SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 Volume 11 • Issue 39
RE WEEKLY STORY COUNTY
RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
Online at www.AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
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Don’t see your home in the
RE WEEKLY Then contact a Realtor® today, because you are missing out on over 39,000+ potential buyers seeing your property for sale.
DIRECT MAIL + ONLINE AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
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DEAR MONTY
Are online real estate agent reviews credible?
R
eader Question: We will be selling our home and casually checking out real estate agents. How important are online customer recommendations and why don’t all agents use them?
Monty’s Answer: Positive reviews from real estate websites are increasingly important to agents that invest significant dollars in obtaining leads. Glowing online endorsements appear to influence potential customers. The primary intent of online reviews from the websites’ perspective is to promote features
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
that drive up web traffic and revenue on their sites.
Are these online reviews overrated? The school is still out as to the actual impact on real estate and other businesses as well. The Internet is still evolving. One of the components that
service. Bill Petrey, an agent in Dallas, Texas, claims to have counted 2,320 different agents in Dallas who pretend to be ranked No. 1. There are good real estate agents that would agree that to ask for a customer’s recommendation is a poor practice and is an ethical issue. There are also good real estate agents that feel they From a real estate agent’s have to ask for a good review perspective because so many others are Competing for prospects is doing it. Agents pay for the a big business and extremely exposure, and they see the competitive. One of real estate’s agents that walk the line gain an biggest myths is that good pro- unfair advantage. duction translates into excellent Then, there are the agents is missing today with these reviews is independent audits of the claims and actual observation of the qualification process within the referral organizations. It does not appear an independent company exists to verify the source and accuracy of the published online reviews and testimonials.
who file false testimonials and game the system. Many good agents have worked hard to earn their testimonials, yet there appear to many agents that are causing more and more consumers to question any testimony. There is no substitute for seeking testimonials directly from an agent and then following up with the person providing the recommendation. — Richard Montgomery gives no nonsense real estate advice to readers most pressing questions. Send him questions at DearMonty.com.
Decked out T for fall
Story County Sun • Wednesday, September 28, 2016 • Page 13 By Laura Firszt Networx
Ease your deck or outdoor room into autumn with transitional decor
he transition from summer to autumn can be a delightful one — a certain freshness that you feel in the air in contrast to sultry heat, a softer quality of light, a sense of purpose and organization. But let’s face it; sometimes it can be awfully hard to make the psychological shift to a new season, especially if you’re still blissfully reliving that dream vacation you took back in July. So do it slowly. Continue to enjoy your cedar deck or concrete patio, for example, but update your decor with these sweet and subtle ideas, which whisper, “Fall is on its way.”
Leaves
Colors Don’t get too heavily into autumnal hues, such as oranges or browns, for your deck decor just yet; there will be plenty of time for those when the calendar page turns to October. You will want to gently segue to a richer color palette these days, though. How about adding some splashes of vibrant shades like teal blue, deep violet, or bottle green?
No, it’s not your imagination. The leaves are indeed starting to show the first streaks of yellow and red. Somehow, they are at their most enjoyable right now. I wonder whether that is due to their novelty value or to the fact that we don’t have to get serious about raking them up off the lawn just yet. String variegated leaves from your deck rails or porch ceiling as a mobile or garland.
Fruit and Veggies We’re not quite up to pumpkin time yet, IMHO (though I started spotting Halloween costumes in the stores back at the start of August … sigh!), but thin-skinned squash like crookneck, delicata, or adorable little pattypans can be the basis for an attractive display. Heap them in an earthenware bowl on your porch table, mixed with contrasting green, red, or purple bell peppers. (TIP: Late-summer squashes don’t last like their thicker-skinned fall counterparts do, so change them out every few days. Then simmer them into a hearty soup.) Apples and pears look great piled in a basket; add some zip with more unusual pomaceous fruits like rose hips and quinces.
Lighting The sun has already begun setting earlier and earlier, even though we won’t make the big switch from Daylight Saving Time back to Standard until November. We sincerely hope it’s still warm enough where you are to let you sit out on your deck, patio, porch, or outdoor living room in the evening, but you will want a little bit of extra illumination. Try a few candles for a warm, romantic glow. A luxurious outdoor touch: install a patio firepit, which will provide both light and warmth, while paying homage to the carefree atmosphere of summer.
— Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
Throws That new all-white outdoor furniture looked oh-so-cool when the temperature hit 90 degrees … and kept rising! However, now it’s going to need a gentle touch of warmth to keep it up-to-the-minute chic. Right now, a throw (yes, that’s Grandma’s afghan updated for the 21st century) in chenille or a lightweight wool will serve to add a drop of color. Come the end of September, you’ll want to use it as a cozy cover when you relax on the couch.
Branches There is a certain wistfulness to the beauty of bare twigs and branches that seems to embody autumn perfectly. When using these as decorative elements on your patio or terrace, proceed subtly – for instance, mingle a few with end-of-summer flowers to create either a transitional arrangement for your favorite vase or a timely wreath for the front or back door. WORLD MARKET/MICHAELS/PIXABAY PHOTOS
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