St. Louis Real Estate - Home Staging - To Stage or NOT

Filed under: For Sellers, Home Staging

To Stage…Or Not to Stage…That is the Question, for Home Sellers and Listing Agents by Sue Rector, We Stage St. Louis.

Clutter…
Too Much Furniture…
Personalized Wall Colors and Patterns…
Those Collectibles…

In this market, anything and everything needs to be done to give your house the edge, whether you are the Seller or the Listing Agent.

There is so much inventory out there, Buyers need not rush into anything until they find that special house….the one where they can visualize themselves living there, with their things.  The house that emits those warm fuzzies!  The house that makes them feel like they are at home!

How does your house become that home that they love?  Make sure it is staged! Whether it is a Staging Consultation Service for ideas and solutions, or Occupied Staging Services where the staging is completed for you with your belongings and budget, or Vacant Home Staging Services, with added furniture and accessories to define and accentuate….Houses that are Staged sell faster than Non-Staged houses, that is a fact!

Staging puts your house in its best possible apperance!  The MLS pictures will look great, attracting Buyers and their Realtors to make that appointment for a personal visit. 

Then when they get there…WOW!

Our staging team, We Stage St. Louis, has helped to sell over $7.6 Million in Homes within the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area, since January, 2007.  Our Staged properties sell in an average of 40 days, and we are helping to get our Sellers 98.1% of the LP at closing.  90% of our Staged properties have SOLD! 

Staging make a difference, especially in a more challenging housing market! 

Reduce your nice clutter and your not-so-nice clutter, neutralize your walls and other areas, and accentuate your house’s special features through staging…..Get your house Sold!

Accredited Staging Professionals (ASP Stagers) are available to help you get your house sold with ideas and solutions based on professional guidelines that have proven to be successful.

If you are planning to place your house on the market in the near future or if your house has been on the market for awhile, decide to have your house staged!  It is never too early or too late!

Make the decision TO STAGE….

Sue can be contacted at suerector@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

Tags: St.+Louis+Real+Estate, Home+Staging, ASP+Stagers

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   Your Comments Are Welcome!   |   08.10.2008

St. Louis Mortgage News - The View From 30,000 Feet

Filed under: For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage News

St. Louis Real Estate Voice guest editor Chris Scheer takes a look back at the past 12 months of the mortgage industry and a hopeful look forward.

As a buyer, seller, or investor, how do you feel about the mortgage mess and how has it affected your home purchase plans? . . . what’s the view from street level?

What a difference a day makes! by Chris Scheer, Cornerstone Mortgage, O’Fallon MO

Over the past 11 months the mortgage industry has gone through one of the most tumultuous times in recent history.  As mortgage companies went out of business, others were rescued by the Federal Reserve and program guidelines changed like your mother told you to change your underwear; DAILY.  Many people, loan officers included were caught not being up to date on the ever changing landscape of guideline changes.  I can admit I had challenges with 2 condo loans in particular. 

In addition to the ever changing landscape of product and guideline changes we have also seen a rate climate that reminds me of a playground toy, the sliding teeter totter!  Rates go up one day, down the next, up again then up and up and then a drastic drop followed by more upward movement.  I continue to preach to my clients, that locking in is the best defense in the current market.  We can always look to renegotiate if rates go down drastically but, once they go up you are screwed.  As my old mentor told me, “pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.

Let’s hope that the reforms FHA has instituted effective July 14, 2008 and the merger of Countrywide and Bank of America signal a change to the whirlwind of changes and the rest of the year is filled with calm waters for borrowers to sail in.

For questions or comments on this post, please contact Chris Scheer at chrisscheer@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

Tags: St.+Louis+Mortgage, St.+Louis+Real+Estate, Buyers, Sellers, Investors, FHA, Countrywide+Mortgage, Bank+of+America

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   Your Comments Are Welcome!   |   07.05.2008

St. Louis Real Estate - Mortgage News - FHA takes the gloves off

Filed under: First Time Home Buyer, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage News

FHA Lifts 90 Waiting Period by Chris Scheer, Cornerstone Mortgage, O’Fallon, MO

In a move to help get foreclosures off the books of lenders quicker and help avoid deterioration of properties that have been foreclosed upon the Department of Housing and Urban Development has lifted their ban on writing a contract if the title has changed in the past 90 days. 

See the following article: FHA Lifts Waiting Period, Extends Insurance Coverage

For further clarification you can visit HUD’s website.

