Staged Homes Blog & Training

Stagedhomes.com Announces Home Staging Training Developed by Barb Schwarz, Creator of Home Staging, Scheduled for the Month of March, 2010

February 4th, 2010

La Quinta, CA (February 4, 2010) – Stagedhomes.com announced today its upcoming schedule for Home Staging classes for the month of February in Carmel, IN, Chesapeake, VA, Raleigh, NC, Lancaster, PA, and White Plains, NY.

Following a two-day course, real estate agents will earn the ASP®Real Estate Agent designation, and after a three-day course, students will earn the ASP® Home Stager designation. During the second day of training, students will go to a local home currently on the market which they will Stage while being guided by professional ASP® Stagers.

The following Home Staging classes are scheduled for the month of March:

Location Date Additional Information
Carmel, IN March 22-24, 2010 Please click here.
Chesapeake, VA March 16-18, 2010 Please click here.
Raleigh, NC March 9-11, 2010 Please click here.
Lancaster, PA March 23-25, 2010 Please click here.
White Plains, NY March 9-11, 2010 Please click here.

Stagedhomes.com also offers online Staging training. Please click here for more information about the online ASP® Accredited Staging Professional Real Estate Agent Course.

Professional Home Staging is the fastest growing new career opportunity in the real estate industry. Recommended by top real estate agents and as seen on television, Home Staging is professionally preparing homes for sale, so that they appeal to the most amount of buyers and generate the highest price in the least amount of time on market. In today’s market conditions, Staging sells homes. Home Staging is NOT decorating, fluffing, interior design or redesign! Instead, Home Staging is detailing, de-cluttering, depersonalizing and preparing a seller’s home to give it a “model home” appearance so that the potential buyer can “see” themselves living in the home.

The Accredited Staging Professional® Course was created by Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging, President and CEO of Stagedhomes.com and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Barb developed the concept of Home Staging in the early 1970’s and has since educated more than one-million people on the subject. She is a nationally known and award-winning speaker, author and trainer.

Statistics gathered from November 08 through May 09 show that 94.8% of ASP® Staged Homes sell on average in 37 days or less. Average days on the market before sold 37 days for ASP® Staged Homes and 182 days for non staged homes. ASP® Staged Homes are on the market 80% less time than a non-staged home. Click here to view statistics at Stagedhomes.com.

Stage® is a Federally Registered Trademark of StagedHomes.com

Additional information and resources:

For additional information, please visit Stagedhomes.com.

Share Your Staging® Success Stories at the Stagedhomes.com Facebook Fan Page

February 3rd, 2010

I’m so proud of all our ASPs®. You truly make a difference for so many real estate professionals and consumers, and I’m proud to share a story of yet another successful Staging® project.

Sharon Soons, ASP® Home Stager® & Professional Organizer of Streamline U. serves the Metro NYC and the Hudson Valley and she recently sent me a description of a Home Staging® project she did for a 4-bedroom home in Stormville New York.

Sharon Soons Photo Album

Here’s Sharon’s story:

“We started with this house by going through the ENTIRE house, including the large basement and all closets.

 As it turned out, the owner had a ton of great things we would end up using throughout the house.

 Since the seller was a busy executive and traveled quite a bit, not a whole lot of “moving in” ever happened, without a lot of clutter. The only painting I recommended was below the chair rail in the front sitting room/dining room. Then, luckily, combining her cool linens, art and objects with my inventory worked out beautifully. Window treatments and new furniture arrangements made a huge difference and showed this house in the best possible light. Overall, we managed to Stage® a large house on a tight budget in just a few days. The owner kept wishing she had called me when she moved in!

Before staging, the master bedroom sort of said nothing. With staging it clearly says stylish retreat – more importantly, it invites potential buyers right in to see more. A cozy nook in the master bedroom was just storage before staging. Now it’s clearly more square footage – exactly what buyers want!

A huge master bath needed some de-cluttering and some tweaks to show its best… Now the space is clean and every buyer can imagine a bath with a view. Artwork is important in every room! The family room has a great window and fireplace…  and with some re-arranging, new art, and de-cluttering it shows like the versatile room it is. 

