The Family Photo Album

You're getting ready for a family visit back home next week. Imagine this scenario as you take some snapshots of your home, inside and out, so you'll have pictures to show the folks.

You ask your family to stand by the front door as you take the first picture. Next, you position yourself for a shot of the kitchen. In order to get the entire room in the picture, you stand just outside the kitchen doorway in the dining room. The bedrooms are next, and then you finish up by taking the last shot of the family room.

Now you are showing the photos to your folks, and your explanation might sound like this:

"Oops! There's the front of the house – part of it anyway."

"This next one is our kitchen – just pretend those dirty dishes aren't there."

"Our bedroom is really quite large – pay no attention to the unmade bed."

"Uh-oh, I think I forgot to turn on the light – that's supposed to be the family room!"

Remember this story when you decide to sell your home. Just imagine how much more the family would have enjoyed your pictures if you hadn't had to apologize for every one of them. What do you suppose the folks back home thought?

The impression you make on your buyers during their first visit is critical. If they find everything in place, in good repair, and sparkling clean - your home will be a hit with everyone. Otherwise, well....

THE GREAT SEGWAY GIVEAWAY!

This spring I purchased a SEGWAY Personal Transporter and it has changed my life. It's hard to explain if you have never been on one, but there is a kind of Zen that you can associate with the Segway. It's as though thought and action become one. Really. And the Segway is serious transportation with zero emissions. It's also a heck of a lot of fun. Trips to the store to pick up milk are no longer a chore and I'm using a lot less gas, which is great now that we are once again over $3.00/gallon in downtown Hamilton, MA.

But let me tell you what else has happened since I got my Segway. I have met scores of people. It's like a conversation magnet. Everybody wants to talk about it...and try it, of course. When I come to a stop at a crosswalk, drivers invariably stop to let me pass because they want to see the Segway in action. I get "thumbs up" from car drivers and truck drivers and pedestrians alike. I am having face-to-face conversations with people I have never met and it's a real pleasure.

So I got to thinking... Everyone seems so enamored with the Segway, what can I do to help share the enjoyment and at the same time, reduce carbon emmissions and earn energy credits? I decided to hold a marketing promotion that is tied hand-in-hand with my business as a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker. Something that is so remarkable that no other agent would even consider making such an offer. I call the promotion:

MOVE . . . AND BE MOVED!

The branding for MOVE...AND BE MOVED! is a natural since each company (Coldwell Banker and Segway) helps people move... in different ways.

[For details, go to: http://www.listwithjayforafreesegway.com/]

I am now offering qualified sellers who list their homes with me a FREE Segway PT when their home closes. This is NOT a Coldwell Banker offering - It is an independent offering from me to my seller clients and is valued at more than $5,000.00.

This BLOG marks the beginning of the promotion. Handouts, flyers, postcards, personal appearances, local advertising and online promotion will all begin today. So you will be hearing a lot more about it.

In the meantime, if you know someone thinking of selling a home in this area that would like a Segway as a sign of appreciation for listing with me, let me know. I will be pleased to meet with them and even bring along my Segway for a demonstration.

Best regards,

Jay

Family Traffic Jam?

What if you bought a home because you fell in love with it? And what if, the day after you moved in, you noticed that the nearest grocery store was twelve miles away, the nearest school was halfway up a mountain, and that 325 small children tramped through your yard each day on the way up the mountain to school?

Would it occur to you that you should have taken time to notice the traffic patterns around the outside of the home before buying it? Would it surprise you to know there are also traffic patterns inside your home?

Of course there are. Take your present home, for example. Imagine that each member of your family has bright yellow wet paint on the bottom of their shoes for twenty-four hours. Imagine the trail they would leave on your floors as they pursued their regular activities for just one day. That trail would be your "family traffic pattern." And, it would be a good indication of the room arrangement a new home should have to best suit your family's needs.

When you start looking for a new home, think about that family traffic pattern. Determine the most suitable door, hallway, and bedroom locations in order to provide an easy flow of traffic through your home. If you like to entertain, check out the potential traffic from kitchen and dining to living, family and recreation rooms. Thinking ahead like this can be the key to easy living.

For more great tips, visit my website, scroll down and click on . You'll find plenty of helpful articles whether you are buying or selling or just thinking about either.