I am a certified HSR Home Stager - My home staging success story! Two year ago (2005) my husband and I signed a contract to build an investment home in an active adult community. Yes, we knew the construction process would take at least two years because the housing boom was in full force. Yes, we considered possible changes in the market but decided to go forward because we had an opportunity to "get in on the ground floor" and, after all, people would continue to retire to Florida!

We finally took possession of our wonderful new house on January 25, 2007. At the time we closed there were no less than 15 houses for sale (all investment homes)! UGH! But that was not the whole story. The developer who built the home and community had FOUR other similar communities in process with the same floor plan choices with a wide range of prices - some new construction (other investment homes) and some re-sales. Who could cont them all - really it was mind boggling!

The story continues - our biggest competition in this "down" market was right in our back yard - a stones throw away was a brand new house, the same floor plan, with up-grades galore and asking rock bottom price!!!! I walked into that other house and my heart sank - the tile work in the kitchen was gorgeous! It so outshined what we had - what were we to do?

We decided to stage our house. What a difference! We had a contract in one week!

We closed on our house two weeks after accepting the contract! The buyer said that she looked at the same model house in all five developments and that our house was the only one staged and it made a big difference because it had the homey feel!

And guess what - that beautiful house in our back yard is still for sale!