Empty rooms don’t inspire…  Staging shows buyers what’s possible.”

The result?

This home had an accepted offer after less than 8 weeks on the market, way better than the local on-market average in fall 2010,” said Sharon.

Thank you, dear Sharon, for sharing. Please click here to see a photo album at the Stagedhomes Facebook fan page, showing pictures from throughout the home.

Would you also like to share your success stories? Please send me pictures and descriptions of your Staging® project to barb@stagedhomes.com.

It’s so gratifying to see the wonderful work our ASPs® continue to perform for consumers and their agents. Keep up the great work.

Barb

Barb Schwarz

The Creator of Home Staging®

CEO StagedHomes.com Founder/Chairwoman, The International Association of Home Staging Professionals

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Staging Photographs

February 3rd, 2010

This is more a question not a comment. As the Project PICS stored on my MAC grow to close to 10,000 PICS I am wondering what other ASP’s & ASPM’s do with the outdated PICS. Please comment & send feedback!

I never have the time to go through all of my PICS in order to create order. Apparently, the situation is only going to expound as I take (and save more PICS.
Any suggestions? Storing them on CD seems so last year! HA HA!

Stagedhomes.com Announces Home Staging Training by Barb Schwarz, Creator of Home Staging, Scheduled for the Month of February, 2010

January 31st, 2010

Stagedhomes.com announced today its upcoming schedule for Home Staging classes for the month of February in Bel Air, MD, Cherry Hill, NJ, Dallas, TX, Herndon, VA, Irvine/Anaheim, CA, Orlando, FL and Rochester, NY.

Following a two-day course, real estate agents will earn the ASP®Real Estate Agent designation, and after a three-day course, students will earn the ASP® Home Stager designation. During the second day of training, students will go to a local home currently on the market which they will Stage while being guided by professional ASP® Stagers.

The following Home Staging classes are scheduled for the month of February:

Location Date Additional Information
Bel Air, MD February 9-11, 2010 Please click here.
Cherry Hill, NJ February 9-11, 2010 Please click here.
Dallas, TX February 16-18, 2010 Please click here.
Herndon, VA February 23-25, 2010 Please click here.
Irvine/Anaheim February 23-25, 2010 Please click here.
Orlando, FL February 23-25, 2010 Please click here.
Rochester, NY February 9-11, 2010 Please click here.

The Home Staging class scheduled for Dallas, TX, on February 16-18, 2010, will be taught by Barb Schwarz, Creator of Home Staging and CEO of Stagedhomes.com.

Stagedhomes.com also offers online Staging training. Please click here for more information about the online ASP® Accredited Staging Professional Real Estate Agent Course.

Professional Home Staging is the fastest growing new career opportunity in the real estate industry. Recommended by top real estate agents and as seen on television, Home Staging is professionally preparing homes for sale, so that they appeal to the most amount of buyers and generate the highest price in the least amount of time on market. In today’s market conditions, Staging sells homes. Home Staging is NOT decorating, fluffing, interior design or redesign! Instead, Home Staging is detailing, de-cluttering, depersonalizing and preparing a seller’s home to give it a “model home” appearance so that the potential buyer can “see” themselves living in the home.

The Accredited Staging Professional® Course was created by Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging, President and CEO of Stagedhomes.com and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Barb developed the concept of Home Staging in the early 1970’s and has since educated more than one-million people on the subject. She is a nationally known and award-winning speaker, author and trainer.

Statistics gathered from November 08 through May 09 show that 94.8% of ASP® Staged Homes sell on average in 37 days or less. Average days on the market before sold 37 days for ASP® Staged Homes and 182 days for non staged homes. ASP® Staged Homes are on the market 80% less time than a non-staged home. Click here to view statistics at Stagedhomes.com.

Stage® is a Federally Registered Trademark of StagedHomes.com

Additional information and resources:

For additional information, please visit Stagedhomes.com and the Stagedhomes.com blog.

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Have you Created Your 2010 Business Plan Yet? I hope these tips will help you.

