As the weather turns colder and the days shorter, many people tend to go inside and hibernate.  So, how do we make a house feel warm and inviting enough for potential buyers and agents to come out, see it and hopefully, make an offer?  Here are a few tips....

1.  Use a for sale sign with a solar light.  A solar light will keep a sign illuminated for up to 6 hours after dark.  This will bring the property to the attention of potential buyers and also make it easy for showing agents to find.

2.  Wash the windows.  You want every spec of sunlight to be able to shine through.

3.  Keep the lights on - inside and out.  Upgade lights to the maximum wattage permitted by the manufacturer.

4.  Keep the yard raked and, if possible, put seasonal flowers out (such as pansies).  This will give the feeling of warmth and add color.

5.  Turn the heat on if it's cold.  A cold house is just that.....cold! 

6.  If you are going to use scents in your home (such as potpourri, plug-ins, etc.), stay away from vanilla or perfumed scents and go for warm scents such as apples or cinnamon instead.

7.  Don't overdo holiday decorations - this is not the year to be the Griswolds.  The simpler...the better.  Remember, not every buyer may celebrate the holiday you do or even celebrate the season....keeping on the side of neutrality is always better.  Adding a Christmas tree can make a room feel cluttered and small - maybe go for a tabletop tree instead.

8.  Celebrate the holidays elsewhere.  While your home is on the market, you do not need the added stress of trying to bake, set-up guest beds, etc. and a potential buyer will feel uncomfortable in your home if they walk-in to a house full of guests.

9.  Once the holidays are over, clean up!  A house with old decorations and opened presents feels tired and used.

10.  Don't bring in all of your outdoor furniture.  Keeping it clean and arranged nicely on a deck or porch can offer a sense of warmth.  Some sellers will even keep their pool open throughout the winter.

11.  If you must use your wood-burning fireplace, please....keep it clean!  And, if you have a gas fireplace, make sure it works and doesn't have any cobwebs in it!  The excuse, "we've never used the fireplace" doesn't work.

Tina in Virginia

According to Forbes Magazine, Virginia Beach and the surrounding area (called Hampton Roads; even though no one outside of this area would ever be able to mark "Hampton Roads" on a map) is the #6 "Best Place to Ride Out the Recession" and 1 of only 2 resort areas to make the list (Honolulu, HI was the other).

In the article, Joshua Zumbrun explains how coastal areas saw some of the worst booms of the housing bubble.  This was probably due in part to the explosion of the 2nd home market and the "affordability" of these areas with interest only and adjustable rate mortgages.

According to Zumbrun, "In hindsight, if you couldn't live without the ocean, Virginia Beach may have been the place to buy. Home values have only dipped 4% in the past year".

In addition, he relays the following regarding the housing market in Virginia Beach:

Just 7.7% of the homes are "upside-down"

Median home equity is a healthy $70,031

Unemployment is 4.8% and jobs in the area are still plentiful.

Median income is:  $36,692

On the other side of the country and the other side of the housing market, in cities such as Bakersfield, San Diego and Riverside, California - over 50% of the homeowners owe more than their houses are worth.  Over 40% of the sales Las Vegas, Nevada and Fresno, California are foreclosures.

So, it looks like we are faring better than many other areas in the United States.  Virginia Beach really is a great place to live and a smart financial decision too.

Tina in Virginia

I need your help here......I have some VERY tough competition.

The "Sensational 16" have been released for the Virginia Real Estate Blog Brawl and TinainVirginia.com has made it to round 1!

Thank you to everyone who nominated my blog.  Your votes are greatly appreciated, even though I'll be paying bribes for the next few years of my life!

So, here's the deal....vote for tinainvirginia.com and get stuff.  The higher up I get, the better the "stuff" will be as I find things deeper and deeper into the pile in my garage!

For round one....vote for tinainvirginia.com and email me to let me know.  Vote as many times as you like, just email me each time.  I will acknowledge your vote with a nice thank you and I will also send you your choice of:

A Kid's Travel Guide for the Hampton Roads Area

A Hampton Roads Sourcebook

Or, if there's something else you want, just let me know and I'll dig through my closet.

Thank you for your votes and support.  I honestly appreciate them!  My little boy Graham (yes, his shirt says "Virginia is for Bloggers") appreciates your vote too!

Vote HERE

Tina in Virginia

Trulia has a new feature for your clients - Listing Reports.  This is a great way to keep in touch with your sellers - especially when there may be few showings on their house.  This lets them know that there is still activity on their property.

