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In this Newsletter:
- Staging - A Realtor's Perspective
- Blogging Tips
- The Eco-Deco Challenge
- StagersLIST Expo July 15, 2009
- Houston Expo Reviews
- Register today for the Dublin, California Expo July 15, 2009
Staging - A Realtor's Perspective
This article from Real Estate Information Services (RIS Media) talks about foreclosures and the prospect for more through 2010. Not really new news, but read down to the part about Property Management and Financing. The Realtor typically deals with all of this. I know there are maintenance companies in our area that have partnered with a realtor, bringing in crews to do the work.
What if... they do have $1,500/2,000 to get the property in shape and it's your crews that go in, with an eye toward what needs to happen to make it more saleable? You'd be providing a more valuable service as well as perhaps giving the Realtor ammunition to talk the lender into a little bit of staging. There are a couple of stagers locally that have done presentations for lenders and have gotten the jobs staging REO homes.
At the very least you might have a project management role with the Realtor and the ability to give Realtors presentation ideas for the REO companies to add staging to their REO homes and get them sold faster. (Reduce expenses for their investors).
From the article Talking to the Realtor:
"Property Management - Someone has to get the house claned up and "trashed out". Someone has to get the locks re-keyed, the windows boarded up, the utilities turned on, the snow shoveled and the yard maintained. That someone is you... for every property you're assigned by the lender.
FInancing - on average, it costs between $1,500 and $2,000 to get a property ready to put on the market. This isn't for major repairs, just clean-up and maintenance. This money, along with ongoing utility bills and incidental costs, comes out of your pocket and is reimbursed by the lender. So, if you're fortunate enough to get 20 REO assignments, you'll need access to $30,000 to $40,000 in cash or credit lines to get the properties ready for sale. As long as what you're spending is within the amounts allowed by the banks, and if you submit your invoices on time, you'll be fully reimbursed."
For the full article, click here.
An Eco-Deco Challenge
- Ashley Whittenberger, Founder of The Interiority Complex
You don't have to spend a fortune to design a creative space, nook or cranny. Recently, I was invited to be featured on a few segments of Fox 7's Good Day Austin. For one of the segments, I decided to do an experiment to help show people that there are literally hundreds of thrift store and flea market finds ready and waiting to be made over. You just have to look for them. So, I grabbed some "spare change", and went to Goodwill. After spending about $150 on a bunch of gently used items, I returned home and set all of my new finds out on a table so I could assess my loot and begin this "Eco-deco" challenge. I must admit, the display table looked more like a garage sale than the makings for a TV segment. (Honestly, it resembled some form of a "Where's Waldo" game except instead of finding Waldo, the challenge was to pick out the junk with makeover potential.)
 After a bit of brainstorming, I became inspired, and let the makeovers begin.You can see some of the pieces that ended up "making the cut" for the Fox segment by clicking on the photo.
{By the way -- the producer and show host kept referring to these tips as staging related when the segment was in fact, supposed to be on DESIGNING on a budget - not staging! (Like I'd really put tennis rackets on with earrings on them for a staging?? Or whacked out lamp shade covers? HA!) Oh well, any of you who have done local media shows will understand what a challenge it can be in pulling off one of these programs.}
And, a side a note on the sea shell lamp... on a recent beach trip I was perusing through one of my favorite resort furnishing and interior design shops on the island. I came across a lamp almost identical to the one I had made over. The look I created cost $5 for the lamp and $20 for the Frockz lamp shade cover. The seashells were free (my son has collected hundreds after many, many beach trips.) On the contrary, the lamp I saw at this high-end design shop was $365!
I hope after seeing the segment you're inspired to help your clients take on an Eco-Deco Challenge. Re-using, re-purposing and recycling items will make less of an impact on the environment and your wallet! Plus, purchasing items from a nonprofit like Goodwill Industries helps hundreds of people. Goodwill is North America's leading nonprofit provider of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Last year, local Goodwills collectively provided employment and training services to more than 1.1 million individuals.
Goodwill believes that work has the power to transform lives by building self-confidence, independence, creativity, trust and friendships. Everyone deserves a chance to have these.
Now that's pretty cool!
For more from a Decorator's Notebook and to check out this month's color favorites in "Hue Gotta Love It!", click here.
Visit Ashley's Blog
Visit Ashley's Website
Do you have a blog or article that you think should be featured in our next newsletter? Email Chris & let us know!
The Next StagersLIST Expo is in Dublin, California July 15, 2009!
Speakers in Dublin include Alyx Flannery, Tech Genius, talking about Internet Marketing and SEO, Christine Rae, co-author of Home Staging for Dummies, talking about Understanding Communication Styles to Overcome Objections. We are offering a complimentary lunch and lunch workshop entitled Feng Shui and the Laws of Attraction for Home Stagers with Alexis Summerfield, MA (featured on HGTV's Sleep on It). Afternoon workshops include Using Color to Solve Property Challenges and Add Balance, How to Triple Your Revenue by Offering Window Coverings, Green Business and Green Marketing, and Websites/Blogging/SEO.
Click here to register today! Sponsors include:
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Face it, we all like a little bit of color. Fabulous before and after photos are a great start when you are a new blogger. It's hard to resist commenting on those.
