Leigh Bates, The Trinity Group

Up until recently I focused most of my attention on Listings. But, as my buyer appointments increase, I am just dumbfounded by the photos posted in MLS. I most certainly am NOT the best photographer either. But really?? If there is any advice I can give the consumer, ask to proof the photos that are being posted. As simple as it might sound, search for your home online to get a good idea of how your home is being advertised. Buyers are online, sometimes months before they even talk with a Realtor.

Of course I may be way off base by assuming that the same Agents posting these terrible pictures are at least advertising you home. If they are, then you have to imagine that 1,000's of potential buyers are seeing your unmade beds, dirty dishes, cluttered floors and that beautiful tree in the front of your house. Oh, wait, that was the front of your house behind that beautiful tree.

The listing price of this home $995,000.

If you can't splurge for an aerial, let me suggest: Google Maps.

I am also a firm believer in staging. 99% of our listings are staged and we post photos AFTERwe stage the home. But, even some of the greatest listings can have bad pictures. Say for example you post pictures of a spare bedroom or powder room. Do you just see a picture of the bed? or toilet? A vacant home with lots of pictures of bare rooms and no descriptions? That's pretty bad too, and certainly doesn't make my list of "must see's".

Hallelujah! This home has a media room.

"A Wall of windows with lots of Light"

This is probably a great house, but is it worth the gas to find out?

Of course, the worst of the worst - NO PICTURE AVAILABLE. So you are basically telling me, "Not worth my time to see".

So... if you currently have your house on the market and haven't seen the advertising, Call your Realtor!

For the record, none of the above pictures came from Short Sales or Foreclosures. And, if you think they aren't your competition? Think again! Even some of the Lenders are cleaning up when they have to. The truth is, these photos came from Expired Listings. Are you still wondering why your home did not sell?

If you see your house, and want to try again, give us a call - your photos won't be an issue!

What's the best way to fight the dirty? Well, if you are like me, it's going to have to involve the least amount of effort AND have the biggest impact. In the process of obtaining my Green Designation, I decided that I'm going to try harder at adopting the green method. Detoxing my home is the first step in a cleaner, healthier family. And, most importantly, in a time when most families are finding themselves saving more vs spending more, greener can also be cheaper!

Believe it or not, it all starts with the air that you breath. The air inside your home is up to 5 times more polluted then the air outside - that's a SCARY thought! If you think about it, gone are the days of drafty homes and no air condition. Instead we clutter them with chemically filled products, the flooring, the paint, even our furniture.

Follow me, if you dare! In the process you will make your home a healthier place to live and a more desirable home to purchase when you decide to sell.

Step 1: Rid your home of the chemical dependency. You know, the smell of Chlorine bleach, smells clean right? but then gives you a headache. That's because you were inhaling toxic fumes. The same toxins that have been linked to birth defects and cancer. It's time to get rid of the toxic cleaning supplies - BUT don't just go through the cabinets trashing them. Either use what you have first or visit Earth911.org to find a household hazardous waste drop-off site.

Some other great cleaning tips:

• Only use a HEPA Vacuum filter.
• Avoid toxic carpet cleaners and switch to steam cleaners.
• Take off your shoes! A lot of dirt, grime and bacteria enter your home on your feet.
• When dusting, use microfibers and avoid aerosol wood cleaners.
• Switch to glass cleaners that don't contain ammonia.

It isn't the first time that Highland Village has ranked at the top of D Magazine's annual "Best Suburbs" list. Out of 62 towns, Highland Village ranked No 2 only topped by Parker. I can't speak for Parker (it's on the opposite side of the metroplex) but Highland Village is a great place to live!

For a town of just over 15,000 residents, more than 50% of households include children under the age of 18. Maybe that's what attracts me? A great place to raise a family. Other great reasons to live in Highland Village: Set on the southern shores of Lake Lewisville, VERY low crime rate, exemplary schools, rollings hills and the Inland Trail System.

This town definitely offers a home town feel, especially when the officers stop by to let me know that I left my garage door open. OK, that really tended to annoy me about the 4th or 5th time, so we stopped doing it! Of course they always stop with stickers for the kids or just to say Hello.

Within the past couple of years, Highland Village has grown in economic development. Now offering one of the first high efficiency Wal-Mart's (don't get me started!) and the Shops of Highland Village. A few local shops have seen a sign of the times, we are sad to see them go, but look forward to their replacements.

The City hosts 2 large events. The June Red, White and Blue Festival brings an early celebration of Independence. Lots of fun, food, live music and of course fireworks. The in August the Lions Club presents the Annual Balloon Festival.

If you haven't been out here, come check it out - you won't want to leave!