With Trulia’s Client Listing Report, you have a professional report than you can easily email to your clients to show them how many people viewed their home on Trulia. You get:

• Individual listing reports, customized with your photo
  
• The ability to personalize messages for each of your clients
• Up-to-date statistics on how many people have viewed their home on Trulia
• On-demand access – you can send it every week, every other week or every month, your choice

This is a very easy to use tool and just another way to let your clients know you are working for them.  Or, print out a report and add it to a listing presentation to show how you keep your clients informed.  Whether you are a Trulia fan or not, they are one of the fastest growing real estate sites and this free tool can be a great benefit both to us and our clients.

Tina in Virginia

When I first started in real estate abut 11 years ago, I was told it was "company policy" that I apply for and become a member of the local, state and national Realtor Associations.

I've never been one who thrives on conformity.  I didn't like the "policy" and I let that be known.  Other than a Code of Ethics which a lot of agents seemed to ignore, the only other thing I really saw the Association doing was organizing and hosting the Circle of Excellence Awards Banquet (aka Realtor "Prom") each year.  Unlike most MLS's throughout the nation which are coordinated through the local Associations, our MLS is maintained and run through an outside entity.

It seemed the Association and I were just not on the same page.  After my first year in the business, I was told that I would not receive my "award" if I didn't submit my picture (I HATED that agents plastered their mugs on everything so I never had mine taken).  My Broker explained how thoroughly embarrassed she would be if I couldn't get my award because of a silly picture so I caved and went to a photographer the day of the deadline.

A few years later, I was personally invited to a Realtor/Lawyer Committee meeting by the Chairperson.  I enjoyed it and learned a few things and started attending on a regular basis.  We also got a free lunch out of it so that was a plus!  Then, I was asked to give a presentation on centralized showing systems and the various options.  As I spoke about the different programs and online options - I began to lose people and thought that maybe I was no longer speaking English.  Thus, I realized the majority of my peers knew very little about technology and were nowhere near ready to embrace it.  I withdrew back into my anti-Association shell.

For the next few years, I pretty much ignored NAR, VAR and HRRA.  I received my North Carolina real estate license and was then required to join more Realtor Associations (North Carolina, Outer Banks and Albemarle) which I had little use for.  I even stopped going to Realtor Prom when I found out my company charged us to go.  The Associations just seemed like a clique that I would never fit into.

Then, I met Ben Martin.

Ben is the Director of Communications and New Media at the Virginia Association of Realtors.  We met through the Active Rain Real Estate Network.  Ben was the only person I had ever met who was involved in the Association and embraced technology in real estate like me.  Slowly, Ben was able to get me to crawl out of my shell and start getting involved...but in ways that worked for me.  I became an author for VARBuzz, the Association blog.  I wore a "Virginia is for Bloggers" button at the Inman Conference in San Francisco.  And a HUGE step came a few weeks ago when I actually attended the VAR Conference in Baltimore where Ben recruited me to be a Social Media Correspondent.

I feel so fortunate to now know lots of agents embracing techology all over the Commonwealth of Virginia who are also active in their Associations.  Most, like me, were not involved until Ben Martin reached out and brought them in.  Some local Associations are now getting their own Techology Committees, New Media Directors and Social Media Trainers - mostly due to Ben's efforts.  VAR has been used as a role model for other State Associations throughout the United States and Ben Martin is a huge part of that recognition.

Through Twitter last week, I was recruited to be on the Professional Development Advocacy Group for VAR.  In fact, I think many appointments were nominated by Ben through Twitter.  I am truly excited to be involved with the Association and look forward to helping it grow and prosper because I now know that the Association represents all of us...including me.

Tina in Virginia

Recently, someone felt the need to promote their own site and services on my blog.  At first, I was really angry and tempted to say some not-so-nice things.  Then, those 4 years of Catholic school kicked in, "forgive them Lord for they (OBVIOUSLY) know not what they do".

So, maybe it's time for a refresher on commenting.  Feel free to add your own...there's no rule that we can ONLY have Ten Commandments of Commenting!

1.  Thou Shalt Not Promote Your Site or Services on Someone Else's Blog.  (if your comment is interesting enough, others will click and visit you for more info)

2.  Thou Shalt Not Comment Solely for the Sake of Commenting. (commenting for points is just wrong)

3.  Honor Your Fellow Bloggers. (be polite and courteous, even when disagreeing)

4.  Thou Shalt Not Steal. (read Lenn Harley's blog for any questions regarding this)

5.  Thou Shall Comment and Comment Regularly. (for every blog post you write, comment on at least 10 others)

6.  Thou Shalt Not Comment When Angry, Upset, Drunk or Emotional.

7.  Thou Shalt Not be a Closed-Minded Know-it-All. (do not be condescending and be open to other's ideas and beliefs)

8.  Thou Shalt Not Troll. (make a comment that disrupts the flow of discussion)

9.  Thou Shalt Not be a Coward. (do not post anonymously)

10.  Thou Shalt Not be Longwinded. (be succinct and to the point)

Tina in Virginia

I am one lucky girl and so are my sellers today!  Classifiedflyerads (aka Santa) came for a visit and left all kinds of SEO "gifts" under my tree!

