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July 2009 Newsletter
July 2009 - Issue 28 < >
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Greeting!
Kids on Beach

We trust that this note finds you enjoying a fabulous summer. Even though it seems the school term just ended and the vacation season is just beginning, we're already seeing "Back to School" advertisements in stores and newspapers. It's hard to believe, but now's the time to start working with us preparing your homes and listings for the fall market with the best Staging possible for vacant and occupied properties.

Please call 703-261-7026 or contact us now to have your house or listings staged for the fall market.

REMEMBER, Right Pricing gets you in the game,
and Home Staging gets you the offer!

Best regards,
Trish

What's In It For Me? That is a great question.

In last month's newsletter, we quantified our 2009 home staging performance with an average of 30.2 Days on Market vs. NVAR's 89* days and the percentage of close price over listing price of our staged homes' 96.6% over NVAR's 91.8%* with 4.8% difference. So, What's In It For ME?

For Sellers:
  • Almost 1/3 of Days on Market - fewer mortgage payments
  • 4.8% Higher Close Price - more equity
    With an average List Price of $438,392, it's an additional $21,043
For Realtors:
  • Almost 1/3 of Days on Market - reduced marketing cost
  • 4.8% Higher Close Price - higher commission
    With an average List Price of $438,392, it's an additional $631
  • More Listing Business as a Realtor who gets Houses Sold
  • Virtual Tour Service Free of Charge. Click here for an example
  • Receive Listing Referrals from us
CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO STAGE?
* These figures from Jan-May, 2009 have been adjusted since our last newsletter. Information extracted from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS) and compiled by the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS® (NVAR). Northern Virginia data reflects real estate market statistics for the following jurisdictions: Counties of Fairfax and Arlington; cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax; towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton. (Loudoun County not included in Northern Virginia data).

Staged Home in Burke VA
This charming house situated on a lot backing to a park-like setting in Burke had already gone through a beautiful master suite addition on the main level. Between the initial staging consultation and the staging day, Randy and Pam followed Trish's specifications faithfully by de-cluttering, taking down wallpaper and painting. Unwanted furniture pieces had either been sold at a yard sale or donated to charities. On the staging day, they graciously vacated their home so that our team could exercise their creative energy more freely. This also makes the very first viewing by the owners much more dramatic and exciting. You may have seen this scenario on HGTV. As a value-added service we developed and provided a virtual tour (see it here) to the listing agent Connie Vanderpool to assist her in marketing this beautifully staged home. The day before the listing went live, Randy sent an e-mail that said:
"Where do Pam and I start to thank you and Staged Interior for your incredible creative arrangement of the eleven rooms in our home. You not only infused unique appeal to each room but maintained the warmth that we believe has characterized our home these past few years. We are still digesting the creativeness and arranging talent of your team as we study each room. The virtual tour captures your fantastic efforts that took only one day to accomplish. We have already received many compliments on your creativeness. We anticipate the sale of our home will be forthcoming shortly due to your efforts. Again, our thanks and appreciation for your creativeness and commitment to your clients."
The house went under contract in 8 days at full price and we received another gracious and encouraging e-mail:
"Pam and I thank you again for the beautiful job you did in staging our home on May 12. It went on the market on 5/15 and we had an open house on 5/17. The first couple through the house on the 17th made an offer that became a ratified contract on May 23. We continue to brag and share what Staged Interior did for us. We believe your staging was the primary factor in the quick sale."
We'd love for you to be part of these success stories, and we are looking forward to featuring your story in upcoming newsletters.
Military Family
The Washington DC metro area is home to many active and retired military families. As such, it is the perfect place to bring good, no, Great News to the spouses of the men and women of our armed forces who protect our freedom day and night. Here's the Great News in the words of Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging:
"We at Stagedhomes.com are very excited to have our ASP/ASPM Courses and Designations approved by the US Department of Defense. Stagedhomes.com is honored to be The Home Staging Training School for Military Spouses, MyCAA, who want to become Home Stagers. Every day, every year the United States Military works so hard to protect our freedoms throughout the world. It is now our honor to be able to work with Military Spouses who choose to become ASP Home Stagers! We welcome you to our ASP Family with open arms!"
MyCAA financial assistance pays for expenses such as post-secondary education and training, tuition, licensing, and credentialing fees. This includes continuing education classes. Schools use MyCAA's AI Portal to bill DoD electronically.

If you know of a military spouse who is an aspiring home stager, please forward this newsletter.

Trish KimAbout Trish Kim

Charter Lifetime Accredited Staging Professional Master
2008 Barb Schwarz Staging Excellence Award Winner
2007 Barb Schwarz Staging Excellence Award Nominee
2008 President, DC Chapter of
     International Association of Home Staging Professionals

Trish Kim has been bringing her clients unique interior design experiences in the Washington DC Metropolitan area since 1988. She is the CEO and staging consultant for Pendleton & Young, Inc., doing business as Staged Interior. She is an ASP Master (ASPM) and was personally trained and mentored by Barb Schwarz, the creator of the home staging concept. Trish's strengths are in creative spatial arrangement, color coordination, and composition, which create the "WOW!" factor so essential in giving sellers the needed edge in this market. Her talents are evidenced by our "Before and After" photo/virtual tour presentations. Trish is the one-and-only charter lifetime ASP Master in Virginia and is President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IASHP). Trish is married to her husband Young Kim, an ASP, and has two grown children and a daughter-in-law in Fairfax. She has also mastered the art of spoiling her two precious grandchildren, Jake and Tasha.

Staged Interior TeamOur Staging Team

It takes more than one person to accomplish a home staging project. That's why we work with a talented team of ASPs. Under Trish's leadership, our energetic team collaborates to effectively create polished and beautiful results. And we have a lot of fun doing it, too! Utilizing the ASP Code of Ethics and Standards as a foundation, each member brings her experience, talent, creativity, and yes, muscle power, to the team. We all share in the joy and satisfaction of each staged and sold home!

Member of:

  • Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
  • Dulles Area Association of Realtors
  • International Association of Home Staging professionals
  • StagedHomes.com

Sincerely,

 Trish Kim
Accredited Staging Professional (ASP™) Master

phone: 703-261-7026

Staged Interior | Pendleton & Young, Inc. | Centreville | VA | 20121