July new US home sales up 9.6 percent

By ALAN ZIBEL

, 08.26.09, 10:27 AM EDT

WASHINGTON — New U.S. home sales surged 9.6 percent in July, rising for the fourth straight month and beating expectations as the housing market marches steadily back from its historic downturn.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000 from an upwardly revised June rate of 395,000. Sales are now up 32 percent from the bottom in January, but off 69 percent from the frenzied peak four years ago.

Last month’s sales pace was the strongest since September and exceeded the forecasts of economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters, who expected a pace of 390,000 units. The last time sales rose so dramatically was in February 2005.

The median sales price of $210,100, however, was still down 11.5 percent from $237,300 a year earlier.

There were 271,000 new homes for sale at the end of July, down more than 3 percent from May. At the current sales pace, that represents 7.5 months of supply – the lowest since April 2007. The decline means builders have scaled back construction to the point where supply and demand are coming into balance.

Buyers, meanwhile, are rushing to take advantage of a federal tax credit that covers 10 percent of the home price, or up to $8,000 for first-time owners. Home sales must be completed by the end of November for buyers to qualify

Challenge:  Dallas to Wilmington.  How?  I had a few options, but not really.

If you are familiar with North Carolina and the furniture industry, you know that High Point, North Carolina has been deemed “Furniture Capital of the World” is over 6 billion dollar industry.    What does that mean?  It is a shopper’s haven.  Many factory outlets selling under sold items, samples, etc.    In addition, there are outlets in every major city and you can certainly find deals everywhere if you look hard enough.  Great stuff, great prices.

So, my options were stay in Wilmington and shop, shop, shop!  I LOVE Wilmington, and a month would have been pure enjoyment (once I figured out how to get from place to place).   However, just unrealistic with the girls.

Next?  The “heated” discussion was about understanding the rules of the game, and how to ensure it was honest and fair.   I have been in business 15 years.  I am fortunate to have found key sources and developed excellent business relationships with my vendors.  The building business in Texas has been very good to me, and we purchase a decent amount of merchandise.    When pulling the pieces together, it is not only the style and quality of the merchandise, you also have to take into account the reliability of the wholesale manufacturer.  The quick turn around in model merchandising is sometimes six weeks to do a 4,ooo sq. foot house.  If your order is not in stock or is not shipped as promised, it creates voids in the installation and in turn, poor customer service to your builder.

So, budget.   It required what?   CREATIVITY.  I knew this going in, and took the gamble without any concrete plan. It is not only about the colors and overal aesthetics.  How could I make it all happen?  Here is a true story that has been pivotal in the success of Premier Design Group, Inc.,  Walker & Co.- imports from abroad, and me personally.

I was working with a very successful builder in Dallas.   He wanted a “Ralph Lauren” feeling in the model.   He went so far is to expect shopping bags from the Ralph Lauren store in the closets.   My first thought was “How do I get the bags?”.  He said, go to the store and ask for them.   I was very new to entrepreneurship, and the thought of walking into the high end retail store and asking for a dozen shopping bags just made me flabbergasted.    I love to make clients happy, along with helping them sell houses.  I was just not sure about this.

So, off I went into the store.  Made my request.  And simply walked out with over a dozen shopping bags.   I never thought they would say yes, instead I thought they would laugh in my face and I would be embarrassed.  Ok, not laugh in my face, stick their nose up or something.   But nope, got the bags.  Builder was happy.

To pull together the project from Dallas, I was faced with substantial shipping costs.  And although I do not have a total, the cost of shipping the merchandise looks to be about $1,000 total.  This doesn’t include the van I had to rent to pick up larger items. Just light a match.

I went to my favorite, reliable, quick shipping furniture manufacturers and gave them the opportunity to sponsor me.  I offered them all I could do to promote them.  On my blog, my website, press releases, everything that was right to do for them to sponsor me.  One asked if I was looking for money, I thought “I am not a race car driver”, and gratefully denied the offer.   The price point of the merchandise in my model is very good.  It is not cheap, but good quality and well priced.   I am very appreciative of the opportunity to use such great stuff!    The great news is they will get tons of professional photographs and lots of exposure to other designers nationally.    I would not promote them if I didn’t use their merchandise in my projects.

