Music Room

Sometimes a music room is that corner where the piano just fits, so you tuck the guitar stand next to it and your clarinetist uses the piano as a music stand.

Home can be small with multi-purpose spaces. Keeping it real.

Treehouse

Today's quote of the day comes from my younger daughter, Julia. I was telling her about how my clients often call me when something happens at their house to see how I can help, with advice, resources, and general support. One example I gave her was a client who had a tree limb fall through their roof during a storm. She said, "Was it just through the top of the roof or actually into the house?" I said in this particular case, the large branch had come through the ceiling inside the house so it required more repairs than just to the roof. Without missing a beat, she said, "Awesome! Make yourself a treehouse."

In this particular case, on the same day they had called, one of my contractors sent her roofer over for a consultation and quote and they received help quickly. I guess in hindsight, someone might find that humorous. Not as they can see daylight through their ceiling, however.

3 Ps for Selling

Although I did not study business at school, I have heard that there is a common set of 3 Ps for marketing. I'm not sure what they are, but I have my own series of 3 Ps for selling a home. I share these with prospective seller clients when discussing their home sale, and today, with you.

Preparation
When working with seller clients in preparing a home for sale prior to putting it on the market, my goal is to focus on those activities which address minor yet obvious repairs and which create the impression of a home that is clean, tidy, homey, safe, and well-maintained.

Proper preparation will be greeted positively by buyers when they see the home.

Presentation
In my approach, presentation means marketing and other outreach activities that aim to reach the most likely buyer for the specific property. Preparation can involve staging (light rearrangement of furniture and personal property, bringing in furniture and art to a vacant listing, or even removing items and excessive decoration or personally identifiable items), advertising, planning a welcoming and convenient open house, completing the most thorough and descriptive listing in the multiple listing service as possible, and having readily available at the house some information useful to buyers and their agents.

This last item in my best practices is to have a binder at the house with neighborhood details (recreation, shopping, mass transit, commuter routes, and entertainment opportunities), a paper copy of the disclosure package, floor plans, a list of updates with dates (even paint colors if available), any conveying warranties and service agreements, and even requests for potential offers such as submission guidelines.

Proper presentation means your listing will reach as many qualified buyers and their agents and entice them to add this house to their tour list or open house schedule.

Price
I typically begin price discussions with seller clients by suggesting to set the initial asking price at or very near the market value as determined by a detailed comparative market analysis (CMA) at the time of listing. For pricing a house, we look at the recent sales as well as the competitive houses on the market currently, as those will be the ones that the most likely buyer will see during their home search, too. Regardless of the state of the market (buyer's market, seller's market, or neutral), I recommend sellers offer the house at a price at which buyers and their agents will see value and want to write an offer.

Proper price will give buyers the incentive to put an offer together that they believe will result in a ratified contract.

These three Ps allow for focus at the time of sale and a simplified approach to conversations with seller clients.

Detritus

Detritus is not a word I would use to describe the possessions of someone else. It is truly a word one can only use about oneself. A prospective seller client used it last week to describe the contents of his house and his shed, "The detritus of a lifetime." It is a little sad when one's things reach the state of detritus. In Roget's Thesaurus, the word is found under "remainder." As in, remains, residue, leavings, scraps, rubbish, debris, end, shadow, afterimage. It is not a happy word, yet one that does come to mind particularly when I work on estates or court-appointed guardianship situations.

My message is, take care of your property, both real property and personal property. Regularly sort out your things and perform regular maintenance on your home's systems and major components. These steps will help preserve the value of your home and your long-term investment in it. I have created simple checklists that can help with maintenance and keeping your home safe and tidy. I'm happy to share them upon request. Just email or call me.

Bonnets

Quote of the day, actually quoted today (usually I'm a little behind, or it was a quote from decades ago). I was speaking to one of my buyer clients and when I told her I would follow up on a radon re-test, she said:

I know you are on it like a bonnet.

Yes, yes I am. And I actually chuckled to myself, because I am on it like a bonnet. And then I thought of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie.

And this is my new favorite phrase. Because I am good at following up on things, tracking them to completion.

Noticed: Newel Posts

Interesting newel posts in a Bethesda, Maryland, Colonial home.

New Feature: Noticed

I am pleased to introduce a new blot post type call "Noticed." I will occasionally post a photo from a property, a listing, a friend's house, my own home, or a neighborhood point of interest with a simple caption, as a fun and quick type of content. I hope you enjoy and appreciate feedback and ideas. Here's the first post. #noticed

Noticed: A Pass-Through

This arched pass through along with exposed beams and original textured plaster walls provide visual interest and charm to a Tudor style home, not to mention a perfect cat perch.

