Having a perfectly manicured lawn starts with appropriate watering, and there is no better way to provide even watering than with a sprinkler system. While it sounds daunting, even an amateur can select and install a sprinkler system that will make his or her lawn and landscaping the envy of the neighbors. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Tisha Gay’
Installing a Sprinkler System Can Lead to the Perfect Lawn
June 3, 2013Home Improvement: 12 Key Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Contractor
May 13, 2013
Spring is the season for home improvement. The weather is great, and everyone is in a “fix ‘er up” mood. In addition, many sellers consider home improvement before putting their home on the market.
A few small improvements could make a world of difference in selling your home. While major renovations might raise the cost of your home, minor fixes might help it sell faster.
Whether it’s big or small, I strongly recommend hiring a home improvement professional for a variety of jobs: Electrical, structural or even cosmetic. While painting the house might seem like a job you might be able to handle on your own, there is a chance that your time could be better spent elsewhere.
With this in mind, I’ve come up with some key questions to ask your contractor before signing any type of contract with them: (more…)
Nationwide Open House Weekend: Open House Checklist
April 15, 2013
This weekend, open houses will be held at listings across the country! The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has been promoting a Nationwide Open House Weekend each year, and this year it falls on April 20 and 21.
Be sure to tell your buyers about this incredible opportunity to view homes this weekend. With listing inventory being as low as it is, this will give buyers a chance to see what homes are available in their area.
Plus, listing agents should tell their sellers about this unique occasion to attract buyers for their home. This only occurs once a year, and it could be their chance to sell their home!
In honor of Nationwide Open House Weekend, I’d like to share my checklist for preparing for an open house: (more…)
Your Bad E-mail Habits May Send the Wrong Message
April 8, 2013
Email has become one of the most common methods of communication, especially when it comes to being a real estate agent. When it comes to sending and receiving contracts, forms, information and more, the fax machine is simply a dinosaur. Can you imagine not being able to email a buyer an MLS sheet? We use email for everything nowadays!
But have you considered that your e-mails may be sending the wrong message to your clients or your peers? Forbes highlighted e-mail habits that can send the wrong message in a recent article. Here are five items on their list: (more…)
The Digital House Hunt
March 25, 2013
At FUSION 2013 in Las Vegas, I sat in on a session called “The Digital House Hunt: Using Data Search Trends to Tailor Your Online Marketing” hosted by Heather Elias of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). She discussed a special NAR report called “The Digital House Hunt” that was performed with the assistance of Google.
Released in Jan. 2013, this report connects the dots between online home searches and shopping patterns. It shows how shoppers use online tools and sites as they progress through the process. More importantly, it gives you a blueprint for how to market to these consumers.
Here are some highlights from the report: (more…)
The Power of Craigslist
March 4, 2013
Did you know that Craigslist generates more than 20 billion page views per month, making it the 7th overall most trafficked website in the world? Many sales associates take advantage of Craigslist as a listing resource, but they aren’t using it effectively.
Craigslist isn’t like eBay or other auction sites that charge you to post an item and takes a percentage of the selling price. It’s free to have an account, and you aren’t charged for posting or selling a home, so it’s no wonder that agents across the country use this tool to augment their selling power.
Here are some tips for using Craigslist successfully: (more…)
Straighten Your House for National Get Organized Month
January 28, 2013At the beginning of the year, there are a lot of things to organize. You take down your holiday decorations, clean up after your big New Year’s bash and even start to get all of your paperwork in order to file your income taxes. It comes as no surprise that January is National Get Organized (GO) Month, so there’s an extra emphasis on “cleaning up”.
After reading through a recent Zillow blog titled “11 Creative Home Storage Ideas” and visiting Better Homes and Gardens® magazine’s Pinterest page, I’ve put together a list of great ideas for getting Organized for GO Month!
Use Every Inch
I love this picture of a book shelf that extends over the doorway. (more…)
Hot Home Trends for 2013
January 22, 2013
When making design choices in 2013, homeowners need to consider what future buyers’ tastes may be. RealtorMag.com recently put together a list of their hottest design trends for the upcoming year.
