Brentwood Real Estate News:

What is the best way to store paint?

First, cover the opening with plastic wrap and then make sure the lid fits securely so the paint doesn't leak.  Then store the paint can upside down. This will create a tight seal around the lid and keep the paint fresh.

What should you do with leftover paint once your painting projects are completed? That's a question that thousands of homeowners ask each year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as many as 69 million gallons of paint are left over annually in the United States.   

Here are some ideas when pondering what to do with those last few cans. 

First, consider donating the paint for reuse. Some organizations will accept paint that's in good condition (defined as uncontaminated paint still with a smooth consistency). The paint must be donated in a labeled container. You can check for donation options locally by clicking on "Paint donation" at earth911.org.

Recycle it. Water-based, or latex, paint can be recycled into new paint or used to create other products. Again, check earth911.org for recycling options.

Each municipality has different requirements, depending on whether the paint is oil- or water-based.

According to the website govlink.org, latex paint (water-based) can be included in curbside trash.  Their suggestions include solidifying paint by:

• Mixing in absorbent material such as cat litter, sawdust or shredded newspaper into paint and allow mixture to dry thoroughly or
• Let the paint dry out by removing the lid and setting the paint can in a well-ventilated area or
• Pour thin layers into a disposable pie plate or cardboard box lined with plastic and allow the paint to dray one layer at a time. 

Once your paint is dry, you can leave the lid off the can and place the cans in your your regular trash. And remember, recycle any cans made of steel. 

Oil-based paint, lead paint and paint thinner contain flammable and toxic solvents. For information about disposal of these products, call Earth 911 for more information at 800-253-2687. Keep in mind that each municipality has different requirements.
*Information courtesy NHI*

Vanessa Stalets
Your Brentwood, Franklin, Williamson County and Middle Tennessee Real Estate Expert!

 Brentwood Real Estate:

Decorating for Christmas,  Why You Should Make it a Family Event!

Do you plan on decorating your home for Christmas this holiday season? If so, do you plan on doing it by yourself?  While decorating for Christmas by yourself makes it easier to get the decorating done in an effective and timely matter, you may want to think about turning your Christmas decorating into a family event.  You will find that there are, literally, an unlimited number of benefits to doing so. 

Perhaps, the biggest benefit of turning your Christmas decorating into a family event is the time that you and your family will be able to spend together, whether you have children or not.  Family bonding is even better with children, but you and your romantic partner could also benefit from the time that you spend together, when decorating your home for Christmas. In addition to getting your home decorated for Christmas, your relationship, whether it be with your children or your spouse, may greatly benefit from the experience.

As previously mentioned, if you are a parent, you and your children could benefit from decorating your home for Christmas together.  What is nice about decorating your home with your children is that they will likely enjoy the experience, especially if they are younger. Younger children tend to be more proud of their work or their accomplishments; therefore, they will likely be proud of the fact that you asked them for assistance, as well as how their decorations turned out.  If you are really looking to make Christmas decorating a family fun event, you and your family could also make some of your own Christmas decorations. Since most children love crafts, it may add extra excitement to the whole decorating experience. 

While the majority of the benefits, to having your whole family help you decorate your home for Christmas is centered on family, there is another benefit that isn't really.  By having your whole family assist you with decorating your home for Christmas, you could save yourself a fairly large amount of time. The time saved will all depend on how much decorating you plan on doing.  Having your family assist you means that Christmas decorating could take a lot less time. This is a great way to get your Christmas decorating done, especially if you find yourself pressed for time.  The more people you have helping you decorate for Christmas, the shorter the whole process will take.

 You can add extra excitement to this family fun event by having your children or other family members help you make homemade Christmas decorations. Even if you do not wish to make your own Christmas decorations, it may be a good idea to let the rest of your family help you pick out the Christmas decorations. This would really turn Christmas decorating into a family fun event.  Even if you are low on cash, you could still allow your children to pick out a few low-cost Christmas decorations.  You will find that many dollars stores carry a fairly large selection of Christmas decorations; decorations that many kids find attractive.

 Since Christmas is all about family, you should let your family help you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming holiday. The benefits and Good will that is generated may just surprise you! So congregate, decorate and celebrate together!