 

Ongoing Communication

Many Reatlors have mixed feelings about HGTV: love it, hate it, it sets unrealistic expectations, and so forth. There is one show and designer I particularly like: Sarah Richardson from Canada. She has had a variety of house renovation series called "Sarah's House." From one of these programs comes my Quote of the Day.

Your relationship with your real estate agent shouldn't end on move-in day. Their market expertise can often guide you in renovation decisions.

Just yesterday, a client asked me for input on the potential future market value of her house post renovation, so I ran a Comparative Market Analysis for her. I welcome questions, requests for resources, and opportunity to provide input on renovation decisions from clients and friends. 

How can I help you?

Contemplating Space

Although I live in a detached, single family home, one of my favorite books about home is "Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure" by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, a New York City-based stylist.

From this book, here is a thought for the day, a suggestion rather than a quote per se.

Sit for ten minutes in a part of your home that you never sit in.

Meditate if you will. Contemplate your home with a new perspective. Consider unused corners. Minor tweaks can freshen up your day or week.

Here is one of my bookmarks, some fun simple ideas for "5 Ways to Freshen Up Your Daily Life". If you would like an actual paper copy, drop me an email.

Enjoy this wonderful day.

Ideal Market Reach

I receive the letters in the mail just like you. The local builders are back in full force, and they prey on uncertainly. They focus on everything negative in big bold "NO" letters. They scream at you to convince you that selling directly to them, off market, is the only logical choice and in your best interest.

There is a market for less than perfect homes, "fixer uppers" even. The open, free market with expert presentation and targeted, multi-faceted marketing opens doors to as many well-qualified, interested buyers as possible. A measured, thoughtful approach to preparation, which does not have to be expensive or particularly disruptive, can help reach your most likely buyer who actually may want to live in your home for as many years as you have. Your own advocate, who has your needs in mind, can guide you throughout the selling process to a successful settlement.

If you are considering selling your home directly to a builder, I strongly encourage you to also meeting with a Realtor who can give you another option to consider. Explore options, protect yourself, open the possibilities, then decide.

Perfect

People seek the perfect home. There are so many variables, needs versus wants, deal breakers on the can't-have and can't-live-without sides of the scale. Buying a house is a difficult decision. One searches for the ideal match, often torn, angst-ridden.

And the first thing they do after they move in is change it. Paint a room, swap out a light fixture, renovate the hall bath. They make it their own. And it is natural and comforting and affirming.

So don't fret over the little things when you immersed in your home search. Your new home will be perfect, and then you will make it perfect-er, and it will be yours.

Real Emotions

I was planning on writing today about the emotions that installing a for sale sign in the yard can evoke for sellers, their children, and even their neighbors. That sign is a symbol of change, and change is challenging. One of my daughters said that when the sign went up in front of our old house, she knew it was real and she was saddened.

Today, I was further reminded of how, in my job as a real estate professional, I often encounter people during emotional times. Selling a house, many have written and researched, is right up there on the emotional index. Well, there are other instances when clients need my help. A horrible event occurs and one client can no longer live in the rental we found. Another client receives disappointing news and their anger spills over. And I take a deep breath and work on a solution that can hopefully help.

And even with a sign installation, in my experience, talking with the client about where it should go and to prepare them for its appearance can ease a touch of their stress.

Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is more than the color of your shutters and the architectural features of your home. For a relatively small cash investment, you can spruce up the curb appeal of your home, whether you are staying or selling.

I work regularly with landscapers who will plan within a client's budget to spruce up the garden and general appeal of a property. For the outside of your home, remember this analogy.

Decluttering is to the inside what weeding and trimming is to your home's exterior.

Weed, trim, rake, edge, mulch (but not too much!), then fill in with some plants. Perennials which will add to the beauty of the yard for years to come are the best, even if you plan to sell. Your future homebuyers will appreciate your efforts. And even quick fill-ins with seasonal annuals: think pansies and tulips in spring, petunias and geraniums in the summer, mums in the fall, and holly and greenery with berries in the winter.

If I am customizing the house preparation checklist for a seller client, landscaping is always part of the input.

