How To Stage Your Home with links to Video Instruction

An Article in Realtormag on Staging Your Home with $250 by Christina Hoffman.

Could you walk into a room and, in two hours, working mainly with what’s there, make it more attractive to buyers? Taking a cue from “Iron Chef,” REALTOR® Magazine posed this test to three practitioners earlier this year. In the pages that follow, you’ll see just how our stagers rose to the challenge.

In February we dispatched each one, along with a camera crew, two professional stagers (who provided only commentary), and some helping hands, to a Chicago-area home. The practitioners staged a home office, a bedroom, and a living room, respectively. Each had a $250 budget and one opportunity to see the room before the big day.

Our stagers demonstrated how creativity combined with a few accessories, a little reorganization, and ruthless paring can make a property stand out in today’s slower markets.

That’s important not just at showings but also on the Internet, where buyers increasingly rely on photos to narrow their choices, says salesperson Mark Jak, ABR®, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Chicago.

Even in a fast-paced market, staging can pay off. A survey of 2,000 practitioners conducted by HomeGain in 2003, at the height of the boom, found that staging could increase the sales price by $2,275 to $2,841. Cleaning and decluttering could add $2,093 to $2,378 to the final price. Likewise, a 2004–2005 survey of owners by training company StagedHomes.com found that staged homes sold for 6.9 percent more than homes that weren’t staged.

Such statistics have led to a dramatic uptick in practitioner interest in staging. StagedHomes.com says enrollment in its Accredited Staging Professional designation courses has increased 49 percent in the six months ending March 30, 2007, compared with the previous six months.

Small bucks net big rewards

As our makeovers show, staging doesn’t have to cost a lot or take much time. One of our stagers, Bobbi Williams, relied on items she already had. Professional stager and trainer Lori Matzke looks around sellers’ homes for staging props and stages only key room s— the entryway and any room visible from it (first impressions count), the main living area, the kitchen, the master bedroom, and one extra room, such as a den or deck. “Those are what buyers usually base their decision on anyway,” she says. She also encourages sellers to “tuck away anything smaller than a football. Who wants to pay my fee to pack for them?”Professional staging costs $500 to $1,000 and up for an average-sized home. The price generally includes painting, carpeting, accessories, and labor, but costs can go higher, depending on the extent of the work.

Many real estate practitioners today include staging as part of their marketing services, either doing the job themselves or hiring and paying for a professional stager. In such cases, sellers pay only the cost of new accessories, furniture rental, paint, or new carpeting. Often the stagers — with some help from the sellers — do the heavy lifting.

Sometimes, convincing sellers that their beloved home needs a makeover takes finesse. To illustrate staging’s value, Bobbi Williams of Keller Williams in Chicago tells sellers what she learned from her staging mentor, StagedHomes.com’s Barb Schwarz: “A car depreciates the minute you drive it off the lot. But what’s the first thing you do if you sell it? Detail it. Your home is an asset, so now it’s time to detail it.”

Even getting sellers to recognize the need to declutter isn’t always a cinch. “They’ve been living with clutter for years and just don’t see it anymore,” says Dede Banks, ABR®, CRS®, of Renaissance Realty Partners in Lake Forest, Ill. To help home owners see their houses as buyers would, Banks takes photos of rooms. When she shows them to sellers, the problem areas become more apparent.

Videos can be found at this link STAGING VIDEO.

Real Estate Market Indicators for Orlando as of 6/8/2007

The real estate market in Orlando continues its deterioration with high inventory levels and price declines.  The recent more stringent lending requirements and rise of interest rates will decrease the number of buyers in the coming months.  I believe we will continue this decline until the inventory changes to around 10,000 homes on the market.  New home builders are offering up to 10% commissions and extravagant bonuses such a shopping sprees at luxurious shops, cars, and Rolex watches.  Perhaps they have a grimmer perspective on the local real estate market than I do.  I’ve seen a slight pick up in activity in June but we’ll have to see if the traditional peak season for the Orlando market will take place this year.  Last year we did not see pick up in activity for the real estate market during the peak season which usually takes place in the summer months.

Metrowest Now Orlando’s Safest Neighborhood

With a zero tolerance crime policy, the Metrowest master association is making Metrowest Orlando’s safest neighborhood according to an Orlando Sentinel article on June 22, 2o07.

