Looking Forward to a Fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday! With just two days from Thanksgiving and lots of preparation still to do I stopped for a moment to "Smell the Flowers".  Just a saying... but I felt it was really appropriate.  Fall is such a beautiful time of year...  gorgeous colors of nature everywhere.  No matter how far along you are with your Holiday preparation I hope you have a chance to take a moment to enjoy all the beauty around you... even for just a moment.  We have so much to be thankful for.    Wishing you a joyous Thanksgiving with family and friends!   Can potential buyers see themselves living in your home? You never get a chance...  to make a Great First Impression! Linda D. Pufford, ASPM With Divine Style Real Estate/Home Staging ~ Interior Redesign ~ Professional C... 11/20/2012

  As a Stager would I go the Extra Mile if I thought it was Necessary? The answer is absolutely YES!  Without being told...  without the extra pay I would certainly go the extra mile if I thought it would make a big difference if a house would sale or not.  As a Home Stager I see things that I know could possibly cause a buyer to question and maybe turn them away from a home.  Sometimes I will go into a home to Stage It and find that the bathroom or Kitchen might need some cleaning or if the carpet isn't vacuumed I will curtaining take care of it rather then come back on another day and stage the home.  Then there are times when a home might need something extra like drapery panels at the windows to help the home look more appealing.  In this case I always ask first or suggest that they... 08/26/2012

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY...  A STORY WITH A VERY HAPPY ENDING!!! There once was a house...  a beautiful home with beamed ceilings, two stories with very large rooms.  It had 3 bedrooms with full baths for each one.  This lovely home was almost 2700 sq ft and had an enormous shop/storage in the basement level.  It was in a gated community with a tennis court and swimming pool.  This home was also situated in a gorgeous setting surrounded by trees and water. But this house was a very sad house.  It was vacant...  no children playing in the yard and no BBQ's on the large wrap around deck.  No one to sit down for a meal and enjoy the great cooking from it's six burner stove, no clothes or toys to put in the oversize closets in the halls and each room.  This home had no family to live in it a... 08/19/2012

Spacious Novato 4/bd home just leased by agent Daniel Warren. Large private yard and access to Pleasant Valley School District. Rented at $2800. Thanks everyone! 08/18/2012

4bed/2bath home rented in San Marin Neighborhood of Novato. Just two weeks on market and leasing agent Michael Kass closed at list price of $2650/month to very well qualified tenants. Thanks everyone! 08/17/2012

RENTED! Gorgeous 4+bd/3ba home in Pointe Marin, Novato. Rented by Foundation Rentals leasing agent Michael Kass at list price $3995 with just two weeks on market. 08/17/2012

As of August 13, 2012 a whopping 60% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of July 2012 73 homes (27 of which were distress sales) sold for an average final selling price of $580,285. The average original asking price of these homes was $591,492. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $144,900 to a high of $2,000,000. Of the 73 homes that sold 9 sold at their original asking prices and 24 sold over their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 106 days to sell. To see everything that is currently for sale through our MLS click here and register with me as your agent. To learn more about this area in general visit my website, search around this blog or contact me directly. Outdoor dining area near Paradise Foods and Boca Pizzeria in N... 08/14/2012

As of July 11, 2012 55% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of June 2012 68 homes sold (25 of which were distress sales) for an average final selling price of $513,900. The average original asking price of these homes was $535,525. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $140,000 to a high of $1,079,000. Of the 68 homes that sold 7 sold at their original asking prices and 30 sold over their original asking prices. It took these homes an average of 123 days to sell To see all homes that are currently available for sale through our MLS click here and register with me as your agent. To learn more about this area in general search more around this blog or feel free to contact me directly. Novato Library by Kelley Eling, Marin County Realtor 07/11/2012

Who Can Tell Me Why This Home Sold So Fast??? Yes, the housing market has picked up, but can you tell me why this house sold so fast?  Was it the pricing?  Was it the presentation?  Can the age of a home play a part in the sale?  How about the photo's that are placed online?  Was this home updated or remolded in anyway?  These are just a few of the questions that run through our minds when a home sells so quickly and successfully.  This home was recently for sale for $869,000. and this home was in contract with-in 10 days with multiple offers and sold for over asking price...  and yes the home was priced right and was beautifully presented...  and no it was not a new home, it was built in 1951.  The Kitchen was original to the home as well as the Bathrooms although they received minor u... 07/08/2012

"Helpful Home Staging Tips Transform a Fireplace in this Cozy Home!" On one of our recent Home Staging Consultations we recommended to these Homeowners what they could do to update the fireplace in their home before their house went up for sale.  In our Home Staging Consultations we recommend area's of your home that might need updating, repairing, cleaning, de-clutting, painting, improving and staging. This home already had a nice fireplace so our recommendation was to do a little improving and updating to make it stand out more and be a more welcoming focal point in the Living room.  Here are before and after photos of the fireplace.  You can see how a little paint and framing out the fireplace with some wood brought this fireplace to life. Before "With Divine Style" Home Staging Cons... 07/08/2012

"Helpful Staging Tips Transform the Entrance to this Lovely Home!" Giving your home a lasting First Impression can really make a difference.  On one of our recent Home Staging Consultations we recommended some home improvements, updates and repairs that needed to be made to help prepare this home for sale. These homeowners were very motivated and made all the necessary improvements to make their home stand out above the competition.  The outside of the home was painted in a lovely Taupe color with white trim so we suggested that they paint the front door a rich black.  The entry step needed a face lift so slate was installed on the front step and on the entry instead of the tile that was currently there.  Below you will see before and after pictures of how this home was updated and how ... 06/30/2012