QOTD: Process

This quote of the day is from my favorite Washington Nationals announcer, FP Santangelo. On August 26, 2014, top of the 7th inning playing at the Philadelphia Phillies, one out, bases loaded, up to bat was Kevin Frandsen of the Nats. FP was talking about how, as a young hitter, you might be focusing on the result, say a grand slam, and not the process. Instead, as a veteran, he stated you let the pitch dictate the at bat:
  
Results take care of themselves if you stick with the process.

Hold a beat, then Frandsen hits an RBI single!

As a real estate agent, I believe in my processes, both in managing a transaction, leading buyer clients through their home search and contract, helping a seller with their property's preparation, presentation and pricing, as well as my client prospecting activities. It is difficult sometimes to lose sight of the process, but the results do come. They come in the form of the perfect house for a newlywed couple, the ideal inspection contingency result for a single buyer client, and the ideal house prep and presentation to the market for a seller who needed a quick sale.

Fan of Roget

Call me old fashioned, but I do actually turn to my Roget's Thesaurus when writing descriptions for my listings, whether for online details or my property brochures. I was reminded of the importance of language last week when my sixth grader, Julia, came home after the English class word funeral. Happy, sad, little, big, said, mad, very, small... RIP from sixth grade English onward.

I wish more Realtors took the time to use descriptive language to paint a picture of the home they are selling. With accuracy of course and minus the hyperbole, prospective buyers and their agents would appreciate their efforts, and to be honest, it makes the work more interesting. And you will do your sixth grade teacher proud.

QOTD: Price

Another Quote of the Day from my daughter, Lucy, age 14.

Mom, I've decided that the most important price for a house is the first one.

Having a mother as a Realtor rubs off on a kid, I guess. We had been driving home from an open house; I bring one of my daughters along if I'm previewing properties or just staying on top of the market and I want some company. The house we had just seen had had a price reduction and she went on to say how, once the seller lowers the price, then buyers think they have even more chance to negotiate on price. She is a freshman in high school. She understands market conditions and negotiating position.

In a rising market with conditions more favorable to a seller (based on housing supply, interest rates, and other economic conditions), for the right property, "testing the waters" with a leading edge price might be a winning strategy. However, if minimum time on market, optimal contractual terms, and potential competition for your property are key success factors in the sale of your home, there are other "at market" or conservative pricing strategies to discuss with your real estate adviser and agent.

Let me help you match your goals with the right pricing, preparation, and promotion strategies for the sale of your house.

Backyards

There are grassy flat backyards, postage stamp sized neat tidy urban garden backyards, narrow corner lot backyards, picket fence with a gate to your neighbors' backyards, private fenced oasis backyards, and expansive impressive backyards. Any that accommodates a hammock between two old trees is ideal to me. What is the best feature of your backyard or other outdoor space?

On the Ground: Hyattsville, Maryland

I recently had the good fortune to help some lovely buyer clients purchase a terrific home in Hyattsville, Maryland.

The original owners of house, the Mosedales, built it in 1935 and their children sold the home in 2009 to the recent sellers. These sellers found tucked in the eaves of the unfinished attic three diplomas from the folks who first built the house, including this 1925 typing certificate of Mrs. Mosedale before she was married. Although a touch dusty, my clients, the happy new homeowners, will clean these up and display in their beautiful, original framing, once they finish that attic space into a fifth bedroom.

Also found was box of original tiles for the first floor bathroom which we think was added in the 50s or 60s. 

Although not part of the designated Historic District of the town, this home is just blocks away from classic four-squares and quite a few Queen Anne Victorian style homes built in the late 19th century. I also unearthed in my web research the Original City Charter for Hyattsville.

Areas like this are ripe for continued vitalization and discovery: inside the Beltway with a short commute into the District and to the University of Maryland, filled with character, charm, and history. More recent developments like the New Arts District and the continuous Green Line Metro that now goes all the way from West Hyattsville and Prince Georges Plaza stations through to Anacostia (stopping in the heart of downtown DC and the Navy Yard/Waterfront areas) are sure to make Hyattsville even more popular over time.

More on Real

Early in my blog's life, I had written about How Real Estate is Real to me, and to others. I found some more concepts jotted down in a lovely old notebook I found on my bookshelf today. I guess I was inspired to look through some past notes and files after my back-to-school school-supplies shopping trip with my daughters.

