Dayton, OH

Family traditions are so important and that's why we fell in love with the Elf on The Shelf book set. Inside the book set you will find an antique-style Elf, formed to sit on a shelf or perch in your house, as well as a book that explains what the Elf is for. He has an important job. This Elf is assigned to watch over your family and report back to Santa each night about who has been naughty or nice that day. By morning he's back but he's in a different place in the house for a daily hide-and-seek ritual that will delight your kids and adults alike.

It is a fun tradition to sit down together at the beginning of the Christmas season and read the book. We chose to start this on Thanksgiving weekend. Your kids can name the Elf and enter the name on the certificate at the back of the book. You can also go online and register your Elf on the author's web site. (Interesting side note, as researching this tradition I found that the Illustrator is a local, she is from Cincinnati. Her name is Coe Steinwart.)This Elf is a fun way to bring the family closer together at the hectic Holidays and remind us of the good ol' fashioned Christmas spirit. We all know that the elves work for Santa. But who knew you could have one work in your own home?

If you have small children, grandchildren, or you just know a child, Elf on the Shelf is fun for a child of any age. Every morning when they get up they would race downstairs to see where the Elf was that day. As we learned, you had better have a story in your hip pocket to explain why the Elf is still in the same spot after you forgot to move it before bed the night before.

Here are some other fun ideas:

• Use fake snow to leave a trail around the house, to show where the elf has flown around.
• Dribble cookie crumbs on the elf and leave him next to the cookies, as if he ate some.
• While I could go on and on about holiday traditions or ways to decorate your home for the holidays, lets talk about something else...

How about how to prepare and get your home ready for market. How do you make your home a Buyer's Desire?!?

So to incorporate the 2 subjects we will instead of singing the 5 Golden Rings from the "12 Days of Christmas"...lets sing the 5 Tips to Home Staging!

Staging Tip #2

If it's dirty, clean it!
If it can't be cleaned, paint it or replace it!

Q-Tip clean is the goal! Leave no crack dusty much less gooey!! Clean walls, floors and fixtures! Wash windows, decks and sidewalks! Professionally clean carpets, if they won't come clean, replacing them with a moderately priced carpet will save you money at the negotiating table.

Take the stress out of that last minute cleaning before an open house. Our cleaning team will dust, vacuum, and clean to give that professional touch that makes a good impression. Moving out and need a thorough cleaning after the home is vacated? Our team will give it the white glove, leaving a home move-in ready for the new owners.

What a Home Buyer perceives as a "bad smell" in a house can make or break a deal. Does your house pass the smell teest? Unfortunately, as much as your pet is a beloved part of the family he/she may leave a lingering odor that non-pet owners do not appreciate and therefore your buyer pool is reduced even more. Do you love to cook with garlic? Many food odors can linger in the air as well as smoke. Try and refrain from smoking in the house while it is on the market. Keep the garbage empty and occasionally grind up an orange peel in your garbage disposal to keep it smelling nice. You can easily purchase a coffee mug warmer and warm scented oil or scented tart in a glass bowl to infuse a pleasant smell throughout the house. Be careful on the scent that you choose. Do not let it overwhelm the space.

...stay tuned for Tips #3 thru #5.

You can learn more by visiting us at:

www.ByDebrasDesigns.com

The Christmas Season is FAST approaching. I am among many when I say it is one of my favorite times of the year. There are many things that come to mind...Christmas carols, gift giving, dinner parties, smell of pine & peppermint, shopping, baking, wreaths, stockings hung at the fireplace...

I look forward to the day when I retrieve all of the decorations from the basement to adorn my home with them. We have a very tall tree and my husband & I may seem to get frustrated at times when we are decorating it, but at the end of the day when we turn the lights on it is all worth it!

We all do some type of decorating for the holidays, some just more extravagant than others. While I could go on and on about ideas or ways to decorate your home for the holidays, lets talk about something else... How about how to prepare and get your home ready for market. How do you make your home a Buyer's Desire?!?

So to incorporate the 2 subjects we will instead of singing the 5 Golden Rings from the "12 Days of Christmas"...lets sing the 5 Tips to Home Staging!

Staging Tip #1 If it's broken, fix it! If it can't be fixed, replace it!

No buyer wants to move into a house and spend the next couple of weekends fixing things in their new house!! If it's broken, fix it! If it can't be fixed then replace it! NEW is the standard! You are competing with new construction, be sure your house wins by making it work like new!! It has been found that almost 70% of buyers are willing to spend more money on a house that is is "move in ready" vs. one that is a "fixer-upper". When most people move in to a new house they have many things to do to "personalize" it to make their "home", the last thing they want to do is caulk the bathroom shower, paint baseboards, or fix leaky faucets. Sounds pretty elementary but why is that some people spend more time and possibly money getting their car ready to sell than they do their home?!?

