Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Why Home staging is important

Hi All, here is a great article I picked up. I am happy to say that I too am a ASP. Accredited Staging Professional. STAGE AND SELL..

“The way you live in a home and the way you sell your house are two different things,” said Barb Schwarz, who created the home staging concept in 1972. She has since developed an accreditation program for staging professionals — known as ASP — and is president and CEO of StagedHomes.com.
If the concept seems like just another fee layer guaranteed to inflate selling expenses, think again. A 2003 HomeGain Survey found that home staging paid for itself — and then some — by boosting the final selling price.
According to a 2006 StagedHomes.com survey, homes listed for sale without staging spent an average 4.5 months on the market; homes staged before listing spent less than 1.5 months on the market. The average time for a staged home to reach a ‘sales pending’ status was about a week. And staging boosts the estimated sales price by 3 percent, according to other industry surveys. On average, certified stagers charge $1,900 per listing, Schwarz estimates, although that varies widely depending on region.
While no independent national surveys have been conducted to substantiate these industry claims, anecdotal evidence suggests the ranks of staging adherents are growing.
Pat Vredevoogd Combs, president-elect of the National Association of Realtors and a Grand Rapids, Mich., Realtor, is among those who prefers that her listings be staged; she even pays for clients’ first hour of consultation with a stager.
“Sellers are too used to their homes," said Vredevoogd Combs, who has personally used stagers to sell her own homes. "They just cannot see them through the eyes of a buyer.”
Lori Corken, a realtor with RE/MAX in Denver, not only uses stagers for all of her listings, she covers the cost.
“Once you decide to sell, you need to detach," she said. "The home is no longer about you, but a house that needs to appeal to its next owner.”
The stager makes that leap for the homeowner by figuring out how to showcase the best features of each room, she said.
Staging should not be confused with decorating.
“Decorating means personalizing your space — staging is about depersonalizing it,” explains Schwarz. “Nor is staging about selling people stuff — people have too much stuff already.”

Staging is more about putting that stuff away, and literally getting it out of the way of prospective Realtors, buyers and appraisers. Ultimately staging is about helping prospective buyers see themselves occupying the space.
When that space involves a vacant home, buyers may need extra help with their vision. Even with rented furniture, a vacant home lacks the energy an occupied home radiates.

If you are thinking about listing your home and would like more information on what I can do to stage and list it for you
check out our website San Jose Real Estate

-- Lisa

Saturday, November 25, 2006

CURRENT MARKET UPDATE

===Existing home prices expected to "coast" in 2007===
Following a correction in home sales and prices in 2006, existing-home sales are expected to "coast" at roughly the same level next year, although there will be some additional decline in the new-home market, according to a forecast released last week at the National Association of REALTORS Conference & Expo. "Overall home price gains will be modest," said David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, and sellers are adjusting to the market transition. "Home sellers are becoming realistic about current market conditions and are now offering more competitive pricing, in addition to some incentives or concessions - especially to help first-time buyers," he said. "We now have the most favorable market for home buyers in several years, and most sellers - who’ve been in their home for a normal period of homeownership - are still seeing very healthy returns on their investment. Conditions for buyers have improved because sellers are flexible now and mortgage interest rates are near historic lows. The market promises to be more balanced between buyers and sellers by early spring, supporting future price growth," Lereah said. Existing-home sales, expected to fall 8.6 percent to 6.47 million this year - the third-best performance on record - are projected to be essentially even in 2007 with a 0.6 percent decline to 6.43 million. New-home sales, likely to drop 16.8 percent to 1.07 million in 2006, are forecast to fall another 8.7 percent next year to 975,000, largely due to a significant reduction in construction by builders. Total housing starts this year will probably fall 10.6 percent to 1.85 million units, and then decline another 11.8 percent to 1.63 million in 2007. Even with temporary declines in some months, the national median existing-home price should increase 1.9 percent for all of 2006 to $223,700, then another 1.7 percent next year to $227,500. The median new-home price is expected to drop 1.1 percent to $238,400 this year before rising 1.3 percent in 2007 to $241,400.

Monday, August 21, 2006

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New Free Homebuying seminars

Read all about it...

We are EXCITED! Look of for dates for our upcoming FREE homebuyer seminar. It will be held at our Home base office at 841 blosssom hill Rd in San Jose. I am setting the dates. I will have them posted in the near future :) If your interested call me at 408.218.6317. We will be able to take most, if not all of the fear and confusion out of the homebuying equation! I will be
hosting the event and will be featuring professionals in the field of finance, escrow, and of course I will be giving a presentation on the pros and cons of buying vs. renting. I really feel that it is the responsiblilty of a successful individual to contribute their giftings, so needless to say I am excited about it! Please join me in breaking down the fear, and beginning the process.