Real estate is real due to its immobility, it indestructibility, its uniqueness. True, one could technically move a house, usually for historic preservation purposes, but it is a rare occurrence. Also, houses can be sadly destroyed by fire or another horrible natural disaster, but outside of mining operations, the land part of the real property remains and cannot be destroyed, and most homes remain in use for generations. And even in the most banal cookie-cutter subdivisions, each piece of property and all its improvements maintain a unique combination of characteristics, especially over time.

Real estate is real because you can touch it, you can see it, you can drive by and circle the block, you can knock on the door, shimmy through the scrawl space or attic, photograph it, share it. And from a pure legal and taxation perspective, real estate is real because they know where to find you and it. Real estate is an asset, an investment, not just on paper but in tangible fact because you can use it. Its value does fluctuate with market forces, sometimes painfully so in a down market like this country experienced recently.

I love helping people with real estate transactions because real estate is home, enjoyment, family, perhaps income (if an investment property), comfort, shelter. Real estate is real and I appreciate and respect that.

Staying

A phrase I use to describe my real estate business is:

Organized, creative, intelligent real estate solutions

whether you are buying, selling or staying.

So one may wonder, "Why staying?" Well, I believe I can help people with any type of real estate decision and sometimes the best decision for them is to remain in their current home for the next 6 months or 5 years, or more. And to make that decision, they may need data on the real estate market or insights from a real estate professional who keeps tabs on real estate trends including typical buyer needs.

Let me give you a few examples. A couple months ago, my friend Anne emailed me asking about a planned addition to their home in Kensington, Maryland, an area I know well, professionally and personally. She described their second floor plans as adding two bedrooms and a hallway bathroom with just a shower and not a tub. The other full baths are one in the master bedroom on that same level, with a tub, and another on the main level of the home, also with a tub. Normally I'd say 2 tubs in a house are adequate. However, knowing this market so well, I've heard many buyers lament not having a designated kids' bathtub on the same level as their bedrooms, so I suggested if she had money and space to add the tub and shower combo. She appreciated the perspective and their addition is underway with the tub.

Mid-summer, my friend Cindy asked if I had input on how much of an addition and what features would be wise investments in their neighborhood in Bethesda, Maryland. I scheduled a time to go to her house and walk through with her as she discussed their needs and wants in a renovation including an addition. I gave her detailed input and suggestions to add to her current thinking and brought comparable sales in her neighborhood that supported the addition of square footage and the allocation of more kitchen and casual dining space.

As a last example, a client who recently bought a home wants to reconfigure and renovate the existing basement and to do so, would like to take out a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) loan to finance the project. Before paying the $450 for the appraisal through their lender, they wanted my Comparable Market Analysis (CMA), similar to but not officially an appraisal, with analysis of likely range of values. The good news was that with recent sales in their Kensington neighborhood, they already had built equity above their purchase price by my analysis. Of course that is not always possible nor should it be expected, but in this case, they already had data to support their purchase investment and thus the loan to add value to their home.

Contact me today with your real estate questions, even if you plan to stay in your current home for the foreseeable future.

5 Things I Love About McEnearney Associates

Before I became a Realtor, I thought that the brokerage you chose was only where you stopped in occasionally to pick up mail and drop off transactional paperwork. Not so! With each transaction and after countless business meetings, I appreciate more each day how important the brokerage is to a real estate agent's success.  I am fortunate to be affiliated with a terrific local brokerage, McEnearney Associates. Here are the Top 5 things I love about working here, in the DC office.

1. McEnearney is LOCAL.  Our firm covers the greater Washington Metro area, the DMV, including offices in Old Town Alexandria (where the firm began), Arlington, McLean, DC, Kensington, Middleburg, Leesburg, and Bryce Mountain resort. Our agents and our brokers know this area and our markets. This allows us to really focus our efforts on what we know best.

2. McEnearney is a MID-SIZED FIRM. No one office is too big that the agents don't know each other.  Even across offices, there are many friendly, familiar faces. The firm is not so large that we are merely satellite branches in a broad empire. We have strong technology support and innovation, policies and procedures, and just the right level of support for business development and sales and rental transactions without needing to adhere to the bureaucracy of a much larger enterprise. That said, we're also not so small that there is no infrastructure or support staff.

3. McEnearney is FAMILY OWNED and operated. John McEnearney started our firm in 1980 with the goal to be the best. His family values of trust, empowerment, and support are strong and make each agent feel like their efforts are appreciated and that we help make the whole better because of the parts.

