"Diana Stone is the best realtor I have ever dealt with. I bought a new home in Heritage Hills, there was so much to do with closing, installing utilities, etc. She stayed with me every step of the way and continues to after closing. She actually cares about the client, and their well being. I will forever be grateful to her for helping me find a lovely home and her caring ways. If you are looking for an unusually helpful, knowledgeable and experienced realtor, please contact Diana Stone."

-Jean Marie Mildes, May 2017

The weather has been positively glorious lately. I am totally ready to create an ideal daycation. The sun shines brightly, the air is clear,–except for the pollen–our temperature hovers comfortably in the upper seventies, and all the lovely bliss is topped of with a light breeze and blooming flowers. Around here, we love a good DayCation, taking the day to visit a nearby community–some we’ve visited several times before, and sometimes we get all adventurous and try something completely new. I love immersing myself in our nearby communities, taking note of new shops, art, and restaurants. In short, I love to pretend I’m a tourist in my own town.

Seeing the community with the eyes of a guest simply evokes gratitude for the beauty of this area, especially since I am often too busy to notice how beautiful this world really is. I feel like a kid again, exploring new shops, delighting in a delicious treat, or enjoying an old favorite, looking forward to a meal and a favorite restaurant.

For me, the ideal dacation inspiration usually starts with either my wardrobe or the community we plan to visit. I think of the feel of the community, a color or style that evokes a theme that sets my imagination soaring–I’m sorry–I’ve always had my head in the clouds to some degree, and clothes and beautiful or fun destinations get all my creative juices flowing.

Whether we visit a beautiful home, hotel or town, I love the details that make the location unique, and I feel the same about putting looks together–sometimes the simplest of dresses with interesting accessories make the outfit, just like one may think a place is a place–until you notice the unusual architecture, or the colors or the flowers.

In any event, I am full of ideas, inspiration, and deep appreciation. And ready for my Ideal DayCation.

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"Purchased a home and John was extremely helpful and our experience with everyone in your office was A+!"

Sandie Riddle

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Trim the belongings
"Instead of having lots of little things along a countertop or table, have one bold vessel or large plant, or a trio of objects that read as one whole," says Laure Joliet, a photographer based in Los Angeles. "This helps anchor the photo and keeps the space feeling serene."

Keep plants and knick-knacks away from windowsills and off the piano top or coffee tables. In the kitchen, clear away all the refrigerator magnets, paper towels and majority of small appliances. Before taking a photo in the bathroom, open the shower curtain, close the toilet lid, and remove all toiletries from counters. Keep everything clutter-free.

Harness the light
Wash the windows and open the curtains or pull up the blinds, suggest photographers. "Natural light allows for depth in the shadows and highlights in the window, which makes a room look the way it feels," Joliet says. "It can make your real estate photos look that much more high-end and designed."

Add in pops of color
Accents like colorful flowers or a throw pillow can help enhance photos. "Instead of a fussy bouquet, a vase filled with one type of flower or greens is best," Joliet says. She recommends eucalyptus branches.

To drape a throw: Grab the middle of the blanket and hold it up so that it cascades evenly down. Place it diagonally at the foot of the bed "with the point up toward the long side of the bed and the fringes hanging slightly off the front," says Donna M. Dazzo, president of Designed to Appeal, a home-staging firm. To drape it over an armchair, tuck the bottom behind a throw pillow or allow the throw to cascade off the arm, she says.

Hang artwork lower
"We tend to place our art a little bit lower than maybe somebody would in personal use, because in a photo, if you place it too high, the ceiling looks very low," David C. Salvatore, creative director for Edge Mid-Century Designs in Clifton, N.J., told The New York Times. "Everyone loves high ceilings – and certainly, if you have the ceilings, you need to put in a huge vertical piece to make sure you show the height."

Focus on curb appeal
Prune overgrown trees, particularly those that are obscuring the view of the house in any way, Alberto Lau, a real estate photographer in San Diego, says. "Take the cover off the barbecue grill unless it is hopelessly rusty, in which case it's better to move it [out of] the frame of the photo," he says. Keep cars away from the front of the house or driveway (place cones or signs, if necessary, to keep others away from parking in the front the day you shoot). Make sure the leaves are raked and trash bins hidden from view.

