Staged Homes Do Sell

To me, presentation is a critical factor whether you are eating at a restaurant, shopping online, or even trying to sell your home. I have seen many a dull new build boring floor plan homes be transformed by the magic of staging. Staging is a great way to help prepare your home for sale, by decluttering, redecorating, cleaning, to be able to present your home, a "product" , in the best light possible. However, there are always a few things we tend to overlook in our own home, just because we live there, so you may need to constul some professional help. About a year ago I decided to go ahead and take the class. I am now an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP for short). When going on listing presentations with my boss, this is a big help for clients, just so they can get some quick consulting on what would be best. The thing is, this stuff actually works! I myself was a skeptic at first, afterall, a house is a house, right? Well, not always. Unfortunately it is hard for most people to look past the granny style wallpaper, cute kids photos, and kitty litter box. It is never a personal thing, we all have our own tastes. However, the way we live is different from the way we stage a home to sell. Here is one of the homes I staged, on a very tight budget.

A cute little bungalow in Broad Ripple. We first had to get new carpet in the bedrooms and new paint in the kitchen. Paint is the least expensive way to give a room a makeover. Also the bedrooms in Broad Ripple are tiny, so I decided not put in in beds but just add an accent piece in the corner. This was done on a very tight budget. Anyone can do it with a little effort and good guidance!

Living Room- Before & After

Dining Room- Before & After

Kitchen- Before & After

Bedrooms After (I wasn't able to find any before pics online)

Make sure your Realtor knows how to take good pictures or hires a professional. It is critical that the pictures look good because most people see the house online first. You won't believe how many terrible pictures I have seen. Lighting is important as well. Make sure your Realtor understands the value of presentation, because it could save you time and money in the long run!

Fishers Makes Top 10

Recently, I have had several clients interested in moving to the Fishers area or at least learning more about it. Fishers, a suburb on the northeast side of Indianapolis, is rapidly growing, in size and the economy. There are plans for a new rail line in the next few years which will also draw more people. The homes are inexpensive, the schools are four stars, and the Saxony development (mixed used of residences, retail, offices, and more) is well under way.

Because of all of these things, it is no surprise that Fishers made the Top 10 Places to Live in the U.S. by Money Magazine.

Courtesy: Town of Fishers
Population: 61,800
Miles from Indianapolis: 15
Economic development spending: $700 million from 2008 to 2010
Transit: New rail line in the next five years
Pros: Public transportation, growing economy
Con: Minimal downtown

Fishers is growing fast, attracting residents who are young (median age: 30) and smart (over 60% have a bachelor’s degree or more). It has the range of pluses common among our top 10, including a strong economy (lots of life-science companies are moving in), low home prices ($149,700 for the typical house) and good schools (they get high rankings in the state). Though a walkable downtown is still in the planning stages, transportation is already here: Fishers started a commuter bus service to downtown Indianapolis and plans rapid transit via rail in the next two to five years. When it comes to smart planning and sheer livability, other places could learn a lot from this little city in the Midwest.

The age old question, which is better... to rent or to buy?

66 cities where buying makes sense
Falling prices make homeownership increasingly realistic in some areas. Just don't expect to make a fast buck. By Marilyn Lewis, MSN Real Estate
More on MSN Real Estate

2008 MSN Real Estate best bargain markets
Your home buyer's checklist
Tell us: Which is better — buying or renting?
With house prices falling around the country, many renters are wondering if this is the time to jump in and score a deal.
The answer, of course, depends on where you live. In much of the U.S., you're better off buying despite falling home values, say new data compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Of the 100 most populous metro areas, 57 have average three-bedroom rental costs higher than the cost of a 6% loan for a typical low-priced house, including Little Rock, Ark., and Akron, Ohio. (The study's authors defined low-priced as 75% of the area's median.) Those renting two-bedroom apartments would be better off buying a low-priced home at a loan rate of 6% in 24 of the 100 largest metro areas.
Of course, a crucial component for renters looking to make the leap is credit history. A prospective buyer with credit worthy of a 6% mortgage will pay a third less in monthly payments than someone who qualifies for an 8% loan – in many cities that can be a difference of hundreds of dollars and push them over the line to where renting actually makes more sense. (For more on the costs of renting versus buying, see "34 cities where it’s still better to rent.")
Even more interesting to potential homebuyers is the chance to build equity. Here, too, there's good news for many major metros. In 66 of the top 100 markets, you'd be in the black in four years should you buy a low-priced home today.

You'd do best in McAllen and El Paso, Texas, where you could build roughly $90,437 in equity with a 6% loan, and just shy of that with a 7% loan. In Syracuse or Buffalo, N.Y., you'd stand to make close to $80,000. In these slow-growing, smaller cities, prices never got run up to the sky. Now, homes are still affordable. And most importantly, the prices aren't likely to come crashing down.
It’s a home, not a get-rich-quick schemeSafe doesn't mean profitable, however. With prices falling in many markets, housing is too risky these days to expect you'll make money on a house deal, experts caution. The object now is to avoid losing money.
"Don't expect these markets to take off," says Danilo Pelletiere, research director for the National Low Income Housing Coalition and co-author of the study, "Ownership, Rental Costs and the Prospects of Building Home Equity."
"The housing boom passed them by because, in many cases, not much is happening in these towns."
Buyers should look at the purchase as a conservative investment that's unlikely to pay off like an oil-patch scheme and may even lose value, Pelletiere, says. Base the decision on more than profit, on intangibles like the chance to build stability, to join a community, to enjoy a neighborhood or love living in a particular home.
"I wouldn't want anybody to interpret this data as saying here's where you should put your money," Pelletiere says. "What I am saying is, if you want to put your money into a home, these are the cities where owning makes sense."

Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.
$49,520 - 6%
$48,330 - 7%
$47,300 - 8%

Click here for the rest of the table.

This Realtor's Dream House

A good realtor will narrow down the houses to look at with their clients. Not only will it waste gas and time for both parties involved, but buyers will become exhausted, frustrated and won't remember any of the homes they saw!

I have seen some beautiful houses- small cute bungalows in Broad Ripple, awesome lofts on Mass Ave, and stunning mansions in Carmel. Recently, I found one house that I could actually picture myself living in. You would be surprised to see how many realtors live in dumps or don't take care of their homes as much as they should (I'm guilty of this!). However, one of my new listings just really gets me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. If I had more money, and were perhaps married (it is a big house after all) I would buy it in a heartbeart.

No, it is not one of the downtown condos with two story ceilings, or the cute house that's just a quick walk to the strip. It is a very nice house in Washington Township, near Nora. It is listed at $279,900 with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Completely updated, beautiful half acre lot, and finished basement. It is a nice french style tri-level that reminds me very much of the house my parents live in (maybe that is why I am so fond of it). Anyway, though I cannot afford it at this stage in my life, maybe when the lucky buyers go to sell, I'll be next in line. Open house this Sunday 2-5pm!

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