By Melissa Dittmann Tracey Real estate pros offer their best, most affordable staging ideas for living rooms. Create a Focal Point "Pick out the most visible corner and put a large plant-I've found that silk trees work best. Set up a spotlight behind it so it lights up the leaves and throws an interesting shadow on another wall. It really makes a difference in a person's perception of the space, especially if it's a large room without too much natural lighting." -Izabela Stone, Keller Williams Realty, Apollo Beach... read more

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey Real estate pros offer their best, most affordable staging ideas for bedrooms. Bring Your Own Bed "I have a great way to add a bed to a vacant bedroom. I arrange moving boxes into the shape of a bed, and then I dress it up with nice bedding. It takes about half an hour and it's really inexpensive." -Kria Lacher, Meadows Group Inc., Realtors®, Portland, Ore. Make a Bed Another trick to add a bed: "Purchase an inexpensive air mattress that has a folding frame off the floor. Once the beddin... read more

Meet Carol – a single mom and soon-to-be homeowner thanks to Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty, Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, lots of volunteers, and her own hard work. When she’s not at her full-time healthcare job, you can find Carol earning 250 hours of “Sweat Equity” by working on other Habitat for Humanity homes. “She is a kind, dependable, hard-working lady who truly embodies the Habitat spirit,” said Jane Roberson, Director of Family Services with Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. Construction of Carol’s new... read more

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey Real estate pros offer their best, most affordable staging ideas for bathrooms. Add Bathroom Elegance "Get some decorative hand towels, tie a sheer ribbon around them, and place them on towel racks in all of the bathrooms. This does wonders to dress up the bathrooms of your listings. I also put some dried flowers and candles in complementary colors to add a little more pizzazz." -Haley Hwang, e-pro, Coldwell Banker, Glenview, Ill. Put a Lid on It "The best thing you can do for your home,... read more

Before you put your home up for sale, use the right comparable sales to find the perfect price. How much can you sell your home for? Probably about as much as the neighbors got, as long as the neighbors sold their house in recent memory and their home was just like your home. Knowing how much homes similar to yours, called comparable sales (or in real estate lingo, comps), sold for gives you the best idea of the current estimated value of your home. The trick is finding sales that closely match yours. WHAT MAKES A ... read more