January 31st, 2010

In recent weeks I have several tips on strategies and tactics you can include in your 2010 business plan at the Stagedhomes.com blog, and I thought I’d share a summary here at the Stagedhomes.com blog.

Tip 1. One Month Left of 2009: Is Your 2010 Business Plan Ready for Launch?

Here’s my first tip: Conduct a SWOT and Gap analysis A SWOT analysis will help you take an overall snapshot of your business to assess your internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats in the marketplace.

Please click here to continue reading One Month Left of 2009: Is Your 2010 Business Plan Ready for Launch?

Tip 2. Business Plan 2010 – Tip 2: Start Blogging.

2009 marked the year when social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube grew phenomenally fast. I recently read that Facebook doubled the number of users from early fall in 2008 until a year later in 2009. According to Facebook, over 300,000,000 people around the world are now using their system to stay in contact with friends. Imagine that – that’s close to the population of our country! Speaking of Facebook, have you become a fan of Stagedhomes at Facebook yet? Click here if you haven’t. Social media presents an incredible opportunity for professionals to find and build new relationships and create closer connections with existing clients and influencers. Farming used to consist of postcards distributed throughout the year, its frequency often limited by budgetary reasons. Furthermore, since postcards and fliers only allow the sender to engage in one-way communication, the effectiveness of building a relationship with the recipient can certainly be questioned.

Please click here to continue reading Business Plan 2010 – Tip 2: Start Blogging.

Tip 3. Business Plan 2010 – Tip 3: Start Planning by Using Financial Forecasting, Budgeting and Monitoring.

Do you run your business with a close eye on your financial situation? You should. In our industry, revenues typically fluctuate from month to month. Since we may often have months with little income – holiday and vacation seasons are prime examples of such time periods – and others with a higher level of activity and revenue, it is absolutely essential to plan ahead to ensure financial stability. Today’s tip covers three very essential parts of business planning: forecasting, budgeting and monitoring. In addition, I’ll describe a couple of financial term you must keep a very close eye on: cash flow and balance sheet.

Please click here to continue reading Business Plan 2010 – Tip 3: Start Planning by Using Financial Forecasting, Budgeting and Monitoring.

Tip 4. Business Plan – Tip 4: Advance Your Staging Techniques in 2010.Today I thought I’d share my recommendations specifically for the services you provide. Learning is a life-long exercise; for 2010, I suggest you advance your Staging® techniques.

Please click here.

Here’s another tip I would like to share.

You’re at an open house together with a Realtor® you’d like to form a business relationship with when a visiting broker stops and asks what brought you there. “I’m an Accredited Home Staging Professional,” is likely your response. Unfortunately, that description will not spell out the value you bring to a transaction to the consumers and even many real estate industry professionals you tell it to. In today’s tip I thought I’d share with you how to make sure every message you deliver, whether delivered in person, print or online, is as effective and powerful as it should be. No matter how you meet a consumer or real estate industry professional – in person, through your blog or website, and even Facebook and Twitter – it’s essential to make sure that the messages you provide instantly give a vivid picture of what you do and the positive impact of your work.

Please click here to read “Let Me Tell You How I Work”: How to Create a Powerful Value Message and Why it Matters.

Barb

Barb Schwarz

The Creator of Home Staging®

CEO StagedHomes.com Founder/Chairwoman, The International Association of Home Staging Professionals

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Subscribe to the StagedHomes Blog

January 31st, 2010

Now you can subscribe to new blog posts from the StagedHomes blog, and it’s easy!

Subscribe to the StagedHomes blog

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Type in your email address in the subscription box on the right side of this blog and wait for an email. Once you receive the email you’ll need to confirm your subscription by simply clicking on a link. That’s it! Every time we add a new blog post you’ll receive a copy in your email inbox.

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Monthly IAHSP® Calls to Share Ideas with Others

January 26th, 2010

All of our IAHSP® Chapters have great ideas, energizing meetings, and creative projects going on all the time. Yet you or your IAHSP® Chapter may not be aware of what other IAHSP® Chapters are doing around the country. Well, that’s about to change!