Well then,  Just ASK!   I gave them a tremendous opportunity and they helped me meet my budget and give Compass Point a fabulous model.  I am talking about the buy end.  You would be surprised what happens when you merely ask.  It seems that the obvious is not so obvious, and I am usually surprised and who says yes and who says no.

Just a note- the “heated” discussion was about exactly this   How do you tell the public that you spent $5,000 and actually have more dollar value in your end product?     How can you tell a customer that the room costs $5,ooo when we would charge them substantially more?  If you really listen to the conversation, that was the subject of the debate.    But think about it,  why not ask?  I wanted the best I could have and do the best work I could do.   I wanted to be the most creative I could be and it show.  Don’t get me wrong, I have limits.  I was with a friend who was trying to negotiate with a valet, love her and the fact that she worked hard for her money, but I couldn’t do it!   But there is lots of opportunity, and this is one that serves a mutually beneficial purpose for both the designer and the sponsor.

I set my goals for what I wanted this project to accomplish.

1.  Meet the $5,000 budget, and put NONE of the approved optional personal contribution of an additional $5,000.

2.  Merchandise to the extent I can.   I was required to not only do a living area, but a nook.   The living area is large, and I have 5 walls to decorate.    I also have two bookcases to accessorize.  I also wanted to merchandise the large entry, and the screened porch to show the entire living space cohesively.  I did it!

3.   Show ways to accomplish great design details on the cheap.   I can’t wait to show you how I did it.   Below are a few things I am excited about.

The mantle!  It has antiqued mirrors and the total cost of materials- under $100.!!!

The artwork-  my first attempt at painting.  Bought $40 canvas and used wall paint.

The accessories-  Used cheap Ikea frames and the matting that came with it, with the exception of two of the larger photographs.  The frames were $4.99- $22.99.  I had two matts cut-  They were $30 each.  ugh!.

Ebay.  Can’t wait to show you my cooool lamp. (and I have bought saddle oxfords- school shoes on ebay for $10 too!).  I love ebay.

Salvation Army.  Swear.  Decorative books $.50 each

Unique wall decor- not your usual.  Groupings, ornamentation not in the usual sense.  And NOT expensive.  Three walls under $50.,  the other two under $100.

Target-  hammock for $60. on clearance.

Ikea-  light fixtures very very inexpensive-  $39.99 and $19.99.   And window treatments.  Less than $100. for everything.

Use of paint- decorative details that make items look specialized, when they are barstools that cost $65.

I am excited to show you my house.  I head back Wednesday to wrap up the details and am really anxious to get it completed.     Below are websites of my sponsors if you want to check out some of the styling.  Enjoy!

baileystreet.com

benjaminmoore.com

cyandesigns.biz

globalviews.com

orientalrugs.com

rowefurniture.com

and special thanks to Wilmington’s own Bob Sample.  Remember Port City Java?  More on him to come.

And the others:

toniandguy.com (they gave me a great cut and color, I looked like a total shag and they fixed me).

penske.com

My Blackberry has been stolen twice in the last month.  Not to say someone grabbed it out of my hand and ran, exactly, but none the less within 2 minutes of setting it down.  The point being that I have been a “Crackberry” addict for quite sometime, obviously not since I was eight.

We all know the iphone is cool.  And walking in to buy a new phone always finds me shopping as if I might miss something better so I take a good look before I decide.  It is has been the same temptation, the iphone.  I can’t seem to get over the keyboard.  I like the confident feeling I have when I feel the keys and see them produce what I think I am typing (or close), which may be a little Braille-esq.

But here are a few super cool applications I was reading about, that may just sway me (I have 30 days to exchange).

Check these out:

Ben Color Capture-  I read about this today, completely independent of the fact that Benjamin Moore Paints is one of my sponsors, and their Aura paint rocks!  This app can match your snapshot with any of the 3,300 colors from Benjamin Moore.  This app is FREE!

