House hunting with my grandmother was always interesting. Before I was an agent, I used to pick up my Grandma on Sunday afternoons and take her to look at open houses. (We wanted her to move closer to us, but she didn't want to commit to an agent.)
My grandmother is a brilliant woman when is comes to business and numbers, but her ability to visualize is non-existent. This became very clear to me when we visited a great house that had a grand piano in the living room.
She surveyed the room and said, "There's just not much room with that piano in here." 
"Grandma, the piano doesn't stay with house," I responded.
"Oh, I know," she replied, looked around again. Then she repeated, "There's just not much room with that piano in here."
We went on like that for quite some time. The house was perfect for her. It was a one-story home, near our house and well-priced. In her head, she knew the piano wouldn't stay, but she just could not visualize it any other way. She didn't put in an offer.
I have since discovered that most people are not great at visualizing. I, myself, can walk into a room and imagine all kinds of possibilities, and perhaps you can too, but we are in the minority.
The same principle holds true for vacant homes. Recently, I was showing homes in a new development. The young couple I was working with looked at two model homes, both with the same floor plan, one furnished and the other unfurnished. They were shocked to realize that the furnished one seemed bigger! Having furniture in the rooms gave their eyes a means by which to measure the space.
Follow my blog, and I'll share all kinds of staging tips to help you sell your home faster and for a better price!
With all of the bad news in the economy, and gloom and doom surrounding the real estate market, it's important to point out the great news. Here are some examples of the silver-lining:
Now is an excellent time for those who can, to buy! There are so many great deals out there! Jump in!
Happy Bargain Hunting!
Corey and Erika Kahler
Simply Outrageous Service! Not Outrageous Commissions!
We are both Washington natives and love living and working in the Northwest. Working with The Cascade Team gives us the opportunity to offer service that is second to none while saving homeowners thousands of dollars! Since we work as a team, our clients get two committed agents for the price of one!
For sellers, we will advise you on current market conditions; guide you through the process for preparing your home to sell (including offering a free professional staging consultation); help you decide on the right asking price; and make your transaction as smooth as possible.
For buyers, we will start by helping you understand the process of buying a home; listen carefully to get to know you, your needs, and your lifestyle; and then we will help you sort through the vast array of home choices to find you the home you will love!
If you are ready to get started or if you would just like to ask some questions, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to help!
We work with all buyers and sellers, as well as specializing in several ways:
“Erika is a very thorough agent with an eye for the details. Her clients enjoy working with her and she represents them well in every transaction.” - Doug Young
"Corey is a professional in every sense of the word. He is accessible, caring, trustworthy, and talented. I have known Corey in a number of capacities since 1994. I have always found him to be personable, professional, polite and purposeful... He treats everyone with great respect and they feel it. He is professional in his dealings and approach.." - Kathy Lambert, King County Councilmember
“Erika is a top notch agent. She has excellent client relationship skills, is a fantastic negotiator and displays great attention to detail. I am happy and honored that she is part of The Cascade Team!" - Cary Porter
"Corey should be characterized by his high degree of professionalism but if you are meeting him, that is a given. Where Corey really shines is, the way he works with people, often difficult ones. His problem solving skills and his ability to stay "unruffled" when all those about him are in a dither is wonderful. Kindness and consideration were coupled with gratitude to make him easy to work with..." - Leanna Benn
"I would recommend Erika to anyone for all your real estate needs. She is professional and efficient; she stayed on top of the transaction at all times." - Scott Cartwright
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