Source: "9 Ways to Make Your Home More Photogenic," The New York Times (April 14, 2017)

© Copyright 2017 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Anyone who still has a traditional home phone dreads the hated robocall. As part of the latest scam, the caller, instead of mentioning who they are, instead asks, "Can you hear me?" That could be a sign that a scammer is on the other end of the line.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday issued a consumer alert against just such scammers. When a caller says, "yes," that they can hear the robocall, their reply is recorded and used to authorize fraudulent charges via telephone on the victim's utility or credit card account, the FCC says.

The scam is prevalent, based on complaints the agency has received and from news reports across the U.S. The fraudulent callers might impersonate familiar organizations to get you to answer and talk.

"Robocalls are the No. 1 consumer complaint to the FCC from the public. And it's no wonder: Every month, U.S. consumers are bombarded by an estimated 2.4 billion robocalls," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said last week at the agency's March meeting, during which the commission voted to begin a rulemaking process to eliminate robocalls.

"Not only are unwanted robocalls intrusive and irritating, but they are also frequently employed to scam our most vulnerable populations, like elderly Americans, out of their hard-earned dollars," Pai said.

What should you do, according to the FCC? Hang up immediately. Or better yet, don't answer a call from an unknown number.

If you have gotten such a call, review your credit card and telephone bills as well as your bank statement for unauthorized charges.

Anyone who thinks they have been targeted by this scam should immediately report the incident to the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker and the FCC Consumer Help Center.

Other FCC robocall tips:

• Hang up if a caller asks you to hit a button to stop receiving calls. It's often a recording. Scammers often use that tactic to identify and target live respondents.
• If you do answer what winds up being a scam call, write the number down and add that to your FCC complaint.
• Ask your telephone company if it has a robocall blocking service. If it doesn't, recommend it get one.
• Register all your telephone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry.

Copyright 2017, USATODAY.com, USA TODAY, Mike Snider

1. Highlight improvements and any issues.

"If you've owned your home for a while, make a list of all the problems you've solved for a while, make a list of all the problems you've solved while you've lived there," suggests Avery Boyce, a real estate pro with Compass Real Estate in Washington, D.C. For example, be ready to disclose any potential past issues like chimney fires, water damage, or a flood in the basement. Disclose "invisible improvements," such as a French drain system, too, says Boyce.

2. Google your address.

Nearly all buyers now search online for homes, and sellers need to be aware of how their listing looks on the Internet too. For example, Google Maps' street view may not show your recent home improvements, so you'll want to flag those updates in your listing. Also, "is the site's estimated value very different from your asking price? It might be because tax records have the wrong information about the number of bedrooms or bathrooms your house has, and this is easily fixed," says Boyce.

3. Test out the doorbell.

A lack of cosmetic repairs, even seemingly minor, can cost you a sale. "First impressions make all the difference," says Marianne Leonard Cashman, a real estate professional with William Raveis Real Estate in Andover, Mass. "A well-kept home, starting with the view from the curb, gives the perception that the seller has great pride in the home and has taken good care of it –which translates into less energy and costs for the buyer as they prepare to move in."

4. Clean everything.

Buyers are going to snoop everywhere, from inside drawers and cabinets to even the dishwasher. They are going to judge how clean everything is, too. "Spending the money on a service to deep-clean your home will come back to you at least 10 times in your sales price," says Boyce.

5. Designate which items aren't included in the sale.

If the custom window treatments aren't included, sellers need to be sure to let their agent know. "The law says that anything bolted to the wall or ceiling goes to the buyer unless specifically excluded in the contract," says Boyce. "If you want to take your flat-screen TV, chandelier, or custom pot rack, be sure to label it as soon as the house goes on the market, so that buyers don't bank on owning that item and wind up disappointed."

Source: "7 Important Things Home Sellers Often Forget to Do," realtor.com® (March 21, 2017)

© Copyright 2017 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688