According to design professionals and manufacturers, these changes are going to be popular in homes across the country in 2013:
- Smarter, Less Costly Automated Controls: It’s become more affordable to control a home’s systems – such as the temperature, security, electronics, lighting, and more – through a single device, even from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod. Doing so can eliminate multiple controls and make it easy for home owners to manage things around their home, even when they aren’t there. One of my favorite new examples is the Nest Intelligent Thermostat, which can be controlled remotely, react intuitively to home owners’ habits, and adjust to conserve energy costs. (more…)
10 Great Ways to a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
November 19, 2012
Every year, I’m busy hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for my friends and family. Although it may seem like a challenge, I’ve gathered a ton of good advice over the years for keeping the experience as stress-free as possible.
Here are my favorite tips that I’ve gathered:
- Create a plan. Sit down and make a guest list. Plan the meal around the number of guests you invite. The secret to a simple meal is planning ahead so everything doesn’t seem to demand your attention at once. (more…)
How to Green Your Cleaning Routine
November 5, 2012
With the extra hour this weekend – due to the ending of daylight savings time – I decided to do a little cleaning around the house. I always try to think of the environment whenever I’m doing things around my home, and cleaning is no different.
There are a variety of environmentally friendly ways to clean your home. There’s an increasing array of green cleaning products, and you can feel good about lessening your own environmental impact while keeping harmful chemicals out of your home. You can even take it a step further and make your own cleaning products from simple natural ingredients you probably already have on hand, saving some money in the process.
Follow these tips and you’ll succeed in cleaning up your housekeeping routine in no time. (more…)
Sell Your Home With Strategically Placed Artwork
October 29, 2012
Taste in art is incredibly subjective. If your home even slightly resembles a museum, consider that one person’s treasure can be another’s trash. When getting ready to sell your home, it’s important to keep the artwork simple so that you can get the best selling price.
Before listing your property, consider having a candid chat with your Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers sales associate, or a close friend. Both can give you a better sense of pieces destined for the Guggenheim, and those better suited for the basement. Remember, it’s the walls that are for sale, not what’s on them. (more…)
Haunted Houses Across Georgia
October 22, 2012
As Realtors®, we’re used to seeing homes haunted by crumbling foundations, leaky faucets, and – worst of all – angry sellers! But as Halloween approaches, you may want to take in a good scare for fun with the family. Georgia actually boasts a number of top haunted attractions!
Here’s a quick list of some of the haunted houses in your area that you can share with your friends, family and customers: (more…)
Outdated Design Features That Have to GO!
October 1, 2012
I just read a wonderful article on the Zillow Blog titled “Wanted Dead or Alive: 10 Criminally Outdated Design Features”, and although it was funny, it was also insightful. It’s amazing that I still see a lot of these features in listing photos today!
The author discussed several features that might have been big during the 80’s and 90’s, but are surefire killers today. She hit on three of my biggest pet peeves as far as home features go: Wood paneling, fluorescent lighting and gold-plating. (more…)
Using Copyrighted Material on Your Website
September 17, 2012
With our new agent websites coming out today (yay!), everyone in our company will be embarking on the adventure of putting together their brand new website. This includes building new pages with great information for visitors. With that in mind, I figured it’d be a good idea to write about the do’s and don’ts of website content.
When creating new pages, it’s easy to come across something on another page and just want to use the old “copy and paste” technique. For instance, you’re on a blog and see a great article about first time homebuyers. You think “That would look great on my website” and select the text, right click and hit the copy button.
But wait! That’s plagiarism! (more…)
The Ugliest House on the Block
September 4, 2012
I have to say I’m partial to this house, since I’m a Florida fan!
We’ve all been there before. You might have gotten a referral from a friend or a random call off your website, and the caller asks “can you help me sell my home?”
Barely suppressing a cry of joy, you say “Absolutely!” and set up an appointment. You just can’t wait to meet your new sellers and you’re already thinking of the commission check you’ll be getting after you sell their property!
And then you pull up to the home. And it’s simply not a pretty sight.
Some might say it’s the “ugliest house on the block”, but as agents we have a duty to our sellers to make sure that we represent them to the best of our ability. Sometimes, this is harder than other times. (more…)
