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ASP Testimonials
"Thank you for the great skills you so seamlessly taught us and for all of the materials that you inspired us to use with such specific, reassuring directions, and for the knowledge that as ASP’s and members of IAHSP, we always have a place to turn for camaraderie and guidance."
Susan Devaney, ASP
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"Once again, Staging Works..
Received a voice mail from a Real Estate Broker on Friday. Excited. Her listed Staged home sold in 5 days. We are finding out that our selling market is slow except the staged homes... they are selling within a short period of times. We share stories, multiple offers... well this is ridiculous in a slow market!!! Wow does Staging work its magic."
-Carol Erks, ASPM |
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"We wanted to share with you and other ASP`s how excited my daughter and I are
about this business.
I recently got a call from a real estate agent
friend of mine who wanted to use our Staging services for a house she had on the
market since the beginning of December 2006, with absolutely NO activity.
We Staged the property for her on March 1, 2007 using small vignettes
around the house, and it sold in just 4 days!
We were so happy to see
that through our creativity and the specialized ASP training, our business is
well underway and this will be a great example for us to use when marketing our
business.
We will be attending your refresher course in Palm Springs on
the 24th and can hardly wait to attain more knowledge from you. Thank you again
for creating this fascinating industry."
-Michelle Pimentel, ASP, IAHSP |
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"I want to thank you for the wonderful 3-day class in Chicago this week. Not
only was the course about Home Staging but also about honoring and respecting
our clients as they pass through another stage in their life. You are a
wonderful role model and provided complete, carefully detailed turn-key
materials to take our newly acquired knowledge and to begin our staging careers.
Honestly, you really have thought of everything! What you have accomplished is
truly amazing! I feel so blessed to have taken the class from you. Thank you for
who you are (your teaching skills, your sense of humor and your passion), what
you have accomplished and your attitude about sharing your knowledge."
-Sharyn Meagher, ASID Allied Member, ASP |
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"I can`t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed revisiting the class the past 3
days. They say dynamite comes in small packages and you are certainly living
proof of that! I get so excited when I am working on a project or getting close
to closing a deal on a big project like the one I got the 1st day of class that
I find myself, eating, breathing and sleeping "Staging." Even my health issues
can`t take away the excitement or creativity that comes with this passion. Thank
you so much sweetie for all your wonderful and exciting ongoing ideas, vendors
you continue to bring on board and all the sharing. I hope we can make something
happen with Dr. Phil and "Operation Homefront." I also want to thank you again
for your deep caring and making such a valuable change to the class about how
important it is for ASP Realtors to use ASP Stagers. I truly believe that the
more Realtors see the difference that ASP Stagers and ASP Realtors working
together make, they will be jumping on the bandwagon.
What a warm fuzzy
feeling it was to hear you tell the Realtors over and over in class how
important we were to their businesses... thank you... thank you... thank
you."
-Gail |
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"It`s me... Sherri Halvorsen... and for some reason I have had you on my mind
and felt I had to write you! How`s the nose doing? Your picture always looks
great on the StagedHomes.com site! Can`t even tell... (lol)
Barb, my
business has been doing phenomenal! I can`t even begin to tell you. I set my
goals in the first weeks after taking the class and have stuck to my plan and
everything has fallen into place now, just about 6 mos. later! My stomach is in
constant flip-flops and I LOVE IT! Lots of hard work, 24/7 is now paying off!
Not letting up though, still plowi ng forward but I am seeing all my
efforts.
Just registered for Convention & the Ball and I CAN`T WAIT!
I have to share with you a great idea I am using for my presentations. I
think I told you last I wrote I had like 14 presentations scheduled. Well, had
to postpone some because of staging jobs but have done 4 of them so far and have
had great results and feedback AND CALLS!
A lot of mine have been lunch
presentations and some breakfast. Instead of bringing bagels, I have been
bringing in 2 cakes, 9 x 13. One is plain, chocolate right out of the oven, not
decorated, blah. The other is decorated to the hilt with Staged to Perfection on
it, my company logo, all the bells and whistles on it. To make a point about
Staging to the Realtors, I bring out the plain cake and say,"how many of you
would buy this cake and pay full price for it at the bakery", they all look at
me like I am nuts! Then I pull out the "Staged" cake and say "although Staging
is not decorating, how many of you would pay full price at the bakery for this
cake" and they all ooooh and ahhhh over the beautiful cake and say YES, they
would pay full price for it! Then I leave it with them to eat all day! One
Realtor even said he is going to use that same idea on his clients only using
cupcakes! Another said "OK, you really made your point, is that your
presentation?" They loved it....
