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Architecture: Inhabited Sculpture
September 5, 2008 /Art is where you find it, and Architecture provides unique opportunities to unite form and function. As Realtors, we have occasion to experience a wide swath of the offerings made available to the buying public. I feel a deep sense of accomplishment when I walk into a space with a client and see the serenity that envelops their being as they recognize 'home'. This is a very personal business. Few things in the material world are more sacred than the space we inhabit and call Home. It's a blissful combination of quality (both in materials and execution), location, size, amenities, lighting, openness, and of course, price, but most critically, the thoughtful, even artistic arrangement of all of these elements in a given space. However, in the mass-produced world of P & L statements, and the ubiquitous drive to 'maximize', 'home' often gets lost in the 'house'. For that reason, I feel compelled to open a new category on this blog- a Showcase of Homes, in all the various permutations that represent the best expressions of the unique, the unusual, the classic, and the new. This category will openly request your entries, and the only guideline is that the homes must…Read more
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Do the Fair Thing
August 20, 2008 /If school is around the corner, we're on the cusp of Fall. Which means it's County Fair Season! First to kick off is Snohomish County's Evergreen Fair, in Monroe. Click HERE to download your copy of the printable schedule.Read more
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Designed to Sell
August 13, 2008 /If you’re planning to sell, you better sit down in front of your TV. I’ve been selling real estate for over 8 years now, and I have encountered many different, shall we say, less than appealing homes. I have had sellers tell me “Oh, I’ll just give the buyer a carpet allowance, they probably won’t like the color I pick anyway.” That same reasoning has also applied to the removal of paint colors that are very specific to the seller’s taste. There are also the awkward conversations about pet odors, kitchen odors or lingering cigarette smoke. Naturally, when you live in a home, you get used to how things are. You probably have a few projects that “you’ll get to” later- also known as 'Round-to-it's'. Those little coffee spots on the carpet add “character”. The huge display case of a collection that has been growing for the last decade is a source of pride and the hallway of family photos makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Ahhh, if only a buyer felt the same way about things. Unfortunately, the buyer may not appreciate the lilac wall with the purple sponge painting technique. The wall of mirrors with the gold mottling…Read more
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2006 in review…
January 8, 2007 /Dennis and I were recently contacted about listing a property that had previously been listed with another agent. While it’s always promising to get a new lead, working properties that have already had market exposure (and didn’t sell) tend to kill the buzz a little. Still, we’re thankful for the opportunity, for as we did the research, we learned quite a bit about the business we conducted in 2006. One of our responsibilities after getting a lead on an expired property involves researching the previous agent. I won’t say what agency this agent worked for (other than to say it wasn’t RE/Max, nor was he a Realtor©), but his work was shoddy at best. He hadn’t taken any photos of the property, nor had he taken any time to develop any outside marketing for the property. Sadly, like so many agents are perceived, he was merely hoping that sticking a sign in the ground and putting the property on the Multiple Listing Service would be enough. Looking over his productivity for the year, it was interesting to see how his listings fared: 33% Expired 11% Cancelled 56% Sold Essentially, anyone that chose to list their homes with this agent had…Read more