It gives me great joy to share with you that in 2010 we will introduce monthly IAHSP® Chapter Board Leadership calls. By participating you will learn what others are doing to recruit and retain members, hear ideas for yearly projects, listen to suggestions for meetings, and of course find out what other members doing to create growth. I promise you will learn a lot! Hearing and learning from other IAHSP® Chapter Board Leaders will certainly benefit each IAHSP® Chapter, each of us and all of us in so many, many great ways.

The monthly IAHSP® Chapter Board Leadership calls will take place on the 2nd Monday of each month at 4 p.m. west coast time for one hour. We will begin on February 8, 2010, and a schedule for coming months is provided below. Mark your calendar NOW!

Each month I will introduce the one-hour call. Then I will give a quick update of the latest new things for ASP®’s, IAHSP® and Stagedhomes.com which you can share with your IAHSP® Chapter locally and all of our great ASP® members. Have paper and pencil by your side and make sure to be on the call from the start or you will miss important updates, which are too important to miss for sure as so many new things develop and happen each month.
Next I will introduce the leader of each call. I will lead the first call in February and from March on one of our great International Board of Directors will lead the call, one leader at a time, and they will then interview the Board Member Leader of one of our featured IAHSP® Chapters for this year 2010.

Here’s why I have asked Atlanta to start off with me in February:

This past year in October I went to be with the Atlanta Chapter as I was asked to do a keynote address in their now famous IAHSP® Realtor® panel that they do each year. It is so amazing and wonderful what IAHSP® Atlanta is doing and this can be done in any of our cities and through our other great IAHSP® Chapters such as your chapter. Atlanta leaders will share how they put it together, what it took, how they paid for it, how they selected the panel and much, much more. Do not miss this call. Each IAHSP® Chapter should be doing a Realtor® panel each year as it will most certainly build your ASP® Business for all of our great ASP® IAHSP® members.

Below is a schedule so you will be able to look forward to each months call and which great IAHSP® chapter will be interviewed.

February: Barb Schwarz, ASPM®, The Creator of Home Staging, IAHSP® Founder and Chairwoman, interviews IAHSP® Atlanta

March: Jennie Norris, ASPM®, IAHSP® President, interviews IAHSP® Dallas

April: Jeanne Westmoreland, ASPM®, IAHSP® President Elect, interviews IAHSP® W LA and IAHSP® Orange County

May: Bette Vos, ASPM®, IAHSP® Ambassador Director, interviews IAHSP® Pinellas

June: Sandra Holmes, ASPM®, IAHSP® Secretary, interviews IAHSP® DC

July: Linda Pufford, ASPM®, IAHSP® Meetings Director and Kay Dobbins, ASPM®, IAHSP® Ethics Director, interviews IAHSP® Columbus

August: summer break

September: Jan Whitlow, ASPM®, IAHSP® Vendor Director and Trish Kim, ASPM®, IAHSP® Membership Director interviews IAHSP® Charlotte

October: Marcyne Touchton, ASPM®, IAHSP® PR Director and Jane Ann Lance, ASPM®, IAHSP® Go For the Gold Director, interviews IAHSP® Seattle

November: Michelle Beste, ASPM®, IAHSP® Director of Operations, interviews IAHSP® Chicago

December: Barb and the All of our Boards, Local and International meet for sharing Holiday cheer and successes with all of our great IAHSP® Chapters!

I will send you the number and code for each call one week in advance. Keep it and save it so you can be on the call right before 4 p.m. west coast time each 2nd Monday of the month.

I am so very excited to bring this idea to you and to put together the calls for you and for us all. You each have so much talent to share and through calls we can learn more about all the many great things and successes that some of our IAHSP® Chapters are doing and next year we will interview more great IAHSP® Chapters as we learn, share and benefit together from our truly great IAHSP® Association. We are great because of EACH of you and ALL of you!

By working together we continue to achieve and accomplish great things. Come ready to learn, be ready to take notes, and listen to the many great ideas you will hear from/for our/your great local IAHSP® Chapters this year.