Vanessa Stalets
Your Brentwood, Franklin, Williamson County and Middle Tennessee Real Estate Expert!

  Are you one of the millions of Americans who loves to celebrate Christmas? When asked, the majority of individuals respond that Christmas is one of their favorite holidays, if not their favorite.  If you love to celebrate Christmas, there is a good chance that you may be interested in decorating your home for Christmas.  Unfortunately, as you likely already know, decorating your home can get quite expensive. However, if you want to decorate for Christmas, but you do not have an unlimited amount of money to do so, there are a number of ways that you can go about decorating for Christmas while on a budget. 

Perhaps, the best ways to save money on Christmas directions is to decide ahead of time what you need.  Unfortunately, a large number of shoppers, possibly just like you, have a difficult time with impulse buying. Impulse buying is when shoppers purchase an item as soon as they see it, an item that they may not have intended on purchasing.  If you are shopping for Christmas decorations and you are on a limited budget, you are advised to not give into your impulse buying urges. That is why it is advised that you determine what you would like to buy ahead of time.  If you are unsure exactly what you would like to buy, that is fine, but you may want to focus on which rooms that you want to decorate for Christmas and which rooms you do not.  This will also make it easier for you eliminate unnecessary purchases.

 Once you have decided which type of Christmas decorations that you would like to buy, you can then start shopping; however, it is important to remember your goal of saving money.  Christmas decorations are nice, but you will not want to spend more money on decorations than you have.  The less money you spend on Christmas decorations, the more money you will have to put towards a nice Christmas dinner or Christmas gifts.  That is why it is important that you take where you are shopping, as well as when, into consideration. 

If you are shopping for Christmas decorations on a budget, one of your first stops should be your local dollar store. While many individuals assume that the items sold within dollar stores are poor in quality, they aren't always. In fact, around Christmastime, you could get some really nice Christmas decorations for a dollar or less. Depending on the dollar store you choose to shop at, you should be able to walk away with Christmas pictures, Christmas wall hangings for kids, Christmas tree decorations, Christmas lights, and even Christmas potholders for your kitchen.  As previously mentioned, all of the items found inside a dollar store should be one dollar or less.

  In addition to dollar stores, you may also want to check out your local discount stores. Discount tores, in most cases, are a cross between a convenient store and a department store. They tend to be somewhat small in size, but most dollar stores carry a wide variety of different products, including Christmas decorations.  While the prices at discount stores will vary, you should be able to find beautiful Christmas decorations for fewer than five dollars each.  Of course, there will always be items that cost more than five dollars, but you may be surprised with the selection of low-cost Christmas decorations that can be found at your local discount store.
Although there is a good chance that you may prefer to have brand new Christmas decorations, it might not always be possible.  If you are looking for low-cost, but specialty Christmas decorations, you may want to try shopping on an online auction website. By carefully examining which items you choose to buy, you could walk away with Christmas decorations that are slightly used, but look new. 

    As previously mentioned, it is also important that you keep when you are shopping in mind. For the largest selection of Christmas decorations, you will want to shop early, but for the best prices, you may want to wait until it gets closer to Christmas.  In the days leading up to Christmas, some retail stores offer discounts on their Christmas supplies, including decorations. In fact, right after Christmas many of these discounts reach up to seventy-five or ninety percent off.  Although shopping right after Christmas won't help you this year, but it may be able to help you decorate your home, at an affordable price, next year.

Want to be as "COOL" as the guy from The North Pole? If you follow some basic $$ saving suggestions you too can be a Christmas expert without breaking the bank!

Vanessa Stalets

Your Brentwood, Franklin, Williamson County Real Estate Expert!

RE/MAX Elite

615-957-6333

615-661-4400

 I just love all the tips and stuff I get from others in the industry, thought this one could use to be passed along as well.

What is the best way to clean a garbage disposal?

The garbage disposal is designed to pulverize food products which are then flushed away with water. The problem is that tiny food particles become trapped in the nooks and crannies of the garbage disposal, creating the perfect environment for bacteria and mold to grow.  

Cleaning the garbage disposal weekly will help reduce bacteria and mitigate unpleasant odors.