For questions or comments please contact Chris Scheer at chrisscheer@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   Your Comments Are Welcome!   |   06.18.2008

St. Louis Real Estate - Home Staging - Eye of the Tiger

Filed under: For Sellers, Home Staging

The Buyer’s Eye by Sue Rector, ASP Stager, HomeStaging Innovations, LLC

The Buyer’s Eye…that is what every home seller wants to attract! Home Staging is all about attracting the Buyer’s Eye.

In all types of real estate markets, but especially in a market as we have currently, home sellers must do as much as possible to make their house stand out from the large competition pool of houses in their neighborhood.  Staging your home, whether occupied or vacant, presents the house in the Best Possible Showing Appearance for internet marketing pictures and most importantly, for the personal showings…that is for the Buyer’s Eye.

ASP Stagers are trained to look at each room and each space within a house as a potential buyer would.  Did you ever realize an area or a room within a house may have a different showing appearance depending on how a potential buyer enters and/or walks around that area or room?

I have found that most home sellers are not able to look at their houses for sale, through a buyer’s eye.  That is not in anyway meant to be disrespectful or condescending to a home seller. In an occupied house, home sellers are emotionally connected to their décor and have looked at their special features for so long that they may not realize what may need to be staged in order minimize clutter and/or to draw attention to the special features.   Home Staging is about selling the house’s spaces and special features and not the décor inside.

When I am invited to conduct a Staging Consultation for home sellers who are attempting to sell an occupied home, I always look at the house through a Potential Buyer’s Eye.  I focus in on the house’s positive attributes such as large rooms, bay windows, a great fireplace, a great view, etc. Once focused into the special features, I make staging recommendations to enhance them and I make sure the home seller understands why I have made these staging recommendations.  I also walk into an area or room within a house from as many different ways that I think a potential buyer would do when touring the house, making recommendations to make the room or area show its best. 

In vacant houses for sale, home sellers typically know that the house would present itself better in terms of space, special features, and function of rooms, if they have at least the key areas of the home staged.  It just comes down to the important decision to make the investment in staging. Placing furniture and accessories within a vacant home, using the same guidelines of looking at the rooms through a Buyer’s Eye, presents the house in the Best Possible Showing Appearance. “A buyer only knows what they see, not what is meant to be”…Barb Schwarz, Creator of the Staging Concept

Generally speaking, the investment in staging a vacant home for 8-12 weeks, which includes inventory usage, staging, de-staging, and delivery/pickup, will be less than the price reduction of the house, if it does not sell. 

Consider using an ASP Stager, a trained professional, who will look at your house for sale, through the Potential Buyer’s Eye. That will give you yet another edge over your competition!

For more information about Home Staging Services, contact us at homestaging@stlouisrealestatevoice.com or visit our website at www.westagestlouis.com

Sue Rector, ASP Stager
HomeStaging Innovations, LLC
Part of the We Stage St. Louis Team

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   Your Comments Are Welcome!   |   06.06.2008

St. Louis Real Estate - Mortgage News - Live Talk

Filed under: For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage News

Someone Finally Heard the Message! by Chris Scheer, Branch Manager, Cornerstone Mortgage, O’Fallon, MO

Stop the presses!  After attempting to brand myself as “Your Residential Lending Expert” for over the past 2 years, one of my past clients has finally heard the message.  Dave Simons who hosts the “Dollars and Sense” money show on KMOX 1120 AM radio has asked me to join him on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 to discuss what is going on in the mortgage industry.  At this time I am scheduled to go on air at approximately 10:10 a.m.  The length of the visit should be around 10 minutes.

You can tune in or check out their live stream at www.kmox.com.

For questions or comments, please contact Chris Scheer at chrisscheer@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

Tags: St.+Louis+Real+Estate, Mortgage+News, Home+Buyers, Home+Sellers, KMOX+1120, Dave+Simons

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   Your Comments Are Welcome!   |   05.19.2008

St. Louis Real Estate - Home Staging - Paint

Filed under: For Sellers, Home Staging

Interior Walls…Color Them Cozy! by Sue Rector ASP Stager, HomeStaging Innovations, LLC

As an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) Home Stager, I am asked frequently at Staging Consultations….Do you think we need to repaint?…and…What color should we use?

In terms of dollars, painting is a considerably “low” investment that a Home Seller can make and receive a “higher” rate of return at closing.

Home Staging is all about presenting the house for sale in the Best Possible Showing Appearance.  When potential Home Buyers come through a house for sale, they are attracted to a property for many reasons.  The Mood or Feeling that a house presents is very important!  The interior wall color or colors of a house are extremely significant in helping to set the mood or feeling of a house.  Wall color can be one of the most important factors in a Home Buyer’s perception that turns a “House for Sale” into the “Home They LOVE!”

