Bridget Cella, e-Pro Realtor

Has your home been on the market for longer than expected?

Have you had a lot of showings but no offers?

Maybe your home is in need of a face lift! There must be a reason that someone viewed your home but didn't make an offer.

First, your home must be priced in the market for the size and location of the home for an agent to have teken the time to show the listing. Unfortunately, with so many homes on the market today, your home must be as close to perfection as your budget will allow.

Consider making some little changes or some BIG changes, if that's what's needed.

Start by:

1. Reducing the clutter - give things to good will, it will make you feel good!
2. Depersonalize - take down all of those family photos. Some buyers have a difficult time visualizing their family in the space when they can't get away from yours.
3. Clean - make sure that the floors are spic and span and the toilets are shiny. Make the kids keep their rooms straightened. Keep your countertops clean.
4. Open the shades - allow as mych natural light into the home as possible. PS - thi smay mean that you need to clean those windows too!
5. Neutralize - if you have bright orange walls - paint them a beige or white. This can be very distracting the the buyer.
6. Detatch yourself - once you decide to sell your home it becomes a "house" you have to start to look at it from a buyers point of view!

If that doesn't work, it may be time to bring in the big dogs:

1. Curb Appeal - although this may easily be done on your own, hiring a professional landscaper to add some hardscaping to the home will be well worth the money. If you can't get them through the front door you can't expect them to make an offer.
2. Is your house turning green - if you have plenty of green mold or dirt they potential buyers are going to think that you don't keep the inside clean either. Do yourself a fovor get the house power washed. (PS - my husband owns his own company www.chrispressurewash.com if you are interested in a FREE estimate.
3. Home Stagers - this may be the best idea yet. These professionals can come in and give you their unbiased opinion of what you need to do to sell your home. This can sometimes be expensive if you do implement the plan but I van almost guarantee that you will recoup the money at settlment, yeah you will most likely sell your home! Can you believe it?

If you have questions or concerns, call your agent! If you don't have an agent call me and I will find you one!

Contact me at bridget@sjrealestateonline.com or 609-352-1667

Good luck!

Bridget Cella

CHRIS' PRESSURE WASH

www.chrispressurewash.com

856-374-3355

Based out of Turnersville, Gloucester County, New Jersey and have been in business since 1989. Owned and operated by Christopher M. Cella. They currently have services for both residential and commercial power washing that include:

Houses, Decks, Fences, Driveways, Patios

Gutter clean outs, Sidewalks and walkways

Storefronts, Dumpster Pads, Car Fleets, Bus Fleets

Postal Vehicles, Condominium Complexes

If you don't see something listed just give us a call for a free no-obligation quote!

We use an environmentally safe, bio-degradable soap that won't harm your plants, pets or children. We will take the utmost in care as to not disturb any of your landscaping or lawns. We use cold water for residential and hot water for most commercial jobs. Our pressure washing equipment is new and efficient so that we can utilize the least amount of water with the best possible results.

We have a staff that is friendly and personable, our service is one of the most important aspects of our company. Calls are returned with-in a 24 hour period and plenty of references can be supplied upon request.
YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED!

This was a little snapshot of the company's website. Of course, I may be biased as my husband is the owner but I wanted to start highlighting some local businesses and my husbands is obviously the closest to me.

If you have any businesses that you would like to have in the Spotlight please feel free to contact me with information. I will be highlighting only Southern New Jersey Companies.

Commercial:

Residential:

WWW.CHRISPRESSUREWASH.COM

Spotlight of the Month for January

Needless to say this "new world" that we live in is causing a lot of us to take a good long look at our career choices. As I stated in my previous post WHY I KNOW I CHOSE THE RIGHT PROFESSION!! you need to re-invent yourself CONSTANTLY!

Fortunately, Real Estate allows you to do that EVERY DAY!!

You are your own business, an entrepreneur! You have the ability to change your company's position each and every day! If you don't like where your going YOUcan change it! Change your niche' in the market (or for some, like me, find it!) This is the best career choice that anyone can make, there are so many peices of the real estate market that require filling. If you don't like to sell, become an assistant. If you don't like the paperwork or technical aspect - get an assistant! You have the choice!

After I posted that article the other day, deep down, I was having a revelation. Yes! I did choose the right profession! I have so many options, so many opportunities, so many chances to become a better person a better Realtor!