Pour one half cup of baking soda into the garbage disposal followed by one cup of white vinegar (do not pre-mix the two). Allow the mixture to work its magic for a few minutes while you boil water in a teakettle or similar size pot. The baking soda and vinegar will make “fizzing” noises. Once the water reaches a boil, carefully pour it into the disposal.

For sharpening the blades of your garbage disposal, fill it half way with ice cubes, run cold water into the unit at full pressure, and turn on the disposal to grind the ice. For a nice, fresh scent, put some peels from a lemon, orange, lime, or grapefruit in the drain with the ice cubes.

*courtesy John Watkins, NHI*

My favorite is the lemon peel, it smells so fresh and clean, like summer! Lasts a good while too!

This was passed on to me by a mortgage company, I thought it was useful, hope you do too!

Any other tips/ideas to share? Please post them! I love to learn from you!

The one thing you can do to create great client relationships
is to provide great client service.
Here are seven key things to focus on
to deliver superior client service...

1. Get to Know Your Client. It's easy to find out the obvious things a client wants: price, timing, neighborhood. But how about taking the time to learn about your client's hobbies, social activities, what their children are involved in, their education and job. All this information can help you better appreciate a client's needs and maybe help put together a better deal for them. People like working with people who understand what they're about. The simple fact is, the more knowledge you have about your client, the more valuable you are to them.

2. Tailor the Customer Experience. The way clients like to work with you can diverge tremendously. Do they like to meet after seeing a property and review everything carefully? If they're sellers, do they want to see you in person on a regular basis? How often? Or do they prefer to keep your relationship as time-efficient as possible for the both of you? Don't be afraid to ask, "How would you like me to work with you?"

3. Keep the Channels of Communication Open. No matter how hard working you are, if clients have trouble reaching you, they won't be happy. Make it easy for the client to work with you. Give them your cell phone number and keep your cell phone with you always. If you're in an important meeting, turn the phone off and let incoming calls go to message, or, if you expect an important call, put the phone on vibrate and look at the caller ID, which will display as long as the client is in your cell phone's directory. Use instant messaging, email or web conferencing. Fax listings or email web listings to the client before they view a property. Enhancing your connectivity in these ways, you'll deliver a positive customer experience at every touch point: on the web, by phone, email, and face-to-face.

4. Build Trust. The quickest way to build trust is to only make promises and commitments you know you can keep-and then keep them, no matter what. This may mean working overtime or reaching out to more people in your network for some vital information. Trust is highly valued by clients but a rare commodity, so once you earn it, clients won't want to part with you.

5. Be Yourself. People still think they should present themselves in business as someone other than who they are. They think if they can fake sincerity, they've got it made. You can do one better and actually be sincere. The most enduring business relationships have at their root an honest friendship. When it's appropriate, don't be afraid to bring up your own life goals, aspirations, and interests. Most people have dozens of business acquaintances but few friends. Try to be one of them.

6. Continually Monitor and Modify Your Approach. Ask yourself:

• Did I manage all my client interactions effectively from first contact to last?
• What are the things I did right in this purchase/sale?
• What are the things I wish I did differently in this purchase/sale?

Accept the fact that in relationships, there's always room for improvement.

7. The Most Important Question of All. With both existing and former clients, the most important question you can ask is: "What else can I do for you?" That may sound obvious and even a little self-serving. But to the client, this question suggests that you understand they have needs beyond the ones you're currently fulfilling. So don't be afraid to ask. You might be surprised at the answer.

*courtesy CTX Mortgage Franklin, TN*

Where, Oh Where Did The Buyers Go?