Consider the following if you are thinking about repainting your house as you prepare it for sale…or if your house has not sold and you are considering some repainting updates:

1.  A home is more appealing when it emits “Warm Fuzzies”…remember that phrase?  It is still pertinent today. ASP Home Stagers, through wall color consultations, can assist you in making your house as “warm and inviting as possible” to potential Home Buyers.  Hues of whites, although very neutral, tend to present a COLDER setting,  Hues of blues, although recommended for relaxation by some, tend to present a COOLER setting in rooms. Other more dramatic colors of red, yellow, darker greens, and orange are more “personalized colors” (Remember from Staging 101:  Home Staging is de-personalizing and Decorating is personalizing).  When choosing wall color for your house for sale, it is typically recommended that you choose a color to present a feeling…one that will not be a distraction within a room. In fact, wall color should be a non-factor within a room, just helping to set the mood, set the feeling.  Medium hues of browns, golds, taupes, and sometimes greens will warm up a rooms setting….making it feel inviting and cozy to Potential Buyers.  Darker hues of any color within rooms can make the room appear to be more closed in and smaller.  Lightening and brightening rooms are areas that ASP Home Stagers will recommend to improve in order to present your space in the Best Possible Showing Appearance.  A new “splash” of paint can greatly help in these areas, if the color is chosen wisely.

  
2.  If you decide to repaint, choosing a warm and inviting color, consider this in terms of what to repaint…when a house has several different colors within different rooms, the house can appear to be “choppy” in regards to the flow of the house.  So whenever possible, use that “warm color” throughout the house.  It will sustain the flow of the inviting mood to each room and area.  If you can not or do not want to repaint your whole house, then consider repainting the main areas of the house such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, master bedroom suite, and all hallways.

3.  A new coat of paint makes a house feel clean and fresh!  In today’s housing market, Home Sellers need every advantage in making their house stand out from their competition.

ASP Home Stagers can assist you in choosing paint color to emit those “Warm Fuzzies” to those Potential Home Buyers, if you need help in this area.  We are not decorators… We are a part of the Real Estate Industry!  ASP Home Stagers know what helps to sell houses, faster.

If you are a Realtor, Home Seller, or Potential Home Buyer…what color do you think is the most appealing in setting an inviting mood:  Hues of browns, golds, taupes, or greens?  Any specific color and brand you like best?   Let us know.

If you would like more information on Home Staging Services, we invite you to visit www.stagedhomes.com and www.westagestlouis.com.  For any specific questions regarding Home Staging Services, please feel free to contact us as well, at homestaging@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

Remember—Color It COZY!

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   1 Comment »   |   04.30.2008

St. Louis Real Estate - Home Staging - BLING

Filed under: For Sellers, Home Staging

Home Staging…It’s NOT Just About Vacant Houses!

Home Staging is the process of preparing a home for sale, regardless of price, location, or condition (Barb Schwarz, Creator of the Staging Concept).

From my experience as an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP), I continually receive inquiries for Home Staging Services, predominantly for vacant homes. I love staging vacant homes! It provides me with a “blank palate” to be creative in using my professional staging skills to define space and function of rooms and areas, as well as accentuating the special features of a house for sale.

BUT…there is so much MORE that Home Staging Services can offer Realtors and Home Sellers at affordable costs which can really impact the overall appearance of the house.

My favorite Home Staging Service to provide to Realtors and their Home Sellers is a Verbal Staging Consultation. Within my business, the dollar investment for this Home Staging Service typically ranges from $75-$150 and the time investment for the Home Seller is typically 1-2 hours. As an ASP Stager, when I meet motivated Home Sellers who are receptive to making changes in their home to present it in the Best Possible Showing Appearance, this type of consultation is all they need!

A Verbal Home Staging Consultation begins by sharing the general concepts of Home Staging. Then, the Home Seller is encouraged to grab a pen and paper and we are off! Looking at each room and/or area of the house, general and specific staging recommendations are shared and the reasons for the recommendations…furniture re-arrangement, de-cluttering, defining space and function, accentuating special features…ideas are quickly shared with the Home Sellers to changes that will appeal to a wide range of potential buyers.

What I have overwhelmingly found after these Verbal Staging Consultations is that this affordable, 1-2 hour consultation really helps Home Sellers to look at their home in a different way….through the eyes of potential buyers. I find that the majority of my clients understand why I made recommendations and after I leave they make the changes. The results…on a revisit that I make (at no extra charge), my clients have typically made dramatic changes through their own staging that I feel, as a professional, presents their home in a much better showing appearance. Some of my clients’ staging work looks as if a professional stager had completed the project!

