It's the little things that make the diffrence

Several articles have appeared lately about how to do just that, make the little things count in real estate. Even last week HGTV ran a hour long show about the 25 biggest real estate mistakes that Buyers and Sellers make. The upswing in the media has been amazing! And from where I sit, people are listening. In the last two weeks the amount of interest in our local real estate market has tripled in our office alone. The phones have been ringing, showings have increased, escrows have been opened.

So what can you do as a Seller to try and hold your own against the amount of REO (or bank owned) properties in your area. Here are some ideas compiled from around the web:

1. Clean, Clean, Clean and then Clean some more!
People want to come into your home and imagine themselves living there. If they can't see past the mess then they can't see themselves living in your home.

2. Accentuate the positives, and camouflage the negatives.
If you have a great view, hang long simple curtains on the windows to draw the eye to that area. If you have great hardwood floors make sure that your floors are uncluttered and you may even want to remove a throw rug or two. On the flip side if you have small closets you may want to pack up your out of season clothes to make your closet look more spacious.

3. Appeal to the widest possible audience.
Take a look around your home, would it appeal to the average joe. Yes you may like that hot pink in your daughters room but will a Buyer with two boys feel the same way? Repainting to a neutral tan color and removing accent pieces that scream you, may help as well.

4. Create a welcoming environment.
Make your space feel warm, bright and fresh. Have the carpets cleaned, make sure to have working light bulbs in all fixtures. Burn light smelling candles when a showing is going to happen.

5. Develop a quick clean plan for last minute showings.
You never know when a Buyer will decide that they want to see your home. Sometimes you have a weeks notice and sometimes you have an hour. Have some nice looking storage baskets that you can quickly put toys, newspapers or shoes in at a moments notice.

Want to look around??

This weekend we will be hosting an open house event in conjunction with the Angels Camp sidewalk sale. Our office located at 80 South Main Street will be open handing out refreshments, maps and foreclosure lists. We will also be holding a raffle. You can sign up for the raffle at the office or anyone of our open houses.


April 19th 10:30am to 2pm


186 Rock Ridge in Angel Oaks subdivision - 4 bedroom 2 bath home with amazing views. Asking price of $434,900 #080966 - Hosted by Megan Mabanag

217 Mistletoe in Angel Oaks subdivision - 3 bedroom 2 bath home with master retreat. Asking price $449,900 #080407 - Hosted by Roberta Bennett


974 Mark Twain in Historic Angels Camp - 4bedroom 2 bath home with lovely garden and hardwood floors. Asking price $359,000 - Hosted by Stephanie Houston


682 Casey in Angels Camp - 3 bedroom 1 bath home within blocks of the high school. Great starter or investment property. Asking price $249,900 - Hosted by Heather Neimi

Now that is an excellent question!

New today - there are 984 residential properties for sale in Calaveras County MLS. That's right 984! How do you find the one that is right for you? You could have your realtor drag you around to all 984 homes. You can spend countless hours searching the internet and websites waiting for the one that jumps off the page and screams pick me pick me! (Which by the way I have found never happens) Or you can use these tips to help narrow you searching and pin point the type of house that you want.

Size - It matters but don't limit yourself to a specific square footage. Layout can make a huge
difference in a 1000 square foot home or even a 2000 square foot home.

Life plan - Consider how long are you going to stay in this home? What is your five year plan? Are you planning on having kids in the near future? Or adding a dog? Are you planing to stay here for 15 years or just a few?

Bedrooms and baths - Can you really have four people living in a home and sharing one bath room? Sometimes even a half a bath can make a huge difference to a family or even roommates. Bedrooms can be also as important but don't think that just because the house is marketed as a two bedroom house with den that it limits you to two bedrooms. There are additional living spaces in some homes that can be converted to extra bedrooms (check with your local planning/building department if you plan to make these change permanent).

Yard vs View - Do you enjoy living in town? Do you want a low maintenance yard? Do you want lots of acres? Think about how much time you have to devote to a yard in addition to your job, family and house.

Improvements - Does it have the improvements that you want? Or with the purchase price do you have the money to make the improvements that you want? Do you want those improvements to be in the home now or do you have plans to put YOUR decorator stamp on it?

Maintenance - Every home will have on going maintenance even a new home. Consider how much time you have to devote to the maintenance of your home.

Neighborhood/Schools - If you have kids or are planning to have kids what are the local schools like? What extracurricular activities do the schools and local community offer?

These are just some of the questions that can help you determine what home can be right for you.