Yesterday I went to a Real Estate Photography class taught by Harry Bisel. It was a great class and I learned a lot. I hope to share at least a few of the things I learned with all of you.
"Pictures sell. Good pictures sell more" - A.D. Coleman
The first thing we need to remember with Real Estate photography is that we are NOT documentary photographers (I'll save that for my scrapbook) but ADVERTISING photographers. We are trying to SELL a house. Instead of taking pictures of EVERYthing, take as many pictures as are necessary to sell the house. A small empty bedroom is not going to hold a memory or help someone remember the home. (yes, I too have been guilty of taking these pictures!) As the listing agent, we work for the seller and need to take only pics that help sell the home. Now I'm not saying we need to "hide" things, but we need to show the home to the best of it's abilities. (And sometimes that IS the bathroom!).
Photographs are the new curb appeal. We have to be better marketing photographers so we can elicite emotions. When something elicites your emotions, you remember it, you think about it...that's what you want to do when you take pictures of a home. We want to get online home buyers to pause and linger at our online listings including pictures.
How do we do this?? We need to understand the purpose of the photo. Why did the seller buy the house? For me, the openness when you walk in and the stairway was my selling point - and I've since updated the railing to a beautiful wood and rod iron railings. What made you pick your house? Tell your agent, that may just be the feature that the next buyer will like as well! Capture that moment, feeling, emotion in your photographs. Bring color and softness to kitchens & bathrooms (ex. add flowers for a touch of color). And even if the house is now vacant, play up big areas.
When taking the pictures, walk to all four corners of the room to get a picture. The "typical" front on shot may not be your best. I try to do this...and use whichever photo (or photos) I think best showcases the room. Kitchens & bathrooms need to be SPOTLESS for pictures.
And remember to create memorable experiences first!!
check out Harry's website for more great information or to hire him: www.harrybisel.com
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wicked
I've been meaning to write this blog for a few weeks now and just keep forgetting when I'm by my computer - go figure!!
I experienced another Kansas City first (for me) - The Music Hall! I went with my friend Jen & her mom to see Wicked a few weeks ago. I had NEVER seen it before (nor did I even know what it was about) and I LOVED it!!! I highly reccommend going to see it!!
Thanks Jen for inviting me. I think I've found my new musical buddy!!! (I went with her and the hubby to see Legally Blond this summer!)
I experienced another Kansas City first (for me) - The Music Hall! I went with my friend Jen & her mom to see Wicked a few weeks ago. I had NEVER seen it before (nor did I even know what it was about) and I LOVED it!!! I highly reccommend going to see it!!
Thanks Jen for inviting me. I think I've found my new musical buddy!!! (I went with her and the hubby to see Legally Blond this summer!)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
REMAX.COM First To Add Foreclosures
REMAX.COM FIRST TO ADD FORECLOSURES
Homebuyers Can Search Over a Million Foreclosed
Properties, Find Foreclosure Experts in One Site
(Denver, CO - November 30, 2009) – Homebuyers looking for the right home at a great price will now be able to search through more than a million foreclosed properties and access agents specializing in short sales and foreclosures, all in one location. RE/MAX International, Inc. is the first national real estate franchise to offer U.S. foreclosure listings on its highly-trafficked web site, www.remax.com.
Remax.com visitors can now access more than 1.3 million Real Estate Owned (REO) properties in the U.S. through RealtyTrac.
“We strive to provide consumers with the most information, properties, videos, articles and resources to help them navigate today’s market,” said Kristi Graning, Senior Vice President, Information Technology and eBusiness for RE/MAX International. “Remax.com is now the perfect combination of resources on one web site, where visitors can search for foreclosures and connect with a uniquely trained RE/MAX agent who specializes in short sales, REOs and foreclosures.”
Homebuyers across the country, including those looking to take advantage of the recently enhanced Homebuyer Tax Credit, can search foreclosures by accessing the foreclosure tab in the featured property search box on remax.com.
Sourced by government agencies and national news media, RealtyTrac is the No. 1 foreclosure listing service. It collects extensive foreclosure data from more than 2,200 counties, covering more than 90 percent of U.S. households. As part of the partnership, RE/MAX agents also have access to an advanced subscription of RealtyTrac’s service and foreclosure information which allows them to better serve clients. The comprehensive subscription offers agents more detailed information including properties in default and properties scheduled for public foreclosure auction, along with tax assessment information, comprehensive lien and loan history and neighborhood home sale trends.
“We are very pleased to be working with RE/MAX, one of the world’s leading real estate brands, and we’re excited to give consumers another way to access foreclosure data,” said Rick Sharga, Senior Vice President for RealtyTrac. “We believe we can have a positive impact on the national housing market by providing consumers with vital foreclosure information and giving homebuyers an opportunity to find the perfect home with the right agent.”
