How to Find a Great Realtor

As with anything, there are good realtors and bad realtors out there. If you are thinking about buying or selling a house, you want to have a good realtor in your corner, especially in this economy. Houses are still selling at low prices, but a good realtor can get you the best price for your home. Also, because home prices are so low, people are starting to buy houses again in many areas of the country, so you want a realtor that is going to get you the best deal on your new house too. Gone are the days when people could sell and buy their own houses. It's a much better bet to find a realtor if you're planning on buying or selling a house.

Interview

When you use a realtor to buy or sell a house, you are essentially hiring that person to do a job for you. At closing, part of your closing costs will be a fee that you pay your realtor. As with any employee or anyone providing you with a service, you will want to interview your realtor before you get started with the buying or selling process. You can tell a lot of things about a person in an interview, especially when you go in with questions prepared. You can ask how many homes the realtor has bought or sold in the past month, or where he or she usually works. You might also want to get a sense of his or her family life. You want someone who has been through the buying and selling process with their own home too, so you know that they know how stressful it can be.

Check the Listings

If you're on the buying end of the equation, when your realtor starts showing you listings for houses, make sure he or she is not also the listing agent. When that happens, your realtor will be making a fee based on selling and buying the house for his or her clients. The fee is a percentage of the price of the home, so if you are looking at a house your realtor listed, he or she is really working in his or her own best interest. You can also feel free to email them listings you've found on your own to be sure you're seeing the houses you want to see.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask

When you have questions, you shouldn't be afraid to ask your realtor. They're there for you to answer any questions you have. This is especially important if you are buying or selling your first house. Your realtor should walk you through the process, but he or she can't possibly know all of the questions you might have. If you feel like you can't ask your realtor questions, it's probably time to find someone new.

Be Honest

Honesty is the best policy, and that goes for buying and selling a house, too. When you are selling a house, you need to disclose certain problems - like water damage or mold - to your realtor and the buyers. If you try to hide this information, you'll be facing legal issues down the line. Also, if you are casually looking at houses, or if you need to move right away, tell your realtor that in your discussions about buying a house. Your realtor will work around the clock to get you into a great place. But if you're not ready to buy quite yet, they deserve to know that too. You should also be upfront about your budget if you are buying a house, and what you want to get if you are selling a house. All of this information can help them help you.

cacollie

cacollie

Rubberbooters

                                                 Hello everyone,
               Isn't this a cute idea? I remember seeing some rubber boots used for flower containers awhile ago on Pinterest so I collected a few from thrift shops as well as some old ones from my grandchildren.

  We put them up on the old door in Chelsea Garden inside the terrace to give it some life. There is an old mirror in the window which reflects them also.

                       Such a cute idea-don't you think?

                           They have such cute little boots these days.

I bought these at a thrift shop but they came from Old Navy before that. I didn't put these up because they are just so cute-I thought I might have a new granddaughter someday to splash around in these!

  I spotted these in Mahone Bay earlier this year along the sidewalk-so cute!

                                            Loving my phlox right now too.

   I might actually dig out my own rubberboots today as we finally got some rain last night and I see a few puddles in our driveway!

I am joining My Romantic Home for Show And Tell today.

Have a fun weekend!

Carolyn

Planning a Literature-themed Wedding

Summer is wedding season, and that means couples everywhere are putting the finishing touches on their weddings before getting hitched. Some think that the devil is in the details, but it's the details and personal touches that can make your wedding memorable for years to come. Whether you are just starting to plan your wedding, or if you are just adding some final touches, make your wedding unique and special to you. If you and your fiancé are book-lovers, try adding some literature to your wedding theme.

Rustic Books

Old books can add a rustic touch to your wedding, and they can be placed almost anywhere. Use tattered, old books as centerpieces. To do this, just pile them up in the middle of the tables and put vases or candles on top of them. You can also decorate bookshelves in your venue with your favorite, well-loved books for photo-ops and portrait backgrounds. Working books into your décor and your photographs is a great way to add an elevated sense of literature to your wedding. You and your new husband can take pictures with books, or you can have your photographer stage your rings and other wedding trinkets over book pages to give them a cool, unique background. You can also add a guestbook that looks like a rustic book that you can treasure on your bookshelf for years to come.

Favorite Quotes

Avid readers always have favorite quotes from books. These quotes can apply to many things about your wedding, and you can put quotes on signs around your reception and ceremony. You can also use a unique quote from your favorite books instead of table numbers, and make sure that book is in the center of the table to mark where people should sit. You can ask guests to sign your guestbook with a quote from their favorite book. If you do this, be sure to warn them in advance to come prepared. You wouldn't want them to feel like they can't sign the guestbook because they don't have a quote ready.

Costume Attire

One of the best parts of being a bride is that you get to select what your attendants wear. If you want to have a truly literature-themed wedding, have your bridesmaids and groomsmen wear clothing that is inspired by your favorite book. For a Great Gatsby wedding, for example, have everyone wear clothing inspired by the 1920's. If you prefer an Odyssey inspired wedding, use clothing that is reminiscent of Ancient Greece. There are unlimited possibilities with this, so if you prefer a different time period, do a little research. Remember, it doesn't have to be over the top; just use these time periods as inspiration. Be sure to work in quotes and images from the book you select, too. This will help tie it all together.

Readings and Toasts

Some of the best places to incorporate your theme are in the readings and toasts that you and your friends and family give. When you have readings at your ceremony, select them from your favorite pieces of literature, and have the reader tell your guests why the passage was selected before they begin reading. You can also draw inspiration from books for your toast to your guests before or during dinner. You can even ask your officiant to include some literature-inspired advice in his or her speech to your guests. It's also possible to incorporate literature into your vows. Sometimes, channeling the words of the great writers that came before you can not only help you decide what you want to say, but can also lead to a better speech.