4. McEnearney has SUPERIOR AGENT SUPPORT. Our office team is professional, friendly, dedicated, creative, supportive, and hard working. They find ways to help each agent be successful as well as to make our office a pleasant, rewarding place to work. I gain insights and inspiration from their experiences and input and I am a more successful agent because of our team in the office.

5. McEnearney has a GLOBAL LUXURY AFFILIATION. While we focus our sales efforts in our local market, as indicated above, we have a strong affiliation with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and in particular, our clients benefit from the Luxury Portfolio brand for high end properties. This global luxury marketing reach could be crucial for certain sellers. And my ability to easily make introductions to other real estate professionals across the world helps me better serve my clients as well as friends and family who live or want to live elsewhere.

Our tag line supports all of these ideas: Built Around You. When you are selecting your Realtor, whether buying, selling, or leasing, ask them about where they work and see if the pride of brokerage affiliation goes beyond just being the biggest (or if they've even thought about it much at all).

QOTD: Building a Business

Yes, real estate is my business. I do make money when clients, who have hired me as their agent, buy and sell houses. This requires a set of skills and experiences (not to mention jurisdictional licenses) and, most of all, relationships.

Some particularly rewarding relationships that I've built over the last 2 months or so is with a small set of McEnearney Associates DC office colleagues through a group our broker Ned Rich calls Success Builders. It is extremely rewarding to freely share strategies and support each other with weekly conversations. We cheer each other's victories both big and small. By building our individual businesses one at a time, we collectively build a stronger brokerage community. We believe in our brand and in each other.

My quote of the day comes from one Success Builders colleague Brett about our meetings. It summarizes the secret to our success.

It is a weekly feast of ideas that work. 

5 Things I Love About My New Listing at 3315 Pendleton Drive

My newest listing is a contemporary house located just one mile from the Wheaton Metro Station on the Red Line and all the shopping near there. It is also around the corner from Wheaton-Claridge Park and just a short drive from Wheaton Regional Park. My prep team and I have been working hard to bring this home to market today, so I wanted to share the 5 Things I Love most about it.

1. The impressive brick fireplace, which is a dominant architectural feature of the property. In researching the history of the house and its Hammond Hill neighborhood, I discovered that the brick was reclaimed from older homes in Alexandria, Virginia, during construction.

2. The original wood cabinets. There is something comforting and warm about their patina, and they just go with the house.

3. The yard, with its size (9,176 sq ft), its privacy, and its peacefulness.  While prepping this property for sale, I discovered a Star Magnolia tree, Forsythia, Eastern Red Bud, Hemlocks, Pines, and Cedars.

4. The vaulted ceilings. Design in 1950 by architect Charles M. Goodman, famous for his design of the original National Airport terminal in Washington, DC, along with many other residential developments, every room in this cool mid-century modern home features angles and volume.

5. The windows, walls and walls of windows. This home is flooded with natural light and one feels connected to nature from the inside. It is a cheerful house.

I hope whoever buys it loves this home as much as I do. I am holding public open houses on Saturday, April 26, 2014, 2:00-4:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 27, 2014, 1:00-4:00 p.m.  Please come to tour this home in person and learn more about its history and potential.

Sunny Outlook

A sunny front door leads to a sunny outlook after a long, cold, snowy winter.

Something as simple as painting your front door can make all the difference in curb appeal, not to mention how you feel when you walk into your home every day.

Geography Bee

My real estate reality for today is your geography bee. See if you can picture where all these places are in your head or if you need a map.

I will leave my house in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, to drive to the McEnearney Associates office in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia, to meet my clients (who live in that town now) in order to write an offer on a house in Knoxville, MD, (the Washington County part), which is listed by a brokerage in Lutherville, Baltimore County, MD.

Bonus points if you know the other county in Maryland where some Knoxville residents live.  I'm happy I drive a hybrid because afterwards, I'll head to the Eastern Shore to our house in St. Michaels, Talbot County, MD. Love living in the #dmv.

 

Black Toilets

When renovating your home, please resist the urge to install anything but a white toilet. Thank you.

Pocketful of Tudors: Woodhaven

Welcome to my new regular feature, Pocketful of Tudors.  I adore this particular architectural style and will spotlight neighborhoods in the DMV that have a strong concentration of Tudor homes. One particularly cool thing that happened when my family and I bought a Tudor in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Bethesda, Maryland, was that both my father and my father-in-law both said, upon seeing the photos while we were still under contract, that they had really wanted to buy a Tudor home years in the past. It felt like a special family history. Tudors are not nearly as popular in our area as say a Colonial or a Cape Cod style house, so to me they feel special.  They also evoke feelings of European charm, as I have noted in a different blog written while I was in Europe.