RE/MAX agents are uniquely qualified to manage foreclosures and distressed property. More RE/MAX Associates have earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) designation than agents from any other national real estate network. The CDPE training, through the Distressed Property Institute, gives RE/MAX agents the expertise to assist buyers and sellers of REO and distressed properties.
Homebuyers Can Search Over a Million Foreclosed
Properties, Find Foreclosure Experts in One Site
(Denver, CO - November 30, 2009) – Homebuyers looking for the right home at a great price will now be able to search through more than a million foreclosed properties and access agents specializing in short sales and foreclosures, all in one location. RE/MAX International, Inc. is the first national real estate franchise to offer U.S. foreclosure listings on its highly-trafficked web site, www.remax.com.
Remax.com visitors can now access more than 1.3 million Real Estate Owned (REO) properties in the U.S. through RealtyTrac.
“We strive to provide consumers with the most information, properties, videos, articles and resources to help them navigate today’s market,” said Kristi Graning, Senior Vice President, Information Technology and eBusiness for RE/MAX International. “Remax.com is now the perfect combination of resources on one web site, where visitors can search for foreclosures and connect with a uniquely trained RE/MAX agent who specializes in short sales, REOs and foreclosures.”
Homebuyers across the country, including those looking to take advantage of the recently enhanced Homebuyer Tax Credit, can search foreclosures by accessing the foreclosure tab in the featured property search box on remax.com.
Sourced by government agencies and national news media, RealtyTrac is the No. 1 foreclosure listing service. It collects extensive foreclosure data from more than 2,200 counties, covering more than 90 percent of U.S. households. As part of the partnership, RE/MAX agents also have access to an advanced subscription of RealtyTrac’s service and foreclosure information which allows them to better serve clients. The comprehensive subscription offers agents more detailed information including properties in default and properties scheduled for public foreclosure auction, along with tax assessment information, comprehensive lien and loan history and neighborhood home sale trends.
“We are very pleased to be working with RE/MAX, one of the world’s leading real estate brands, and we’re excited to give consumers another way to access foreclosure data,” said Rick Sharga, Senior Vice President for RealtyTrac. “We believe we can have a positive impact on the national housing market by providing consumers with vital foreclosure information and giving homebuyers an opportunity to find the perfect home with the right agent.”
RE/MAX agents are uniquely qualified to manage foreclosures and distressed property. More RE/MAX Associates have earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) designation than agents from any other national real estate network. The CDPE training, through the Distressed Property Institute, gives RE/MAX agents the expertise to assist buyers and sellers of REO and distressed properties.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Project UpLift
Happy November!!
Can you believe it's already November? I can't. And right now I am REALLY enjoying the weather.....though I know it's going to get cold in just a few days.
I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged last. I guess I just couldn't think of things to write about - so if you ever have ideas...send them my way!!
A few weeks ago (Oct 22-26 to be exact) I went to Longboat Key, Florida to celebrate the wedding of my college roommate and friend Erin to Todd. It was a beautiful wedding and an AMAZING place! Longboat is about 20miles from Sarasota. My best friend Emily from St Louis went with me and we had a great and relaxing time. I highly recommend Longboat Key! You MUST stay on at the Longboat Key Club & Resort. It's just amazing!
As many of you know, I love to volunteer. I enjoy it - such a good feeling...and honestly, I have a hard time saying no! I haven't done much volunteering lately, I think I was a little burnt out. Well, my co-worker Paula has done some volunteering with Project UpLift in the past. Project Uplift goes out to the homeless to provide them food and supplies. Last night, Paula & I along with a co-worker's mom, Trisha all went to volunteer with a nightly delivery. (they deliver Monday, Wednesday & Saturday nights). We got to the warehouse around 430pm to start preparing for the nights ride. Our job was to sort and individually package bread and sweets. We loaded up the car with dinner (last night was friend fish, pasta & soup along with hot chocolate, bread, treats and chips) and supplies. Each truck is stocked with necessities including clothes, toiletries, pet food and water. We went to about 7 different locations. It was great getting out there and helping. Everyone was so friendly and grateful. It was amazing how many homeless have pets...and they wanted to make sure they also got food! At one of our last locations (with only one bag of dog chow left) we met some guys that have an extensive camp set up. They have a dog and cat - who they make sure ALWAYS get fed. Thankfully we had a bag left (or I might be under bridges today trying to find them and get the dog food!!!). They brought this beautiful (and healthy looking) black lab out to meet us - Hobo! (I'm not kidding, that was his name!) They also took us back to see their camp (no worries, we had a guy with us who has done this for seven years and knew we'd be safe!!). It was amazing what they'd done. They'd put together barriers to stop the wind, had a tent, picnic table, etc. It was amazing to see what they had done with what little they had. It seemed to me that many of these people actually enjoy their life. It was also amazing how many younger (closer to my age) people were out there! And how many of these people have been homeless for years.
