More tips and ideas about staging your Albuquerque home for sale Do you know which rooms are important to stage when putting a house on the market and why? • Living Room/Great Room (LR) • Dining Room (DR) • Master Bedroom (MBR) • Bathrooms • Kitchen It is important to make a house look more like a Home. You want to produce a warm & welcoming effect on the visitors, encouraging them to linger. The longer the prospective visitors are in the Home – the better the chances are of making a positive & lasting impression. Staging a home will help the potential buyers to visualize their furniture & furnishing within the house. When staged correctly, it can also be used as a tool to help make a room appear larger than it actually is – this is especially important when it comes to the Master Bedroom, and living areas. For more information about staging, contact Interior Styling by Karla today! If you would like a free copy of my book for Sellers - please fill o...

I was reading an article this weekend about how short sale sellers aren't exactly off the hook to go on with the rest of their lives after they and their broker have 'negotiated' a short sale. A recent Washington Post article talks to this point, that homeowners who refinanced their homes and then subsequently negotiate a short sale are not protected from deficiency judgements brought by the banks.  Even after you have negotiated the short sale, the banks can come back to you and require that you pay back the forgiven amounts. I'm the first one to admit I have stayed away from this part of the market.   I could {and probably will} write another blog piece about how I think even the term "short sale" isn't exactly what we should be calling these types of sales....but I digress....but the entire process just seems ripe for these types of uncertainties. Why has this happened?  In years past, when a 'short sale' was just a term we used when the ...

Interesting discussion going on today on the social networking sites about "virtual offices".  I have run a virtual office for years, finding that being in the office doesn't mean I'm in my business.  Lots of distractions and lines at the copy machine made it inefficient for me to get anything done. I can accomplish more for my clients by being virtual than by having a physical office.  The time it takes just to get to the office, set up materials and deal with office details is time that I could be dealing with 2-3 items and getting them cleared up!  Reports, offers, paper things - oh those paper things!  With Internet faxing we don't need fax machines anymore.  With email we hardly need faxes anymore.  With file sharing we hardly need email anymore.... The amount of work that I and my team can accomplish in a day just by being virtual is virtually impressive!  Oh, and my assistants - they are virtual, too.  Transactions can now be...

This morning Trulia published their rent/buy analysis for various cities.  Albuquerque placed with a rating of "14".  The Price to Rent Ratio interpretation is this: If a city receives a score of anything from 1-15, it is much less expensive to own than to rent a home in this city.  The factors used to calculate this score are the mortgage (principle and interest), property taxes, hazard insurance, closing costs and ongoing Home Owner Association Dues and private mortgage insurance where applied.  The calculations are used to include an offset for the tax advantages of home ownership, including mortgage interest, property tax and closing cost deductions. The total cost of renting is calculated to use rent plus renter's insurance. Also, in Albuquerque it is pretty difficult to find a short term rental, 6 months or less - and if you choose to rent you stand of chance of 'missing the market'.  I have lived in Albuquerque since 1979 and I have seen many ...

What is the “Functionality” of an Entry and/or Foyer? This is where you are able to set the tone for the rest of the home and create some impact on the first-time visitor. Intensify this impression by adding some extra pizzazz and drama to this part of your Albuquerque home to generate extra interest. Using mirrors, artwork, tables and rugs are not only functional, but they also provide your guest with an appealing introduction that will impart a lingering effect when entering and leaving the home. When possible have a table in the entry where Realtors can leave their business cards for you and your Listing Realtor to review at a later date. Remember, first impressions are everything! For more information about how to get your property staged, or for a consultation, please contact: Karla McWhorter Interior Styling by Karla Ph: 275-6819 Cell: 228-3489 http://www.interiorstylingbykarla.com/

New Supply/Demand reports for Albuquerque real estate - for May 2010 - for more information, please feel free to contact the eTeam!

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Now, search for Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico MLS with one easy site - learn what the buzz is all about in the wonderful area of Northern New Mexico! SEARCH SANTA FE AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO MLS

This will be a series of helpful hints for staging, brought to you by my favorite local designer - "Interior Styling by Karla" “STAGING TIPS TO HELP SELL YOUR HOME” 8 Part Series Article #1 – “Curb Appeal” Driving by a potential Buyer may say to themselves “Hmm… do I want to stop – do I want to look at this house.” The house needs to be as inviting and welcoming from the outside as it is from the inside. It is very important that people want to stop and look at the house, because if there is no curb appeal - there is no reason to stop and look. Your yards are just as important as the inside of the home is. Their interests need to be perked. Remember – you never get a 2nd chance to make a notable 1st impression! This applies to curb appeal more than ever. Karla McWhorter Interior Styling by Karla Ph: 275-6819  Cell: 228-3489 http://www.interiorstylingbykarla.com/