Lisa

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Finally a vacation!

Finally a vacation!! Home prices in Bellinzona Switzerland similar to ours, Venice Italy small apt. approx 1000 sq ft about 1.2-1.5 M but that is on the island of Venice, and Paris France 1000 sq ft. 1 bed 1 bath for 440,00 Euro= about $562,000 US dollar. Home prices were high and in Switzerland and Venice where do you go for work? Traveling to Europe was wonderful, but I have to say I LOVE U.S.A ! Gas prices in Switzerland $9.00 a gallon, I thought we had it bad! 3 bags of groceries at the market= $200.oo, and you have to pay for the bags :( But all in all it went something like this

- 9 Trains-Zurick-Zurick Main-Random city in route to Bellinzona-Milan-Venice-Bellinzona-Milan-Paris
- 7 Planes-San Jose-Portland Oregon-L.A-Amsterdam-Zurick--from Paris-Scotland-New Jersey-San Francisco
- 3 Taxis-Paris France
- 3 Subway Trains-Paris France
- 2 Boats-Lugano-Isle de Brissago and Ascona
- 2 Cars-Bellinzona, Biasca, Lugano and Locarno
- 1 Bus-Paris
- 1 Tour Train-Lugan Paradise region
- 1 Tram-in Lugano-Paradise region
- 1 Scary 4x4 truck ride-To the swiss alps.-Ticino Region

We were in 15 cities total (counting the airport waiting) and 5 countries outside of the US.
Next destinations Isreal*Rome*Greece.

NOW I NEED A VACATION

How the real estate market is changing

How the market is changing, marketing techniques that affect home sellers. Here is what I am seeing on the listing (selling) side. Because of the rise of inventory: Your home needs to be immacultely clean, decorated well or staged. It MUST be priced competitively, not over priced or priced with other competition, instead it should be slightly under for maximum exposure, and believe it or not multiple offers are still happening, but only with aggressively priced homes. Yard should be as nice as possible, both front and back. Home paint both inside and out should look fresh and clean. we are no longer in the days of the "AS IS" sale. If you can go as is, that is great, but the luxury of not doing your inspections and work as needed before hand are becoming a thing of the past.
MARKETING IS CRUTIAL! In today's market place marketing, including MLS, internet,virtual tours, multiple pictures on MLS, newspaper, open house, direct mail, networking and phone campaigns are a must. No option to opt out of commissions. Don't undercut your realtor's commission or the buying brokers commissions. During a buyers market, your realtor will need every ounce of finance to market and advertise your home, not to mention the painstaking negotiations. On the flip side offering less commission could minimize your showings, although this is not legal, when selling a home, this should not be left up to chance.
You wouldn't ask your doctor or dentist to take a pay break, why ask your realtor, the person your trusting one of your most valued possessions? Don't do it, you could limit yourself to working with a realtor that does not offer the service and skills that you need or simply does not have the keen negotiation skills that are imparitive in this process.
Be motivated, patient and realistic. Don't compare with last years market price, compare with todays market price. Compare your home pricing to something more current. This market has a tendancy to change overnight, be realistic with your expectations for price and terms. I make it a point to see everything on the market in a 1 mile raduis if possible, to target price and competition. You should too, so that price is agreed upon from the get go. If thinking about buying or selling lets me share my market experience and insight with you.

Bay area investors and home owners need to know the market

Bay area investors and home owners need to know the market: Heres a snapshot. I found out today that the new median home price in Santa Clara is $770K that is 9% higher than last year. Reported from Data Quick Systems.

Bay Area home sales continue to drop, prices reach new peak
July 19, 2006
La Jolla, CA.----Home sales in the Bay Area continued to slow last month as prices reached new highs. Prices increased at their slowest pace in more than three years, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 9,892 new and resale houses and condos were sold in the nine-county region last month. That was up 9.1 percent from 9,064 for May, and down 24.0 percent from 13,014 for June last year, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

While the year-over-year decline was the fifteenth in a row, last month's sales count was the highest since October last year when 10,508 homes were sold. The average June sales count since 1988 is 9,840.