Feel free to share this if you think it
will help others. I make the plain ones at home as it save $. I get the others
made at the grocery store for about $13-14.00 for 1/2 sheet.
Well, I
can`t wait to meet in June Barb. I thank you for all you have done for
me!"
-Sherri |
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"I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for the incredible job that you did
in presenting and educating us on all of the aspects of Home Staging. The
insight you gave us, the personalization of the material with real life
situations, and that Southern charm that you added to each subject did the trick
and was truly inspirational. I left the class with a level of enthusiasm,
passion, drive and focus that I haven`t felt for years.
Spending over 34
years in a Corporate environment had started to harden me to the belief that in
order to be successful, one had to have youth on their side, conform to preset
stereotypical behaviors and suppress the "creative genius" that was lurking
inside. With all of that said... you have opened my eyes. I am confident that I
will be very successful in my endeavors as a stager. I have no doubt.
I
have always had a passion to pursue this field, but I have you and Barb to thank
for kindling and fueling that passion. I really feel blessed to have been part
of your class. It feels like it was just meant to be... karma or fate I
guess.
So Jane Ann, thank you so much for all that you did. It was so
appreciated. Oprah Winfrey once said that the very, very basic need that each
human being possessed was to feel that they "mattered" in this world. Thank you
for making me confident that I DO matter... after all, without me, the world
would be short a "creative genius!" Please give my very best to Bob. He too was
a very special part of the class as well. It was great to have some additional
testosterone in that sea of feminine charm!
-Jim Volk |
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"Florida, in Chicago?
The subject home was an architectural delight
located on a wooded lot by a river. It had been lingering on the market for 9
months. With leaded glass doors, quarry tile floors, and multiple level decks
overlooking the water, the owner was puzzled about why the house had not
sold.
The wise owner took the house off the market and sought the
services of an ASP stager - me. As I toured the home, I was quickly able to see
that a potential buyer might have difficulty envisioning living there. Although
the house was located in suburban Chicago, the interior had a distinctly
tropical feel, and didn`t have enough furniture to give a buyer a sense of
permanence.
By bringing in wicker and other light furniture, along with
appropriate accessories, the house was transformed into a beautiful, relaxing,
livable space. The best change of all was for the homeowner -- the home sold THE
DAY IT WAS RE-LISTED after I staged it appropriate to its style! Staging
Works!"
-Barb Gross |
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"Order in the House was a key ingredient to the immediate success in the sale of
my home and they have assisted me in "getting the job done" for many of my
clients! The proof is in the fact that after you Staged my home, it sold to the
first person on the first day of the listing - for a record neighborhood
sale."
-Marsha Ulbrich |
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"I recently attended your 3 day course, OH MY GOSH!! I am so excited. What an
exhilarating ride. I plan to be open for business May 1. Your tapes, DVDs and
manual are becoming one with my mind. I can`t thank you enough for all the
advice, tools, business plan, career book, Marketing plan, etc.
Watch for
me on the site, I plan to create good things within Gods will."
-Sheila |
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"I got a Staging job today thanks to the StagedHomes website! My new client had read an article in USAA magazine (a military mag) about selling homes and they mentioned Staging. She went to the StagedHomes website and found me here in this little desert town of Yuma, Ariz.
That`s proof again that the StagedHomes website is working well for ASPs!
Thanks for all you do Barb!!"
-Teri Short, ASP |
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"As a professional organizer, I have benefited greatly from the business support
and marketing opportunities offered to me by being an ASP (Accredited Staging
Professional). Home Organization and Home Staging are completely related and
symbiotic careers.
Together, I have found both memberships and
associations give my company an additional level of credibility and expertise
not offered by NAPO or ASP alone.
Together they are quite powerful. I
encourage any professional organizer who also loves design to consider offering
this level of service to their clients!"
-Darla Rowley; ASP; Owner,
IMPACT! Interior Design Solutions; Member, Great Lakes Regional IAHSP Chapter
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"Staging and Organizing go hand-in-hand. With my ASP designation, I can help my clients through all aspects of getting organized - from clearing the clutter to "Staging to live"."
-Leah Stahlsmith |
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"Just wanted to let you know I just got my first "official" job staging job a
1.7 Million dollar home! I got the lead from the StagedHomes.com web site!
This home had been on the market for one year so after I Stage it and it
sells (which I know it will), the Staging will be the obvious reason! This is an
exclusive area and there are 134 active listings in this development all priced
from 1.5 million up!