Color Change- Take any image and manipulate the colors.  You can visualize a room, landscape, or whatever in the color you like.  This app is $1.99.

Colortilt-4,096 colors to choose from to use to  create fingerpaint ing on the touch screen and even display your work of art in a web gallery.  This app is $2.99.

Do you need a paint deck?    Do I need an iphone?

Most of the pieces are on their way, however I am waiting for a few key pieces to be confirmed tomorrow. Crossing my fingers and saying a little prayer.
The biggest project I have upon arrival is above the fireplace. I am going against the grain and not putting a TV in the allotted space. This is where vision needs to meet execution. I will give you a hint, I am not going to spend over $100. and it uses mirrors. Scary? If you see something different at the end of the project- then the answer will be yes! The art of creative problem solving- key to quick turn around jobs. No matter how much follow up you have done, it never goes perfectly (I am talking to myself right now). There is this thing that can haunt you, called anxiety.
So does this the usual? Absolutely. I just have to appear 100% confident so our clients don’t worry, when I am actually 99%. I can make it happen, just my standards are high and I am very critical of myself, which proves to drive me to a higher level of work than many of my peers. With that said, I am excited and ultimately confident because I am actually competing not only with the other designers, but with myself.
So, until I see everything together I will be thinking through the details, and rethinking to ensure the design is fabulous. And thinking “Are we there yet?”.

Emotional Imprint

by Vince Poscente
Author of The Ant and the Elephant, Invinceable Principles and The Age of Speed

The gift that lasts a lifetime is not just for kids. Adults can garner benefits from something called an emotional imprint. Typically used in psychology as a negative term – I like to think of the positive aspects of this kind of inflection point.

I can remember seeing a venerable Alberta politician Peter Lougheed speak at a gathering. This was an emotional imprint where, I too, decided to be a politician. This defining moment was a naïve leap of logic. Something about impacting our world would be facilitated by a politician’s speaking modus operandi. As time unfolded, it became evident I could speak professionally without the trappings of a political life.

When asked to do the opening keynote for the National Speakers Association’s annual convention I wanted my 10-year-old daughter to give my introduction. Theories bounced around why I would have my child present. But it was entirely from a father’s perspective. You see – Alex loves an audience. She exudes confidence and has amazing communication skills for such a young soul.

I believe that her future occupation will have something to do with communication. Whether it is acting, presenting, broadcasting or simply selling a concept – my sense is she will be good at it because she LOVES it. To give her an early chance to present before 1,300 professional speakers was an aligned emotional imprint.

It was interesting how she adapted on the fly. Her planned opening was a curtsy followed by, “I know what you’re thinking: How cute is she?” But, when she walked on stage the audience stopped clapping a tad early. She looked at them then threw her hands out in a Fonzi appeal. According to Alex, “After they laughed and clapped I knew I was on a roll.” She had them doubled over when she said that her dad loves her so much that he has been home almost every single day this year. The speaking business has been hit hard by a struggling economy and it was true crowd pleaser. (Special thanks to Steve Rizzo for his comedic scripting and Dov Friedman for the pictures.)

Professional M.C., conference summarizer and funny guy, Dale Irvin, added to the fun. “Then we had Vince Poscente do our opening keynote. Now Vince, it’s cute to have your daughter give your introduction. But it’s quite another thing when she’s better than you are.”

Giving a child this kind of positive emotional imprint is what most parents aspire for. Expose your kids to a plethora of opportunities and it helps nurture their development, awareness and prospects for the future. Yet, we adults seem to forget we could use this technique on ourselves too.

Give yourself a gift of an emotional imprint. Expose yourself to unique, comfort-zone-expanding experiences. Fill your life with new experiences that align with an emotional buzz. It may very well be another inflection point in your life.

Meanwhile, we’ll be doing the same for Alex’s brother and sister too.

Until next week its full speed ahead,

I asked Lisa to elaborate, and she explained her hopes for change:

“It just breaks your heart to see the conditions some children live in and the poverty they endure. Many sleep on dirty mattresses on the floor with no bedding, some even in the family car. Opportunity to live in a home environment gives these families the chance to build the foundation of a family other families sometimes don’t realize is a privilege. In their current living space, having a play date, a place to do their homework or having a family meal is not the norm. How does this affect their own aspirations and desires for their futures?”