As a Realtor or Home Seller, have you considered contacting an ASP Stager for a Verbal Staging Consultation? If so, did it help, did it make a difference in the overall appearance of the house? If not, WHY NOT? It’s affordable, it’s valuable information, and a consultation such as this is just another step to getting your house in the Best Possible Showing Appearance!

The pictures on the MLS will look their best as well, drawing potential buyers to make that appointment to view the house in person.

Home owners, if you are considering placing your home on the market, consider a Staging Consultation from an ASP Stager. If you already have your home on the market and it is has not sold…it is never to late to stage your home, consider a Staging Consultation as well.

Realtors…consider using an ASP Stager to offer additional value services to your clients, whether you pay for the Staging Consultation yourself or refer your clients to an ASP Stager.

Remember New Conventional Wisdom: What sells a house?…
Price, Location, Condition, Best Possible Showing Appearance, and Great Internet Marketing!

Need to find an Accredited Staging Professional in your area? Want to find out more consumer-related information regarding Home Staging? I encourage you to visit www.stagedhomes.com, www.westagestlouis.com, or feel free to contact our staging team at homestaging@stlouisrealestatevoice.com.

Tags: St.+Louis+Real+Estate, Home+Staging, Vacant+homes, ASP+Stager

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   1 Comment »   |   03.23.2008

St. Louis Real Estate - Home Staging - Internet Marketing

Filed under: For Sellers, Home Staging

St. Louis Home Staging and Marketing Your Home on the Internet…. What’s the Connection???

What’s the Connection???What sells a house? OLD Conventional Wisdom said…Price, Location, and Condition.

But times have changed with the use of the Internet being the primary means and essential part of marketing houses in this country, as well as all over the world. Research notes that over 75% of buyers are looking online for houses before they ever contact a Realtor. Research also notes that the more photos you have of your property and the better the photos, potential buyers are going to stay on your site longer— increasing the possibility that they will call to make an appointment to view your property. In today’s housing market, potential buyers, as well as Realtors are typically going to be looking at photos of your house online FIRST, and then making a decision to see the house in person….or NOT.

So what does marketing your home on the Internet have to do with Home Staging?
What does the quality of the photos of your home on the Internet have to do with Home Staging?
The answer to the above questions: EVERYTHING!

The “quality of the photos of your property” has to do with 3 Significant Factors:

1. GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY, find a highly qualified real estate photographer,
2. WHAT is being photographed, and
3. HOW the areas and special features of a house are presented in the photos.

According to Barb Schwarz, Creator of the Staging Concept and CEO/Founder of stagedhomes.com,
the 3 C’s of Home Staging are:

1. Clean,
2. Clutter-Free, and
3. Color (ie neutralizing color)

Photos of an occupied home for sale will typically not show whether the house is clean…or not; however photos do reflect if rooms are cluttered and photos do reflect the colors within rooms. Cluttered space and personal color and/or color patterns can be very distracting to potential buyers whether they are viewing photos of a house online or viewing the house in person. Great houses can be overlooked by potential buyers seeing it online because the houses have not been put in their BEST POSSIBLE SHOWING APPEARANCE.

In a vacant home for sale, photos of an empty room tell buyers very little about which room it is, in many cases. Photos of empty rooms can present the color of the walls and the flooring, as well as special features; however, in vacant houses, photos of empty rooms do not adequately present the space, size, or function of those rooms. Home Staging Services that bring in furniture and accessories can really impact the way your “vacant” house is presented and viewed in photos, as well as in person.

If you are a home seller or a Realtor with an existing listing, I invite you to take a second look at your Internet marketing photos. Try to look at these photos through the eyes of a potential buyer. Can you see the great fireplace or the hardwood floors in the room among all of the furniture, rugs, and knickknacks? Can you tell which room is being displayed, if the house is vacant? What is the potential buyer seeing…too much color, outdated color or patterns?

STAGING your home is crucial in making the photos of your property more appealing and more inviting to potential buyers. STAGE your home BEFORE it goes on the market to make sure your Internet photos reflect your great house! If your home is already on the market, it is never too late to STAGE your house, take new and better photos, and present it in the BEST POSSIBLE SHOWING APPEARANCE.

STAGING presents your home in the BEST POSSIBLE SHOWING APPEARANCE, whether on Internet marketing sites or as potential buyers walk through.

What sells a house? NEW Conventional Wisdom…Price, Location, Condition, Best Possible Showing Appearance, and Great Internet Marketing!

Need to find an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) in your area? Want to find out more consumer-related information about Home Staging? I encourage you to visit www.stagedhomes.com, www.westagestlouis.com, or feel free to contact our staging team at homestaging@stlouisrealestatevoice.com.

Posted by doug   |   Read More   |   3 Comments »   |   03.03.2008