So I shall begin my journey through Tudor places in my home neighborhood, Woodhaven. Our neighborhood was established between 1936 and 1941, with approximately 127 homes, 56 of which are Tudor homes built by Peter Dein. The homes in the neighborhood share some common floor plans with the expected additions and modifications that over three-quarters of a century bring. The typical features of Tudors include angled roof lines, fretwork, stucco, stone, and brick.  The unique character of Woodhaven includes the heavy tree cover true to our name. on the outside mirror charming details such as arched doorways, exposed wooden beams, and massive stone or granite fireplaces inside.

Interior details that I've noticed while visiting neighbors' homes include arched doorways, exposed wooden beams, and massive stone or granite fireplaces some say were built from stones quarried right here in one of our blocks.  Many homes have living rooms with a step down to create volume ceilings above, built in garages, narrow slat hardwood floors, and charming alcoves and niches. Some homeowners over the years have replaced light fixtures but a few have remained.

One of the most charming elements of Woodhaven is the concentration and consistency of Tudor styles.  Of course other home styles were built over the years, but the majority of homes lined up along the few streets are Tudors.  Be sure to drive through Woodhaven and Whittier Boulevards, Poe and Alcott Roads, and Thoreau and Bryant Drives in the spring when we have our secret little azalea show.

The Real Estate Triangle

I have a tool, adapted from my Project Management toolkit, that I use to help explain real estate choices and decisions to clients. I decided to share it in a blog post after receiving a lot of terrific feedback about it from colleagues at my brokerage, McEnearney Associates.  This is the Real Estate Triangle of Triple Constraints. Of course it is just a model, but I believe it is an important one that reflects realistic constraints and relationships between different home purchase (or sale) factors.

For any given price range, or maximum purchase price, there are three main factors at play: Location, Condition, and Size & Features.  There are physical and market forces that limit the houses available in any given location, and this triangle of factors must be in balance for a given price.  It just is not possible to want a bigger house in better condition and located in a more desirable (or popular) neighborhood for a given price, if perhaps you've seen everything in your price range in a given area.

Another way to think about this triangle is: sometimes you need to sacrifice the condition (maybe everything was not upgraded last week) of a house to get the size and features you want (number of bedrooms, size of yard, finishes in the kitchen); or vice versa (condition is key, so the house may be smaller).  Also, a buyer should share with their agent what is their driving, priority factor in their search.  Sometimes a buyer might want to stay in their current school cluster, or they want to walk to the Metro or to shopping and recreation, so Location is their priority "leg" on the triangle. To get that priority feature, they may need to sacrifice on size depending on their price range.

I also use this tool to demonstrate to sellers how potential buyers will perceive their home based on comparables in their area, price, condition or size. If their house is a larger home compared to others in the same area and in similar condition, they may sell at a higher price. But if their home's condition and features (finishes and upgrades for example) are lagging behind others on the market, the price will be affected.

I am always happy to meet with buyers and sellers for an initial consultation about their situation and this is just one example of the tools and topics I share.

The Not Spring

I was going to write about spring springing forth this week.  Here are my daffodils, seen peeking through the soil on Saturday, March 15, 2014.

  

And here was my backyard this morning.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I guess our spring market will need to wait, or be put on haitus, for a few days. The silver lining: if you were thinking about selling your house this spring, you have a couple more weeks to talk to an excellent Realtor, like me, about getting your house ready to put on the market.  You'll still get a jump start on others if you get started today!

QOTD: Flooring

Today's Quote of the Day comes from my almost 14 year old daughter, Lucy. We were touring houses this past weekend to see comps for an upcoming listing I have in the works and she made a very interesting observation.

The floors really say a lot about a house.

She went on to explain that one house, which had beautifully refinished hardwood floors really shined and she thought better about the house overall because the sellers had taken such good care to present the floors well.  Another house had hardwood floors which were not only very dirty but uneven in places, paint-stained, and overall very scuffed.  She thought that house did not show well.

I've written before about some guidance for open house preparations which did highlight cleanliness.  I'm working now on a new seller checklist for Open House Prep (I have my own Open House Preparations Checklist, but this new one will be to give to my seller clients).  I'm happy to share with my seller clients in the future.

I just thought it was an interesting observation that Lucy had.  What stands out for you about houses and how do those things reflect on your overall impression of the home?