Love Songs - A Spectacular Day for Expressing Love

This is the day of LOVE! 

How can a day about LOVE be anything but great!  Music always brings back memories. Here a few fave love songs (in no particular order). 

Crazy in Love - Boyonce & Jay Z

Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulay

It's Your Love - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

My Love - Paul McCartney

Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tinnille 
Love Letters in the Sand - Pat Boone

I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles

Chapel of Love - The Dixie Cups

Baby Love - Supremes 

Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime - Dean Martin

I Would Do Anything for Love - Meatloaf

Good Lovin' - Young Rascals

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, LOVELIES!
Any favorites bring back memories for you?

Something's Cooking in the Kitchen and It Ain't Granite

Hi folks! Hope everyone has their Valentine cards in the mail. It's the month of LOVE. Share that love.

The kitchen above is in an $800K new construction house. The builder is right in sync with what today's buyer prefers. Current shoppers prefer a white kitchen with quartz or marble countertops.

Remember all of the grumbling over wallpaper for selling?  Now granite is taking the hit. Pinterest is flooded with design boards featuring all white kitchens.  Busy granite countertops are passe for selling.

As a comparison with the bright, clean look of the marble countertops, let's look at the following kitchens.  These kitchens are in owner occupied $800K homes for sale in my area.  How would you feel about inheriting someones granite countertops versus white quartz or marble?
(Pictures from Triangle Multiple Listing Service.)

Snowmen, Super Bowl & Super Proud Mom

How stinkin' cute is this?  What a clever winter table setting!  A friend of a friend posted it on Facebook. Jennifer's work is definitely steal-worthy. Outstanding job, Jennifer.

Jennifer Chalk Young

Happy Friday!  What an awesome week!  Our Carolina Panthers are playing in the Super Bowl!

My kid is not playing in the Super Bowl.  HOWEVER, my son will be AT the Super Bowl. As an outstanding Exec at his company, John was awarded an all-expense-paid trip to the Super Bowl. Color me, "Super Proud Mom".

John arrived in San Fran on Thursday and will be spending an oh-so-awesome weekend of pre-event fun. And, would you believe Cold Play is his favorite band? How fortuitous! I haven't seen him so excited since he was a 5 year old at Christmas.

Sunday, he will cheer our Carolina Panthers to victory.

Go Panthers! We are Panthers' Proud!

About Those Windows and Sliding Doors for Selling

POINT:
These windows and doors are perfectly staged for selling. Buyers love light, bright and airy!Those large windows are an essential selling feature and they need to be showcased.The drapes and fixtures are neutral and understated. The view is gorgeous. It draws the outside into the family room and expands the feel of the living space. That lovely view needs to be in clear sight for the buyer to appreciate it.  The furniture placement is also ideal. The buyer should be able to readily access the back door. The buyer will exit the family room from this doorway to walk onto the deck.

COUNTERPOINT:
Can you say busy?  Everything about this arrangement is wrong for selling. The potential buyer cannot possibly appreciate the view for the assault of the overbearing floral print and heavy window treatments. There is only limited light flowing into this room. I often advise that window cornices be removed for selling. They block light and views. Most homes cannot bear the visual weight of a boxy cornice. And, cornices are typically considered dated.  The winged chair is in an awkward position. The buyer will have to maneuver around the winged chair to access to the back door.

What's a seller to do?

• Remove the the cornices and drapes. 
• Add a solid pillow or throw on the chair to break up the print.  
• Move the chair to the far right of the window.

Plus: Anytime a buyer bumps into furniture or has to walk around it, the room registers as 'small'.

Hope you are having a fabulous week.