Ana's Blog: September 2009

MLS DESCRIPTIONS...WHAT DO THEY REALLY MEAN? 

This morning I listened to a very amusing talk on the radio about a NABA piece released discussing the disconnect between the reality a buyer sees and MLS descriptions used to market homes. 

Take the description "COZY", you may have heard the old joke the house is so small you have to go outside to change your mind! 

This brought to mind the descriptions I read when house hunting and what I actually saw after crossing the threshold.  A buyer's agent I worked with on a house hunt many years ago joked with me about this after going into the 4th or 5th house with mauve carpet and pink counters.  Whenever we saw a description that read "custom" or "tastefully decorated" we would both roll our eyes and chuckle a bit.      

FOR THE GARDENING ENTHUSIAST.....

 Need a machete to get to the front door!

LOVELY TRUE TO PERIOD HOUSE.....

Really really old!

So....what's in your MLS description?  

AccentPositives provides effective and economical  Home Staging Consultations on site and online. We are located in Corona and service the Inland Empire area of Southern California.  Call 951 833 8529. www.accentpositives.com and www.accentingspaces.com.

KITCHEN SPICE

You can get rid of the kitchen blahs for very little cost by creating small areas of contrast that make sense.  Spicing up this boring bar and desk center was a relatively easy project.  A glass mosaic tile back splash was added to the bar area. The bottom cabinets and desk were stained to break up the wall of oak.  Everything was finished off with the addition of cabinet pulls and some nice flowers! 

The area behind the desk will be finished off with cork board to house kids and household notes.

Let's look at what this easy update cost:

1/2 Quart Sherwin Williams Bistro Walnut  (left over from bathroom makeover, fresh can would be $28)

4 X 1x1 Squares Glass Mosaic Tiles @ 4.99 Ea.    19.96

1 Quart Cermaic Tile Adhesive  5.29

1 Quart Tile Grout  7.94

Adhesive Trowel     2.79

Grout Float            4.87

Grout Sponge  2.29

5 x Nickle Cabinet Pulls @ 2.97 Ea. 14.85

4 X Bronzed Cabinet Pulls @ 3.99 Ea.  15.96

Total = $101.95

Labor 17 1/2 Hours.  Time includes prepping, sanding and clean up.  It ran longer as I did not wipe all the grout off well enough before it dried so I spent several hours scraping and cleaning the tiles.  Here's my tip, Wipe excess grout off immediately after applying:)

The beautifull fresh flowers were 7.99 at Sam's Club.

AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging consultations on site and online.  We are in Corona and service the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Call 951 833 8529.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Ok, so those of you who read my blogs know I have a real problem with Christmas lights left up year round.  There is another pet peeve of mine you may not know about which brings me to the subject of this post.

I run a pretty tight ship.  I am a lean and mean business.  I handle all Consultations and Redesigns.  The occasional full service Stages; I get help from my hubby and a few friends I trust.  I have no full time employees.  I recently brought on a marketing partner on a commission basis, that's it. 

On a regular basis, I get emails from job hunters.  Individuals who are looking to either intern with my company or get hired on as full time employees.  Nearly all these job seekers seem to have one common trait....They can't write proper English or put together a well constructed, properly spelled and non redundant paragraph.  Yes, that's right....HORRIBLE GRAMMAR! 

As Real Estate Professionals know, first impressions are everything in this business.   The scene that hits a prospective buyer when they walk in a front door...the image you present to prospective clients on first meeting, your business cards and your ability to communicate professionally all determine where you will end up in this business.

Now I'm no snob, I don't mean everyone who wants to work for me has to speak or write perfect Queen's English. I don't. However, I do expect that any employee or representative of my business be able to communicate in a professional and coherent manner. I may not be hiring now, but I will be in the future.  Any person who cannot communicate professionally will not be on my prospect list.  I know I am not alone in this method of weeding through the chaff in today's job market.

The lack of professionalism in today's world of business communications is to me a sad reflection of what our public schools and universities are no longer teaching.  Effective communication skills and professional etiqutte are no longer the linchpins of a good liberal arts education.  I do digress as this would be a blog topic in itself! 

