This movement towards combined living may have had to do with the economy; however there are enough benefits to multi-generational living that many families are choosing to make the arrangement permanent. Some common reasons for choosing multi-generational living include:

§ Moving back home after completing college to look for a job or save for a home,

§ The need to care for aging parents,

§ Sharing expenses and home work load, or

§ Sharing child care responsibilities.

In many parts of the world, multi-generational living is common and widely accepted. In the US, with the 65+ population expected to double to 92 million by 2060, multi-generational living may eventually become the norm here as well.

As this trend grows, Realtors and home stagers will be asked to address the needs of multiple generations in their marketing and staging projects. They may need to notice a difference in uses for the alcoves and ancillary spaces in homes to create living areas and/or other zones like more space for laptop or TV viewing, create spaces such as added dining areas or a second kitchen or kitchenette, or turn a bedroom and bath into a small studio-type space. For elder care, things like having a bed/bath on a main floor, wider doorways, pull-up bars in bathrooms, solid surface flooring rather than carpet, etc., will become more important.

The adjustments are as plentiful as the imagination and floor plan will allow. One thing is certain, Realtors and home staging professionals will continue to work together to determine whether the property and/or demographic is suited to these types of adjustments and improvements and whether they will make the property more sale-able to the target audience. It will be important to have the skills and creativity to transform traditional spaces into something more suited to multi-generational living.

I’d be very interested in hearing your experiences with this; please feel free to share photos and ideas on how you have helped others, or yourself, live more comfortably with multiple generations under one roof.

Good Real Estate Photos are a crucial part of marketing your home for sale. These photos are used in home listings, websites and print advertising, therefore require a different format to obtain the best quality.

Real Estate Photos are used to capture the attention of your target market and make them interested enough to make them visit your house in person.

Real Estate Photography is a skill on its own. In today’s competitive market, don’t expect great pictures out of cell phones or disposable cameras, no matter what the commercials tell you!

Tips on preparing well before photos are taken:

Hallways and entryways should be free of obstructions
Bedrooms and bathrooms need to look well-organized and sparkle
All personal stuff should be out of view
Kitchens should be clear of garbage cans, pet-food dishes and any other unnecessary objects.

Unless you’ve been living under a real estate rock the past 12-18 months, learning how to flip houses is a big deal right now.

With multiple reality television shows like Flip This House, Flip Men and all the others – it seems everyone has flipped for house flipping.

Just last week, I even got a call from US News and World Report and Yahoo! Homes in the same week to talk to them about house flipping.It just seems like there are so many people hyping the house flip thing, it seems a bit out of control.

House Flipping Hits Hollywood?

Even famous and even not-so-famous-anymore celebrities are now getting into house flipping…proving that Hollywood too it seems has gone flip-crazy.

The most recent one is star of the latest Bourne series of films and the upcoming big screen debut of Hansel and Gretel Jeremy Renner. He first got into it ten years ago having used his first big studio paycheck from the 2002 crime thriller “S.W.A.T.” to remodel a late 1960s fixer upper. As if a couple million from his movie career wasn’t enough to pay the bills, he walked away from that project with a $241,000 in profit.

According to Esquire Magazine, he’s flipped over 15 houses in the Los Angeles area and is now rehabbing an 11-bedroom fixer upper which he hopes to sell for a cool $25 million.

With foreclosures on the decline, the fact remains that there are many great opportunities available to get into good house flips – even as we work through the foreclosure inventory and climb our way out of the great recession.

House flip deals are still available and this makes for an ideal environment for people want to fix and flip houses – which may have something to do with the current frenzy.

So What Are The Steps to a House Flip?

Although house flipping has been hyped a lot recently, the fundamentals remain the same: it’s a great time to get into not only house flipping but real estate investing in general.

So toss the hype aside and let’s get down to how it’s done and what you can do to start doing it.

Make no mistake, house flipping has never been and will never be as simple and easy as the “gurus” would have you think.

Nor is it as easy as the reality shows would have you believe. Even if you ask them, they’ll tell you that it’s not as simple as it’s made to be on television.

House flipping takes hard work, education and in some cases years of experience to do really successfully.But that does not mean that the new real estate investor cannot start doing it successfully….