MetroWest now enjoys the kind of permanent police presence that Windermere has had for years. With its newly formed special Orlando Police Department (OPD) MetroWest Unit and a multi-pronged Safe Neighborhood Program the MetroWest Master Association has made MetroWest Orlando’s safest neighborhood. “Nothing beats a well-trained professional police unit for getting and keeping MetroWest crime to zero. We have advantages over other neighborhoods because we are able to partner with the OPD, the area’s best trained, most professional police force,” said Betty Reed, Master Association Director.
When crime began creeping up last year the causes were difficult to immediately identify. What wasn’t difficult to understand was the cost of crime to the community; everyone in MetroWest was looking for an answer. The boldest and most immediately effective move was to form the special OPD MetroWest Unit comprising some of OPD’s best officers who work off-duty for the special unit. On March 29th the Orlando Sentinel reported that “Hired Guns” were going to patrol MetroWest. In fact, the special OPD unit had already been put into place.
						“Overall, we’ve had tremendous support from MetroWest residents and businesses,” said Ken Simback, Master Association President. “As usual there are a few vocal critics who don’t want the Master
	Association paying for security, but at less than $20 per year per MetroWest homeowner, the overwhelming majority of MetroWest owners are happy with the results of their investment.” OPD Special Unit Is Keepin’ It Safe “Since this program was launched, we’ve seen MetroWest’s residents and businesses express a sigh of relief. In fact, MetroWest is able to report fewer criminal incidents than nearby upscale communities that tout ‘safe’ reputations,” said Simback. The patrols have been effective because their efforts are managed carefully with tracking programs providing constant information about potential problems in the neighborhood. The OPD special unit officers meet regularly face-to-face with Reed and Simback to assess results and receive input from residents and business owners, who are invited to attend the meetings. The OPD officers also attend Homeowner Association meetings in neighborhoods throughout MetroWest as part of the outreach component of the Safe Neighborhood initiative. Simback noted that the Master Association will continue the OPD Special Unit permanently with the goal of keeping the incidence of crime at zero. “Making MetroWest the safest neighborhood in Orlando means obliterating even small crimes, like speeding,” he said. “With OPD on the scene, even petty crime has been stopped dead in its tracks.” MetroWest resident and Master Association board member Kelley Powell said that creating the special OPD unit was necessary to preserve MetroWest’s property values, which could have taken a considerable hit if crime hadn’t been addressed. “I am fully invested in MetroWest; I love it here; I live here and work here. Watching the crime get knocked out, as evidenced by the City’s data, is like a breath of fresh air,” she said. “If you live in MetroWest now, you are living in one of the safest neighborhoods in Central Florida.” “The hiring of off-duty Orlando Police Officers to patrol and protect the MetroWest area is indicative of true commitment, leadership and responsibility,” said Orlando City Commissioner Samuel B. Ings, Mayor Pro Tem District 6. “The MetroWest Master Association is to be commended for taking bold and positive steps on ensuring the safety and security of its residents, visitors and businesses within the MetroWest community.” n July, the Master Association will launch the monthly “MetroMixer” networking happy hour at Barnie’s for MetroWest residents. Changes In Environmental Design Increase Safety The Master Association also is having all of MetroWest assessed according to the standards of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and is making changes where problem areas are identified. CPTED employs crime prevention principles that are easily and inexpensively applied to buildings and common areas, creating a crime prevention environment. “CPTED teaches that crime prevention can be enhanced by something as simple as trimming bushes that have grown too tall,” said Simback. “A key strategy of CPTED is keeping potential intruders easily observable by maximizing visibility.“ Homebuyers, Business Owners Choose MetroWest The real estate market in MetroWest has remained vigorous. According to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, MetroWest had the second highest number of single family closings (1,006) in all of Orange and Seminole counties in 2006. In first place, with 1,008 closings, was Waterford Lakes. And new businesses are opening in MetroWest at an astounding rate. Recent additions to the neighborhood include Miroza of MetroWest, Hurricane Grill and Wings, and Tessa Wine & Cigar Bar. A safer MetroWest is important to all West Orange County, both residential communities and commercial entities, according to Stina D’Uva, West Orange Chamber of Commerce President and 18-year MetroWest resident. “MetroWest is tied to all of the communities in West Orange County and when one suffers the rest could follow,” said D’Uva. “Improving the situation in MetroWest is beneficial to all of West Orange because it helps to maintain and actually improve upon the MetroWest neighborhood that many of us have come to love for nearly two decades.”
		“What Happened In MetroWest?” 1. Why did crime go up in MetroWest? Answer: The Orlando Police Department pulled officers from MetroWest to cover other neighborhoods. Crime increased across Central Florida due to a combination of economic factors and lack of police presence. 2. What did the MetroWest Master Association do? Answer: It placed highly managed off-duty Orlando Police Department officers on our streets. MetroWest now enjoys the kind of police presence that the town of Windermere has enjoyed for years. 3. What are the results of this initiative? Answer: The results have been astounding. In just two months, crime in MetroWest has been reduced to nearly zero – all for less than $20 per homeowner, per year. Crime in MetroWest has decreased significantly and remained low since the MetroWest Master Association implemented a new anti-crime initiative. Adopting MetroWest’s program as a model could help decrease crime in neighboring communities and throughout Central Florida.			Residents, Businesses Get Involved Recognizing that community involvement is key to any effective crime prevention effort, the Master Association began working with Citizens for Neighborhood Watch (CNW), a program of the City of Orlando’s Police Department to boost Watch involvement in MetroWest. Again, the Master Association has set the bar high: its goal is 100 percent Neighborhood Watch participation throughout MetroWest, including commercial areas. “The Master Association’s ultimate goal is that all segments of MetroWest, both residential and commercial, participate in Neighborhood Watch, thereby creating a ‘closed net’ against crime,” said Reed. The Master Association also will host the largest Neighborhood Watch event of the year, National Night Out (NNO), on Tuesday, Aug. 7, at MetroWest Golf Club on the Greens. Community Events Build Stronger Neighborhood Ties Community events like National Night Out build an important sense of neighborhood, which is why the Master Association has created several regular events for MetroWest residents and business people. “If you don’t know your neighbors, you won’t be as aware when something may be wrong,” said Simback. “Our community events allow people to network and build relationships that make the neighborhood stronger and safer.” The Master Association will host MetroWest Community Safety Meetings on a quarterly basis. The first Community Safety Meeting will be held June 27 and feature a presentation about Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) from OPD Officer Tia Pruitt.