So there is great potential for more business! I
can`t wait for you to see the before and after pictures, since you were my first
instructor, you should get part of the credit!!!
Thanks for being there,
and for StagedHomes, I am so excited! It`s feels so right and I know it will
just get better and better!"
-Teresa Woodward, ASP, Panama City, FL |
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"Thank you so much for the validation of my craft!... I feel honored to be affiliated with a membership of such wonderfully talented people, as well as having you as a part of my life! I`ve always been interested in home and garden design; much to the dismay of my husband, when we were wed 29 years ago! I think I shared with you, that he used to tease me, calling me "The Lone Re-arranger"... But he is used to it now!
I have intended to take your class, ever since I was loaned a video from my mentor, then started loaning your DVD`s to my own clients (at Windemere). Many times during your class, the message you conveyed resonated so strongly within my soul that I choked up and felt teary eyed with gratitude to God for bringing me to this point in my life. I have never been so happy, or inspired, by any of the Real Estate courses I`ve taken to date!
I hate to admit it, but Staging is really the only part of Real Estate that I`ve truly enjoyed... I have continued work as a Realtor, because I really love helping people.. . .
Lord knows I`ve seen the "Staging" out there that consists of a fake plant and a couple of candles! So sad... As I shared at the beginning, my clients and my peer`s feedback has been really positive. I knew my listings were selling pretty quickly, but af ter a bit, it became apparent that I needed to warn my clients about how quickly things move along after I "pressed play" to upload their listing to the Multiple! The thing that really pushed me into making time to get accredited (as an ASP Home Stager) was that work for my own listings had caught the eye of other Agents who inquired about my services. I had no clue as to what to charge another person and hoped to learn the business side of Staging from your class. Little did I know, how much I would gain from taking this vital step! So, yes, I am beyond thrilled to finally be an ASP and especially am grateful for the wonderful bonus of meeting you! So, you`ll see me at a Master`s course in the near future! In the meanwhile I am getting my inventory itemized for the insurance, getting the merchant account dialed in and anxiously awaiting the opportunity to enhance my profile online. Thank you for the amazing tools that you1ve created to help me fulfill my dreams!"
-Teri Powell |
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"I have been creative since I was a little girl. I always felt so much inner
peace expressing it. However, growing up I was looked upon as being a dreamer
and never finishing anything.
All of these years I have been searching
for an outlet for my creativity, and it guided me to you.
I want to thank
you for following your dream and sharing it with us all. Because you followed
your soul and created the Staging business, I now feel that I can put a home to
my life purpose and I am finally at peace."
Kristen Koniecjha |
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Barb,
You continue to inspire and lead a new generation of Home Staging Professionals. You always have a kind word to say and such a positive spirit. It is contagious.
You are building a legacy and you should be so proud of all YOUR accomplishments in the world of Home Staging and beyond. It really is about so much more than just getting a house ready for sale. It`s touching people`s lives daily in ways we don`t always see at first. It is an honor to be invited into another`s home.
I share your dream and your mission and I plan on seeing that staging does become an industry standard for every real estate transaction, even if takes one house at a time!
God bless you!
- Karen Otto, ASP, IAHSP,DIRC
Home Star Staging
Real Estate Staging & Consulting
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"I just had to tell you thank you for creating such a wonderful, full-service ASP Stager course!
You have given me so much information and so manyresources that it`s almost like `follow the dots` to get your business up and running. You have done an absolutely wonderful job of putting this altogether and available to all who train with
you and become an ASP Stager or Realtor. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and know-how! I have been looking for a business like this for a long, long time.
I can`t tell you how happy I am to have discovered you through your Staging book, which led me to
Stagedhomes.com I`ll finally be able to do something I love to do and get paid for it. Thanks Barb, you`re the best!
Thanks for giving us so much information and know-how to put together a business."
- Ruth Bona
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"In the last 9 months, I staged projects valued at a combined dollar amount of approximately $25 million...and approximately 70% of my staged homes sold within one day at or above asking. Pretty good for this market!"
-Steve Circelli
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"I have to say that I have e-mailed SEVERAL of the support staff in the last week and each one has gotten me an answer in a very short time.
This company is the greatest for assuring that each ASP is successful and I have everything needed to grow my business.
I am soooo happy to have made the choice to take the ASP course and to be doing what I really love doing.
Thank you to Barb and the wonderful staff you have working with you and for me!"