But to do that, there are some key steps to success – and although there is no way to explain ALL the little details of how to flip a house – it can be broken down essentially into ninebasic steps.

So to illustrate the steps needed to flip houses, I’ve put together the following infographic which simplifies what is in practice a complicated process with multiple moving parts.

But knowing the basic steps involved to start can certainly get you on your way to house flipping success.

I welcome you to use it on your website as well!

How to Flip a House in 9 Steps

Embed this image on your site
<a href="http://www.houseflippingschool.com/" mce_href="http://www.houseflippingschool.com/"><img src="http://houseflippingschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/houseflipping-infographicsVer2.jpg" mce_src="http://houseflippingschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/houseflipping-infographics.jpg" alt="House Flipping 101" width="600" border="0" /></s><br/>[Source: <a href="http://www.houseflippingschool.com/" mce_href="http://www.houseflippingschool.com/">House Flipping School</a>]

Share This Infographic on Your Website!

You are welcome to use this infographic on your site or blog. Simply copy the embed code above and paste into your website or blog!

About the Author

Mike LaCava is the President of Hold Em Realty and House Flipping School, both located in Southeastern Massachusetts. Mike is a full time real estate investor and a house flipping coach. He has also authored the book ““How to Flip a House In 5 Simple Steps” available for free at his website.

I recently spoke to a realtor who told me that she used a designer to stage her properties.  I got the impression that she thought using a designer was a “step up” from using a staging professional.  I wanted to say  that is just not so (but it was not appropriate at the time).  It sort of reminded me of those folks who assume that  if one vitamin pill is good, two must be better.

It is obvious to me that this particular realtor does not fully understand the training of, or the role of,  the certified staging professional. True, there are  similarities in interior design and staging but of course there are  marked differences as well, in particular,  that the goals of the stager and the designer are not the same.  Marketing plan 101:   its about educating realtors.

Orlando, FL – August 30, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published an article on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) discussing home staging. The article, titled “Lessons from the London Olympics” shares three practical lessons for her readers.

Christine writes, “As I was enjoying the games, I found that many of the principles that lead to Olympic success also apply to business—particularly the business of home staging.”

Certified Staging Professionals trains home stagers through a comprehensive staging courses of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire article can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/articles/lessons-from-the-london-olympics.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professionals, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

As I was enjoying the games, I found that many of the principles that lead to Olympic success also apply to business—particularly the business of home staging. Today I am going to share with you my top three.

The difference between victory and defeat is often the slimmest of margins. In several swimming and track events, the margin of victory was less than one tenth of a second! In some cases, so was the difference between earning a bronze medal and earning no medal at all. Just think of it—literally years of training and hard work, all culminating in a single moment, and ultimately being decided by fractions of a second. The moral of the story? Every detail, every training run, everything counts. The same is true of your business. Are you getting the details right, even the ones that may seem unimportant? Because you never know which “minor” detail may land you your next big client… or not. Don’t leave anything to chance!

There is always a “new kid” on the block. Four years ago, American swimmer Michael Phelps was the star of the games. However, this year he started off very badly, losing to emerging rival Ryan Lochte in the 400-meter individual medley. And while Phelps recovered to perform very well in future events, there are plenty of examples of athletes who were the best in the world only four years ago… but have now faded from the spotlight. The lesson is clear—don’t get complacent, no matter how good things may be at the moment. There is always the threat of competition springing up to challenge you. Stay focused and continue to provide world-class service to your clients!

Success is a product of hard, thankless work. The most overwhelming part of the Olympics for many of us is simply thinking about how much time and work these athletes put in, and what a tremendously short time they have on the world stage to be recognized for their work. Sure, medalists receive plenty of coverage and praise after they’ve won their event… but for the past four years, as they trained hard day after day after day, there were no bright lights to inspire them. Business is the same way—although fortunately success does not have to be so short-lived. You won’t achieve your goals overnight. You must be willing to put in the hard, thankless work, with the confidence that in the end your hard work will pay off many times over!

Orlando, FL – August 28, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published a blog on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) focused on relationships. The blog, titled “Home Staging Success: Do You Value Relationships?” offers specific tips for her readers.