Barb

Barb Schwarz, ASP®, ASPM®, AB, IAHSP®
The Creator of Home Staging®
President & Founder, StagedHomes.com
President & Founder, IAHSP.com

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The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® (IAHSP®) is the only professional Home Staging Association that is dedicated strictly to the Home Staging Industry. The Home Staging Industry is part of the Real Estate Industry and not the decorating or design industries. IAHSP® Regional Chapters meet on a regular basis throughout North America, serving members with monthly business and educational meetings, professional networking, growth and support.

IAHSP® International is comprised of 80 local regional chapters in the U.S and Canada with 1,500 Accredited Staging Professionals® (ASPs). As the recognized professional association and voice of the Home Staging industry, the IAHSP® sets the standard for Staging and is the benchmark for excellence in real estate. On a regular basis, ASPs® volunteer their time, talents and personal resources to work for the betterment of the communities that they serve and transitively enhance the quality of lives through service to others. For more information, please click here.

Barb Schwarz, Creator of Staging and CEO of Stagedhomes.com Featured in New Book by Nikki Stone, Olympic Gold Medalist

January 23rd, 2010

Barb Schwarz, Creator of Staging and CEO of Stagedhomes.com Featured in New Book by Nikki Stone, Olympic Gold Medalist

Barb Schwarz, Creator of Staging and CEO of Stagedhomes.com Featured in New Book by Nikki Stone, Olympic Gold Medalist

Stagedhomes.com is proud to announce that Barb Schwarz, CEO and Creator of Staging, is one of the contributing authors in the soon-to-be released book When Turtles Fly: The Secrets of Successful People Who Know How To Stick Their Necks Out, by author Nikki Stone.

Now an acclaimed motivational speaker and peak performance coach, Stone became America’s first-ever Olympic champion in the sport of aerial skiing at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

“I’m proud and honored to have worked closely with Nikki on this wonderful project for the last year,” said Schwarz. I am thankful for the opportunity to write a chapter about my work and invention of Home Staging and the ASP designation, humbled to be included in such a distinguished group of accomplished individuals, and especially grateful that I could contribute to a project with such a worthy cause.”

The author has agreed to donate 25% of net proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

Other contributing authors include Tommy Hilfiger, Shaun White, Prince Albert of Monaco, and Dr. Stephen Covey, author of ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”

When Turtles Fly: The Secrets of Successful People Who Know How To Stick Their Necks Out is available for purchase at www.amazon.com. Please click here to make your purchase.

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Barb Schwarz, Creator of Home Staging® and CEO of Stagedhomes.com, Celebrates Her 25th Anniversary as a Professional Speaker and Trainer

January 21st, 2010

Stagedhomes.com is proud to announce that Barb Schwarz, CEO and The Creator of Home Staging®, celebrates her 25th year as a Professional Speaker this year.

As a seasoned speaker and top Real Estate Broker, Schwarz has logged over 18,000 hours on the speaker’s platform. To date, over one million REALTORS® have attended her various programs, including her one-day program How to List and Sell Residential Real Estate Successfully. Having traveled up to 40 weeks each year, she’s been a featured speaker at almost all National Association of Realtors® conventions, state Realtor® conventions as well as all major real estate franchise conventions. Since 1972, Schwarz has educated Realtors®, Home Sellers, Home Stagers® and the public on Home Staging® starting first in the Seattle, WA area.

Her gift for speaking and ability to educate, motivate and entertain was recognized by the National Speakers Association in 1990 when they awarded her the coveted designation of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), earned by less than 250 speakers worldwide. Barb Schwarz is a leader, an innovator, and a truly gifted speaker who shares the wisdom of her personal triumphs. Those who experience Schwarz are always struck by her incredible energy as well as the practical substance of her programs. Schwarz is also the author of seven books, including the recently published Staging To Sell: The Secret To Selling Homes In A Down Market.

Barb is the creator of the “Staging To Sell and Staging To Live” ® concepts and she holds the Federally Registered Trademark from the US and Canadian Governments on Stage® as a service mark. Barb invented the Home Staging concept and industry when she entered the world of real estate as an agent in Bellevue, WA, in the early 70’s. Nearly 40 years later, Schwarz has repeatedly been acknowledged as being among the top 50 most influential women in the real estate industry. To date over 21,000 have participated in her accredited ASP® Courses and Designation for Realtors® and Stagers. Schwarz is the Founder and Chairwoman of ‘The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® and IAHSP® Foundation,” and the Founder and Director of ‘The Staging University®.”

