Fidelity National Title is the most recent title insurance company to offer customers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper-based closings. According to a recent announcement by account manager Desiree Baker, they are providing the following earth-friendly solutions:

1. An online application utilizing e-signatures (original notarized documents will always need to be hard copies).
2. Online document storage to eliminate the need for paper. New software helps transaction coordinators streamline and automate their workflow.
3. Paper document conversion into PDF files that can be delivered to any email address.
4. Online view of property disclosure details that can be accessed by internal and external users.
5. Single property listing websites to eliminate the waste associated with property fliers. The vast majority of buyers now search online.

A paperless system seems like an easy solution to reducing the reams of paper used in a typical real estate transaction, but it’s been a long time coming. Congratulations to Fidelity for making it possible.

Keeping up with the Joneses effects investment decisions, according to a couple of Stanford U. profs. Fear of missing out seems to be a driving factor. We don’t want to be poor when everyone around us is rich.

Making the wrong decision is not as bad as not making the right one. After all, when the bubble bursts, everyone loses together.

This certainly explains all the new Rich Dad fans vying to be landlords during the real estate boom. Now that foreclosures and tighter credit have driven prices so low, where are they? Waiting for the market to turn again, of course.

Meanwhile, the savvy investors are quietly picking up bargains every day.

Home staging is the idea of decorating a home to make it more attractive to buyers. 

Not moving? Then use it to make your home more livable, attractive, and a healthier “nest” for you and your family!

The act of creating a powerful first impression can be done for a minimal investment. If you’re selling, you’ll can increase the perceived value of your home dramatically (which may result in a shorter selling time and a higher sales price). If you’re staying, you’ll create a more relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.

There are a few distinct differences between staging your home for life versus staging your home for a sale. Read on for a few tips, no matter what your situation is.

First impressions:
Whether you’re staging for your own life or staging for a sale, you only have one chance to make a first impression on visitors. Potential buyers may only be in your home for three or four minutes, so you want those first moments to be positive. Don’t forget simple yet significant improvements to your home’s exterior, like:

• Mow the lawn and trim dead branches (especially near windows and doors)
• Place some pots with colorful flowers on the porch
• Give the front door a fresh coat of paint.

Your home will now give visitors a warm welcome, whether they’re over for a personal visit or as a potential buyer.

Your stuff:
Staging for life – Staging your home is about decorating with your tastes, reflecting your individual style.
Staging for sale – When putting your house on the market, it’s important to consider the buyer. What does the average buyer need to see in order to fall in love with your home?

• Try to avoid leaving personal items in plain sight.
• Keep it clean and simple.
• Focus on highlighting the best features your home has to offer.

Less is more:
Staging for life – Ask your real estate agent or a professional stager the single greatest improvement you can do to make your home more livable. They’ll tell you to get rid of the clutter. Having a bit of organization and eliminating unnecessary “stuff” in your home, including piles of junk mail and old magazines, will help to create a more open environment.
Staging for sale – When putting your home on the market, you want it to look lived in, but you don’t want home buyers focusing on you collection of ceramic cows instead of noticing the custom cabinets you had installed. Most professionals also advise putting personal pictures away. This helps home buyers imagine your home as their home. Remember to clean out closets so they appear more spacious. Don’t forget to organize or clear out medicine cabinets, as potential buyers are likely to open those, too.

A room with a use:
Staging for life – You may have specific uses for various rooms in your home (using a spare bedroom as a craft room or office, or setting up the garage as a home gym). This is exactly how it should be. Don’t feel bound by the limitations of a room’s label.
Staging for sale – On the other hand, it’s pivotal to let home buyers see rooms as they were originally intended. Turn that playroom back into it’s original state. Perform an inexpensive and quick makeover for these rooms by hanging sheer curtains to let in daylight and replacing aging light fixtures and switches.

Freshen up:
Staging for life – We all have our routine cleaning schedules, but consider doing little extras for yourself. Touch up the paint in your lived-in rooms. Treat yourself to a few houseplants to liven up your living areas. A little can go a long way.
Staging for sale – Channel you inner cleaner and decorator. Steam-clean the carpets. Touch up the paint. Add emotional warmth with throw pillows, dramatic plants, and unscented candles.  For that “Architectural Digest” look, clear off the counters  in the kitchen and bathroom. An inexpensive way to add color is with a vase of vibrant flowers, neatly folded towels, or a bowl of fruit.

It’s a topic discussed in most major lifestyle magazines and on your favorite home decorating shows — feng shui. I was first introduced to this ancient Chinese philosophy in the early 1980s as it applied to architecture, landscape features, and martial arts.

Meaning “wind” (feng) and “water” (shui), its principles can be applied to almost any decorating style to create a harmonious home environment. In addition, we’ve used feng shui techniques to attract potential buyers to help sell houses that have been stagnant in the market.

Here are our top 10 tips on how to harness the energy and vitality of feng shui within your own home.

1. Reflecting disharmony. Remove or cover large mirrors in the bedroom if you don’t sleep well.
2. Room with a view. Place your bed to give you the widest view of the room. Your bed should not be in direct line with the door. Paint the bedroom walls in a color scheme that is both pleasant and inviting.
3. Calming sounds. Hang wind chimes outside your front door to create a soothing environment for occupants and guests.
4. Writing on the wall. Try to avoid having completely bare walls. Group together non-personal pictures or hang up interesting art pieces in a diagonal or staggered pattern.
5. Go with the flow. Place a blue or black doormat at your front door to encourage good things to flow in like water.
6. The color of love.Include the romance colors - white, pink and red - in your room. Don’t overdose with a red wall because too much red can trigger anger.
7. Plants for energy. Rooms filled with plants will give its inhabitants a feeling of tranquility and lead to improved well-being. Healthy plants generate positive energy. Avoid dried flowers because they have no energy left.
8. Look overhead. Move beds, couches, and desks from any overhead beams to keep energy flowing.
9. Less is more. When arranging furniture, less is more. Too much clutter can restrict the potential of a great room.
10. Create positive impressions. Keep counters clean, closets organized, and clutter concealed. This projects an organized and stress-free environment for you and your guests.

Even if you don’t subscribe to the feng shui philosophy, the basic concept is clear and common-sense. If you home is clean, comfortable, and well-organized, you will find it a more relaxing place to live.

Thanks to Buffini & Company for this top ten list.