Morris County Staging – So Many Options   Professional home staging can be anything from a Do-it-Yourself report, listing the most effective improvements a buyer should make to prepare their home for sale, to full vacant staging, redesign and everything in between.   These are some example of Elite Staging and Redesign jobs illustrating all the options you have to choose from depending on your budget, time-frame and personal needs to get your home showroom ready for the market and increase traffic at showings. Simple changes, big impact... An awkward, undefined space becomes functional and beautiful... Don't forget - outdoor space reigns supreame in today's market... Complete makeover - a junk room returns to a bedroom... Using only furniture the client had with a few new accessories...... 06/24/2011

Home for Sale By Owner in Morris Plains Boro, NJ 07950 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395 36 GLENBROOK RD Morris Plains Boro, NJ 07950 - Realtors welcome, buyer agent commission paid at closing! 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms There are area of a home dishwasher, dryer, instant hot water, range/oven-gas, refrigerator, self cleaning oven, washer, center island, separate dining area, carpeting, wood floor, basement level rooms: inside entrance, laundry room, rec. room, utility room, first level rooms: dining room, family room, foyer, kitchen, living room, office, powder room, second level rooms: 3 bedrooms, bath main, bath(s) other, third level rooms: 1 bedroom If you are interested in this Home for Sale By Owner in Morris Plains Boro, NJ 07950- Flat Fee MLS Listing $395, please call 1-888-362-6543, e... 06/06/2011

Small Town Parade - Big Time Fun!   One of my favorite things about living in a small town is its wonderful annual Memorial Day Parade. It fosters a sense of community and all our friends and neighbors came out in good spirits to celebrate our little piece of Americana in Morris Plains, NJ, a town I love and am proud to call my home. This year the sun was shining, everyone was smiling as we listened to bag pipes, bands and local singers while taking in the whole spectacle - it was truly a great day!         05/28/2011

Morris Plains Farmers Market It's that time of year again when you can get the best locally grown fruits and vegetables, local specialties like homemade cheese, pickles, organic foods, pies, crusty artisan breads, chicken pot pie and crafts at Morris Plains Farmers Market at Merchants Block in Morris Plains, NJ!      Starting June 13 - October 17 You can drop by every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. located at Speedwell Ave., Extension off 202 Downtown- Morris Plains, Merchants Block in Morris Plains, New Jersey. 05/20/2011

The Attitude of Gratitude  I won't get on my soapbox, but life has been very difficult with the recent loss of a loved one. I try to put on a brave front, but today I was having a particularly "dark" day. As I was going through my mail, I came across a card from a friend with the following quote: Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger in to a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie Just when I needed something to help me through the day, it appeared in the mail - God's always looking out for me. I think anyone who incorporates thi... 04/08/2011

My Favorite Caribbean Islands and Beaches Since I can't get away right now the next best thing is to visit some of my favorite photos of Islands and beaches to hold me over until my next Caribbean vacation! (My choice of Islands tend to be the most preserved with natural surroundings, hiking and scuba diving - no malls, big hotel chains or high-end shopping - just lots of raw beauty and very peaceful.) Besides with gray skies, melting snow and sleet, more cold weather and snow on the way by mid week - UGHHHHHH!!!!  - what else is a girl to do?!  It also makes me more motivated to work harder so I can afford to take another vacation....and soon I hope! If any of you have photos of your favorite vacation spots, please share them in the comments! Anguilla - best beaches in the world, bar n... 03/22/2011

 We've All Heard Price is King, Well So Are MLS Pictures! This post was inspired by the always funny, articulate and handsome Richard Strahm's blog post: Real Estate Photos Shouldn't be a "Where's Waldo" Puzzle! MLS photos are designed to grab your attention and attract buyers before they ever step out with their Realtor. If your MLS photos aren't at their optimum best, you are at a big disadvantage, regardless if the home is priced right and in a desirable location. 80% of buyers are shopping online first and compiling lists of homes they want to view with their agent.   Like it or not, we are visual creatures and this especially applies when searching for our dream home no matter what price range buyers are looking in!  Ask yourself, would any of these random MLS photos attract you to... 03/05/2011