I always knew Misty, Candis and the wonderful elves out in Grover Beach, California (aka The North Pole) worked tirelessly to optimize my online flyers, but today, I was blown away!

Here's my first email:

Hello Tina,

We are happy to inform you that your ClassifiedFlyerAds.com flyer is showing up on the 1st page of Google for search phrase Affordable Homes in Portsmouth VA

and the second:

We are happy to inform you that your ClassifiedFlyerAds.com flyer is showing up on the 1st page of Google for search phrases.....

Virginia Beach Military Relocation Specialists
Virginia Beach Military Relocation

here's the third:

Next, I took some time to email my sellers and let them know how hard I was working for them by forwarding them these emails!  After I did that, I had this email:

Hello Tina,

We are happy to inform you that your ClassifiedFlyerAds.com flyer is showing up on the 1st page of Google for search phrases......  

Affordable Homes in Chesapeake Virginia
Chesapeake Virginia Property

Needless to say, I have some VERY happy sellers!  Boy, am I exhausted!  Can't wait to see what's under my SEO tree in the morning!

Thanks for reading!  Tina in Virginia

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

• My Website
• Virtual Tour
• My Blog

Contact Tina Merritt, Realtor®, GRI, ePRO, QSC, ASR, AHWD, Long and Foster Real Estate. Licensed Realtor® in Virginia and North Carolina at 757-287-6338 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hampton Roads Virginia:  Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Isle of Wight County or Northeast North Carolina. I am accepting referrals.

Call me today at 757.287.6338 or Toll Free 800.941.3333. Contact me by email if you prefer by clicking on "email me" on the right side of this page under my profile.

To view all of the homes for sale in Hampton Roads, Click Here and then click on Search For Homes. I know Hampton Roads and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Hampton Roads Home; contact me today.

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Tina Merritt and the Blog www.tinainvirginia.com do not guarantee nor are in any way responsible for it's accuracy, and provide said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on the Blog, www.tinainvirginia.com represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s).

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

• My Website
• Virtual Tour
• My Blog

Contact Tina Merritt, Realtor®, GRI, ePRO, QSC, ASR, AHWD, Long and Foster Real Estate. Licensed Realtor® in Virginia and North Carolina at 757-287-6338 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hampton Roads Virginia:  Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Isle of Wight County or Northeast North Carolina. I am accepting referrals.

Call me today at 757.287.6338 or Toll Free 800.941.3333. Contact me by email if you prefer by clicking on "email me" on the right side of this page under my profile.

To view all of the homes for sale in Hampton Roads, Click Here and then click on Search For Homes. I know Hampton Roads and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Hampton Roads Home; contact me today.

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Tina Merritt and the Blog www.tinainvirginia.com do not guarantee nor are in any way responsible for it's accuracy, and provide said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on the Blog, www.tinainvirginia.com represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s).

CLICK TO VIEW LISTING WEBSITE

• My Website
• My Blog

Contact Tina Merritt, Realtor®, GRI, ePRO, QSC, ASR, AHWD, Long and Foster Real Estate. Licensed Realtor® in Virginia and North Carolina at 757-287-6338 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hampton Roads Virginia:  Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Isle of Wight County or Northeast North Carolina. I am accepting referrals.

Call me today at 757.287.6338 or Toll Free 800.941.3333. Contact me by email if you prefer by clicking on "email me" on the right side of this page under my profile.

To view all of the homes for sale in Hampton Roads, Click Here and then click on Search For Homes. I know Hampton Roads and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Hampton Roads Home; contact me today.

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Tina Merritt and the Blog www.tinainvirginia.com do not guarantee nor are in any way responsible for it's accuracy, and provide said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on the Blog, www.tinainvirginia.com represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s).

Yes, that is REALLY what the Google Gods have created!  With the tagline, "Stop Sending Emails You Later Regret", Google has created Mail Goggles to help crack down on drinking and emailing.

When you enable Mail Goggles, it will check that you're really sure you want to send that late night Friday email. And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you're in the right state of mind?

By default, Mail Goggles is only active late night on the weekend as that is the time folks are most likely to need it. Once enabled, it can be adjusted when it's active in the General settings.

What in the world will Google think up next?

Thanks for reading!  Tina in Virginia