The Houston Association of Realtors reports that home sales, and prices continue to decline, and that foreclosures are dragging existing home prices down.

• In February 2009, foreclosure sales made up 28% of all single-family home sales during the month, compared to 22.6% a year ago.
• The average price of a single-family home in Houston dropped 10.5 percent in February.
• February 2009 home sales declined 25.9% compared to 24.6% a year earlier.
• There was a 34% decline in all sales compared to a year ago.
• So what does this mean for the Houston real estate market?   
• More foreclosures, more price reductions, more houses on the market.

So what can you do to help combat the foreclosures bringing your prices down?  Make your house so irresistible that the foreclosures won't matter.  Who wants to go into a house that has been foreclosed upon and spend the money to fix it up?  People that have to move out of foreclosed homes do not typically leave their house in the best condition.  Have you looked into the cost of remodeling...it's not cheap.  And Hurricane Ike didn't help.  Home buyers want to buy a house that is ready to move in to.  No one has time to fix up a house, they want to turn the key, open the door and move in.  No maintenance, no worries, just a well kept, updated, clean home.

What else do buyers want to see?  A lifestyle.  A vacant or outdated house is not appealing at all.  A house must be staged, it's not a maybe, it's mandatory in this market, no matter what price category you're in.  You may say, "but my house is beautifully decorated" and it may be, but the next home buyer may not have your same tastes.  No matter how gorgeous it may be.  A decorated home is not a staged home it is taste specific to what you or your families likes and needs are.

If you haven't looked into staging, you should. Start with a home staging consultation to find out how staging can help differentiate your home.  In this market can you afford not to have your home looking it's best?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cindy Bryant is the owner of Redesign Etc.Home Staging & Redesign Specialist in Houston, Staging Your House To Sell By Professional Home Stagers! Our goal is to provide solutions to getting your home sold for top dollar in the most cost effective way!  Thinking of selling your house or want a new look give us a call!

Contact Cindy today for a Home Staging Consultation. 

Please visit our website for more information.  We also have a location for the Houston Bay Area League City Home Staging.

Areas Served:  Houston, River Oaks, Tanglewood, Bellaire, Piney Point, Mid-Town, The Heights, Montrose, Texas Medical Center, The East End, West Loop/Galleria/Memorial, Downtown, Museum District, West University, Spring Branch, Royal Oaks-Lakeside, League City, Clear Lake City, Friendswood, Kemah, Seabrook, Pearland, Sugar Land, Spring, Cypress, Tomball, The Woodlands, Kingwood.   And all areas down to Galveston Island.