It was such an eye-opening experience. It sure makes me thankful for EVERYTHING that I have. I came home to my house, my bed, my dogs and my heat. I had trouble sleeping just thinking about all of these great people. I will definitely volunteer again....and I think I'll bring along some dog treats!
Can you believe it's already November? I can't. And right now I am REALLY enjoying the weather.....though I know it's going to get cold in just a few days.
I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged last. I guess I just couldn't think of things to write about - so if you ever have ideas...send them my way!!
A few weeks ago (Oct 22-26 to be exact) I went to Longboat Key, Florida to celebrate the wedding of my college roommate and friend Erin to Todd. It was a beautiful wedding and an AMAZING place! Longboat is about 20miles from Sarasota. My best friend Emily from St Louis went with me and we had a great and relaxing time. I highly recommend Longboat Key! You MUST stay on at the Longboat Key Club & Resort. It's just amazing!
As many of you know, I love to volunteer. I enjoy it - such a good feeling...and honestly, I have a hard time saying no! I haven't done much volunteering lately, I think I was a little burnt out. Well, my co-worker Paula has done some volunteering with Project UpLift in the past. Project Uplift goes out to the homeless to provide them food and supplies. Last night, Paula & I along with a co-worker's mom, Trisha all went to volunteer with a nightly delivery. (they deliver Monday, Wednesday & Saturday nights). We got to the warehouse around 430pm to start preparing for the nights ride. Our job was to sort and individually package bread and sweets. We loaded up the car with dinner (last night was friend fish, pasta & soup along with hot chocolate, bread, treats and chips) and supplies. Each truck is stocked with necessities including clothes, toiletries, pet food and water. We went to about 7 different locations. It was great getting out there and helping. Everyone was so friendly and grateful. It was amazing how many homeless have pets...and they wanted to make sure they also got food! At one of our last locations (with only one bag of dog chow left) we met some guys that have an extensive camp set up. They have a dog and cat - who they make sure ALWAYS get fed. Thankfully we had a bag left (or I might be under bridges today trying to find them and get the dog food!!!). They brought this beautiful (and healthy looking) black lab out to meet us - Hobo! (I'm not kidding, that was his name!) They also took us back to see their camp (no worries, we had a guy with us who has done this for seven years and knew we'd be safe!!). It was amazing what they'd done. They'd put together barriers to stop the wind, had a tent, picnic table, etc. It was amazing to see what they had done with what little they had. It seemed to me that many of these people actually enjoy their life. It was also amazing how many younger (closer to my age) people were out there! And how many of these people have been homeless for years.
It was such an eye-opening experience. It sure makes me thankful for EVERYTHING that I have. I came home to my house, my bed, my dogs and my heat. I had trouble sleeping just thinking about all of these great people. I will definitely volunteer again....and I think I'll bring along some dog treats!
Monday, October 5, 2009
October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Happy October!!!
I finally got a chance to go take a pictures of one of the pink fountains in Kansas City! Isn't it great!!! Of course they changed them pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I got my first mamogram this year - and it wasn't too bad!!!
October also marks the ONE year anniversary of my switch to Re/Max!! It was a tough decision, but one of the best ones I made! I'm so glad I made the switch!!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"Just Because You're Knocked Down Doesn't Mean You're Knocked Out" - Sugar Ray Leonard
I'm catching up on my monthly Realtor Magazine and came across the preview for a Real Estate Conference coming up. I'm not attending and typically just breeze past those pages, but I decided to look and see what some of the previews of the presenters had to say.
The first one I read was by Tara Hunt - Boost Your Whuffie Factor: Online success comes from being part of the community, not by pushing your services. I knew most of what she said. I try to do a good mix of personal & professional things on all of the online social networking sites I use. I personally hate seeing professionals that are always "tooting" their own horn or talking business....I like to see a little fun thrown in there, so I try to do the same.
The second preview I read was by Sugar Ray Leonard - Don't Give Up Easily: Envision your success to emerge from a rut and reach your professional goals. It starts off by saying that Boxing & Real Estate have a lot more in common than you might think. (I can see that). The key to success in either arena is to focus on a positive outcome, even after you've been knocked to the ground. "Just because you're knocked down doesn't mean you're knocked out," says Leonard, who is now a television broadcaster and motivational speaker. He offers the following tips for Real Estate Professionals who are looking for direction in tough times. (I think these can also be used for many other professions and life in general!!)
