Sell Your Property Faster With These 5 Important Home Staging ...

A Property Restylist, or Home Stager, can often make simple changes to your property that lead to dramatic results-a faster sale for the most money possible. As a Real Estate Stager, I have learned that there are five things that you absolutely must do to stage your house to get it in its most marketable shape for the virtual and live real estate markets.

Start Your Move Before You Call the Realtor

If you are fortunate enough to know ahead of time that you will need to list your property, the time to start staging your house to quick sell is before you call your Realtor. You want your house to look its absolute best before your Realtor steps foot in the house to determine sale price and take those all-important photos for the internet. According to Century 21, ?A house that has been better maintained and shows better will always sell for more than one that has had deferred (neglected) maintenance and needs work.?

Start With a Clean Slate

So where do you start to stage your house before the Realtor arrives? You start by breaking up with your clutter and sending it packing. This decluttering and pre-packing is your most important step in staging your house for a quick sell. If you are an avid collector, pack away most of your collections leaving only 3-5 of your favorite items from your collection for display. This is a great time to go through closets, drawers, basements and shed items that you haven?t used in the past year. Don?t forget to declutter your walls too. And the great thing is, many non-profit organizations, like Goodwill, the Salvation Army and Purple Heart will even come to your house and pick up your items for you. How easy is that?

Reorganize

Because so many buyers are watching design shows on HGTV, they expect perfection. Yes, even in your linen closet. By doing so, you will give buyers the impression that they will live an organized, peaceful existence. Take the time to make your closets and storage spaces look immaculate and you will definitely see a return on your investment.

Repair

Now is the time to finally get that to-do list accomplished! Sometimes it is shocking how little time, energy and effort is involved in those odd jobs around the house. For bigger jobs, you may need to bring in a professional. If you cannot afford to repair something, get a few estimates of your own. Remember, savvy buyers today will walk through your home deducting the cost of repairs that they think the house will need and I promise you that their estimate will always be higher than the actual cost. By getting your own estimates, you can counter this more effectively. Knowledge truly is power!

Renew

Breathe new life into your rooms. Are your windows, walls, flooring or bedding outdated? If they are more than ten years old, then that is a mandatory and resounding YES! There are so many reasonable and good looking options in stores like Target, Bed Bath and Beyond & Lowes. Treat yourself to a nice, quick sale by investing in making some of these inexpensive updates.

This may seem overwhelming but breaking it into small, manageable steps can make it easier. Enlist the help of family, friends or professionals. I also offer tons of information through my website that can really give you a kick start. Your house is most likely your biggest investment and you want it to sell quickly and for the most money possible so why wouldn?t you want it to look its absolute best when it hits the market?

Source: http://www.fecepac.org/sell-your-property-faster-with-these-5-important-home-staging-steps.html

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Circumcision to remain legal in Germany

John MacDougall / AFP - Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, prepares Wednesday in Berlin to cast her ballot with other MPs after a debate in the German parliament's lower house over a law governing circumcision.

By Donald Snyder, NBC News special correspondent

The German parliament voted Wednesday to keep male circumcision legal, ending an international controversy that started when a Cologne court ruled the practice constitutes ?bodily harm.?

The new law, proposed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, permits traditional Jewish circumcision, in which Jews trained in circumcision (mohels) circumcise male babies on the eighth day after birth, in accordance with the Torah.

---

The government bill won by a hefty margin: 434 in favor and 100 against. Forty-six abstained. ?At a rally near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, roughly 20 demonstrators protested the new law.

Opponents of the legislation submitted an alternative that would have permitted circumcision only after a male turns 14 years old and consents to the procedure. This measure was defeated 462 to 91.?

Debate divides country
This debate over circumcision began in May after the Cologne court ruled that the botched circumcision of a 4-year-old Muslim boy violated the child?s rights because it constituted ?illegal bodily harm,? even with parental consent. Muslims circumcise boys at a later age than Jews, and usually a doctor performs the circumcision. There?s no Muslim equivalent to the Jewish mohel.

Though strictly local in its jurisdiction, the Cologne ruling set off a furor over the future legal status of circumcision nationwide. Many doctors and hospitals stopped performing the procedure on Muslims for fear of prosecution. Jewish mohels, who are often rabbis, continued to perform circumcisions, risking prosecution. Charges were brought against a 64-year-old rabbi for performing circumcisions in Hof, a small town near the Czech border.

