Kristina Pratt, REALTOR® - GoshenRealtyGroup.com

This Saturday, November 7th and again on November 21 from 9:00 to 4:00, the city of Collinsville will be collecting yard waste from residents.

The waste bins will be located in at the street department on South Morrison.

Be sure to bring a picture ID, as only Collinsville residents will be allowed to use the bins. Also, no commercial waste will be accepted for disposal.

Also, if you bring waste in bags make sure they are paper yard waste bags, as no plastic will be allowed at the drop-off site.

For over 90 years, the city of Edwardsville has been host to a spook-tacular Halloween parade. The parade is one of the biggest in Madison County and features marching bands and more than 100 floats this year.

The parade starts at 6:30 in downtown Edwardsville. For the first time in weeks, the weather forecast does not call for rain - so be sure to arrive early to find a parking and a great spot to watch. The parade will begin at Lincoln Middle School and run north to St. Louis street and then onto Vandalia and Main.

According to the Ed-Glen Chamber, this year's theme is "Celebrate The Season".

You can find out more information about the Halloween parade by visiting EdGlenHalloween.com Here you'll find a parade program and parade line-up.

From all of us at Goshen Realty Group and RE/MAX Preferred Partners we wish you a safe and happy Halloween. (Try not to eat too much candy. :) )

Here at Goshen Realty Group, we love our four-legged mascots. We've got the bases covered when it comes to pets of both the feline and canine variety. (Our resident dachshund, Missy, is pictured below.) In fact, our brokerage RE/MAX Preferred Partners does a lot of work on behalf of ARRF in Southern Illinois. Check out their website for more info.

There is an old saying in the real estate business that goes "If you can smell it, you can't sell it." Now this doesn't just mean pet odors - but odors of any kind. Everything from smoke to air fresheners, mildew, must, scented candles and even food smells (pleeeaase don't cook fish or garlic the day before a showing) can turn off a buyer. Believe it or not, smells are a reason for a buyer to offer you a lower price for your home.

The problem is, not everyone that is looking to buy a house loves our pets as much as we do. Many buyers that don't have pets of their own notice the slightest "eau de dog" odor the minute they walk in the door, and for some it's a turn-off.

But don't fret! Your dog or cat can co-exist with the for sale sign in your front yard. Just follow a few of these simple tips...

• Don't use too much air freshener. Please don't use a plug-in scent in every room in your house. If you feel the need to use a plug-in type air freshener try a scent like clean linen. Stay away from cinnamon or other scents that are too flowery. To be perfectly honest, you're not fooling anyone - in fact, most buyers wonder what bad smell you're really hiding.

• Febreze is your friend. Offensive odors live on soft surfaces, and odds are you can't smell it. Before your home is shown, take a bottle of Febreze and spray everything down. Make sure to spray carpets, couches, chairs, bedding, curtains - anything that is fabric. Unlike air fresheners, Febreze has a clean laundry type of smell to it, and it's pleasing. It makes your home smell fresh and crisp.

• If you take Fido or Frisky with you for showings, take all of their stuff too. I had a buyer really digging on a house one time only to spot a litter box in the corner of the dining room. Suddenly the whole house smelled like a cat to her. Take toys, litter boxes, food dishes, beds and crates with you when you leave. I know it's a pain, but your house will sell faster because of it.

• Have your carpets, area rugs and window treatments professionally cleaned. Ask your service provider if they can use a solution specifically designed to eliminate odors.

• Do the doo-doo. Take some time to go outside and pick up after your pooch. No one likes to step in a landmine while checking out your backyard.

• Ask your REALTOR. Don't be afraid to ask your agent if they think there is an odor in your home that might turn off buyers. Constructive criticism of any type can help you sell your home.

If you follow a few of these tips, you're sure to eliminate any unpleasant odor a buyer might object to. It's a lot of work for each and every showing, but once you and your best friend are enjoying your new home it will have been worth it. (Plus, you can take some of that extra money you made and buy your pet a sparkly new collar.)

Here is a quick look at the market stats for Edwardsville from January '09 until today (October 28)

Price by Bedrooms

-2 3 4+ Total

Sell Price Volume $5,236,951 $22,948,347 $24,104,378 $52,289,676

List Price Volume $5,497,500 $24,045,337 $25,151,925 $54,694,762

AVG List Price $119,511 $180,792 $285,817 $204,849

AVG Sell Price $113,847 $172,544 $273,913 $195,841

List/Sell Ratio 95% 95% 96% 96%

Median List/Sell Ratio 94% 97% 96% 97%

Median List Price $119,900 $169,900 $264,450 $185,000

Median Sell Price $113,250 $165,000 $254,000 $180,000

Thinking of selling and curious to see how your home fits into the equation? Give me a call or send me an e-mail so we can discuss your specific needs.

I really enjoyed my cousin's wedding last Friday night. The bride was beautiful, the groom couldn't be happier, there was fabulous food and great music. There was also a lot of new people to meet.

While taking a break from the festivities on the outdoor patio, I overheard the following conversation take place...

New Home Owner turns to his buddy and says, "Yeah, we just got a heck of a deal on our new house. I looked around with an agent for awhile, but then I got this great idea. We passed a house with a For Sale By Owner sign in the yard and it dawned on me... they aren't paying a commission!"

New Home Owner's buddy, "That's a great idea. Dude, I bet you got a good deal."

New Home Owner replies, "Did I ever. Get this... since I knew they weren't paying an agent I figured that was at least $25,000 of the asking price right there. When I called, the chick gave me waaay too much information. Turns out that her husband was in the middle of a job transfer. He was already all the way out in Oregon and she couldn't wait to get out there to be with him. She told me they had already bought a house out there and they were making two house payments. She acted like the fact that they were the original owners was a selling point, but that told me they had wiggle room. They were asking $365,000 and most houses in that neighborhood listed with agents were closer to $385,000."

New Home Owner's Buddy, "No way. She didn't keep her mouth shut?"

New Home Owner, "Nope. I bet her husband was ticked. Now I knew I had a live one on the other end. We went to look at the house, and even though it was a ranch and we wanted a two-story we bought it anyway. They had no idea how to negotiate, so I got them down to $318,500. Can you believe that? I told them I knew they weren't paying a commission, so they should have lots of wiggle room."

New Home Owner's Buddy, "You got them down like $45,000??"

New Home Owner laughs and says, "Then I asked for the sun moon and stars when the inspection had issues. They gave me more money off the price of the house instead of making repairs. All in all I bought it for $315,500!"

I stopped listening at this point. It was almost too painful. To hear someone sit there and brag to his friend about ripping someone off made my stomach churn. The thing that really made me sick was that this whole thing could have been avoided. I'd like to take a second to point out some things that sellers with a For Sale By Owner sign in their yard need to remember...

1. NEVER, and I mean NEVER tell ANYONE your motivation for selling. You are guaranteed to lose your shirt on the deal.

2. NEVER let someone come look at your house if you are there alone. Don't tell anyone that your husband is thousands of miles away. These buyers are not working with agents, and it could be a ruse to come in and commit a crime.

3. Buyers are very savvy in today's market. Educate yourself on how to become a good negotiator. You have to emotionally detach, and that's very hard to do with your own home.

The moral of the story is this:

You're going to pay the commission one way or the other, so why not hire a professional? Between the listing price being too low, revealing their motivation and not being an expert negotiator this buyer just walked off with $69,500 of this owner's money. That's almost three times more than any agent I've ever known charges in commission.