MISSING: 2 Quart Casserole Dish

Sister Edna sent a fax to the church office last Wednesday stating that her 2-quart CorningWare Casserole dish went missing after Sunday night fellowship at the 1st Baptist Church. She’s very upset and threatening to withhold her tithe if it’s not returned. If you mistakenly took it home, please return it to the church office. No questions asked. Also, please keep Brother John, Edna’s husband, in your prayers. There isn’t anything wrong with him, he’s just tried of Edna’s crap.

In other news, If you need real estate photography, I’m your guy!

Breaking News: Jesus boycotts Nike

Breaking News: Joel Osteen received a revelation from the man himself! 

Anyone can create a blog, it doesn't make it true. Do a little research before you repost. 

In other news, if you need a real estate photographer, I'm your guy!

Should you hire a professional photographer to take listing photos?

Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending

5 Things Every Homeowner Needs To Hear When Selling

Selling your home can be a very stressful process! So many things go into selling your home that, without a professional realtor to help, it can be hard to deal with. I am going to assume that you have already decided to hire a professional to make the process go a lot smoother, but it doesn't stop there. There are many things that only you can do to make sure that everything in your control is done for your home to SELL FAST! Sometimes it is a little tricky for a real estate agent to tell you what you need to hear without hurting your feelings, so I'm going to do it for them. These are 5 things that you, the homeowner, need to keep foremost in your mind:

 1) DON'T OVERPRICE 

The real estate market is booming right now, but over pricing a home can keep it from ever being shown. According to  www.thebalance.com buyers won't make an offer on overpriced homes because they do not want to offend the seller. They believe that if the seller would take a lower price, they would have already had it at a reasonable price. Buyers also assume that the seller must have turned down low-ball offers from other buyers because surely someone, somewhere along the line, had offered a reasonable price to the seller. But many times, there are no offers at all. Don't be offended if you get a low-ball offer, be patient and willing to negotiate.  

2) STAGE YOUR HOME

I get it! You have a personal attachment to everything in your house, but to a potential buyer it can be a very distracting. A buyer might be shown 5 houses in one day, so don't let your house be referred to as "the house with  the  mannequin collection.” Personal items including photos should be stored away. When a potential buyer walks in, you want them to imagine how this could be their dream home. The buyers may not enjoy seeing pictures of the first time your son peed in the back yard. Staging includes the outside too. Make sure the Yard is clean, the side walks pressured washed, and yard is clean. This is the very first thing the potential buyer will see. Be sure to make a good first impression.

3) PETS HAVE TO GO

Unfortunately, not everyone loves pets. If your house is being shown it is best if you take your pets with you. No one wants some random dog humping their leg no matter how cute he is. Honestly, if possible, remove all evidence that pets live there. Trust me, it will be one less thing that could potentially be a deal breaker.

4) REMOVE CLUTTER

This one is extremely important! As a real estate photographer, there is nothing more impressive than walking in a home that is spotless. The first thing I say to myself is "I could totally see myself living here." You want all the attention to be on the features of the home and not on the toys thrown all over the floor. Nobody wants to step on a Lego, trust me! Hide away all dirty laundry. You don’t want to be the house remembered as the one with the leopard print thong hanging from the ceiling fan. Also, don't leave anything that you would be embarassed by if your mother saw it (Wink Wink). I understand how difficult it is to keep your house "show ready", but it is SO IMPORTANT. Also, make sure your house smells good. There is nothing worse than walking in a house that stinks of moth balls or pets. 

5) ALWAYS BE READY TO SHOW

Always be ready for your house to be shown!! People are going to want to look at your house at the craziest times- sometimes even ruining  your dinner routine. Get ready to eat out and sacrifice your precious time riding around wasting time for people to look at your house. So many people put their home on the market and then it’s takes an act of Congress for it to be shown. Buyers are ready to buy NOW! If they have to wait to see your home but get to see four others, they are likely going to forget about yours and buy one of the others. Selling your home is annoying, but the only way it will sell is if it is being shown, a lot!

These are only a few things that a seller can do to make sure their house SELLS FAST. Always listen to your realtor. They have your best interest in mind. It might be hard to hear sometimes, but don't take offense. IT'S FOR THE BEST. You can find more tips to get your house SHOW READY by clicking on the link. I hope I've helped you sell your house fast! 

Don't be the victim of a drive-by real estate shooting!

You wait years, maybe decades to list your home whether to upgrade or downsize. You hire an agent and they blast through your house in five minutes taking cell phone photos. That's OK! You figure that they MUST know what they're doing, right? You check out your house on Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, etc. The photos are dark and crooked. Criteria for good photography is nonexistent on your listing. What happened? You are the victim of a drive-by real estate shooting. Your agent did a shoot and run! 

It is fantastic if your real estate agent also happens to be a seasoned, experienced real estate photographer with proper technique and equipment. While not impossible, this scenario is the exception rather than the rule. 

WEB APPEAL IS THE NEW CURB APPEAL!  This is not a unique phrase that I made up.  Google it!  It is used throughout the industry for marketing, yet many realtors fall back on their belief that the traditional concept of curb appeal still matters.  According to Realtor.com, 92 percent of home buyers use the Internet as part of their home search That means that listing photos are a critical factor. It should not matter whether your house is less than 1000 square feet or more than 5000. If your home is worth listing, it should be worth representing with photos that do it justice. 

From a real estate agent's perspective, photos define their brand more than anything else. It defines their dedication and professionalism. Some realtors will say they are doing fine without professional photos so why fix it if it ain't broke?  Others will do whatever it takes to deliver professional services because they know that potential listing customers check out other listings on the Internet. They know that a knowledgable consumer is not going to hire someone who displays homes with photos that are dark with crooked or even up-side-down images?  Those lost customers won't be counted because they are not going to bother to call the agent or broker and tell them why they are selecting another agent/agency. 

Do your homework before listing! There are great agents out there who will do their best. Agents who will present your home in the best light regardless of the listing price. You want someone who will treat your home with respect whether it's listed for $100,000 or $5,000,000. It shouldn't matter!  

by: Debra Resch, Better Home Photos, 2017