Bundestag member Kerstin Griese, 46, of the Social Democratic Party, who is an expert on religious issues, hailed the legislation. In an email to NBC News, she said Jewish and Muslim children have the right to grow up in their parents? religion and should feel at home in Germany.

?Germany should not be the only country in the world that punishes the performing of this religious ritual,? she wrote.

Philip Missfelder, 33, a Bundestag member from Merkel?s Christian Democratic Party, said the legislation protects the child while ensuring freedom of religious practice.

?For me it is important that Jewish life in Germany can continue without hindrance,? he said.

A leader in the fight against the government law was Marlene Rupprecht, 64, a Social Democrat. When asked why she opposes the government-proposed legislation, she said she didn?t want Germany to go down in history as a country that legalizes injury to children just because of what the Torah or Bible says.

?Ritual circumcision is an irreparable and medically unnecessary procedure,? Rupprecht said.

Differing schools of thought
German society is highly secular. Religion is generally viewed as a relic from the past. This is especially true in what was formerly Communist East Germany, where atheism was the official doctrine for 44 years.

?The basic sentiment here is anti-religious,? said Sylke Tempel, editor-in-chief of Internationale Politik, a foreign policy journal published by the German Council of Foreign Affairs. ?And Germans throw overboard anything that has to do with tradition.?

According to Tempel, the Cologne ruling was not a deliberate attack on Islam or Judaism but showed a total misunderstanding of how important circumcision is to both religions.

TNS Emnid, a German polling organization, found in a July 2012 survey that 56 percent of Germans agree with the Cologne ruling. ?

Deirdre Berger, executive director of the American Jewish Committee in Berlin, a Jewish advocacy organization, said that the Cologne ruling can be traced to a body of law and medical literature that has been accumulating over the past decade.

This school of thought, based on little scientific evidence, holds that circumcision does irreversible physical damage and causes emotional trauma, a view held by the German Association of Pediatricians, which has called for a two-year moratorium on circumcisions.

By contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization endorse circumcision for its medical benefits, particularly in fighting the spread of HIV in Africa.

While applauding Wednesday?s vote to legalize circumcision, Berger does not believe this ends the controversy. The law is likely to be appealed to Germany?s Supreme Court, she said, and could open the door to more restrictive legislation in other European countries that are having similar anti-circumcision debates.

Donald Snyder, an NBC News producer for more than 25 years, is a special correspondent for NBCNews.com.?

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/12/15869347-circumcision-to-remain-legal-in-germany?lite

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Bengals must recognize Eagles haven't quit

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't completely given up on the season. They damaged Tampa Bay's playoff chances last weekend and get an opportunity Thursday night to do the same to the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's a critical game for the Bengals (No. 16 in the AP Pro32). At 7-6, they are in the midst of the AFC wild-card race, tied with the Steelers and a game in front of the Jets for the final spot. After blowing a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter against Dallas, at home no less, they can't afford to flop in Philly, where the Bengals are a 3-point favorite.

Had the Eagles (No. 27, AP Pro32) not rallied to win at Tampa on the final play last Sunday, this wouldn't seem much of a hurdle. To the credit of coach Andy Reid and the young players he's using in this lost season, the Eagles still are trying.

"I think the big thing is, it's a great thing for the team sticking together," rookie quarterback Nick Foles said. "We can build off of this."

Perhaps. But at 4-9 and with an eight-game slide just concluded, Philadelphia isn't going anywhere this season. Cincinnati could be, and with games remaining at Pittsburgh and home for Baltimore, a loss to the lowly if re-inspired Eagles is unthinkable.

"We let a huge opportunity get away based upon what happened with a couple of other clubs," coach Marvin Lewis said. "And that's the shame of it."

Falling to Philadelphia would be even more of a shame.

BENGALS, 19-13

___

No. 3 San Francisco (plus 3) at No. 1 New England

If Patriots do to Niners what they did to Texans, there might be no stopping them.

BEST BET: PATRIOTS, 24-17

No. 6 (tie) New York Giants (plus 1) at No. 5 Atlanta

Falcons look like first-place team chasing those behind them.

UPSET SPECIAL: GIANTS, 26-20

No. 10 Indianapolis (plus 8 1-2) at No. 4 Houston

Texans look like first-place team chasing those behind them, too.

TEXANS, 23-21

No. 13 Pittsburgh (plus 1) at No. 14 Dallas

Picking road underdogs is dangerous business. But Dallas isn't imposing at home.

STEELERS, 23-17

No. 6 (tie) Green Bay (minus 3) at No. 12 Chicago

Packers wrap up NFC North, keep archrivals skidding.