Summer Days

                                                            Hello everyone,
                           It is still hot and sunny here so take a little break and enjoy a cup of peach tea and a book in the hammock.

                           

It is phlox and hydrangea season here so I have picked a basket to enjoy.

My hammock is a canvas yardsale find with a lace tablecloth thrown over it.

You can see the garden in the background where the daylillies are thriving.

                                             Pleasant dreams to you!

                           I see you have kicked off your wellies!

 Our grass is turning brown this summer due to the lack of rain we have had all spring and summer.

If I don't look too close at the garden I still see lots of beauty but closer inspection shows plants that are definitely stressed. I notice a lot of trees are losing their leaves.

                                        Birdhouse on the post by the hammock.

                                             The shasta daisies are blooming well.

 Well, I went to town this morning to get some pretty paint for a few projects so I better get to work but you can linger in the hammock under the shade of the big spruce tree with a gentle breeze to keep you cool and the sound of our brook to soothe your soul.

I am joining French Country Cottage for Featured Nest Friday and  The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home today.

Enjoy your day!

Carolyn

Country Days

                                                                       Hello everyone,

           On a beautiful day last week my friend Janice and I went for a little day trip to some of our favorite places and some new back road country places that we had not seen before.

  Trust me to find some old country home and fall in love with it!

 We had a tour of an old church that has been restored and used for cooking classes-Annies Table. The pretty yellow house is her home that has also been restored-for some of the classes you get to tour the house and Lucy Maud Montgomeries birth place also. Sign me up!

     I enjoyed the day with Janice so much my husband and I went back for a drive one nice evening.
 

  The same house in the sunshine.

              We stopped to admire these beautiful horses on a very scenic farm. I love the hills in the background.

  For some reason the song "An Old Log Cabin for Sale' with an old open bucket and well kept going through my head here. It was a song my parents enjoyed many long years ago. My husband said it is an old Wilf Carter song. Anyone else know it?

               A field of Golden Rod in the evening light.

Happy Birthday to Jessica!

On a different note it was a little birthday celebration for Jessie who just turned seven and her cousin Lucas and Sasha Jessie's puppy enjoyed some fun and cake and icecream. Little Lucas is still travelling once a week to Montreal( a day trip most weeks) for a drug trial for Muscular Dystrophy as some of you may remember and we are happy with how well it is going for Lucas and his Mama.

Hope you enjoyed my' country days'.

Thank you for your visit!

Carolyn

How Does Home Staging Work

According to surveys conducted by realtors, home staging helps people sell houses faster/earlier than they would have been able to without home staging. Home staging can almost reduce the listing time of your house by half! It has also been demonstrated that sellers can earn about 10 to 15% more by staging their house before they sell it, than they would if the house was empty. All this, by only taking a little effort to make your house look a little more presentable and attractive. How cool is that? Home staging is one of the surest ways to get the best deal for your house.

Home Staging - How Does It Work?

Home staging is regarded as an unfair practice at times. It is held as 'trickery'. However, home staging is quite equivalent to you wearing a nice dress on a date, or you buying a bouquet of flowers for your date! It's not that you don't look nice in jeans, it's not that your date would mind if you didn't buy her flowers; but these small things matter, don't they? Home staging is the practice of preparing your house before potential buyers come to see it. Home staging involves making your house look attractive enough for people to want to buy it. There are several home staging tricks that you may be aware of, but do you know why and how it works? Here are a few ideas on how it works.

'I' Seek to Identify

One of the most important thing playing on the buyer's mind while buying a new house is - they are trying to catch hold of something they can relate too. You may step into the best furnished and most expensive house and not like it, because you feel disconnected and foreign, because the house doesn't feel like 'home'. On the other hand, you might just step into a very modest house and fall in love with it instantly. It isn't about the money, it isn't about how expensive or cheap the place is, or how big or small the house is; it is about the buyer being able to identify with the house. This is one of the reasons why home staging works and how it works too.

Clean is Compulsory!

Home staging focuses on thorough cleaning of the house. Why this works in making your house sell quicker and for a better price is because a house with stains and cobwebs is a complete turn-off. However, a neat and clean house is going to make the buyer feel pleasant. It is going to send the message across that you have really taken good care of the house while you were living in it. A clean house goes on to make the buyer believe in the price you quote. If you are asking for a certain amount, it is necessary your house looks worth the amount; one of the ways to ensure that is to present buyers with a clean house.

Embellishment and Emphasis

Though secondary, this is a very important aspect of home staging. Pause and think for a moment; why do we wrap gifts and presents in an attractive gift wrap paper? Why do we decorate a gift with ribbons? Why does a bouquet at the florist look much more attractive and appealing than a bouquet of handpicked flowers? In spite of what we like to believe, we all like it when someone makes us feel pampered. Home staging works to make your house look so attractive that a buyer feels like he/she must own it. One of the approaches of home staging is to embellish the house and to emphasize its features - a good garden, a nice balcony, whatever it may be. People may have an association with a certain feature of the house. Home staging works by showing people what they want to see!

What YOU Thought When You Bought

Do you remember your visit to your house as a buyer? What was it about the house that appealed to you the most? Was it the garden? The patio? The bay window? The kitchen? More than anything, I guess it was about the feeling that you belonged there. You could see your children rolling in the bed in their room. You could see yourself lying on the couch with your wife, watching the rain pour outside your window. You could envision your dog playing in the backyard. Home staging banks on such memories, and tries to recreate the atmosphere. This is why it works.

Home staging definitely works wonders to improve your chances of selling your house. What's more, if done cleverly, home staging can help you earn a little more than you expected! Now that you know how home staging works, I hope you are able to get a good bargain out of your deal.