DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Yesterday the Camera had a story about alcohol and animals. Not two topics I would normally put together. One phrase struck me as particularly funny. The story said that dogs are much more likely to drink alcohol than cats. Which was a huge relief to me. It is very reassuring to know  that my cats are not at home hitting the hooch while I’m at work.

As I got further into the article I realized that it was a serious topic. I didn’t know that so many people felt a need to get their dogs drunk. Why? Dogs are the most loving, trusting creatures on earth. They do not deserve to be treated badly. Would you wish a hangover on your best friend. No!!! Drink responsibly yourself and take good care of your friends, canine and human.

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HAPPY NEWS YEAR!!!!

Another year winds to a close….. and it has certainly been an interesting one! While the rental side of the market has been great, the sales side has been, well, less than good.

As we head into the new year we can only hope that the market will be good for both property managers and realtors. For myself, and the rest of the real estate team here, we would like to extend our thanks for your continued business. We also want you to know we are here to help you.  Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can best help you. If there are things you would like to see us do better or just differently we welcome your feedback.

We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership with all of you in 2009! Happy New Year!

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Happy Holi-daze

The madness is upon us and it didn’t just come at the midnight clear – it’s been going on for a few weeks now. It is an interesting phenomenon! There is probably less pandemonium than some years just because people are, by choice or necessity, scaling back on spending this year. Still it seems there are crowds of shoppers wherever I’ve been!

In the latter half of my life Christmas Eve has become a time of reflection for me.
I like to sit back and think about the past year and all that happened and what, if anything,  it all meant to me.  This year I’m not so sure I want to look back at 2008.  A lot happened and most of it wasn’t so great. This year I think I will only look forward and hope for a better new year for all.

As Maxine would say “Christmas is just plain weird. What other time do you sit in front of a dead tree in the living room and eat candy out of yours socks?”

Best wishes and Happy Holidays to all!!!

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I'll Be Home For Christmas

“I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams…..”

Here we are two days before Christmas 2008. How many people are not going to be at home for Christmas this year? How many people don’t have a home to be at this year? When I think of the homeless I tend to  think of those solitary individuals who have no family or are at odds with their families and have  become homeless. This year saw record number of whole families becoming homeless.

Unfortunately, in this down economy people have less to give to charitable organizations and so already strained resources become even more scarce while the need continues to grow.

There are so many worthy charities and organizations but one I particularly like is Toys for Tots. I know Christmas is not about the presents but it breaks my heart to think some child is convinced Santa has forgotten or forsaken him or her. Or if that child thinks Santa can’t locate them at the homeless shelter…

Give if you can.

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Marketing Your Home Over the Holidays

Should you continue to market your home during the holiday season? Some experts say it is not a good idea because people may think you are desperate and showing your home is more difficult on short notice during the holidays. Maybe your agent is going out of town.

However others say that  since people have time off they have more time to read the paper, surf the web and look for potential new homes. Less inventory on the market means less competition.

If you decide to leave your home on the market what should you consider in terms of holiday decorating and  home “staging”. Experts recommend leaving the decorations to a minimum if  you decorate at all. Some people may have subconscious prejudices that will influence their perception of the home. Also, potential buyers need a chance to be able to visualize their own furnishings and belongings in your space and decorations might prove to be a distraction.

The best scenario is the happy medium between too much distraction and just enough to make the house a warm and inviting home. Use a scaled-back tree – maybe just a table top version. Presents can be stacked in a corner and out of the way. Use a lot   of red in the decorations because red is an emotionally appealing color. Centerpieces of pine cones or other wintery items found in nature are good. Candles create a nice soft light. Simmering spicy cider on the stove or holiday potpourri creates a nice warm scent. Just make sure it isn’t overpowering. Make sure walks and driveways are shoveled and de-iced.

Keep advertising your home. People have time to sit back and read the paper and check the online real estate sites. 70% of  visitors to Zillow are actively moving. Make sure your property is listed and visible. We can help you with a featured ad   on Zillow to make sure your listing is at the top!

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The Eyes Have It!

Times of tough. That would be a classic understatement. The housing market in particular has had a really bad year.  So what do you do if you still want to sell your home? Do you hold off and hope the economy turns around sooner, rather than later? Or do you go ahead and try to sell? And what if you really need to sell?

The first thing to keep in mind is no one can buy your home if they don’t know it’s for sale. The best way to get the word out is to advertise and you should advertise in as many places as possible.

Despite rumors to the contrary newspapers are still one of the best sources for advertising. All newspapers have websites and when you combine the visitors we get to our website with the readers we have for print we can get you in fornt of the largest audience we’ve ever been able to provide. 156,200 readers per week. In the vernacular of the internet, that’s 624,800 eyeballs. And now that we have partnered with Zillow which is a national real estate site, we’ve added an additional 5 million plus unique visitors a month! It’s way  too “horror-flickesque” to think of that many eyeballs! AND  you could extend this already enormous audience by using our direct mail service.  

This is huge! To toot our own horn, we really CAN get the word out for you. We can help you sell your home. Call one of our real estate representatives today and let us get started!

Julie Smith 303-473-1451

Susan Lind 303-473-1452

Kelly Hendershot 303-473-1171

Vickie Lane 303-473-1376

For direct mail please call Erin Lawinsky at 303-473-1274

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