Re:Fresh Re:Design, I have an eye for your style!

I know, HATE is a strong word, but that's what he said. My hubby and I were having breakfast out one morning, and the single man in the next booth was talking so loudly on his cell phone, we were unable to carry on our own conversation. So, we were not eavesdropping, we couldn't help but overhear.

He was telling someone, (we didn't catch their name), about his recent brush with death from a massive heart attack. He gave his age, younger than me. He went on to say he had been ready to die, as he had made peace, and was certain of his destination. I was thinking, (other than his rudeness at not letting us enjoy our breakfast), that he was in a pretty good place, right now.

That's when he informed the other party that he HATED Colorado. He was moving home. Colorado was an awful place, you couldn't hear the birds chirp in the spring, there are NO streams, and it is basically a high arid desert with nothing green to speak of. There would be no grass if we didn't water...

He did say, of course there are the mountains, and they are pretty, but after a certain age, you don't climb them, so what's the point? That's when I realized he had not really learned much from his brush with death.

I remember when I first moved to Colorado in 1980. My husband and I were young, and poor with a toddler. We didn't even have gas money to take a drive into the mountains from Denver, (and gas was CHEAP!). I mentioned one day to a co-worker that I wasn't so sure that those calendar pictures you see of Colorado were real, because I had never seen any of that kind of scenery.

The co-worker was shocked, and said, "You HAVE to go to the mountains! Yes it exists!". Shortly after that, my hubby and I started our weekend trips, at the expense of other entertainments, (like eating) to discover Colorado. You CAN hear the birds chirp, there ARE streams and while it is true we have a high desert climate, we have PLENTY of green.

That old saying of "Can't see the forest for the trees" comes to mind. I don't know Kevin, other than overhearing his conversation, with someone, "back home". I hope that he will be able to enjoy the home that he left, to come to Colorado, now that he has a new insight. It is unforturnate that his health scare didn't give him the renewed sense of life that you hear about so often. The kind where you get joy from every living thing, and take in every experience, "smell every flower", if you will...

His private conversation, that he was sharing with the restaurant, did however, remind ME what a great place I live, and how lucky I am to be able to just get in the car, and in a short drive, be hiking in the mountains, listening to birds chirp and watching fish jump in streams.

In 1919 President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11th, Armistice Day, recognizing the end of war at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918.That day he said, "...Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride....because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

By 1920, Wilson was hard at work trying to persuade the Senate to join the newly formed League of Nations, whose main objective was to maintain peace. Upon meeting resistance, he decided to take his cause to the people and in 22 days, travelled over 8,000 miles giving speeches. He began having headaches that continually worsened, until he collapsed, in Pueblo, Colorado, during a speech in which he said:

"...What of our pledges to the men that lie dead in France? We said that they went over there not to prove the prowess of America or her readiness for another war but to see to it that there never was such a war again. It always seems to make it difficult for me to say anything, my fellow citizens, when I think of my clients in this case.

My clients are the children; my clients are the next generation. They do not know what promises and bonds I undertook when I ordered the armies of the United States to the soil of France, but I know, and I intend to redeem my pledges to the children; they shall not be sent upon a similar errand.

Again and again, my fellow citizens, mothers who lost their sons in France have come to me and, taking my hand, have shed tears upon it not only, but they have added, "God bless you, Mr. President!" Why, my fellow citizens, should they pray God to bless me?

I advised the Congress of the United States to create the situation that led to the death of their sons. I ordered their sons overseas. I consented to their sons being put in the most difficult parts of the battle line, where death was certain, as in the impenetrable difficulties of the forest of Argonne.

Why should they weep upon my hand and call down the blessings of God upon me? Because they believe that their boys died for something that vastly transcends any of the immediate and palpable objects of the war. They believe and they rightly believe, that their sons saved the liberty of the world.

They believe that wrapped up with the liberty of the world is the continuous protection of that liberty by the concerted powers of all civilized people. They believe that this sacrifice was made in order that other sons should not be called upon for a similar gift-the gift of life, the gift of all that died - and if we did not see this thing through if we fulfilled the dearest present wish of Germany and now dissociated ourselves from those alongside whom we fought in the world, would not something of the halo go away from the gun over the mantelpiece, or the sword? Would not the old uniform lose something of its significance?

These men were crusaders. They were not going forth to prove the might of the United States. They were going forth to prove the might of justice and right, and all the world accepted them as crusaders, and their transcendent achievement has made all the world believe in America as it believes in no other nation organized in the modern world....."

He returned to Washington, where he suffered a stroke which paralyzed the left side of his face and body. He continued in his belief that this organization was our only hope of having world peace, making his last public appearance on November 11th, 1923 giving an Armistice Day speech. He said, ""I have seen fools resist Providence before, and I have seen their destruction." He died 3 months later.