PACKERS, 27-17

No. 2 Denver (minus 2 1-2) at No. 8 (tie) Baltimore

Ravens need to straighten themselves out. This is not the best game to do so.

BRONCOS, 28-27

No. 8 (tie) Seattle (minus 3) vs. No. 26 Buffalo at Toronto

Win here and Seahawks can make playoff plans.

SEAHAWKS, 24-20

No. 15 Minnesota (plus 3) at No. 17 St. Louis

Jeff Fisher should be in Coach of Year conversation.

RAMS, 21-20

No. 18 Tampa Bay (plus 3 1-2) at No. 19 New Orleans

Bucs will kick themselves for loss to Eagles when season concludes.

BUCCANEERS, 30-27

No. 32 Jacksonville (plus 7) at No. 23 Miami

Jaguars have No. 1 overall draft pick in their sights.

DOLPHINS, 17-9

No. 25 Carolina (plus 3) at No. 21 San Diego

Both teams pulled off upsets a week ago. Chargers avoid one.

CHARGERS, 30-28

No. 24 Detroit (minus 6 1-2) at No. 29 Arizona

Cardinals will show up this time. They just won't win.

LIONS, 24-13

No. 30 (tie) Kansas City (plus 3) at No. 30 (tie) Oakland

AP Pro 32 rankings say it all about these teams.

CHIEFS, 19-17

No. 20 New York Jets (plus 1) at No. 28 Tennessee, Monday night

Now Jets fans are talking playoffs? Fuhgeddaboudit!

TITANS, 14-13

No. 11 Washington (OFF) at No. 22 Cleveland

With or without RG3, Redskins have come too far to stumble here.

REDSKINS, 17-13

___

2012 RECORD:

Against spread: 8-7 (86-106-7). Straight up: 9-7 (127-77-1)

Best Bet: 6-6-2 against spread, 10-4 straight up.

Upset special: 10-4 against spread, 8-6 straight up.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bengals-must-recognize-eagles-havent-quit-190713262--nfl.html

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No Reason for the Season

Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen ...

For Christians, Dec. 25 is more than just another religious holiday: It commemorates the birth of their savior, Jesus. But Christmas isn?t just for Christians. In a 2008 article reprinted below, Torie Bosch explains how Christmas has always been a strictly secular affair for her family?and why you shouldn?t need a religious reason to celebrate the season.

Bemoaning the bastardization of the Christmas season is becoming a holiday tradition. In newspaper letters to the editor and in the blogosphere, purists offer chiding reminders that Jesus is "the reason for the season" and that Christmas is supposed to be his birthday party?not a random excuse for shopping and very special sitcom episodes. Adding his voice to the choir this year is megachurch leader and inauguration invocationer Rick Warren, who pleaded in his new book The Purpose of Christmas, "If you'll slow down for a few minutes ? and pause to consider the purpose of Christmas, you can receive and enjoy the best Christmas gift you'll ever be given." For Christians, I have no doubt that that's some sound advice. But I don't want to slow down and consider the purpose of Christmas. What I love about the holidays are what Warren and his ilk surely consider distractions: the trees, the lights, Santa, and Muppet specials.

For me, Christmas has always been a secular occasion. I grew up in an unaffiliated household. My mother is Catholic, though she didn't practice for most of my childhood. My father was raised in a devoutly Jewish home, but he always adored Christmas. My grandmother tells, half-fondly and half-sadly, of when he was 6 and asked whether he could become Christian so that Santa Claus would pay him a visit. He eventually stopped practicing Judaism, but his love of Christmas never went away.

When I was a girl, my father would spend hours decorating the tree, the house, and the yard in a manner a bit like that of Christmas Vacation?lots of swearing, lots of tangled lights, and (eventually) lots of genuine pride in the accomplishment. Each year, one of my brothers or I would accompany him to pick out a new nutcracker to add to our family's collection; the jester, Drosselmeyer, and Civil War soldiers might not have been part of the Nativity story, but they meant Christmas to me. We never celebrated Hanukkah, because it never appealed to him: Christmas was the only winter holiday worth the effort, as far as he was concerned. My father passed away when I was young, but my family's holidays remained much the same. We focused on the togetherness and celebrating my father's memory on his favorite holiday. The miracle of Jesus' birth was far from our minds.

