Free Staging and skilled photography with your Listing!

I am sure you have all seen the dreadful "toilet shots" in some of the listings that can currently be seen on the MLS. I mean, seriously, who wants to see a photo of an open toilet???? If that is the best feature your home has, then good luck ... :-)

Over 80% of buyers first go online to start their home search - and get this, they spend an average of only 15 seconds looking at a listing! What does that mean? If your house does not look appealing online (bad photos, lots of clutter, too dark, etc.) they will click on a botton and move on to the next one!

Chances are, if your home is not properly represented online, buyers won't even bother making an appointment to see your home. And if they do, they come to your house with the mindset of "getting a bargain" because your home appears to be in bad shape - and that means low ball offer for you!

All of this can be easily avoided! Just like we detail our cars when we are trying to sell them, a house should receive the same, actually a lot more, care - we are talking about a "product" worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars here. And that's where most sellers go wrong - they love their home, understandably, and automatically assume that potential buyers will love "the sellers' way of life" as well. What happens is that buyers get so distracted by everything we accumulate and get used to over the years, that they can't really see the house for all the stuff!

I personally don't list any property without "staging" it first. And please don't misunderstand the term "staging" - I don't mean "hiding defects" or "making things look prettier than they are". Staging to me means paying respect to the buyer by offering him a clear and unobstructed view of a HIGH VALUE COMMODITY. And a buyer can tell the difference and will appreciate it, a house that shows off all its benefits, is clean, uncluttered and well maintained, will definitely stand out in his/her mind.

Just to give you an example, which one would you rather look at:

or

And I think the answer to "which one would you pay more for" is pretty obvious too ... Studies show that the majority of buyers are inclined to pay more for a home that is move-in ready.

So, if you are serious about selling your home, feel free to contact me so that I can give your home the WOW-EFFECT. And here is the best part - Staging for occupied properties is FREE when you list your home for sale with me.

For more details and to see my work, please go to http://www.serenefoundations.com/

I hope you enjoyed my blog! Have a wonderful day!!!

Sincerely,

Stephanie Frymyer

Your Local RE Specialist

WHITTIER: AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM

Even during these tough, economic times, the City of Whittier has good news to report: Besides the possible development of the Fred C. Nelles site (almost 74 acres of land) and the changes in Uptown Whittier (Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital with its estimated $5mil investment for interior and exterior improvements as well as the new construction of "Amber Blu", a restaurant and dinner theater North of "Crepes & Grapes"), the City has been able to introduce the brand new Affordable Home Ownership Program (AHOP) for the new home development site called "The Gables of Whittier".



Under this program, moderate-income households will have an opportunity to get a "silent" second loan in order to purchase a home with an affordable first mortgage (very much like the programs already in place in cities like Long Beach and Lakewood).


As with most of these programs, certain income limitations apply and program specific requirements have to be met in order to qualify. The following are the generalized criteria potential buyers have to meet (according to the Whittier Redevelopment Agency):


1. The Program Participant must not have owned a home for a three-year period.

2. The Program Participant has to attend a mandatory education course for homebuyers.

3. The Program Participant has to be able to qualify for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for the maximum mortgage amount fixed by the Program.

4. The household size of the Program Participant must fit the available unit size.

5. The Program Participant must have a minimum of 3% down payment and be able to pay for the closing cost on the first mortgage.

6. The property has to be used as a principal residence.

7. The Program Participant has to maintain property insurance.

8. The income guidelines have to be met.


If you would like to find out more about this special program and see the exact income guidelines, and requirements, you can download the program specifics (including the application) at http://cityofwhittier.org/ and click on the "Affordable Home Ownership Program" tab on the right.


I just got off the phone with a representative of the Community Development Department, and at the current time, the program only extends to "The Gables of Whittier". The developer has set 24 units (of a total of 96) aside for the Program, there is no technical deadline, you can apply as long as they are still for sale.


If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me!

Whittier, a great place to live!



Stephanie Schroeter-Frymyer
DRE # 01390458
http://www.serenefoundations.com/
http://twitter.com/HappyHabitat