“I want children to be tucked in to their own beds with sheets and pillows that inspire a good comfortable night’s sleep. I want their parents to see the affect that this environment has on their family and strive to provide this for their children on their own. We create energetic, inviting, uplifting spaces so families can relax, enjoy, and grow on an unbelievable low budget.

“I post daily on my blog to share my design journal and inspirations we experience as we go along. The change seen in these families is incredible when they see their new space designed especially for them.
Some of the recipients have known poverty their entire lives; others have recently become homeless as the result of personal tragedy, economic hardships or even natural disasters. Regardless of their situations, these families are motivated to provide better futures for their children. Each family is specially selected and must be actively involved with community service assistance that can provide resources and education to help prepare them for this journey.”

Not only does she spend her time executing and installing design, she works hard to bring in donations of home furnishings, sponsors for an individual family, or a gift of $10 to her efforts. Lisa says “I hope to continue to receive both the monetary support and donations of quality home furnishing that enables us to continue our mission. It makes all the difference!”

Visit dwellwithdignity.org to learn more about this amazing organization Lisa has founded. I am so proud of her!

The reality of this competition has set in.  The race to get it done and make it fabulous has begun.   I am feeling strong about the colorway and concept (more coming),  the pressure, and the utter excitement.   In addition to all of this, the “reality” aspect of the competition has put me out of my element.

Funny, all of the brushes with “reality shows” I have experienced have been ironic.    Not only meeting  “Vanilla Ice”, which was on the reality show “The Surreal Life”, but I have met a cast member from “True Beauty”, which I didn’t recognize since I am not a big TV watcher.  In addition, my furniture company has been chosen to showcase merchandise in “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition” for the recently built Dallas Home to be aired this fall.  The most ironic of all is that my little brother was a finalist and made it to the last round of “The Apprentice” a few years back!   Hilarious!!!   Next, I am thinking “I Am A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here”- a joke.

I must admit, I recently had my doubts about this competition.  I see this as an opportunity to give my children something for them to proud of their mom and was worried this may have too much negative connatone.    With much thought, I realize this is even a better chance to give them exposure to less than ideal situations and how mom embraces it.

This truly parallels a day in their lives.   My girls are going into 3rd and 6th grade this fall.   Name calling and controversy are first experienced as children and many times leads to heart ache and tears.   What better way to set the example of how to deal with name calling, diversity and conflict resolution only to exhibit determination and tenacity by their mom?   We have had much discussion after watching each episode.  We have turned it into fun (see video if you haven’t already) and letting what could be construed as hurtful and mean go with the motto “That’s how we roll” since this, unfortunately, will continue to be a part of life.

I am confident and passionate about my work, and this has lead to many successes.  I am blessed with so very much in my life, and thank God everyday.   Although my goal is to win this competition based on the best design, there is a bigger picture here.   How great is that?

Thanks again for reading.

Like to take a moment to thank all of my family, friends and followers for their support. As I go on with this challenge, I’d like to ask for your support and votes. Follow my progress here on my blog and on the show and vote for me when the time comes!  Thanks everyone.

It is interesting to see my concern about telling the nation that we spent $5,000 can be misleading can be revealed as drama!   Passion and drama are two different things.    When you furnish a model, typically you are given a budget, and if you are a good negotiator, instantly your project has a bigger budget.    An example in this competition is one of the designers has a sofa donated from a showroom that has a retail value of $5,000.    Is that an issue?  Not at all.  This is a good designer, and I immediately gained respect for her.  I just want to make sure if someone writes in and wants that sofa from this project it is clear that the room may not cost them  $5,000.    In addition, this $5,000 does not include the fee of the designer.  I typically don’t bill an hourly rate, but one designer in the competition has a rate of $175. an hour.  So what would this project actually cost the consumer?   Well, there you go.  I feel better now.    Do you?

It’s all fun and I plan on having alot more of it.  Thanks for reading!   Lights, Camera, Model Homes!