"Success!  My very first referral here on ActiveRain!!!" It's like receiving a bouquet of Roses or winning a trip on a fabulous vacation...  ONLY BETTER!  Did I say BETTER ...   you bet I did!  So much BETTER! A local Real Estate Agent in my area Sylvia Barry gave me a call to stage one of her listings.  How exciting...  thanks Sylvia and thank you ActiveRain!  Sylvia is a wonderful agent to work with and I am so thankful to have received this referral.  She had told me that she had watched how well I've done here on AR.  So this is my first referral from ActiveRain...  not my last I hope.  I will post pictures soon of the beautiful house that I staged. If it hasn't happened to you yet...  a referral I mean...  don't give up it can happen to you too!   Thank you ActiveRain and Thank you... 04/30/2013

"Getting Healthy the right way!"   In an effort to live a better life I am always looking for foods that work for you and not against you.  We have so many choices when I comes to food and yet I have always leaned toward convenience rather then total heath.  I tried something new this month that I have never tried before...  it may seem odd that I haven't tried this before but I really just never had.  It's "Quinoa" and it's really good!  I tried "Quinoa" at my daughters house and I quickly asked for the recipe...  and have since made it.  I want to share it with you...  if you have already tried "Quinoa" you might like it made this way...  and if you haven't tried it I highly recommend it.   "Zesty Quinoa Salad" Prep time: 20 minutes    Cook time: 10 minutes     Ready in: 30 minutes   ... 04/28/2013

"There's nothing like Fresh!" There is nothing like fresh fruits and veggies from the garden.  This year we decided to grow Lima Beans... they have always been a favorite of mine.  I've never had them fresh from the garden before so it was a treat to pick them myself and cook them up. Lima Beans are great anyway you fix them...   in Salads, Soups, Casseroles or just as a side dish. After I removed the Lima Beans from the pods I rinsed them and put them on to cook.  I took the empty pods and put them into our compost pile so their was no waste. I decided that I didn't want to wait while they soaked over night so I put them into a pot and brought them to a boil, then I covered them and turned off the heat and let them soak for an hour and then drained the Lima Beans.  At this point they w... 04/28/2013

Rented at $3,800!  In Novato's Bel Marin Keys, a waterfront 3bd on the market for less than a month.  Thanks to the owner for trusting our team the first time you ever rented your house!  Leased by Nancy Lowry in April 2013. 04/15/2013

RENTED! Charming 2bd/1ba condo in downtown Novato. $1395/month by Michael Kass March 2013. 04/15/2013

 RENTED!  At $3700 per month, this fully furnished Bel Marin Keys home rented by Nancy Lowry at Foundation Rentals in March 2013.  Thanks everyone! 04/15/2013

RENTED!!!! Re-rented this beutiful 4+bd/3ba Pointe Marin home in Novato at $3995 March 2013. 0 days on Market!  Rented by Micahel Kass and Christopher Barrow. 03/12/2013

I Can't Believe This Happened To Me! When I received this email saying: "Linda, Congratulations!  You're one of the top 5% most connected LinkedIn Members worldwide" I was shocked!  I feel very honored but I can't believe it happened to me.   Just recently hitting the 300K mark here on ActiveRain I was pleased as punch at that achievement...   now this and I feel on top of the moon! LOL! This might seem small to others but it's really huge to me.  So far this year my business has been booming.  I've been in business for 7 years now and the month of January is usually a very slow month for me but this January I had an unusual amount of business.  I am very thankful and appreciate all that I have been given. If you have recently achieved one or more business or personal goals, achievement... 02/12/2013

"Recently I hit a Big Milestone here on ActiveRain!" I know it might not be big to some but to me it was huge!  I just crossed over to the 3K mark here on AR.  Although I had planned on making it there a lot sooner than I did I am still proud of myself and what I have accomplished.  I realize that all this would not be possible if this wasn't one of the best communities to be active in.  I have met some of the most wonderful people from all over the United States and Canada that I would not have had the opportunity to meet if it wasn't for ActiveRain. My life has changed a lot since I joined but I am always drawn back to a place that I have found good friends and super SEO as an added bonus!                                  A Big Thank You ActiveRain!                                    ... 02/10/2013

"Winding Down The Holiday Weekend" As the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend comes to a close I reflect on what has happened the past four days.  I always look forward to being with my family...  spending time catching up with what everyone is doing.  I also look forward to setting down and having a meal together...  it doesn't happen often enough throughout the year.  We always seem to talk about when we last got together...  someones birthday usually.  We then set aside some time to talk about what we are thankful for this past year.  Some of us might have had some bumpy roads since last Thanksgiving...  but we always seem to realize that we have it better than so many and it could always be worse.  All in all this past weekend has been pretty wonderful...  and I almost forgot I sure enjoye... 11/25/2012

"Thankful for my Family on Thanksgiving" We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration this year.  Lots of good food and fabulous company.  This years dinner was at my daughters house.  Her house was decorated so beautifully and she made a delicious meal for us all. We all have so much to be thankful for...  and we were especially thankful that we could all spend this Holiday together! Thanksgiving 2012     "Happy Holidays"   You never get a second chance...   to make a Great First Impression!   Linda D. Pufford, ASPM With Divine Style Real Estate/Home Staging ~ Interior Redesign ~ Professional Color Consulting 707.217.0817 lpufford@withdivinestyle.com www.withdivinestyle.com Serving the greater San Francisco Bay Area     11/24/2012

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