Home Staging vs. Interior Decorating By A Morris County Stager This Morris County Stager knows the difference between home staging and interior design so I thought I'd clear up some misconceptions and explain the difference between the two and their very different goals and objectives.     An interior decorator designs for their client's specific taste: everything from ultra modern to very traditional and everything in between.  Staging is preparing the home for the market by updating and neutralizing the décor and paint color to appeal to the masses and should not be taste or gender specific. The only exception to this rule is if the neighborhood's demographic dictates a particular style of homes, then it should fit within that particular style. You wouldn't create a very modern look i... 02/24/2011

Morris County Stager Asks: Is Defining a Room Important When Selling? As a Morris County professtional stager of Elite Staging and Redesign, the answer is always a resounding YES! For this particular staging job, my client lived alone and had a separate area for guests which included a bath, sitting area with a separate entrance that he'd been using as a catchall junk room since it wasn't being used. In preparation for the market, this Morris County Stager searched the client's home looking for and finding treasures from other rooms with too much furniture and transformed this space into a relaxing bedroom suite. Among the items repurposed to complete the look were the teacart, coffee table, couch, antique Victrola (record player), bench and extra chairs from my client's dining room. IM... 02/21/2011

Morris County Staging: Why Are Emotional Connections so Important for Buyers? One of the main goals of Elite Staging is creating a strong emotional connection for buyers to desire,  and envision themselves living in your home. When a buyer feels a strong psychological link to a seller's home, it creates a conscious and/or subconscious desire, and 90% of buyers report that they purchased their home based on this emotional connection, even though they were warned it can affect their negotiating skills. Once buyers feel this strong connection to your home, they will go to great lengths to purchase it because they've already decided, "This is the home for me - I see myself and my family living here" and they will work very hard at making this dream a reality.   Ask yourself this question - ... 02/16/2011

Morris County Staging: You Can Bet Your Sweet @$$ Looks Matter When Selling Your Home! And, Hiring Morris County's Elite Staging doesn't have to break the bank! There's a misconception out there that staging is a big expense, a waste of time and money...blah, blah, blah - I've heard them all. Like it or not, looks do matter, (please! This is America after all, the culture of all things Hollywood!) Looks especially, apply to how potential buyers will view and perceive your home.  These are some examples from Morris County, NJ's Elite Staging that made a big impact on how this home was received by potential buyers. Ask yourself, which photos would catch your interest on MLS or Realtor.om - the before or after? Staging this vacant living room with multiple windows, awkward radiators and s... 02/13/2011

A Morris County Stager Asks: Does Your Client's Home Say "Welcome" or "Keep Out"?   When potential buyers view your home on MLS or in person, what message are you sending - welcome home or move on to the next listing? Enhancing curb appeal doesn't have to involve major work or break the bank.    Inexpensive fixes that persuade buyers to want to see more: 1. A home's front door should be the focal point that draws buyers in. Paint it in a brighter shade that contrasts, yet compliments your home's façade. This is a cost effective way to make a big impact on your home's exterior. Complete the look with a new welcome mat - the small details really do matter.       2. No garden - no problem! Buy inexpensive terracotta pots (Home Depot is a great source) and fill them with low maintenance, co... 02/09/2011

Home Staging Morris County- Another Satisfied Customer! Kitchens have become the heart of the home and this one needed some color and warmth. I decided to  go for a Tuscany look, which went well with the rest of the home. We painted it harvest gold by Sherman Williams to enhance the cabinets and brick. Because the appliances were so old (the oven didn't even work), the owners decided to replace them with new ones to update and add value to  the kitchen without doing any major renovations. We added a few accessories and here are the results - hope you like! Before:                After:                             Opposite view: Window treatments, a well placed china cabinet, updated light fixture and art warmed up this kitchen... Before:                                                  ... 02/07/2011

