First, I want to apologize to my readers – I have been taking a short break from the break-neck writing that I have been doing in order to catch up on my business model and organize some long-needed expansion. Right now we are in the middle of the fall selling season and I noted that Marie has done it again with a few more tips on staging your home for sale in the fall. I thought this might be a great way to jump-start the holiday season as well since you don’t have to be selling your home to want to make it look its best. So without further introduction – here is Marie with some more tips:
Enjoy,
Ruthmarie
Beat The Odds: Five MORE Easy Tips For A Better-Showing House This Fall
by Marie Graham
When I worked in retail furniture, I absolutely LOVED working on snowy days, or the day after a snow storm.
When everyone else was out buying bread, picking up videos or whatever, people who came into a furniture store were people who were ready to buy furniture, and who wanted to buy furniture.
Inevitably my close ratio was almost 100%, so I have always been a fan of being ready for buyers out of the normal/expected buying cycle.
We will get to inside stuff in another post, but here’s the follow-up to yesterday’s post …. five more things you can do to show- perhaps beat the odds-even SELL your house this fall.
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Every once in a while I get an opportunity. I was supposed to be working into the evening on Saturday, but a last minute cancellation freed me up unexpectedly. So I decided to enjoy the last afternoon of daylight savings at the Rockefeller Preserve with Jade & Tundra in tow. We had a nice walk around Swan Lake. I was trying to take photos with two dogs on leashes….to say this looked clumsy was an understatement. But I did get a couple of nice pictures that I decided to post right here.
The duck population was hard at work preparing for the cold months ahead.
This Mallard was “making tracks” or “waves” in a very purposeful way….
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The PCF – History & Mission…
The (PCF) - Pediatric Cancer Foundation was founded in 1970 – a year before Richard Nixon declared “war” on cancer in 1971. Initially known as the Maxwell Leeds Pediatric Tumor Foundation, it was founded by grateful parents whose son underwent surgery for cancer at Babies Hospital of New York Presbyterian. It is dedicated to raising money for research and parent/patient care for world renowned doctors and institutions.
PCF is not-for-profit and 90% of every dollar received directly supports its mission to fund research and support for families.
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Many homeowners in lower Westchester have been hoping to downsize but stay local. In some cases, the children are gone but these empty nesters have careers that keep them local or perhaps some have grandchildren that live in the area and they wish to stay near family. Particularly after the big storm that we had yesterday – downsizing to something a bit easier to manage feels right for those who have been struggling with Nor’ Easters and hurricanes. We now seem to be having the storm of the century every six months – and tackling all the resulting issues can be a lot of work. I know it is – because I own my own home….
Many home sellers think that selling their home in the fall and winter puts them at a disadvantage. In years past, this may have been true, but I have been noticing fairly strong buyer activity this fall. The seasonality of the real estate market has been less marked in recent years. Further, the confusion with the debt ceiling and the issues plaguing Europe derailed many buyers plans over the summer. Many responded to the uncertainty in the general economy by making the decision NOT to make a decision….which in reality is a decision. But some of these buyers are back in the market again – making for a more active fall market than usual.
Just because it isn’t spring, it doesn’t mean that staging should be neglected and curb appeal is still key. So the following post by Marie Graham – my Ninja Stager -offers up some great tips sellers staging their homes for the fall market.
Enjoy!
Ruthmarie
Beat The Odds: Five Easy Tips For A Better-Showing House This Fall
By Marie Graham – Home Stager.
Many people think the housing market shuts down Thanksgiving til December 31st.
The reality of school schedules, and the pressures of these falls holidays are the most common reasons behind the mindset. While activity levels might have a steep drop off, I do not belive people stop thinking about it, or that buyers stop looking, either. In our market, different cultures abound: not everyone has kids, or observes the Hallmark holidays.
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Here are a few photos I have taken along the way over the past week or so while running around the county. Most were taken with my iPhone – as they really WERE on the fly while I was working with clients. But its fun to see what people are doing. Halloween has become such a fun holiday in Westchester that its getting up there with the 4th of July in terms of internet searches.
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In the last few months I have heard variations on this statement in various forms and guises. My knee-jerk reaction to comments like this aren’t very PC. Generally it would be something like “Everyone settles to some extent. We all have to “settle” for less than we would ultimately love. That’s life.” Truth be told ever since I’ve been in this business I’ve noticed the same trend. Everyone seems to want about $50-$100k more than they can possibly afford.
Tighter lending standards play a role…
Part of this angst is due to tighter lending standards which means that relatively solvent families have to squeeze into less home than the more relaxed standards of the past would allow. We got used to those loose standards and being allowed to buy a large house seemed like a right, not a privilege.
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Right now we’ve got a renting bubble. At this point it is almost as irrational as the housing bubble of 2005. Just as scarfing up McMansions with no money down loans was irrational – now many potential buyers are obsessed with renting to a point where they are hurting their own self- interest.
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No one has a crystal ball so determining when a market is going to hit bottom is pretty much like shooting craps. Sooooo – anyone trying to TIME THE BOTTOM is clearly a gambler. Its not savvy, its not cool or even all that smart – and yes…it is RISKY to try to time the bottom.
Gambling on lower prices and lower interest rates….
People think that if they haven’t made a decision to buy that no decisions were made. That makes them feel “safe”. NOT TRUE. The buyer made a decision and that decision was to punt. So in reality, the buyer is rolling the dice that the market will decline more or at least not improve. They are also gambling that interest rates will remain at record lows. As one famous blogger (Lenn Harley) puts it to her buyer clients “The market will bottom six months before you decide its time to buy a home.”
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Historic Hudson Valley is always full of action during Halloween. I’ve already posted the big events that everyone talks about – The Jack O’Lantern Blaze and Horseman’s Hollow. But there are more events on the calendar for the Halloween season….most notable:
Irving’s Legend:
Master Story Teller Jonathan Kruk tells the Legend of Sleepy Hollow as only he can at the Old Dutch Church on Route 9 in Sleepy Hollow. This popular event is selling out fast and is offered at hourly intervals from from 5 to 7 or 5-8 PM depending on the night…For details click here for Irving’s Legend.
The Time: October 16, 21-23, 27-30 at hourly intervals starting at 5PM to 7 or 8 PM depending on the date.
The Place: The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
The Price: Adults – $16, Children under 18 – $12
Suggested for ages 10 and up.
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