Showhomes St. Petersburg: Florida

Life After People: The Series is a 10-part documentary television mini-series that premiered on April 21, 2009 on the History Channel. The program is a spin-off of the documentary film Life After People.

In the program, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer exists, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization. Speculation is based upon documented results of the sudden removal of humans from a geographical area and the possible results that would occur if humanity discontinues its maintenance of buildings and urban infrastructure.

If you ever watched this program you will be amazed how life continues without humanity. The same premise goes for homes left vacant on the market. Some Homeowners are uneducated or real estate agents neglect to inform sellers of the benefits of Home Staging and include it as a MUST HAVE MARKETING TOOL.

We all need to be aware of the long term effects of vacant and unsellable properties. Over time, as these properties become more distressed, their value continues to erode. As values erode in a neighborhood, other properties, even well maintained properties will lose value and sell for less money. This has a far reaching effect on overall values over an extended period of time. Many say that this time period is the beginning of the toughest times we have seen in real estate since the 80's.

Even if the last owner left the property with its walls and plumbing intact, it still pays to be extra careful. When a house is closed up for too long, for example, mold can grow. And not just behind the walls, but right out in the open as well. Of course, the problem can be eliminated with the proper ventilation.

Whether the last owner has moved out willingly or not, when a house has been empty for an extended period, it's common for inspectors to find leaking valves, gaskets and appliances. "If no one's there,"says Kathleen Kuhn, president of HouseMaster, the nation's oldest and one of the largest franchise organizations.The Bound Brook, N.J., firm has 385 affiliates throughout North America, "there's no one to see if something goes wrong."

There is a solution to this. Sell, list, and close vacant properties 1 Showhome at A Time! www.showhomes.com or www.showhomesstpetersburg.com or www.showhomesstpetersburgblog.com.

http://www.ktvu.com/video/19172857/

The above link is a story every Realtor, Stager, and Homeowner should be advised. This world is changing and we have to change with it in order to survive.

So, now we are selling homes in a very competetive market and should always put our best foot forward. This includes staging "vacant homes" to command a maximum sales price. So is a home with "just furniture" going to be the best choice?

Although staging is without a doubt a good choice there are also other options that may be a better choice for some. Adding a Home Manager to the impact of staging a vacant home will increase your chances of a premium price sale. Homeowners gain by saving thousands of dollars on utility bills, inflated insurance premiums and other holding costs associated with vacant houses.

It's a fact: well-furnished homes, kept in show-to-sell condition seven days a week, sell faster - and at higher prices-than vacant properties.

After viewing this clip it's a no brainer.....Showhomes works with you to stage and manage houses for maximum value, faster closings and more enthusiastic referrals. www.showhomes.com or www.showhomesstpetersburg.com

When deciding to sell or list a vacant home it's important to plan a successful marketing strategy. With the abundance of inventory available in today's market buyers are viewing multiple homes a day, weekend, daily alerts from Realtor.com, and search times are extended for months.

With this in mind. Your home/listing will need to be mmemorable. This includes cleanliness, temperature (important on a hot Florida day in July), de-cluttered, lights on, blinds open, the smell of Glade' in the air.

When you visit even the smallest"buy here pay here" car dealers have cars detailed and let you test drive so you can visualize this vehicle as your own. This concept isn't new to any of us.

Then why would anyone sell a home vacant? Staging is proven to sell homes faster and more money. Add a Home Manager to the equation and save even more money and prevent from being vulnerable to low ball offers. www.showhomes.com or www.showhomesstpetersburg.com

Local Home Staging Company Honored to be Ranked in Top 50 Franchise Companies
Showhomes ranked in Top 50 Franchise Companies by Franchise Business Review

  Accustomed to placing the spotlight on area homes, local Showhomes franchises are now receiving accolades of their own. The local home staging businesses' parent company, Showhomes Franchise Corporation, has joined the elite list of companies earning a place on Franchise Business Review's Top 50 Franchise Companies List.

The Franchise Business Review Top 50 Ranking puts Showhomes into an elite group of the best franchise companies in the country. Only companies with excellent fundamentals, great financial position and high franchisee satisfaction scores earn a spot in the ranking.  Currently, over 3,000 companies franchise in the United States. 