If you want to succeed you will! There are so many opportunities to grow each and every minute of every day! You just have to want to!!!!!

Here is an excerpt from a message I received from Jim Weichert today:

..."Regardless of market conditions, the path to the "American Dream" will always involve home ownership."...

Jim Weichert

This business is never going to go away!!!!

Invest in it - learn something new today!!!!

Take control of your future, invest in yorself!!!!

Take one step at a time to improve yourself:

Do one of these things today:

• Call someone and ask them if they are interested in buying or selling
• Visit one of your listings and follow up with them
• Read an article related to your market
• Send out a mailing to your farm area
• Get a farm area
• Go to the office
• Listen to your voice mail
• Make a list of what you need to do - do it!
• Write a business plan
• Post on your blog
• Reconnect with an old friend, remind them that you are a Realtor
• Remind yourself that you are a Realtor
• Take a few minutes for yourself - everyone needs to do this once in a while
• finish you Christmas Shopping
• Start your Christmas shopping
• Make a list of what you like about yourself
• Smile!

Have a great day!

FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!

Bridget

My friend Eowyn West was a great advocate for her daughter when she helped to get this Special Needs Playground placed in her town - read this excerpt of the Burlington County Times for more info!~

	Homepage NEW! Local News | Local Sports

Medford upgrades playground for handicapped children

By ED MOORHOUSE
Burlington County Times

MEDFORD - Eowyn West has always wanted her 7-year-old daughter to play and socialize with other children at the township's playgrounds.

West's daughter, who has cerebral palsy, will have that opportunity now that Fort Medford at Bob Meyer Park is being equipped to handle the handicapped.

The playground on Gravelly Hollow Road was closed to the public in February because the wooden play equipment did not meet the state's handicapped accessibility standards.

The equipment could be installed and the park could reopen later this month, according to township recreation officials.

West said the new equipment is important to the community.

"I'm proud of my daughter and I don't want to hide her. It's like a punishment when you take her to a playground and she has to sit and watch her sisters play," West said. "This playground will allow her to participate and meet other children."

The original playground was built in 1995 by community volunteers. Instead of tearing down the old wooden structures and replacing them, the township's Recreation Department decided to have handicapped-accessible equipment installed adjacent to the existing equipment.

"Nobody wanted to see it come down, but we had no way to retrofit the old equipment to make it handicapped-accessible," township Recreation
Director Beth Portocalis said Friday. "We decided to leave the structure in place, but add on a component to make it compliant. The state thought it was a wonderful compromise."

The Township Council awarded a $148,800 contract on Sept. 23 to Marturano Recreation Co. of Spring Lake, Monmouth County, to install the new equipment.

"Best-case scenario, it could be installed in two weeks," Portocalis said.

All public playgrounds in the state are required to comply with playground safety codes administered by the state Department of Community Affairs.

Under the codes, playgrounds must be accessible to the handicapped. Those standards include wheelchair ramps to access slides and climbing bars.

Portocalis said the ramps will be constructed of recycled materials.

"I want the public to understand that disabled children deserve to be part of the community," West said.

West is also serving on a playground committee that the Recreation Department formed to raise money to cover additional costs, such as adding benches and fences around the park.

Email: Emoorhouse@phillyBurbs.com

Thanks for reading everyone - I hope that more of these are to come all over the United States and the world!

Bridget Cella

Mom of a child with special needs and Realtor with Weichert Realtors

New Home Sales!

I recently read a post about how New Home sales are down as everyone expected them to be - then two days later a similiar post about how Economists are seeing a rise in New Home Sales! Each day there tends to be a drastic change in the outlook of many consumers and professionals in this industry.

"The beginning of the end" could it be? Could the rise in New Home Sales be the sign that we are all looking for that tells us the housing market has hit the bottom? Exactly where are New Home Sales Rising? Could it be that the builders are giving so many incentives that the buyers in today's market can't resist?

I was recently contacted by a New Homes Sales representative for a development in my area - the builder is now offering to pay the buyer's first 6 moths of mortgage payments, there is a 55+ community offering 20 years of tax abatement! Wow, I wish I was in the market for a new home today!

Can you imagine? First time home buyer who buys before the first of the year gets to cash in as early as February on the $7,500 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit and pays no mortgage payment for 6 months!

If anyone has any extra buyers, feel free to send them my way!