If you turn on the Television, pick up a newspaper or listen to the radio, even go to the salon, all you hear these days is how bad the Real Estate industry is right now. Is this truth?! Yes and No. Here's why; yes the mortgage industry has had some harsh times recently, the days of Wine and Roses are gone. But! And it is a large but (no pun intended) the real issue here is FEAR. One of the deadliest four letter words I know. Nothing runs us humans stronger and faster than fear. It can dictate to an intelligent person and have them behaving foolishly. This is what I believe is happening now. After hearing how bad it is over and over ad nausea finally everyone believes it. It is just not so! OK, what is true is that the days of 100% loans with no documentation just because your credit score is high are gone. NO BIGGIE. Most people with scores like that also have a steady income that is provable. Next, those who can not afford a home mortgage will stop getting them. Good, I say. We need a bit of balance here. Traditionally, a home was something you saved up for while you drove the out dated car etc. In recent years there has come far more of the first time buyers with no money down driving new cars. Who can blame them if the lender approves the loan? The way I see it is that now some order will be restored and the market will correct given some time. 6-12 months minimum is my guess; in the meantime, buyers with good credit and provable income with a bit down are great to buy now! The rates are still good and prices are going down a little, in resale at least. Also, many lenders have contacted me to say that they are still doing 100% loans, Jumbo loans and little documentation loans. When to buy! THE TIME IS NOW PEOPLE!

What am I talking about? Closing gifts of course! On a regular basis I have come up against this idea. I have heard many things from agents and clients alike. For example an agent once said to me that it was a huge waste of my money to give closing gifts to buyers and that I would be smart to save it for other things. My take is that I appreciate them working with me and I know that everyone likes presents! I usually give an amount commensurate with the sales price/commision, meaning if it is a $175,000 house then it is one amount, if it is a $500,000 it would be larger(always within RESPA guidlines). I usually try to ferret out a store they like or restaurant but if that fails Home Depot works well too. I also give one to sellers, although sometimes in a different catagory.I have had many clients be so pleasantly surprised by this that they went on and on about it. What do you think? Is it a great way of being remembered or is it a waste of $$? What has your experience been, how much is appropriate and do you gift both buyers and sellers and if not which one and why? What type of gift do you give and what has been the reaction, good or bad?

So, I signed listing on Million plus property , yay !! Here is the deal.

Client is very "strong" personality, does not want to spend  $$ on yard, painting deck now(will paint before closing though)etc. Client leaves for 6 months of the year and usually turns off a few basics etc. Explained that I cannot possibly list without water, lights etc.lol No sign in yard, does not want(nosy) neighbors to know and has some other business related reasons.I reped on the buy and have become "friends" with clients and know that they will walk away from $$ rather than negotiate.

Now have to get it out there in a down market. Thinking about doing broker open house(client ok with this if I think is needed) in evening with the estate all lit up, jazz combo, wine and hor'd ourves. Need a hook to get the top brokers to come though. Any ideas? Also any ideas about marketing outside the box in the current market aside from standars newspaper and high end mags?Going to have proff. video and pics(got someone for $400)and do snazzy brochure.What is a reasonable budget for marketing on a listing like this? Why am I taking on this listing when it sounds hard? Well basically I want to break into high end more and it is very "clicky" here. My thinking is that at least this will put my name out there with this price point...

Give me your ideas and experience, I know you have all had clients/listings like this.

With the current market slow down and a generalized fear of finance issues making buyers extra cautious, how do you get your listing out there and seen? And after you have, how do you create a feeling of urgency in a buyer?My answer is thinking outside the box! I video tape the house from driveway all the way through to the back yard, in real time video! I put it up on all my sites as well as youtube.com. Buyers are sometimes wary of "edited" pictures on websites and MLS. How often have you seen a picture of a house that looked wonderful, only to get there and realize it is not?! This takes some of the guess work out for buyers before they spend the time and energy to see it(and you do too). I know that many would say that defeats the purpose, we want them to have to come see it to determine if they like it. The feeling being that if you get a buyer to the house that is a step in the right direction. I disagree. In the market now buyers are savvy, they want to know "the real deal" and do not appreciate gimmicks and such. Video in real time is appreciated and helps reach those who might be on the fence after seeing your listing on the MLS. I have found this to be an excellent marketing tool as well as a way to stand out in my market! Check this one out, I did not do a voice narrative on this one like I usually do in an attempt to see what buyers are more receptive to. I will preface this by saying I am an ameteur with video and editing having just started this not long ago so be kind, there is much I still need to learn and figure out~ :.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEV3rbkPLVg

What are your thoughts? Do you do this and if so how is it working for you?
I am curious to hear any outside the box ideas, bring 'em and help us learn!

Vanessa