            The ranking was awarded to Showhomes at the annual International Franchise Conference in San Diego earlier this year. In addition to the top-50 award, Showhomes earned the 2^nd highest award for a franchise in the real estate category, beating out most common real estate brands and placing just behind Sotheby's.

            Showhomes - St. Petersburg owner Elayne Wooding had this to say, "We are really excited about the ranking. We work hard to provide the best staging services in the industry and we are happy to see the industry recognize our success."

             "Franchisee satisfaction is one of the most important criteria to consider before investing in any franchise system," said Franchise Business Review President, Eric Stites. "Very few franchise companies have achieved such high ratings from their franchisees, which puts Showhomes in a very elite class of opportunities in today's marketplace."

            According to Elayne Wooding, the sagging real estate market has created ideal market conditions for Showhomes' services, which help local realtors sell properties by transforming high-end vacant entities into valuable, staged homes. The company has been called "the best kept secret in real estate" by the Travel Channel and was recently listed as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Tennessee by BusinessTN magazine.

For more information about Showhomes - St. Petersburg, please contact Elayne Wooding at 727-599-7862.

About Showhomes

Showhomes - known as America's largest home staging company - began its operations in 1986 and started franchising in 1994. It currently has 42 franchises in 21 states. Showhomes has helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 25,000 homes worth more than $8 billion across the United States by transforming high-end vacant houses into valuable, staged homes. The Showhomes business model is based on the fact that staged homes kept in show-to-sell condition sell faster, and for higher prices, than vacant houses. For franchise opportunities, please visit www.showhomes.com.

Please Visit:

www.showhomesstpetersburg.com

A national home staging company is having success in today`s tough real estate
market using people as props to help stage and sell large vacant homes. The
innovative alternative to traditional staging is dramatically shortening the
time to sell and increasing the sales price.

Showhomes contracts with homeowners to place people it calls `Home Managers` in
vacant homes for sale. Home Managers help stage the home and keep it in
show-to-sell condition inside and out so it shows well and sells faster. These
human `props` add life to the home and make it far easier to sell.

In a recent case study for 2008, luxury homes in Chicago staged by Showhomes
with Home Managers sold for 93% of the original list price when using Home
Managers to stage. Comparable homes left vacant for sale sold for 75-85% of the
original list price. Homes staged with Home Managers sold in 4-5 months and
vacant homes took well over a year to sell. That`s at least a 10% higher sales
price and a sale in less than half the time of vacant homes.

Home Managers get to live in high-end luxury homes for a small fraction of what
it would normally cost to rent or buy. The huge costs savings comes with a
catch: the must have beautiful furniture, must keep the home is spotless show
condition at all times and must be ready to move on short notice when the home
sells. These human `props` make a home looked lived, warm and comfortable.

"There is good news in today`s market: mortgage rates are amazingly low and a
buyer with decent credit and a down payment can get a loan," says Thomas Scott,
Showhomes VP of Operations. "The problem is that for every qualified buyer in
today`s market there are 20-30 homes for sale. This means that for a home to
sell it needs every advantage it can get or it will most certainly languish on
the market."

"Vacant homes are cold and sterile. Buyers have a hard time remembering vacant
homes. Adding a live-in Home Manager to a home makes it warm and appealing. It
looks great. It`s perfectly clean. It smells great and there are clothes in the
closet and food in the fridge. It might be the one home that a buyer remembers
and can easily connect with and in today`s market, that`s the secret to a
successful sale," said Scott.

About Showhomes

Showhomes - known as America's largest home staging company - began its
operations in 1986 and started franchising in 1994. It currently has 46
franchises in 23 states. Showhomes has helped realtors and homeowners sell more
than 25,000 homes worth more than $8 billion across the United States by
transforming high-end vacant houses into valuable, staged homes. The Showhomes
business model is based on the fact that staged homes kept in show-to-sell
condition sell faster, and for higher prices, than vacant houses. For franchise
opportunities, please visit www.showhomes.com.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION

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SHOWHOMES - AMERICA'S LARGEST HOME STAGING COMPANY HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 21 YEARS ASSISTING HOME OWNERS AND AGENTS WITH PROPERTIES ON THE MARKET FOR SALE.


www.showhomestpetersburg.com