"The market is definitely slowing but can only be considered "slow" when compared to the hot market of 2004 and 2005. In reality, today's market is pretty normal and balanced, right between the grim times of 1993 to 1995 and the frenzies of 1999 and 2004-2005. The Bay Area's market is reaching the end of a real estate cycle, it looks like prices could flatten out sometime this fall. What happens after that is anyone's guess," said Marshall Prentice, DataQuick president.

The median price paid for a Bay Area home was $644,000 last month, the third record in a row. That was up 2.1 percent from May's $631,000, and up 5.6 percent from $610,000 for June a year ago. Last month's year-over-year increase was the lowest since May 2003 when the $427,000 median was up 3.4 percent.

DataQuick, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, monitors real estate activity nationwide and provides information to consumers, educational institutions, public agencies, lending institutions, title companies and industry analysts.

The typical monthly mortgage payment that Bay Area buyers committed themselves to paying was $3,183 in June. That was up from $3,091 in May, and up from $2,651 for June a year ago. Adjusted for inflation, mortgage payments are 25 percent higher than they were at the peak of the prior cycle sixteen years ago.

Indicators of market distress are still largely absent. The use of adjustable-rate mortgages has decreased the last half year. Foreclosure rates are coming up from last year's low point, but are still below normal levels. Down payment sizes are stable and there have been no significant shifts in market mix, DataQuick reported.


Source: DataQuick Information Systems, www.DQNews.com
Why is the market in Santa Clara County different... To sum it up with one word I would have to say diversity. I often wonder why people would pay such a premium for homes in this area, then I think about why I love living in Silicon Valley. Here's what I came up with. Santa Clara county is made up of lots of surrounding suburbs, and surrounding cities. The interesting thing about that is, they are all different, they are all unique. The city is big, but if you get to know all of the surrounding suburbs, it gets smaller.You have Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Almaden, Blossom Valley, Santa Teresa, Cambrian, Willow Glen, The Rose Garden, Downtown, Santa Clara, Evergreen, Alum Rock, and East Hills. I am sure I left a few out, that was just at the top of my mind. And every area has hot spots to boast about!
You can take a day trip and within a 1.5 hour drive you can visit some of the most prestigious areas in California. Down south in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, and Up north you can visit, San Francisco, Sonoma, Napa.To name a few.
The shopping here is paralleled to none. We have Santan Row (Pricey), Valley Fair Mall (Moderately Pricey), Westgate Shopping Center (Moderate), and Oakridge shopping center (Moderate). For the bargain basement shopper the city is filled with discount shopping stores galore, and even has a multiple swap meets.
For a cultural side of San Jose you will find beautiful Churches and museums ranging from Modern Art, Tech, and Egyptian among many others. I should mention every kind of resturaunt you can think of, from Steakhouse to Sushi Fusion, and of course a Starbucks at just about every corner.
For being a large Metropolitan city, for the most part the city is clean, very little griffiti, and the crime is fairly low.
Not being biased, some blue ribbon schools, lots of privates to choose from. Public schools need some work with academics and arts. Public transit is good. Public Libraries are good.
In closing I think San Jose is definitely the only place like it on EARTH! I believe that whether you believe it or not, being able to live, work and play in a city like this is truly a blessing and for many a dream come true.
Lisa Roman-Stagi

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Welcome to my Real Estate Blog. I will be sharing with you an insiders view into the Silicon Valley Real Estate market.

Here is a recent release from Alain Pinel Realtors, to let you know more about me:

"Alain Pinel Realtors is proud to announce its association with Lisa Roman-Stagi. An integral part of Alain Pinel Realtor´s dedication to excellence is the collaboration of high caliber professionals. Lisa certainly fits that profile. Lisa´s 15 years of sales and marketing experience has afforded her an abundance of professionalism and a wealth of knowledge in the areas of Real Estate Ethics, Real Estate Law, Escrow, Appraisal, Finance, Property Management, and Market Economics.

Lisa believes that her abilities to help people attain the dream of homeownership are a gift and administers her gifting abundantly. She believes that change is good, and embraces the constant shiftings in technology. Being E-Certified proves that she can do business in cyberspace or face to face.

She is actively involved in the following associations: California Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors and is a sponsoring member of Christian Children´s Fund, Jubilee Christian Center, Rod Parsley´s Center for Moral Clarity, Marilyn Hickey Ministries, and a Covenant Partner with Paula White Ministries.

Whether your a first time home buyer or an avid investor, having Lisa on your side will give you the winning leverage you need in today´s marketplace."

I am currently working on some Super hot articles for buyers and sellers. Check for more details coming soon.

-- Lisa Roman-Stagi
San Jose Real Estate Market