Jewell Staley

With average rental occupancy rates declining across the country, many landlords are competing with other rental property owners to fill their vacancies quickly. As a landlord myself, I've always used one little known secret to fill my units quickly and with quality tenants - Home Staging!

When many people think about home staging, they usually think about the typical homeowner who wants to sell their property. However, savvy landlords are now turning to home staging to make their rental units stand out to prospective tenants. The concept is similar to when builders use model homes to make prospective buyers fall in love.

For my landlord staging clients I usually recommend some light staging in the key areas of the unit to make it easy for the prospective tenant to visualize themselves living in the property. Most tenants have a lot of furniture and personal belongings and their number one consideration is going to be whether their things will fit and will they be comfortable. Home staging makes the decision easier for a prospective tenant as it highlights exactly how everything will fit AND it makes the unit feel like a home.

I recommend light staging in the kitchen (especially if it is a small kitchen), bathroom, and livingroom, if you have a few armchairs and a coffee table to spare. In the kitchen, a glass bowl with fresh apples or oranges looks very pleasant and adds a wonderful scent to the room. Also, consider adding an attractive kitchen towel, a tea kettle on the stove, and make sure that the refrigerator is clean and smells good (leave an open box of Arm & Hammer baking soda inside). A few bottles of water is a nice touch too. In the bathroom, all that is necessary is a neutral color shower curtain, fluffy bath towels, a vase with flowers and a candle. Don't forget to have toilet tissue on hand for those who will invariably want to use the bathroom.

In the livingroom, a couple of arm chairs to form a sitting area, a coffee table, and a floor lamp, could provide just enough of an impression of home. Add a mirror or artwork to the wall to truly make the space come alive, as well as a floor or table plant.

I hope you found these tips helpful and will consider using home staging the next time you need to fill a vacancy quickly!

To Your Success,

J.A.S.

In these challenging times, every Realtor is trying their best to stay ahead of the competition. One of the best ways I know to sell more houses when the stakes are high, is to help your seller get their house in top shape BEFORE you start marketing the house to the world.

Now I know the conversation can be difficult, as most sellers are still emotionally attached to their property and will look at you with one eye up if you try to tell them that the floral wallpaper against the plaid couch won't help to sell the house. This is where it is a huge advantage to bring in an unbiased party; a professional home stager, BEFORE listing the house, to give the seller the best chance of selling the property quickly and for as much money as possible.

Realtors can easily include a $200-$300 home staging consultation in their listing presentation as one of the marketing tools they will use to get the sellers house sold. Imagine how impressed your prospect will be when you offer to help them get their house ready, and everyone else is just giving the same old speech about newspaper ads and open houses.

Remember, most buyers start their search online, and staged homes show much better online than staged homes, expanding your pool of potential buyers.

To Your Success,

J.A.S.

Grande Properties LLC

http://www.grandeprop.com

"Providing Professional Home Staging and Consultation Services in CT, NJ, and NY"

There has never been a better time to buy your first home than now. Yes, there is a risk that your house will be worth less next year if you buy today, but unless you plan on moving in a year, you have nothing to worry about. Some buyers are ready to take advantage of all of the great values on the market, as they have been putting aside money for a day such as today. I currently have a house under contract to sell to a couple who is making a down payment of 20%, which means they also wont have to worry about the additional expense of PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance), which is required for mortgages over 80% of the value of the home.

For other first-time homebuyers who don't have a lot of cash set aside, you will benefit greatly not only from first-time homebuyer programs usually offered by your local city and state, but also from the new first-time homebuyer tax credit for 2009. In 2008, Congress provided for a tax credit of $7,500 as a way to decrease the over-supply of homes for sale and encourage new homeowners to buy homes. For 2009, the tax incentive has been raised to $8,000 (house must be $80K or more, otherwise the credit is 10% of the cost of the home).

What does this really mean for first-time homebuyers? It means that when you prepare your individual income tax return and you've computed your total tax owed, the tax credit up to $8,000 will be applied to reduce your entire tax bill. If your tax liability is less than the credit, the IRS will actually send you a check for the difference. For example, let's say your tax liability for the year is $6,000; you would receive a check for $2,000 from the IRS. It is known as a "refundable" credit.

Learn more tips about buying your first home by signing up for our FREE First-Time Homebuyers Report, "5 Secrets You Must Know Before You Buy Your First Home". Learn more about the 2009 tax credit.

To Your Success,

J.A.S.
Grande Properties LLC
http://www.grandeprop.com

There has never been a better time to buy your first home than now. Yes, there is a risk that your house will be worth less next year if you buy today, but unless you plan on moving in a year, you have nothing to worry about. Some buyers are ready to take advantage of all of the great values on the market, as they have been putting aside money for a day such as today. I currently have a house under contract to sell to a couple who is making a down payment of 20%, which means they also wont have to worry about the additional expense of PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance), which is required for mortgages over 80% of the value of the home.

For other first-time homebuyers who don't have a lot of cash set aside, you will benefit greatly not only from first-time homebuyer programs usually offered by your local city and state, but also from the new first-time homebuyer tax credit for 2009. In 2008, Congress provided for a tax credit of $7,500 as a way to decrease the over-supply of homes for sale and encourage new homeowners to buy homes. For 2009, the tax incentive has been raised to $8,000 (house must be $80K or more, otherwise the credit is 10% of the cost of the home).

What does this really mean for first-time homebuyers? It means that when you prepare your individual income tax return and you've computed your total tax owed, the tax credit up to $8,000 will be applied to reduce your entire tax bill. If your tax liability is less than the credit, the IRS will actually send you a check for the difference. For example, let's say your tax liability for the year is $6,000; you would receive a check for $2,000 from the IRS. It is known as a "refundable" credit.

Learn more tips about buying your first home by signing up for our FREE First-Time Homebuyers Report, "5 Secrets You Must Know Before You Buy Your First Home". Learn more about the 2009 tax credit.

To Your Success,

J.A.S.
Grande Properties LLC
http://www.grandeprop.com

Spring is here and that means more home buyers will be out looking for their perfect home. How do you make sure that your home is that "perfect" home that the buyer falls in love with and just has to have? Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Make sure that the buyer's first impression when they approach your house is a good one - Spring is a perfect time to add some colorful perennial flowers to your front yard; make sure that your doorbell works; if you live on a dark street, add some inexpensive solar landscape lighting that requires no wiring

• Front entry: store away all shoes and additional clutter from the front entry; depending on whether you have a good size foyer or entryway, consider adding a mirror over a console table with a vase of fresh flowers; if your entryway is small it is even more important to keep it as clutter free and neutral as possible; a small framed mirror or neutral piece of artwork can dress up a small entry for a minimal investment

• Throughout the house: clean all surfaces (floors, windows, walls and counters) thoroughly, if its been more than 5 years since you last painted, a fresh coat of paint throughout will do wonders for the presentation of your home (it will appear more well maintained), remove extra furniture that may block the natural flow of traffic, start pre-packing items that will go with you to the new house or that need to be thrown away, de-clutter (clutter eats up equity) all surfaces and spaces, just leaving enough items to show the best use of each space and surface - remember you are selling square footage, so show off your space; add pleasant scents throughout using plug-ins or decorative glass blocks

For more details on professional home staging tips and resources you can use to get buyers to fall in love with your house, purchase your copy of "Home Staging Secrets You Must Know To Sell Your House In 7 Days Or Less".

To Your Success,

J.A.S.
Grande Properties LLC
http://www.grandeprop.com