We have a Full Service Home Staging Support Team and part of our service is to coordinate a team specific to what it is that your needs are. Not everyone is handy with a hammer and screwdriver! Our handymen are bonded, insured, and skillful. They can fix, build, remove, and restart just about anything. You do not need to look for 3 or 4 people to address the issues in your home, our team has you covered.

...stay tuned for Tips #2 thru #5.

You can learn more by visiting us at:

www.ByDebrasDesigns.com

The Christmas Season is FAST approaching. I am among many when I say it is one of my favorite times of the year. There are many things that come to mind...Christmas carols, gift giving, dinner parties, smell of pine & peppermint, shopping, baking, wreaths, stockings hung at the fireplace...

I look forward to the day when I retrieve all of the decorations from the basement to adorn my home with them. We have a very tall tree and my husband & I may seem to get frustrated at times when we are decorating it, but at the end of the day when we turn the lights on it is all worth it!

We all do some type of decorating for the holidays, some just more extravagant than others. While I could go on and on about ideas or ways to decorate your home for the holidays, lets talk about something else... How about how to prepare and get your home ready for market. How do you make your home a Buyer's Desire?!?

So to incorporate the 2 subjects we will instead of singing the 5 Golden Rings from the "12 Days of Christmas"...lets sing the 5 Tips to Home Staging!

Staging Tip #1 If it's broken, fix it! If it can't be fixed, replace it!

No buyer wants to move into a house and spend the next couple of weekends fixing things in their new house!! If it's broken, fix it! If it can't be fixed then replace it! NEW is the standard! You are competing with new construction, be sure your house wins by making it work like new!! It has been found that almost 70% of buyers are willing to spend more money on a house that is is "move in ready" vs. one that is a "fixer-upper". When most people move in to a new house they have many things to do to "personalize" it to make their "home", the last thing they want to do is caulk the bathroom shower, paint baseboards, or fix leaky faucets. Sounds pretty elementary but why is that some people spend more time and possibly money getting their car ready to sell than they do their home?!?

We have a Full Service Home Staging Support Team and part of our service is to coordinate a team specific to what it is that your needs are. Not everyone is handy with a hammer and screwdriver! Our handymen are bonded, insured, and skillful. They can fix, build, remove, and restart just about anything. You do not need to look for 3 or 4 people to address the issues in your home, our team has you covered.

...stay tuned for Tips #2 thru #5.

You can learn more by visiting us at:

www.ByDebrasDesigns.com

Heading the the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Conference in San Diego? Here are the top ten reasons to fly with the Dayton International Airport:

1. Conduct business at our Business Travel Center
2. Six minutes to I70/I75 – Crossroads of America
3. Rental cars are available close to the terminal
4. 220 Steps or less from counters to the gates
5. Short wait times at the security checkpoint
6. Convenient parking adjacent to the terminal
7. Easy to follow terminal layout
8. Professional and helpful staff
9. Stay busy with free Wi-Fi in the terminal
10. Enjoy live music weekdays in terminal lobby

Source www.FlyDayton.com

Let's Go House Shopping!!

TAX CREDIT FOR HOME BUYERS

First-Time Home buyers (FTHBs): First-time home buyers (that is, people who have not owned a home within the last three years) may be eligible for the tax credit. The credit for FTHBs is 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum available credit of $8,000. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount.

Current Owners: The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount.

WHAT ARE THE NEW DEADLINES?

In order to qualify for the credit, all contracts need to be in effect no later than April 30, 2010 and close no later than June 30, 2010.

HIGHER INCOME CAPS

The amount of income someone can earn and qualify for the full amount of the credit has been increased. Single tax filers who earn up to $125,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, single filers who earn $145,000 and above are ineligible.

Joint filers who earn up to $225,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, joint filers who earn $245,000 and above are ineligible.

OTHER NOTABLE POINTS

• Qualifying buyers may purchase a property with a maximum sale price of $800,000.

• A tax credit is just that... a tax credit. The benefit of a tax credit is that it's a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction, rather than a reduction in a tax liability. So, if a first time home buyer were to owe $8,000 in income taxes and would qualify for a tax credit of $8,000, she would owe nothing.

• Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the home buyer can receive a check for the credit if he or she has little income tax liability. For example, if a first-time home buyer is eligible for a tax credit of $8,000 but is liable for $4,000 in income tax, she can still receive a check for the remaining $4,000.

You are Informed, what do you do now?!?!

First-Time Home buyers...Have Fun House Shopping!!

Current Owners, research the Home Stagers in your area. Get your house ready to sell, make it a "Buyer's Desire". Then contact a Realtor and you are ready to sell. Staging Works!! Before you know it you will be having fun House Shopping!

Dayton's Largest Full-Service Home Staging Firm, serving greater Dayton and Cincinnati since 2004

Make your Home a Buyer's Desire