Morris County Stagers and Realtors: You are the Company You Keep   Whether you are a professional stager or realtor, you are considered the expert and must have a reliable referral list for your clients when their home needs repair work and/or projects prior to putting it on the market. Your list should include: painters, contractors, carpet cleaning services, handyman, flooring specialists, plumbers, landscapers and cleaning companies.    Do your homework: A great source to conduct a background check on any of the aforementioned vendors is  Angie's List : They don't accept anonymous reviews and use a certified data collection process to screen vendors. They also offer help if there's an issue with a project and have a live call center for support. If your client does use your referral,... 02/05/2011

Morris County Staging on a Shoestring Budget, No Problem! Not every buyer has the budget to do a Candice Olson reveal, but a creative, savvy stager can make a major impact on preparing a home for sale even on a shoestring budget!  For this particular staging job, the woman's husband died and she lost his pension, and could no longer afford her home -very sad, which can often be the case when selling.   First, I recommend her an excellent realtor and friend whom I've worked with before and she did her homework and priced the home right.Then I worked with the seller (Batna) to organized and declutter, not an easy job when your husband just passed. Next I edited and re-purposed her existing furniture, using 90% of what my client already had. Because of the seller's situation, I loaned her ... 02/04/2011

The Do's and Don'ts When Preparing to Sell From a Morris County Stager                                                    First the Don'ts: 1. Think you'll have more negotiating room if you list your home above fair market value - big mistake!  There's a good it chance it will sit on the market and become stale. A good realtor will tell you this and you need to listen!    2. Put scented candles in every room or use air fresheners. Buyers aren't stupid and it's the equivalent to skipping a shower and putting on perfume or aftershave - you're not fooling anyone!  Clean, clean, clean  - it's the only "smell" everyone likes! 3. "Clean up" by stuffing everything into the closets. Buyers are nosey and open cabinets and closets to check out storage space. They want to know that their stuff wil... 02/01/2011

The recently released 2010 study, which queried Realtors for a year ending in March 2010, found that 18 percent of all Realtors were estimated to have completed at least one international sale, compared to 12 percent last year. Paul F. Stillwaggon NJ Estates Real Estate Group September 2010 LINKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGYTO OLD FASHIONED SERVICE Copyright © 2010 Realty TimesAll Rights Reserved They comprise only a small share of homebuyers in the U.S., but more and more foreign buyers are coming to America for the homeownership piece of the dream. More than a quarter of Realtors, 28 percent, reported working with at least one international client in the past year, up from 23 percent during the previous Profile of International Home Buying Activity. The recently released 2010 study, which ... 09/30/2010

U.S. Representative Scott Garrett (R-NJ) recently introduced legislation that would raise the amount borrowers put down on a Federal Housing Authority-insured loan. The current requirement of three and one-half percent would be raised to five percent under Mr. Garrett's proposal. Mr. Garrett believes that taxpayers should not be exposed to FHA's risk of insolvency and that this risk can be reduced by increasing the amount of mortgage downpayments. FHA provides mortgage insurance for persons to purchase or refinance a principal residence. The loan itself is funded by a bank, mortgage company, or savings and loan. Qualified borrowers are eligible for financing up to 97 percent of the purchase price of the residence. Like a considerable number of his Republican brethren who claim to be fre... 10/31/2009

Morris Plains is best known for a friendly downtown area, great business location, and magnificent parks. It is one of the smaller municipalities in Morris County. Morris Plains' residents are within close proximity to many local companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Alcatel-Lucent, and Immunomedics.  To learn more about the town of Morris Plains visit www.MorrisCountyLiving.com. Morris Plains, New Jersey Train Station 04/14/2009

  Money Magazine 2008 ranks Parsippany in Morris Country, New Jersey as #13 TOP towns in USA 'What's all the hoopla about' you say?   Why is Township of Par Troy so popular?  Well.....for the week ending October 1, 2008 it was among the hottest towns in Morris County.   40 Properties were reported as  under contract in the past 30 days; and there is barely a 5 month supply of housing in the township! In my eyes, That's a balanced market !  Why is Parsippany above the fray?     10/09/2008