A Perfect Example of how a Staging Consultation can help sell a Home!  We got a call from one of our Preferred Realtor's to give a Home Staging Consultation on one of her listings.  We were to recommend to the homeowner any areas in the home that we thought might need updating, cleaning, de-cluttering and repairing before the house went on the market.  In the photos below you will see before and after photos of the Living room and the recommendations that were done by the homeowners.  After the homeowners completed all the list of things we recommended in our Staging Consultation we then were called in to Stage their Home. Before "With Divine Style" Home Staging After "With Divine Style" Home Staging This Homeowner did their homework and hired a Professional Realtor who knew the value o... 06/28/2012

FAQ #5 What if I don't like your Staging...  Can I get my money back? This is not a question I've heard frequently but it was a question once asked really made me think.  Honestly I was so surprised to hear this question that I really didn't know how to respond.  But as I thought about it I came to the conclusion that in reality I am not staging for one single person, not for the homeowner's taste or even the Realtor's taste...  I am staging each home I stage for as many potential buyers as possible.  To make the most impact to the broadest amount of people. So my response is now, if asked this question again: "You are hiring a trained staging professional, one who has your best interest at heart".  I'm staging your home for the type and style that it is, for the area that you live in a... 06/09/2012

FAQ #4 Once we accept an Offer can you pick up the Rental Furniture? This is a question I am frequently asked and my answer is this: "Are you sure you want me to?".  I have experienced the result of removing our Rental Furniture out of a vacant home that we had staged only to see the Offer fall through and the home was vacant yet again.  The homeowner now had the choice to leave the home vacant until they got another Offer or invest in another home staging. My first advice is to consult with your Realtor and discuss the best timing to remove the Rental Furniture.  Your Realtor will be able to tell you the length of the Escrow and when it get's closer to the day of closing and the day the new homeowner's will be signing the papers   Can potential buyers see themselves living in your home... 06/09/2012

FAQ #3 Should I remove the Dark Wood Paneling or just paint over it? Many homes from the 50's and 60's still have dark wood paneling on the walls and I am often asked do I think that it is necessary to take it down.  In most cases I say yes...  but there are exceptions.  I would not recommend taking it down if it was not feasible for a client to do so because of their budget or if they were unable to physically do it themselves.  Each home staging project is unique and is handled differently.  No one staging project is ever the same.  As a home stager I must take into consideration each client's concerns, need's and desires but also be flexible if things are not possible to do.  Here are three reason's why I do not recommend keeping it.  1.) It makes a room look very dark.  2.)  It date... 06/09/2012

FAQ #2 Do I need to Stage my whole house if I am selling it? This is a question I am frequently asked.  Although I do not believe it is always necessary to stage your whole house I do believe it helps to make more of a connection and allow buyers to see the potential and purpose of each room in the home.  Buyers only know what they see not the way it's suppose to be.  With only ten percent of buyers being able to envision how things can be, home staging can help show the purpose of a room or even the size with proper furniture placement. Here is an example of a vacant room before and after home staging.  With furniture placement in this room a buyer can find it easier to see how to place their own furniture. From up above the room looks very large and wide. With home staging we are able... 06/09/2012

FAQ #1  What is the difference between a Staging Consultation and a Staging Bid/Proposal? I am frequently asked what the difference is between a Staging Consultation and a Staging Bid/Proposal.  They sound like they could be very similar and yet they are very different.  This question is usually asked at your first contact with a potential client and it is usually followed with another question: "How much does each one cost?". Each Home Staging Company is unique and does not always have the same business practices but this is how I answer these questions. A Staging Bid/Proposal is where I will come to the home of a potential client who is interested in Staging their home before they put it on the market for sale.  I preview the home, make notes and take pictures.  A Bid/Proposal walk-th... 06/09/2012

As of June 6, 2012 57% of available listings in Novato are in escrow. For the month of May 2012 74 homes (34 of which were distress sales) sold for an average final selling price of $530,005. The average original asking price of these homes is not available this month due to a data entry error. The range of final selling prices was from a low of $135,000 to a high of $2,050,000. Of the 74 homes that sold 7 sold at their original asking prices and a whopping 25 sold over their original asking prices. 12 of the 74 homes were purchased with cash--no loans. It took these homes an average of 90 days to sell. To see everything that is currently for sale through our MLS click here and register with me as your agent. To learn more about this area in general, search more around this blog, visit ... 06/08/2012

With more and more homes coming on the market for the summer months it's important to make sure your home stands out above the rest. Here are five steps to present your home with a lasting first impression!  With over 90% of home buyers looking on the internet for the home of their dreams you want those online photos to attract and stimulate as much interest as possible. First and foremost make sure your house is clean, clean, clean.  (The cleaner your home is the more it shows as a well maintained home) Reduce all clutter and any unnecessary furniture (Show off as much square footage as possible. It's also a good idea to remove all personal items and collectibles.  You're moving anyway why not start packing those items now to ensure their safety while your home is on the market) House'... 06/03/2012

RENTED! Beautiful large modern home in central Novato. 3500 sq ft. 4bd/3ba. Rented at $3650/month in May 2012 by agent Michael Kass. Thanks to the owner for continuing to trust our team with her Marin properties! 06/03/2012