We've all been witness to a staggering downturn in the residential real estate market.  While Ashland is just barely keeping it's head above water, the AARP magazine recently did an article on markets where home prices had over inflated.  Third on the list was Medford, AARP pegging it as 66% over priced.  Not a pretty picture.  But homes must be sold and homes will be bought, so this month I'd like to offer some tips on helping you sell - if you need or want to.

    Feng Shui concerns itself with arranging space so that our chi, or life energy, is positively affected by the surroundings.  When selling a home, it seems obvious we should make our place so wonderful that it will stand out from all the other inventory and sell within a reasonable amount of time.  Yet few people realize that applying some simple Feng Shui solutions can increase their chances of a quick sale.

    Start by realizing that you know the property better than anyone, and so your view is skewed.  It's hard for an owner to have objective and subjective perspective on the place they have loved.  I'd suggest you try to look at your house as if you'd never seen it and start working from there.  Often your realtor will make suggestions which can be very helpful - but their expertise is in selling, not energy.  We want to make the energy so good people will walk in and know this is my new home!

    Start outside.  Clean up all piles and collections.  Even in the dead of winter, it's possible to have blooming flowers placed strategically.  Leaves are gone, dead stalks trimmed, the driveway uncluttered.  And while your home will not look as inviting as it can in springtime, it still can look neat and manicured.

    Have color around the front door.  Buy a new welcome mat.  Have the windows cleaned.  Make sure the house number is readable and crisp.  Prospective buyers will already be making decisions about your home before the get through the front door. Let all those unconscious judgments be favorable.

    Inside, root out your closets.  Pack everything you can so that the closet load is reduced - drastically.  Straighten everything, make it look like one of those custom closet ads.  Often it's the first place women look when scouting for a new home.  Pack away everything personal.  They don't need to know about your grandmother or your daughter's best friend.  You have to make room for the buyer.  If you have trouble with this, remember, you're not buying the house.  Packing away and getting things out of the house allows prospects to start to see themselves in this house and that's what every home shopper does - would my stuff look good here?

    Have a friend over who has a very sensitive schnoz.  Have them sniff test your whole house.  You may well have adjusted to a smell that others will find off-putting or just distasteful.  They often won't be conscious of it, but their emotions will be turned off.  Rid your house of any weird or negative odors.

    Don't be reluctant to spend some money on your place getting it ready for sale.  Every penny you spend toward making the house more saleable is a legal tax deduction (including having a Feng Shui practitioner do an analysis and recommendation!)  You should expect to spend at least 1% of the selling price to tweak your beloved home.  So many people feel if they leave the house on the market long enough it will sell.  In today's market, you may be waiting 2-3 years, all the time watching the market price descend.  So the longer your house is on the market, the more money you're losing.  Worth it?  I don't think so.  OK, so you're fine with spending money to spruce the place up.  Which would be money better spent - new paint or a new sink and toilet?  It all depends.  Again you need to be objective.

    You may have enjoyed your furniture exactly the place you have it now, but it may actually slow or block the flow of energy in your home.  If for no other reason than this, it's often well worth hiring a professional to help. You may want to have a home stager come in, or a quickie redesigner or you may want to treat the home and it's energy and use a Feng Shui practitioner who's work you find tasteful.

    How to wrap this up?  If I were to give you critical points, it would be
1)    Have your home neat, trim and tidy.
2)    Lose as much of your possessions as you can, leaving the home more vacant than crowded.
3)    Remember that beauty exudes good energy.  This is a two edged sword as beauty in the eyes of one beholder .  .  .
4)    Inside and outside, fresh flowers enliven chi and uplift the spirit.
5)    Price the home fairly.  Remember, more than one realtor can give a very over inflated price trying to get the listing.  Have at least 3 realtors visit your home.  If they show up with a prepared "market anaylsis" know they're not evaluating your home - they're showing you averages only.
6)    Bring in whomever you need to get the job done with a minimum of stress.

      Give your home a loving goodbye by freshening it up - knowing that if you've done your job right, the exact right people will move in.  I've done homes in this market.  One for $1.2 million, 1 for $850,000 and one for $400,000.  All 3 sold within two months. I'm not afraid to brag here - Feng Shui works!