So you want me to hire you...Go back to school.

AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging consultations on sight and on line.  We are located in Corona and service the Inland Empire Area of Southern California.  Call 951 833 8529.

EASY VANITY MAKEOVER

Getting tired of all that builder's grade oak?  Don't have the budget to replace or reface?  It's an easy project for just about anyone if you have the time and inclination.  Below is an example of how a little bit of change goes a long way.

Before

An oil based stain was used for this project instead of paint.  Stain gives cheap looking cabinets a richer look and is easy to work with.  It does smell and takes a bit longer to dry than paint but the look is worth it. As it drys, it gets tacky, so you can keep brushing until you get the look and finish you are pleased with and any imperfections look natural.  This color is Sherwin Williams Bistro Walnut. 

So how much did this project cost and how long did it take?  Here's the breakdown.

SW Bistro Walnut  1 quart $28 (over half left for touchups down the road)

Paint Brush $1.79

Sponge  .99 cents

5 x Brushed Nickle Drawer pulls @ 2.44 each

Painters Tape    $2.67

Fine Grit Sand Block $3.67

Labor  6 Hours includes sanding, coating and in between coat drying.

Total = $49.32, yes that's right, less than $50.     

Always work in a well covered and ventelated area.  You don't want dust bunnies and bugs in your stain and you don't want to pass out from the fumes!  Make sure to poly coat your stain if using it in areas like kitchens and baths.  Poly can be purchased in a variety of glosses.    

This makeover will be complete once the old track light is replaced.  There are many styles to choose from under $100 or even clearance if you look hard enough!

AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging consultations on site and online.  We are located in Corona and service the Inland Empire area of Southern California.  Call 951 833 8529.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY...AUGUST...SEPTEMBER...

Yes, it's time once more for my rant about year round holiday lighting....

Moving here six years ago from the Midwest, it was an adjustment around holiday time.  Palm trees and 80-90 degree temperatures made it quite hard for me to get in the Christmas spirit. Even after all this time, it is strange.

It seems others here do not have this problem and they celebrate the season throughout the year... year after year.  They love it so much that they continue the celebration even when their home is on the market. 

The icicles may project a feeling of coolness in 100 degree heat but let's face it, they are not that attractive in the light of day, especially in the off season.  They remind me more of dirty spaghetti than icicles. This particular home has been on and off the market several times, never having taken down the lights.

In addition to year round holiday lighting, this home features the added bonus of gym equipment on the porch and a basketball hoop.  This home has also been listed numerous times.

Curb appeal is one of the single most important visions that will attract a buyer.  It is the very first impression that will set the tone for the rest of a buyer's tour. The outside condition of a home will tell prospective buyers if the home is well taken care of and worth taking a second look at. So please remember these small tips when readying a home for sale. Clean it up, take them down and please...always remember no matter what time of the year, celebrate responsibly!

AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging consultations on site and online.  We are located in Corona and service the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Call 951 833 8529.

I don't know about everyone else,  but I love Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.  It's just that everything goes so well together.  It's sweet, sticky and filling.  I tend to have food on the brain, maybe watching too many cooking shows but guilty I am. 

Thinking of Peanut Butter and Jelly brought to mind all the great professionals sandwiched here together on AR.  Realtors, Inspectors, Appraisers, Stagers, Mortgage folks.  All the great fillings for a Super Real Estate Sandwich.

cheezy analogy you say....OK.... maybe another blog.

We all have so much to offer each other professionally and in that offering all our respective clients come out on the winning end I think.  The knowledge shared here, the experiences and diversified opinions all serve our customers in the best way.  Even our disagreements and differing opinions are valuable as they spark ideas on how to serve our clients better.

Peanut Butter and Jelly is simple, straight forward and hard to get wrong. 

I read so many great blogs on this forum and marvel at the thought that goes into them. The smiles, laughs and comfort that derive from these blogs is just like the simple comfort of a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.

So, as I am constantly dieting, I freely admit the one thing I will never, ever give up, are my Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, both literal and figurative! 

A great Labor Day to all!

AccentPositives provides effective and economical consultations on site and on line.  We service the Inland Empire area of Southern California.