SPRUCE IT UP!

Home Staging: Home Staging is the preparation of a home to sell by a professional who specializes in this form of decorating.

Most home sellers cannot view their home objectively, and many successful realtors do not have the time or resources to properly stage a home. A professional home stager has the time and objectivity to view the home as a product, and the ability to highlight the home's assets and downplay its flaws.

Cindy Robertson, Real Estate Staging Professional, joined Camille in 2007 and they have been working together in staging and selling homes. The National Association of Realtors states that:

• 96% of realtors say that buyers react better to fully staged homes than to vacant homes
• 94% of realtors say that fully staged homes sell much faster than vacant homes
• 68% of realtors say vacant homes take twice as long to sell as fully staged homes
• 94% of realtors say vacant homes sell for less money than fully staged homes
• 63% of realtors say a vacant home will sell for 15% less than a fully staged home

In addition to home staging, Cindy offers a variety of services to the potential home seller, such as
• In-house consultation to determine the seller's unique situation
• Work with homeowner to sort thru and decide what to discard before the move
• Oversee the move day and unpack at destination

Cindy is a licensed Home Staging Professional thru RESA PRO
Real Estate Staging Association.

Contact Information:

http://www.spruceitupdesign.com/

cindyspruceitup@gmail.com
954-214-6995

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Lower home prices are creating opportunities for buyers like never before. Here's a look at affordability through the years.


Kelly Smallridge knows that lower home prices are good for Florida's future. "When companies consider relocating their operations to our state, housing affordability for their employees is a major consideration," says Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. "The decline in home prices over the past two years has encouraged prospective employers to take another look at our area. CEOs want an environment that's attractive to recruiting the best employees, and housing price is a factor."


Five years ago, affordability was the major challenge facing Florida's housing market. With home prices jumping 15 to 25 percent annually in the boom years, many working-class buyers found themselves priced out of the market. At the 2006 peak, the state's median sales prices reached $248,300 for single-family homes and $211,300 for condos, according to Florida Realtors statistics.


To put those figures into perspective, buying a $250,000 home typically requires a $25,000 down payment (10 percent of the total), and a $225,000 mortgage. To comfortably meet those monthly payments of about $2,500 (including taxes and insurance), the buyer needs more than $115,000 in annual income.

Since 2006, however, the state's median sales prices have fallen more than 40% to about $140,000, putting far more Florida homes in the reach of middle-class buyers with household incomes of $40,000 to $75,000. Now that prices have stabilized in many areas, the number of transactions is rising and listing inventories are shrinking as more and more buyers take advantage of market conditions that are highly favorable to them. "The combination of adjusted prices, historically low rates and the income tax credit makes it incredibly attractive for buyers on the lower end of the scale," says Michael Wohl, founding partner of Pinnacle Housing Group in Miami, Florida.

Florida Realtor Magazine March 2010