's Hat hung up by the grill, a clear plastic pitcher and glasses set out for lem... 06/11/2010

IThree Good Reasons to Stage in a Buyer's Market are  - Sold -  Sold -  Sold  !!!   Said another way three reasons are to get to "S O L D " 1) FASTER, 2)  QUICKER, AND 3) LESS STRESS. Does anyone remember being in school gym class where team captains got to pick the players for their team and  the best players were always picked first for the team sports and those of us not so athletic always prayed we wouldn't be picked last or even next to last?  Fair or not, that is the way it is.   Likewise buyers are going to pick the best house they can afford to buy and that is the way it is.    Fortuately, it is easier to stage your house in a day or two than it is  to develop athletic prowess in a day or two. In a buyer's market, success at selling your home is all about standing out from the c... 06/10/2010

Three Reasons Sellers Don't Stage ---   Reason #1 CAN'T DECIDE TO STAGE! These sellers want to wait and see w hat happens. (the procrastinators)  Reason #2  DON'T NEED TO STAGE!   (the magical thinkers) No body else is staging their house in the area and my house is so much b etter than the rest of the neighborhood and will sell without staging. This is the house will "sell-by-magic" thinker! REASON #3 - I THINK I HAVE A BUYER ALREADY (the hopeful sellers)  FSBO's are susceptible to this one!  Someone looks at their house and says they are REALLY interested and going to go get the wife, the brother, the sister, the mother, to come take a look.  AND THEN THE wait begins for the offer.  Sadly, this is the one who needs to be staged NOW to get the wife, the brother, the  sister or the moth... 06/10/2010

Well, it finally happened.  Someone who I don't know or at least am not aware that we have met walked by me as I stopped to view an open house  and commented to me, "They need to 'STAGE' this one!"   Yippee!  The word must be out, I stage homes!  I stage my own listings, I stage other Realtor listings, I stage For Sale By Owners.  I stage to lease!   Here's one that is staged and LEASED!   It gets better and went by a friend's house and her friend who was there learned that I do home staging and she goes yes, I'm so glad there's a company that does that in town and I'm so glad they are here.  This is the good part.  I AM THAT COMPANY!  STAGE IT.  Yes, I do business as "STAGE IT!" ANOTHER STAGED AND LEASED!         06/06/2010

    This is the sign at the S. 7th entrance to Rose Park.  The park has something for everybody,  walking, children's playground, skate park for older children, tennis courts, and adjacent to a public swimming pool.   The playground!   Along Barrow Street and Rose Park.         06/04/2010

SHOWSTOPPER #1  7850 SADDLE CREEK ESTATES, ABILENE, TX  ALL WYLIE SCHOOLS!!! HERE'S THE DOWNSTAIRS LIBRARY/STUDY;     SHOWSTOPPER #2 858 BIG WATER, ABILENE, TX  - MASTER BATH RIGHT SIDE VANITY-     SHOWSTOPPER #3 - 3609 SCRANTON - ABILENE, TX  - FRONT YARD     3609 SCRANTON - BACK YARD     3609 SCRANTON - INSIDE! KITCHEN AND BREAKFAST DINING AREA ABOVE     LIVING ROOM WITH VAULTED CEILING AND STONE FIREPLACE AND BOOKSHELVES AND FRENCH DOORS TO PATIO!!   MASTER BEDROOM - 3609 SCRANTON   MASTER BEDROOM ABOVE  HAS HUGE AND I MEAN HUGE WALK IN CLOSET - SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!!!   SECOND BEDROOM - 3609 SCRANTON       THIRD BEDROOM OR OFFICE FOR 3609 SCRANTON   TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF HOMES LIKE THESE GO TO WWW.STAGEDHOMES.COM AND CLICK ON "STAGED PROPERTIES" AND IN THE SEARCH BOX, TYPE IN "ABILE... 05/29/2010

This Memorial Day Weekends has most people thinking what to put on the outdoor grill for the cookout with friends and family.  One of Abilene's luxury homes for sale has outdoor porches  galore.  Here is the front of the house:   In the back of the house, there is the  sweeping expanse of the back covered porch/patio and then there is a huge patio from the French doors of the Master bedroom.    Patio of 7850 Saddlecreek   Here is the patio off the Master Bedroom. 05/27/2010

SHOW STOPPER ROOMS ARE ROOMS THAT GET GARNER POSITIVE FEEDBACK WITH ALMOST NO EXCEPTIONS!!! HERE IS AN EXAMPLE MASTER BEDROOM This is the master bedroom at 3609 Scranton which is currently for sale!  TO SEE MORE ROOMS LIKE THIS, GO TO WWW.STAGEDHOMES.COM AND SEARCH FOR STAGED HOMES IN ABILENE.  TO SEE THIS HOME, CALL BEVERLY AT 325-721-2429.  05/27/2010