Kim Trudo |
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"Thanks for the heads up on (new features in the ASP Directory)! I actually hadn`t checked it in the last
couple weeks, but that is awesome news! I do know that my last 4 calls were
all Stagedhomes.com leads, so people are looking!"
Thanks again for all your hard work!
Pamela Cooke, ASP
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Barb –
I recently attended an ASP Training Course in Portland, Oregon and wanted to write to you and thank you for creating such an amazing industry! The training exceeded my expectations and I am so grateful that I found StagedHomes.com. In one of your videos that we watched in class you said something like “you are in the right place at the right time” and I wholeheartedly believe that is true. The training was amazing, and the ongoing resources and support available to ASPs through StagedHomes.com is even more valuable. Thank you so much for everything.
My other reason for writing is to tell you something that I am certain that you are already well aware of, but I wanted to share anyway, and that is what an absolute gem you have in Jennie Norris. I was lucky enough to have her as the Trainer of the class I attended and was so impressed with her knowledge and passion about the Staging industry and StagedHomes.com. My mother earned her ASP accreditation last August and had extremely positive things to say about Jennie, which I completely understood the minute I met Jennie. She is a fantastic teacher and, even more importantly, a really wonderful person. She clearly believes in and commits herself to the mission vision of StagedHomes.com. I am sure all of the StagedHomes Trainers are wonderful, but I wanted to let you know what a truly exceptional job Jennie does.
Thanks again and I look forward to your next coaching call – the last one was extremely helpful!
-Megan Ossinger, ASP, IAHSP |
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| "The training exceeded my expectations and I am so grateful that I found StagedHomes.com. The ongoing resources and support available to ASPs through StagedHomes.com is even more valuable."
- Megan Ossinger, ASP, IAHSP |
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| "I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to collaborate with Sherwin Williams. It has really added an extra value to my Staging service along with saving my clients money! My Staged 4 Living client just saved $384.67.
Also, agents are more apt to call me when they FIRST get the listing before their clients start preparing their home for sale as they should! Thank you for everything!
I can`t wait to find out what you will be offering us next!
Tawni
Staged4Sale
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| "Thanks very much for your message. I do have all of my Certificates, ASP and IAHSP, as well as the apron and the Sherwin Williams card, which I have used – and picked up my paint color wheel, a wonderful tool. I also ordered THE Staging Caddy, what a joy to use.
I began using it with my Senior Move Management Business. I wheel in with that, and my very sturdy, collapsible, handled folding table from Home Depot (thanks to all of the big store marketing ideas from class), a smile and my professionalism, and my clients are immediately put at ease. They know I am organized and ready to begin. That case is the magic wand!
Thanks so much for your great class. It was wonderful for the skills it taught for Staging, but I do believe that the stellar strength, even beyond the career specific skills, are the business, organizational, and life skills. I found your team approach, with the video of Barbara speaking and your presentations, to be the perfect pairing. The soul and ethics at the center of your business were immediately obvious.
As business women and men who are entering into people’s homes and their private domains, it is vitally important that every aspect of our companies exude these qualities. There is no mistaking the strong moral center to all that you all do – as well as the passionate belief in the ability and goodness of all of the lives that you touch.
Thank you, for running a class where members felt valued, their questions respected, and our fears of jumping into the business world calmed. So many people said, “I wished I had taken this class as I was getting started.” Lucky me, I did! Thank you for all of the great skills you so seamlessly taught us, for the materials that you gave us and inspired us to use with such specific, reassuring directions, and for the knowledge that as ASP’s and members of IAHSP, we always have a place to turn for camaraderie and guidance.
Almost forgot, even with my fledgling web presence ( that I am diligently working on between clients and having just gotten my real estate license and SRES), I received a call from the ASP site from a daughter coming in from out of town to try to help her mother get her house sold. One quick phone call, with a plea to come help her. Wow!
Thanks so much for checking back with me.
Most sincerely,
Susan Devaney, ASP
CEO, Moving Mavens |
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| I listed my home yesterday afternoon at 3 p.m., showed it twice and have just received a full price offer in today’s market!! - Olga Diaz-Potter |
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| Dear Barb,
"Thank You"once again for a fantastic two days of training. I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you shared and are providing to ASP`s. Your energy is contagious and inspiring!
Abundance is the word I chose to describe the feeling I had today. That one word sums up what I came home with tonight. So, thank you again for sharing your philosophies, creativity, expertise in real estate and much more....It was a great pleasure pariticipating in your course.
Be well....Janna Adams
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Hi Barb!