Christine writes, “Today we are going to focus on an area that doesn’t get as much attention as it should, not just in the home staging industry, but in the world of business in general. And that area is relationships.”

Certified Staging Professionals trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire blog can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/blog/home-staging-success-do-you-value-relationships.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professionals, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

Orlando, FL – August 27, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published an article on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) discussing home staging. The article, titled “Four Reasons a Home Staging Business May Be Right for You” offers four specific reasons for her readers to consider starting a home staging business.

Christine writes, “Most of the space on my blog and in these articles is devoted to providing practical tips and information for home staging professionals. Today, I am going to change it up just a bit. If you are thinking about starting a home staging business but aren’t sure whether or not you wish to proceed, this article is for you.”

Certified Staging Professionals trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire article can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/articles/four-reasons-a-home-staging-business-may-be-calling-you.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professionals, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

Relationships with real estate agents. It’s hardly a secret that good relationships with local agents are a key ingredient to success for home stagers. However, few stagers put the time and effort into these relationships that they should be—it’s not enough to send the occasional thank-you card. You need to be working hard to build the relationship—speaking on the phone, taking the agent out for lunch; but even more importantly than “wining and dining” is that you make the agent look good for recommending you.

Relationships with clients. Obviously a good relationship with your clients is important just to enable you to work together. But you want (or should want) more than just a working relationship… you want your clients to become raving fans of your business. You want them to recommend you every chance  they get. That’s why it is so important to go “beyond the call of duty” for each client. Work hard to turn them into a vocal fan of your business!

Relationships with employees. Many business owners don’t think twice about their employee relationships. After all, you pay them every two weeks, right? What more do they need? Actually, the truth is that the way you treat your employees impacts the way they treat your customers. If your employees are loyal and appreciative of you, it will show in their work and their interactions with your customers. On the other hand, if they feel unappreciated, they are going to do a sub-par job working for you.

Questions or comments? As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me!

First, you need to know what home staging is NOT. It is NOT:

• a magical cash cow that will turn you into a millionaire with little work on your part.

• an overnight six-figure income (but it DOES happen – with commitment and hard work).

• a simple process of de-cluttering and arranging a few pieces of furniture – there is a great deal of strategy involved in the process of a job well-done that attracts buyers and facilitates the property selling cycle at higher prices in the marketplace.

Now that we’re clear on that, here are just four reasons (there are more) as to why starting a home staging business right now is a great idea:

1) Always in demand. Home staging is a recession-proof business. No matter what the economy may be doing at any given moment, real estate is always being bought and sold. Sellers always have a desire to sell their property at maximum value. Therefore, you’ll always have work. Unlike many industries that rise and fall depending on the state of the economy, there is always a need for home staging.

2) Great income. Having a business is a way to earn a good income. If you’re thinking of going into business without considering that, we need to have another conversation. However, trust me, home staging can pay very well—I’ve personally experienced it, and seen many of my students do the same. The good news is that the best part isn’t even the money—it’s the freedom provided by the income. Freedom to travel. Freedom to pursue other passions. Freedom to spend your time as you see fit. You create your own economy.

3) No barriers to entry. It doesn’t take thousands of dollars to start a home staging business, and complicated certifications or degrees aren’t required. A CSP® designation will help you establish credibility and get the word out by leveraging the tools and the international brand of CSP® for your benefit. But unlike most businesses which require a large investment in office space, machinery, or other assets, it takes very little cash up front to launch a successful staging business.

4) Be the boss. For many of our students and clients, the very best part of owning a home staging business is not having to take orders from someone as a subordinate. You’re building YOUR dream – not someone else’s. You don’t have to listen to your boss drone on in meetings and you don’t have to abide by rules and regulations set by others. You set your own schedule, your own agenda and even your own working hours. If this sounds like a dream come true… it is. And it’s become a reality for hundreds of home stagers that I have personally trained and coached!

Home staging isn’t for everyone. Like any business, you must be committed, self-motivated, have a modicum of creativity and be willing to put in the time it takes to build a successful business. With those factors going for you, starting a home staging business will likely be the best decision you can make for the rest of your life!