Additional facts about Highland Village:

• Population: 15,250
• Annual growth since 1990: 4%
• Average home sale price in 2009: $278,411
• Median age of residents: 37.7
• Families with kids under 18: 53.8%
• Median household income: $102,141

Earth Day is turning 40 this year. To celebrate, many businesses are offering consumers free stuff, chances to win valuable prizes, and some good deals.

Here's a sampling of Earth Day freebies:

• Gain free admission into all 392 U.S. national parks now through Sunday, April 25.
• Trade in six plastic bottles or soda cans for a free hat made from recycled bottles at the Disney Store on April 22.
• Babies R Us will give you a free reusable tote bag if you bring a valid coupon (PDF) into its stores through April 22. Plus, you'll get a 25% discount off all the clothing and shoes you can fit into the bag.
• Evos is giving away free organic milkshakes served in biodegradable cups on Earth Day. The healthy fast-food chain has locations in California, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
• Origins is offering a trade-in program on Earth Day only. Bring one of your current skin-care product bottles -- empty or full, from any brand -- to an Origins counter and receive a free full-size cleanser. Choose from Checks and Balances Frothy face wash or Perfect World antioxidant cleanser with white tea.
• Get a chance to win a $20,000 green home makeover by registering on the Purex website by April 30.
• Enter a sweepstakes to win 1 of 10 smart fortwo vehicles by making a pledge to help protect the environment on Safeway's website through April 27.
• Sign up for the Drive Home Green sweepstakes on Target's website through the end of the month. The grand prize is a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. You could also win bicycles, electric scooters, a national park trip, and other prizes.
• Add a green pledge to the Sierra Club's Earth Day map for a chance to win a trip for two to Hawaii.

There are also plenty of opportunities for Earth Day discounts. Here are few:

• Travelocity is offering up to 40% off prices at 40 green hotels across the globe.
• Travelzoo is giving discounts on U.S.-based, LEED-certified hotels.
• Walgreens will refill your printer cartridge for $1 instead of its usual $12 on April 22 only. It's also offering a 22 percent discount on its green products through April 30.
• Amazon is offering up to 34% off some of its Earth Day reads.
• Drugstore.com is offering up to 40% off products from its "green and natural" store through April 23.
• Numi Organic Teas is giving a 20% discount on April 22 -- just enter Eday40 at checkout.

Search for more Earth Day discounts, freebies, and deals. Have you heard of other great Earth Day offers? If so, please share them in the comments below.

The media just doesn't always get it right. Big surprise, huh! Well, this morning a segment aired on Good Morning America on "How to Sell your home in a Buyer's Market." They offered 5 of the best home selling tips for getting it sold in today's economy. I agree with the first 4, but #5 - not so much, so... I offered you my own 5th Tip below. 

Top 5 things that you can do to get your home sold:

1. Price your home to sell. What does this mean? Price the home just below competitive listings on the market, if you want to sell it quickly. Trying to out-strategize the market is setting yourself up for failure. Put yourself in the buyers shoes. If you were going to purchase this home again, would you really find it a good or even better value? Maybe not in this economy, where people are generally looking to save money.

2. Presentation is essential! When a prospective buyer walks in the door, the home should sell itself. Staging in this market can make your home stand out above the rest. A prospective buyer will react to what they see feel, hear and smell. Regardless of how you have priced your home they will be turned off by clutter, strong odors (good and bad) and the biggest, lack of cleanliness. A dirty home lacks pride in ownership and leaves questions on possible deferred maintenance. So, before you put the home on the market do a little Spring Cleaning. Organize the cabinets and closets, clean the windows and blinds, put away all the excess clutter and make it shine!

3. Hire the right agent when it comes to marketing your home. A sign in the yard and pictures in MLS don't necessarily mean that you are reaching potential buyers. The right tech savvy agent will know what it takes to market your efficiently on the Internet, make it shine in pictures, and create a great story about the home.

4. Repair/Replace necessary items around your home. To a prospective buyer minor repairs can add up to lots of additional expenses and may ultimately come back to the seller for a greater discount on the home. Offering an allowanceto prospective buyers may also become a red flag in many cases, so replace the carpet or outdated appliance(s) that aren't working even if it is on the less expensive side. The return will be so much greater.

5. Address Key Factors or Selling Points with your agent. This segments suggest that you should be present to sell the home yourself to potential buyers. I strongly advise against this. Instead, discuss with your agent key factors that you like about your home and ask them to include them in their marketing. Your agent can determine if these factors are true selling points. Prospective buyers can feel uncomfortable looking through your home and may actually miss something that was a selling point to them. Remember, just because you love something about your home doesn't mean everyone else will. In fact, it may be the one turn off to someone else.

If you are ready to list your home, we can help! We understand what the buyers want, and we work for you to get it sold!