March 2014 Blogging Plan

We're back on track with our monthly blogging plans! You can check out last month's ideas in our February Blogging Plan.

Now, let's get on with this month's topics. As usual, I've included two topics for each week in case you'd like to post twice a week or aren't crazy about one of the topics.

Topic 1: Tax Benefits for Homeowners

Here's a great opportunity to collaborate with a local CPA, or to do a little research on your own. This blog post would cover the tax deductions that homeowners are entitled to. For example:

• Mortgage interest deduction
• Exclusion on sales gains
• Home office deduction (I take advantage of this one)
• Energy savings deductions

Alternative/Additional Topic: Tour Our Parks - As the mom of a toddler, I know how important parks can be. Spend an hour driving around to the parks in your city. Take photos. And, as a bonus, mention any interesting properties listed near those parks.

Topic 2: Furry Friends

Showing a home when you have pets can be a challenge. Provide tips for managing the logistics of selling a home when you also have pets, especially dogs. You should include:

• Tips for getting the "wet dog" smell out of carpets and furniture
• Managing a barking, aggressive dog during a showing or open house
• Keeping the backyard dog poop free for showings

Alternative/Additional Topic: Showing Homes in Rotten Weather - Where I live in California, we call a day "cold" when it's below 60 degrees. Meanwhile, much of the nation is struggling with snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures. I couldn't help wondering what this polar vortex meant for real estate sales. This blog topic could cover what bad weather means for people hoping to sell their home.

Topic 3: Understanding the Agent/Broker Relationship

Oftentimes, consumers don't understand how the agent/broker relationship works and what it means for commission structure. In this blog post, you could talk about how fabulous your brokerage is and explain the support they provide to you.

Alternative/Additional Topic: Being Neighborly - We've all had obnoxious, messy, or noisy neighbors. However, maintaining a positive relationship is always important, especially if you're planning on selling sometime soon. This blog post could discuss tactics for dealing with conflict without getting confrontational.

Topic 4: Garage Sale Success

People who are considering a move often hold a garage sale to clean out their possessions before they make the big move. Your blog post about how to have a successful garage sale could be infinitely helpful to buyers or sellers.

Alternative/Additional Topic: Picking Paint Colors - Paint color is one of the easiest cosmetic features of your home to change, perhaps that's why people do it so often. However, if they're planning on selling their home in the near future, there may be some colors they want to stay away from and some they want to focus on. Some quick Internet research will give you all the info you need for this post, and anecdotes from your own experience will enrich the article even more.