For much of my life, I felt guilt about our happily godless Christmases. I worried that we were leeching off of someone else's holiday. When Bill O'Reilly railed about "Christmas under siege," I felt complicit. If I was content to listen to Christmas-themed pop songs instead of hymns, to open presents with gusto instead of heading to church, or to dig right into the meal instead of saying grace, was I diluting the holiness of others' celebration? Was I insulting Jesus? Cheapening the experience for Christians?

There was no one moment that crystallized my thinking or relieved me of my guilt. Rather, it was a series of observations: Most of the classic songs and movies that celebrate Christmas don't even mention God or Jesus. Santa doesn't check church attendance to decide whether he's going to give a child a present?he checks whether she's been naughty or nice. He's the perfect secular judge of moral fiber. To say that the secularists injure the Christmas spirit is much like the claim that two men getting hitched will besmirch the sanctity of marriage. Why should the way I mark Christmas bother anyone? Christians appalled by my secular holiday will no doubt argue that I am depriving myself of the greater joy that comes with accepting Jesus into your heart. But I'm not attempting to take away anyone's right to go to church or to display a Nativity scene. All I need to celebrate Christmas is a tree, stockings, baked goods, some people I love, and some gifts to give (and, yes, receive).

Like Emily Yoffe's Dear Prudence Column on Facebook:

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=a2107450146818ee0b1e4efd4d0af074

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Most Googled in 2012: Whitney, PSY, Sandy

FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 picture, Whitney Houston accepts an award at the Warner Theatre during the 2010 BET Hip Hop Honors in Washington. Houston was the ?top trending? search of the year, according to Google Inc. People around the globe searched en masse for news about the superstar singer's sad, accidental drowning (AP Photo/Nick Wass, file)

FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 picture, Whitney Houston accepts an award at the Warner Theatre during the 2010 BET Hip Hop Honors in Washington. Houston was the ?top trending? search of the year, according to Google Inc. People around the globe searched en masse for news about the superstar singer's sad, accidental drowning (AP Photo/Nick Wass, file)

FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2012, file photo, a man raises his hand during at Google offices, Oct. 17, 2012. The world's attention veered from the tragic to the silly in 2012, and along the way, Web surfers searched in huge numbers to find out about a royal princess, the latest iPad, Mother Nature's wrath and a record-breaking skydiver. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The world's attention wavered between the tragic and the silly in 2012, and along the way, millions of people searched the Web to find out about a royal princess, the latest iPad, and a record-breaking skydiver.

Whitney Houston was the "top trending" search of the year, according to Google Inc.'s year-end "zeitgeist" report. Google's 12th annual roundup is "an in-depth look at the spirit of the times as seen through the billions of searches on Google over the past year," the company said in a blog post Wednesday.

People around the globe searched en masse for news about Houston's accidental drowning in a bathtub just before she was to perform at a pre-Grammy Awards party in February.

Google defines topics as "trending" when they garner a high amount of traffic over a sustained period of time.

Korean rapper PSY's "Gangnam Style" music video trotted into second spot, a testament to his self-deprecating giddy-up dance move. The video is approaching a billion views on YouTube.

Superstorm Sandy, the damaging storm that knocked out power and flooded parts of the East Coast in the midst of a U.S. presidential campaign, was third.

The next biggest trending searches globally were a pair of threes: the iPad 3 tablet from Apple Inc. and Diablo 3, a popular video game.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Kate Middleton, who made news with scandalous photos and a royal pregnancy; the 2012 Olympics in London; Amanda Todd, a Canadian teen who was found dead of an apparent suicide in October after being bullied online; Michael Clarke Duncan, the "Green Mile" actor who died of a heart attack in September at age 54; and "BBB12," the 12th edition of "Big Brother Brasil," a reality show featuring scantily clad men and women living together.

Some trending people, according to Google, were:

? Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiver who became the first to break the sound barrier without a vehicle with a 24-mile plummet from Earth's stratosphere;

? Jeremy Lin, the undrafted NBA star who exploded off the New York Knicks bench and sparked a wave of "Linsanity";

? Morgan Freeman, the actor whose untimely death turned out not to be true.

The Internet also continued its rise as a popular tool for spreading addictive ideas and phrases known as "memes." Remember LOL? If you don't know what it means by now, someone may "Laugh Out Loud" at you.

This year, Facebook said its top memes included "TBH (To Be Honest)," ''YOLO (You Only Live Once)," and "SMH (Shake My Head)." Thanks to an endlessly fascinating U.S. presidential campaign, "Big Bird" made the list after Republican candidate Mitt Romney said he might consider cutting some funds for public broadcasting.