Schwarz is also the founder and CEO of Stagedhomes.com, the internationally recognized leader in the Home Staging Industry because of the Home Staging educational trainings of the ASP® Course and Designation, the Stagedhomes.com Home Staging Directory where the public finds ASP® Real Estate Agents and ASP® Stagers to list and Stage® their homes, and the Stagedhomes.com Staged Homes portal which lists homes that are Staged for sale.

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StagedHomes.com Special Announcement

January 18th, 2010

Team Up with the ERA Gold Star Property Program!

Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List

See the New Website!
ERA

ERA Real Estate and Accredited Staging Professionals® are eager to help sellers maximize the value of homes through the Gold Star Property Program. Learn how to sell homes for more money in less time! Staged Homes sell faster and/or for more money.

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Offer in 35 days and closing in 82 days from listing!
testimonial
ERA Real Estate Agent gives great testimony to Accredited Staging Professional!

To All ASP Stagers;

We recently told you about a new opportunity to generate leads for you with ERA agents.  If you have not taken the time to join the program please do today!  We strive to help you succeed through building relationships and encourage you to take full advantage of special offers we’ve arranged for you.

ERA Real Estate and Stagedhomes.com have formed a wonderful relationship that we believe will give you an excellent opportunity for more ASP Staging business working with ERA real estate agents and sellers in their Gold Star Program.

ERA Real Estate is very supportive of ASP Staging because they know the many benefits Staging provides their sellers, their agents and their offices.  They also understand the power and benefits of the ASP designation and they want their agents using ASP Stagers so that more of their listings will be ASP Staged and sold using the Gold Star Program.

ERA has also asked Barb to be a featured speaker at their upcoming national convention in March of 2010 to speak about Staging, promote the Gold Star program and further their efforts in this area.

Most important to you, ERA will support ASPs by creating and promoting the website www.findastager.com/ERA .  It will be a place for all ERA agents and their sellers in the United States to go to and search for a participating ASP Stager to help them in their business and/or Stage a specific property.

The only requirement for this program is that you agree to offer any ERA agent, or their Gold Star sellers who contact you, a 10% discount off of your fees.  It’s a very simple win-win scenario that should also help you secure future business from these ERA agents and sellers all across the United States.  Neither ERA nor Stagedhomes.com are asking for any referral fees in this special program. This program is simply about helping sellers, ERA agents and you, the ASP Stager!

If ysign up nowou would like to participate in the new ERA program you MUST sign up on the Staging University…
  • Go to the Stagedhomes.com website and login to the Staging University.
  • Once you login, click on “ASP Edit Page” in the upper left hand corner.
  • Scroll down towards the bottom of the page and look for the button that says “Offer ERA Gold Star Program Discounts” and put a check mark in the box.  This box is located below the ASP SEARCH PAGE DESCRIPTION and above the ASP SERVICE AREA list.
  • Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the page and click UPDATE.
  • If you’d like to confirm you have signed up – just log back into your ASP Edit Page, as long as the box is checked you will display on the custom website http://www.findastager.com/era/
That’s it.  You are signed up!  ERA will continue to promote the program to their agents.  What can you do?

Promote your services to ERA agents – add to your Feature Page, marketing materials, and websties that you are now apart of the “ERA Approved ASP Program“!

We hope you are excited about this business opportunity for you that ERA and Stagedhomes.com has presented to you as an ASP Stager, and that you sign up, participate and make more money! It is our honor to support you in this way.  We are always working for you!

Sincerely,

Barb Schwarz and the Stagedhomes.com teamFor additional information about this exciting program please email Kirk@StagedHomes.com or Gina@StagedHomes.com.

Stage®, ASP®, ASPM®, IAHSP®, and Stagedhomes.com® are Federally Registered Trademarks of Stagedhomes.com®

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