I had to give you a little update on my business development since completing my ASP!
What I`m finding out (which I`m sure you already KNOW), is that many people, who consider themselves "professional stagers", actually are NOT! Additionally, unfortunately, they are not always leaving a good impression with their work!!!
I`ve met with a few Realtors to introduce ASP Staging....needless to say, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that professional home staging does not cause thousands, thousands and thousands of dollars.....is affordable and has options (like offering consultations as well!) I`ve thought of you sharing about the "wannabe" stagers. They make things hard!!!
Also, presenting the statistics that are available on the University, the before and after photos, and discussing the "extra`s" were really impressive to the realtors! (like offering a reception following the staging, checklist for the homeowners to prepare before showing / open houses, ways to help the realtors, and so much more!) It`s so funny, because I have used the Barb phrase, "...with your kind permission...." You are right! People are so blown away by the measure of kindness in that phrase, they automatically say, "yes!"
I met with a realtor yesterday and he was sharing how he really respected staging, however, with the economic crunch we are all experiencing, people just don`t want to pay for it. I listened, let him share, and then he said this , "wow, I`ve had price reductions in the 10 - 20,000`s on my properties - it`s killing me!" With that, I said "Wow, considering the investment (not cost...:) of home staging, it`s really just a fraction of a reduction, isn`t it???" The realtor`s eyes became wide....and he said "wow, you are right!". :) He is referring ALL of his listings to me for staging! Hurray!
I thought it would bless you to hear testimony of ASP work! YOU are right - using the methods you taught, and those I am reading through and studying - it just works. You rock Barb!!! By the way, I got my FIRST consult request today!!!! Yay!!!
Stephanie Henderson, ASP
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Amazing Staging! OH – it’s a great – TRUE – story!!
The Staging business never ceases to amaze me! The positive results of Staging Homes for Sale still Changes Lives – For the Better!
A property, of mine, that had been Staged and on the market for 10 months (over priced) was finally reduced to reflect current market values. It sold within two weeks! I knew this! What I did not know until I spoke to the Realtor yesterday was that the unit sold “due to the Staging”, to quote the Realtor. I also knew it did not have the lowest listing price in the complex and it did not have features that the other comps did. The Buyers loved it & made the offer due to the Staging!
The news to me yesterday was that the buyers offered MORE THAN the listing price!! It’s September 2008!! I am delighted to testify that over asking price offers still take place, “in this market!!” I am happy for the sellers as they had been carrying two mortgage payments for almost a year! I LOVE THIS BUSINESS!! I cannot wait to see what good things come next!!
PS The foot note is that I was hired by the homeowner, it sold under the second Realtor – whom I have NEVER met AND has given me two great jobs within the last two weeks because of the power of Home Staging!! Isn’t that cool? Jan Whitlow, ASPM, Pinellas and Sarasota Counties, Florida |
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Barb,
I have been back 2 weeks now and can’t believe the difference that the course has made for me in the way I market my business and interact with clients and realtors. I truly appreciate all you taught us at the class and am so glad I went.
I made a presentation to a real estate office just a few days after I returned and got 2 projects so far from the presentation. I appreciate all the feedback and suggestions they helped immensely.
I made great friends at the course and have been in touch with some of the ladies. I have never been part of a business that is so generous in nature. You are a phenomenal example to us all.
Thanks So Much
Teresa Rojek
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Hi Barb,
I want to Thank You so much for a Wonderful experience at your Staged Homes Workshop this past Monday and Tuesday in Palm Desert. You are an Awesome Teacher. Many of your Words of Wisdom are popping into my head all the time and even have more meaning now than when I first heard them. It was truly a different type of Course than I`ve experienced before and one that will always stick with me. I look forward to moving forward with my ASP!
Thanks Again.
Angela Galioto
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Jeanne visited my home four days after I decided to sell it out of the blue. I wasn`t planning on moving for two years but the house I am buying came up for sale and it is `me`! Jeanne has a phenomenal eye. She saw through my 28 years of clutter and her vision for transforming my house for `sale ready` was nothing short of miraculous. Jeanne staged it in one day and we had an offer 11 days later!! We close and move next week, six weeks after it being placed on the market! It is nothing short of amazing how she can take your things, add a few others and you then have a home you never knew could look like those in a magazine!! I have learned that staging is not just for selling. I want her to come to my new house and help me stage that, too! Best, Debbie
Jeanne Conroy Monaco, ASP, IAHSP
Staged to Perfection, LLC
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