Yahoo said its own top-searched memes for the year included "Kony 2012," a reference to the short film and campaign against Ugandan militia leader Joseph Kony; "stingray photobomb" for an unusual vacation snapshot that went viral; and "binders full of women," another nod to Romney for his awkward description of his search for women cabinet members as Massachusetts' governor.

Ask.com said the top trending news question was related the 2012 Olympics: "How many medals did the U.S. gymnastics team win?" Other top queries on Ask.com included "When is the Facebook IPO?" and "Why was Trayvon Martin shot?"

And people were happy to pass on popular Twitter posts by retweeting them. According to Twitter, the year's most popular retweets were President Barack Obama's "Four more years," and Justin Bieber's farewell to six-year-old fan Avalanna Routh, who died of a rare form of brain cancer: "RIP Avalanna. i love you".

The Decatur Daily

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-12-12-US-Internet-Searches-2012/id-290fe9435ff348038f1f5e50532df45d

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How To Host Holiday Parties In A Small Space ? CBS St. Louis

With the holidays just around the corner, you might be thinking about having the gang over to ring in the new year or inviting family for a holiday meal. If you have never entertained at home because you think your abode is too small, think again. While a small house or apartment might be limited in terms of square footage, you can still throw a great party. Consider the following tips when planning your next soiree.

Rethink your meal. If you live in a studio apartment, having 20 of your nearest and dearest over for a seated five-course meal might be pushing the limits of how you can entertain. But fear not. You can still throw a memorable party, just change how and what guests will eat. Opt for a cocktail party in a small space and serve finger foods that can be eaten by hand and don?t require heavy cutlery. Cocktail shrimp, cheese and crackers and fresh-cut vegetables and dip can all be easily managed without worrying about balancing. Encourage guests to mingle by doing away with most of your chairs, storing them offsite. Clear off any dressers or desks so people have a place to keep their wine glasses and snacks.

Repurpose what you already have. The key to using small spaces effectively when entertaining is to reuse what is already at your fingertips. The bed in a small apartment can be pushed against the wall. Throw some decorative cushions and pillows on it and voila, you now have a couch. To keep beverages chilled, stock a scrubbed-down tub or your kitchen sink with ice, then fill it up with your drinks of choice. In addition, throw a festive tablecloth over a stand-up ironing board placed against a wall and keep it attached with clips. The result is a decorative stand for holding beverages, snacks, plates and napkins.

Store guests? gear. In many parts of the country, holiday parties are synonymous with wearing thick, warm jackets. If you?re in a small space, simply throwing jackets onto your bed may not work, especially if you are planning to use the bed as a couch. Instead, clear off one dresser or chair and neatly stack jackets on top of each other. Another option is to buy extra coat hangers, then hang guests? coats over the doors. If nothing else, consider buying a coat rack. You might not want to use the bathroom curtain rod to store jackets as the weight from heavy coats ? especially if they are wet from snow or rain ? could break the rod.

Remove what you are not using. In a small space, every square foot counts when entertaining. Before your next party, remove furniture you do not plan to use. Your kitchen table might only make it awkward for guests to maneuver around while grabbing snacks. If that is the case, stash it in storage or ask a neighbor to hold onto it overnight. Other items you might want to consider removing are coffee tables, nightstands and floor lamps if you already have sufficient light. In addition, find a home for items cluttering the floor, including suitcases and books.

Clear off the countertops. Your kitchen countertop will likely need to do double duty and serve as a snack table. Clear off your countertops completely of any small appliances not needed for your party, including stand-up mixers, toasters and microwaves. If your stove will not be in use during your party, place cookie sheets on top of the burners and use them to hold bowls of snacks. If you are still short on space and are not using your kitchen sink to store beverages, consider placing oversized cutting boards over your sink to store food.

Take it outside. If you have a balcony, patio or terrace, encourage guests to go outside by running a heat lamp or lighting candles on a cold winter?s night. If your backyard is big enough, use a fire pit to encourage guests to mingle outdoors. A cool patio is also the perfect place to keep cold beverages chilled without taking up space in your refrigerator. By using the outdoors, you can significantly increase your entertaining square footage while keeping your party from feeling too crowded.

Megan Horst-Hatch is a mother, runner, baker, gardener, knitter, and other words that end in ?-er.? She loves nothing more than a great cupcake, and writes at I?m a Trader Joe?s Fan. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/12/12/how-to-host-holiday-parties-in-a-small-space/

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