1. Don't give in to doubt. It's important to keep those dreams, dream even bigger, and not listen to others when they tell you it can't be done.
2. Focus on a positive outcome. Everyone has this ability, but not everyone activates it.
3. Build a support network. Surround yourself with family and colleagues who'll support your goals, encourage you to achieve them, and keep you well-grounded. (I have this...and some great friends who help as well!)
4. Maintain composure. In today's market, buyers and sellers are looking to you for guidance and stability, so use your knowledge and skills to confidently lead them in the right direction.
5. Prepare to do better next time. After you've fallen down, analyze what went wrong and how you can do things differently next time. Draw out a blueprint for success.
6. Stay fit, mentally and physically. Physical activity will keep your mind sharp and focused.
The first one I read was by Tara Hunt - Boost Your Whuffie Factor: Online success comes from being part of the community, not by pushing your services. I knew most of what she said. I try to do a good mix of personal & professional things on all of the online social networking sites I use. I personally hate seeing professionals that are always "tooting" their own horn or talking business....I like to see a little fun thrown in there, so I try to do the same.
The second preview I read was by Sugar Ray Leonard - Don't Give Up Easily: Envision your success to emerge from a rut and reach your professional goals. It starts off by saying that Boxing & Real Estate have a lot more in common than you might think. (I can see that). The key to success in either arena is to focus on a positive outcome, even after you've been knocked to the ground. "Just because you're knocked down doesn't mean you're knocked out," says Leonard, who is now a television broadcaster and motivational speaker. He offers the following tips for Real Estate Professionals who are looking for direction in tough times. (I think these can also be used for many other professions and life in general!!)
1. Don't give in to doubt. It's important to keep those dreams, dream even bigger, and not listen to others when they tell you it can't be done.
2. Focus on a positive outcome. Everyone has this ability, but not everyone activates it.
3. Build a support network. Surround yourself with family and colleagues who'll support your goals, encourage you to achieve them, and keep you well-grounded. (I have this...and some great friends who help as well!)
4. Maintain composure. In today's market, buyers and sellers are looking to you for guidance and stability, so use your knowledge and skills to confidently lead them in the right direction.
5. Prepare to do better next time. After you've fallen down, analyze what went wrong and how you can do things differently next time. Draw out a blueprint for success.
6. Stay fit, mentally and physically. Physical activity will keep your mind sharp and focused.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
$8000 Tax Credit Ending Soon!
For those of you who know me, I'm NOT a good writer!! BUT, I still want to blog sometimes and make sure I get out information to my friends, family & more importantly my clients!!! In thinking about doing a blog about the $8000 First-time home buyer tax credit ending soon, I decided to use my favorite tool - Google - and see what I could find. I found this GREAT blog that could not have stated it better.
The Mortgage Experts said it best:
There is much news these days about an extension to the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. There is also talk that it might be expanded to include second homes and investment properties. PLEASE don't believe it. The tax credit is set to expire on November 30, 2009. Under the current IRS rules, if the closing is after that date, then the buyer does not get the credit.
Congress might extend the credit, but they might not. They might expand it to include second homes and investment properties, but they might not. If there is one piece of advice that we can pass on to anyone, it is this: It is extremely foolish to assume that something will happen in the housing or mortgage industries just because we all want it to happen. Remember stated income loans? 100% financing? Houses that went up in value? Everyone in America loved all of those things and they still went away.
At the moment, it is best to assume that the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers will end on November 30, 2009. If it doesn't, that's great, but assuming that it will be extended could very easily shatter the trust you have built with your clients, or cost you $8,000.
CALL ME and we can start looking so you too can take advantage of this tax credit!!!
The Mortgage Experts said it best:
There is much news these days about an extension to the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. There is also talk that it might be expanded to include second homes and investment properties. PLEASE don't believe it. The tax credit is set to expire on November 30, 2009. Under the current IRS rules, if the closing is after that date, then the buyer does not get the credit.
Congress might extend the credit, but they might not. They might expand it to include second homes and investment properties, but they might not. If there is one piece of advice that we can pass on to anyone, it is this: It is extremely foolish to assume that something will happen in the housing or mortgage industries just because we all want it to happen. Remember stated income loans? 100% financing? Houses that went up in value? Everyone in America loved all of those things and they still went away.
At the moment, it is best to assume that the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers will end on November 30, 2009. If it doesn't, that's great, but assuming that it will be extended could very easily shatter the trust you have built with your clients, or cost you $8,000.
CALL ME and we can start looking so you too can take advantage of this tax credit!!!
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