In 1926, Congress recognized Armistice Day as a legal holiday. President Eisenhower issued the first proclamation to honor veterans of all American wars in 1954, and the day was observed on several different dates until 1975. President Ford took the final step towards unifying the observance by establishing Veterans Day as November 11th, regardless of the day of the week.

"What we seek is the reign of law,
based upon the consent of the governed,
and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind."
Woodrow Wilson

In preparing to vote, I didn't listen to speeches on TV, or commercials on the radio. I really didn't want that negativity in my head. I collected all of the flyers that came in the mail, and piled them on the desk. I waited for the Colorado State Ballot Information Booklet, ( "Blue Book") to come out, to help me understand all that is to be decided.

Friday, I gathered all of the flyers and the booklet and sat at the dining room table. As I read through the flyers, I was distressed to see how many of them told me to vote NO! or vote YES! on amendment "so and so", without ANY description of what it was about. I had to turn to the booklet, to get the wording of the amendment and to get a pro and con opinion of the proposal and its impact.

As for the people we are voting into office, I had to rely on the flyers. I didn't really get a sense of who any of the candidates really are, because they mostly spent their money telling me who their opponents are. Liars, cheats, thieves, scum, un-American, liberals, pro-something-they shouldn't be, or anti-something they should be for, in not so many words.

I consider myself an independent. I have never registered with either party, because some of my views would be considered raging liberal idiot, and others staunch conservative...

so they average out to middle of the road. I wonder if others, who are staunch supporters of one party or the other, vote blindly, their party ticket, because someone, or a flyer said so?

I hope not, but I fear so. I filled out my cheat sheet, after reading about every single issue, pro and con. I selected my choices for each office....except for one....is it possible that I am the last undecided voter in America? I THINK I know who I want to vote for, and then I see another something that makes me think twice....

Now before I am inundated with comments telling me who to vote for, please know that I have NEVER voted for the winner of a presidential race....

I'm SURE every Real Estate Agent in a given area, if asked how many homes are on the market, could give a ballpark number that would be pretty close. My question is, do they know how many stagers there are to help them sell those homes?

In volunteering to host the RESA/SIF Round Table Event here in Colorado Springs, I did a pretty extensive search to make sure that I invited as many stagers as possible. I had heard random numbers tossed about, concerning how many of us are working in the area. Mostly, I heard in the neighborhood of 30-35. There are 14 of us here in the Rain, not all active. I couldn't believe it when my research turned up over 70 with a presence on the web, JUST in Colorado Springs! Some of those are active Realtors who have cross-trained, to offer a service to their clients, (they accounted for about 15 that I found, though I'm certain there are more).

Using my access to the AR stats, and a few other sites I searched how many RE Agents there are here in the Rain, from Colorado Springs, and surrounding area, (El Paso and Teller Counties). 327 to date, but there are countless more that are not walking in the Rain. PPAR (Pikes Peak Assoc. Of Realtors), says they serve more than 3500 members, mostly in the two named counties.

Lastly, a search for raw numbers of homes for sale in the two counties, not including all the FSBO's, revealed well over 7,000.

Does that BOGGLE your mind!? It does mine!

So, break it down. 70+ Stagers, 7,365 homes, (not inclucing land, farms and ranches, or all the FSBO's)3,500 Real Estate professionals, (to include all affiliated members, I'm sure).

As Stagers, we all have our portfolios of staged homes, some have their statistics on how fast and for how much, or even, how much more. We have information on our websites about what kinds of services we offer, what level of service we offer, and in some cases, our prices.

With so many people watching the popular home and garden TV shows about staging, there are some SERIOUS misconceptions about what we do. The RESA Round Table Events will hopefully help us, as an industry to address some of the issues regarding standards. As with any industry, there will ALWAYS be a variety of services, levels of service, prices, and quality of work.

My partner and I had an incredibly BUSY spring and summer! We did vignette staging in vacants, we offered staging with rental furniture, we staged with what homeowners had, and we brought truckloads of acceessories and art to others. We made staging available to almost EVERY budget! Understandably, things will slow as we head into the holiday season. But with over 7,000 homes on the market, (and I am going to take a WILD GUESS and say that less than one quarter are staged), should it?

Realtors and homeowners, have you hesitated to hire a Stager because you have watched TV and don't believe you can handle the $2000 price tag? How does $200 sound? As I said, there are a HUGE variety of services available, to fit most any budget, and with over 7,000 houses on the market, you need every advantage you can muster.

This is one room, of an approx. 2000 sq. ft home, that we completed in 3 hours. The homestaging addressed the living room, kitchen, dining room, family room, master bedroom, guest bedroom, office, and 2 baths.

We created an environment that welcomes prospective buyers "home", using the homeowners furniture, accessories and art.

So, if you have held back from checking into staging for your listing, thinking that you could not afford it, think again! Many stagers offer free previews, and estimates. Some, (my partner and I) have package deals, but you will never know what is available to you until you ask! Who knew?