Newsletter June 2010

by Carla Johnson on June 17th, 2010

Get Buyers to say YES with Great Exteriors

The First Impression: Yes or Yikes?

* * * Thank you to all the great agents with R.A.G.B.O.S. who joined my classes in Owen Sound and Hanover two weeks ago. I had a fun time working with each of you.

* * * Next week I’m looking forward to meeting the Royal LePage crowd with L.S.T.A.R. in London.

Too many real estate ad photographs turn buyers/renters away and too many agents don’t know it. I teach amateur photographers simple tips to take ad photos that ATTRACT offers.

The exterior image of your ad is the first and only moment you have to attract the buyer to look further at the interior. Pity the seller trying to get a good offer based on THIS first impression.

“A picture paints a thousand words.” I’m afraid to ask what this picture is saying.

Real estate ad photos are a 24/7 Open House. The exterior image is the first and the most crucial. A good exterior will determine if buyers will click to look further at the interior or move on to the next ad.

Make sure your exterior photo shows the front door. Buyers will feel welcome and imagine walking up and walking in. Buyers will
start to think of it as their own home.

A Front Yard to Make Anyone Look Twice

Thank you Robin North of Dramatic Spaces for sharing your great advice on how to prepare the home’s exterior to sell. http://www.dramaticspaces.com/

At this time of year, spring, many homeowners are working on their plantings and lawns. What do you do if you don’t have a green thumb and you have a lawn that needs to be revitalized? This great recipe called “fat grass” will give your yard a thick, luscious look that will have the neighbours envious. If you are selling your home it will boost your home’s value. Don’t be put off by the name. It does exactly as the name says.

I have used the fat grass recipe and it works wonders. When you are using the driveway as your hard surface I suggest you put a tarp down or a large piece of plastic to keep it contained. It is not necessary if you want to water down the driveway, however if you live in an area where there is a watering ban you can simply pick up the tarp and shake the excess dirt away on your lawn.

This is a cheaper solution than buying sod, so depending on your budget or time this can be a great solution for the DIY homeowner.

Once your lawn is back in shape you can put a planter or 2 at your entranceway and place a hanging basket inside. How simple is that!

To take it a step further, you can use a hanging basket, but this time take it out of the basket and place it in the centre of your vase. I like to use a tall plant in the centre to give it height. If you want a lower profile, just make sure your centre plant is taller than your surrounding plants. Now take several cascading or lower plants and fill them around your centre plant. Don’t forget to take these out of the baskets.

Keep in mind that containers need to be watered frequently unless you use a product that retains more moisture made specifically for container plantings (of course you can’t do this if you are simply placing the basket in the container). You also need to keep in mind how much sun your entrance will get. Use shade plants if it is on the shady side and sun plants for a sunny area.

Now all you need to do is make sure the area is clean, no clutter and without a lot of expense or effort the front of your home can be stunning. The simple details are usually what makes the most impact. If you are selling you want visitors to want to get out of their cars to see more.

Thank you Robin.

“Cooking With Sin” Betty’s Chicken Cacciatore

One of my side projects has been to collect recipes with liquer. On my blog www.CookingWithSin.com there is a great story that tells how my grandmother coined the phrase “Cooking With Sin.” Click the link for the full story & all the photos.

This first recipe is from that post. Betty is my mom! Enjoy!

Betty’s Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

14 fresh button mushrooms
2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
7-8 chicken thighs
3/4 cup flour
sea salt
pepper
Herbes de provence
1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large can (796 ml/28 oz) chopped tomatoes
1 can (398 ml/14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup red vino (we used a mini bottle of French Cross Dry Red)
2 tbsp parsley
A sprinkle of oregano or marjoram
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
A few fresh basil leaves torn up by hand
A handful of cherry tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Roast the mushrooms. Place them caps down on a non-stick baking pan. Sprinkle them with 2 tbsp olive oil, pepper and sea salt and bake at 375° F for 20 minutes.

2. While the mushrooms are baking, roll the chicken thighs in a mix of flour with salt, pepper & oregano. Brown them in butter to seal in the juices.

3. As the chicken is browning, sprinkle with Herbes de Provence. Take the meat out when browned, and stir the chopped onion in the meat drippings with 2 tsp of olive oil. Fry them for 4-5 minutes, until they are soft and clear, then stir in the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the vino to the onions & garlic and stir making sure to stir up the browned bits. Then add the can of chopped tomatoes followed by the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the temperature and cook for 10 minutes.

5. Return the chicken to the tomato sauce adding the parsley and the oregano or marjoram and the mushrooms. A few of the basil leaves can be added at this time too. Bring the entire mix to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the chicken is tender. If all goes well, it will be beautifully tender.

6. When serving, place cherry tomatoes loosely and sprinkle the basil leaf pieces on top.

We served it on Kjielkje (recipe in the link) sprinkled with fresh parmesan, but it works well on rice or on a bed of fresh spinach leaves.

For the story and lots of great pics, click here…

http://cookingwithsin.com/2010/01/12/grandma-started-it/