Archive for July, 2008

Just got an email from our client HGTV (Home & Garden Television, channel 67 here in San Francisco bay area) about a new show they are coming out with.

They are looking for someone who just recently sold their house. Ideally looking for out-going, fun, energetic and very charismatic couples or families who just sold their house (price ranges from $350K-650K). They will also need to be in touch with the realtor of the couple or family.

Let me know if this is you and I will put you in touch with the producer!

Cheers,

Cindy

This is going to be a great event with big industry people like Brad Inman, Trulia and others participating. Also it’s a day before Inman Conference! So it’s perfect! Come a day early and hang with us cool San Francisco (and bay area) folks.

Well, what is it anyway? It’s much wiser to just let someone who can explain it better than I do to explain it: Per Todd Carpenter via www.rebarcamp.com

What is a “Bar Camp” anyway?

By Todd Carpenter | April 14, 2008

I received a second email this morning, asking just such question. I like the definition wikipedia gives for it.

BarCamp is an international network of user generated conferences — open, participatory workshop-events, whose content is provided by participants — often focusing on early-stage web applications, and related open source technologies, social protocols, and open data formats.

For us, it will be a meeting of the minds on how to use the web to better our marketing and communication efforts in the field of real estate. It’s going to be great, so be sure to book your travel plans for Inman Connect for one day ahead of time.

Per Curbed SF: Your Kid = Future Landlord?

Monday, June 30, 2008, by Sarah Hromack

Caught this one over at Curbed NYC, via Lost City— Telltale Signs That Your Child Will Grow Up to Be a Landlord : · Complains about the unions that make Lincoln Logs and Legos as being hopelessly corrupt. · Charges 50 cents more for their lemonade than kids at other stands do, due to “rising cooling costs.” · Keeps asking you when you’re going to stop renting and buy a home. · Knows how to use the word “flip” in a sentence. And our favorite reader response: “Those are just telltale signs that you raising a republican.” [Lost City via Curbed]

I was browsing the internet today and found The Home Staging Cheat Sheet by US News & World Report that was an interview with one of my staging teacher, Barb Schwarz.

Barb listed out 6 points for sellers that can help them in a sluggish market:

1. Get them inside (curb appeal)
2. Pretend you are camping (clutter)
3. Balance hard & soft surfaces
4. Work in Ones or Threes
5. Decide from the doorway
6. Make your place Q-tip Clean

I want to especially highlight #1, 2, and 6. You only have ONE chance to make a great impression for your buyers, and Curb Appeal is very important. You want to give people a great impression that you have been taking care of your house. So if you see paint peeling off your exterior walls or unruly trees, it’s time to do something about it.

Do: Show a nicely maintained exterior. It gives people a great impression that you have been taking care of it and it’s nice to live in. (photo credit notnek)

Don’t: Show a haunted house (it’s only cool 1 day out of 365 days a year). A house that is ill-maintained on the outside gives people a bad feeling and impression when they first see the house. (photo credit mar52laine)

With #2, we are in the business of SELLING REAL ESTATE and that is your square continue

I am in deep denial that July is here already.

(photo by tygerlyl)

You may have noticed that I have not been blogging as much lately but mainly because my parents are in town (who are driving me bunkers by the way with attempts to set me up with dates) and transitioning into a commercial building that is 3600 square feet for our new warehouse!

Here are a couple updates of what’s going on at Staged4more land:

• Staging, of course! In additions to our regular clients, HGTV called again and am interested in doing another project together. That’s always exciting to hear that people love Staged4more’s work.
• Moving in: setting up water, electricity, alarm system etc. (I finally decided to go with Brinks, which was FABULOUS. Super responsive. Called for an appointment, came next day and got the alarm installed on the same day. That’s amazing response time if you asked me! Unlike the unpleasant struggles with ADT who don’t respond to phone calls nor messages, shocking for a company that quick response is the main part of their job! If you are looking into alarm system, let me know, I will pass on my rep info to you.)
• Re-finishing the new office: Repainting, ripped out dirty old green carpet (if I told my clients to rip out theirs, it’s only right I rip out mine ), replaced it with new floorings (blog coming soon!), adding molding onto the existing one, and planning the design for office furniture
• Planning racking for the warehouse: this is a huge battle in itself since steel prices have increased dramatically which resulted me nicking quite a few design ideas for our new office. After several trips to Hayward and other places, I finally bought some used ones, along with another forklift. Those are getting installed next week.
• Ordered inventory system & barcodes: that will be a big project for July & August
• Getting ready to speak at this year’s International Association of Home Staging Professional (IAHSP) Conference in Washington.
• Expanding services and adding on additional features of Staged4more site that will be launched soon.

Whew, that’s just a few things that I am working on right now. How about you? Would love to hear about your updates!

Cheers,

Cindy