Don't Miss Berkshire Hathaway's Luxury Open House Tour!

When it comes to your new home at the Lake of the Ozarks, you deserve the best of the best. You deserve a comfortable, beautiful place to come home to after a long and busy day - a place that just as easily lends itself to entertaining all of your guests as it does enjoying quieter time with your immediate family. If you are in the market for new home at the Lake, I (along with the rest of the team at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Lake Ozark Realty) would like to officially to invite you to a one-of-a-kind event you won't want to miss: our Lake of the Ozarks Luxury Home Tour!

Berkshire Hathaway's Luxury Home Tour

There has never been a better opportunity to buy a luxury home at the Lake of the Ozarks. When you attend our Luxury Home Tour, you will get to view over half a dozen of the phenomenal luxury homes we currently have for sale. A Lake of the Ozarks real estate agent will be positioned at each of the properties to answer all of your questions and provide any additional help you may need.

• Date: Friday, May 27th, 2016
• Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
• Location: Various luxury homes for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks

The tour will kick off at main office, located at 101 Crossings West Suit #202 in Lake Ozark. You can meet us there, or you can join us at the various properties for sale. Get directions to the homes for sale here.

Featured Luxury Homes

5 Bedrooms ~ 6 Bathrooms ~ 7,800 Square Feet ~ $3,100,000

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6 Bedrooms ~ 9 Bathrooms ~ 8,300 Square Feet ~ $1,686,271

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5 Bedrooms ~ 6 Bathrooms ~ 4,950 Square Feet ~ $1,299,999

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4 Bedrooms ~ 4 Bathrooms ~ 4,044 Square Feet ~ $799,900

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5 Bedrooms ~ 4 Bathrooms ~ 4,500 Square Feet ~ $774,000

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5 Bedrooms ~ 5 Bathrooms ~ 4,686 Square Feet ~ $689,900

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4 Bedrooms ~ 4 Bathrooms ~ 2,800 Square Feet ~ 575,000

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Contact Me For More Information About The Open House Tour!

Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind of opportunity to view over half a dozen luxury homes for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks in just a few hours! If would like more information about this tour, contact my office at 573-365-6868 or call me directly at 573-280-0484. I look forward to seeing you there!

Susan Spica
Professional REALTOR®

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868
Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484

7 Home Staging Mistakes

Staging can make or break the sale of a home. If you don't dedicate any time and effort to staging your home, buyers may scratch it off their lists before even giving it a chance. If you go overboard on your staging efforts, on the other hand, buyers may assume that you are trying to cover up an undesirable aspect of your home. In order to sell your home at the Lake of the Ozarks quickly, you'll want to find the proper balance.

An Overview Of Home Staging

To put it simply, home staging is the art of designing your home to make it appealing to a wide range of potential buyers. Typical guidelines often include cleaning, decluttering, and generally neutralizing your home. As with most things, however, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about staging your home. I've included a few things not to do below.

Staging Mistakes

1. Failing To Deep Clean
When I say that cleaning your home is a normal part of the process, I'm referring to cleaning your home like you never have before. Every square inch should be addressed, all the way down the the baseboards, walls, doorknobs, and windowsills. The work won't be over after your initial deep clean, either - you'll want to do a quick surface cleaning every time you open the house for a showing.

2. Leaving Your Family Photos On Display
The idea of staging your house is to create a neutral space that your buyers can imagine themselves calling home. If they are surrounded by pictures of your family and your friends, they may find it difficult to image the space as their own. Successful staging typically involves tucking all personal items out of sight, including family photos, wall art that includes your name and/or initials, and drawings done by your kids.

3. Covering Up Serious Flaws
Though the point of staging is to make your home appealing to as many buyers as possible, attempting to disguise or cover up serious flaws in your property may hurt your efforts in the long run. Chances are good that the issues with your home (if any) will be discovered during the home inspection anyway, so you'll be better off being upfront and honest with your buyers about any potential issues from the get-go.

4. Over-Decorating Your Home
Never underestimate the power of empty space. Yes, you want to decorate your home to show off its best features, but you shouldn't get so caught up in the process that you forget to leave certain walls blank and certain surfaces empty. Empty space makes your home seem bigger, whereas clutter (even clutter that was originally designed to be aesthetic) can make even large homes start to feel small and cramped.

5. Cramming All Your Extra "Stuff" In The Garage
What do you with all the things you remove in the process of decluttering? Some people assume that they can stuff it all in the garage - since garages are typically used for storage anyway, their buyers won't care if it's messy and over-crowded, right? Unfortunately, that may not be the case. Large, spacious garages are actually becoming prime selling points, and piling yours from floor to ceiling may hurt your efforts. You will probably be better off renting a storage unit to store all your extra belongings until you are ready to move into your new home.

6. Using Strong Scents
It's true that homes that smell pleasant often sell more quickly than homes that don't. However, you should work on creating a smell that, while appealing, is predominantly subtle. Some people are sensitive to strong scents, and they may not appreciate a home that smells as though it was blasted with air freshener a few moments before. Additionally, buyers may view strong scents as an attempt to cover up something negative, like mildew or the sewer.

7. Displaying Controversial Items
If you are an avid hunter, you may have taxidermy proudly displayed in your home. If you are a devout Christian, you may have crosses and other religious artifacts displayed as part of your home decor. There is certainly nothing wrong with displaying items that are dear to you when the home is your own, but it may be wise to remove items that could be viewed as controversial by some once you start opening your home to potential buyers. Some of your buyers could be vegetarian, for example, and they may not be comfortable being surrounded by taxidermy. You don't want to lose out on a potential sale just because someone felt uncomfortable in your surroundings!

I Can Help You Identify Effective Staging Strategies!

As I said before, effective staging can make or break the sale of your home. If you are thinking about selling your house at the Lake of the Ozarks, contact me! In my 25+ years of experience in Lake of the Ozarks real estate, I have identified several different strategies that do (and do not) work for staging your home. I would be more than happy to share my expertise with you!

Susan Spica
Professional REALTOR®

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868
Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484

Farmers Markets at the Lake

Summer is finally here! After a long, sleepy winter, the Lake of the Ozarks is bursting with life. The weekends are once again filled with countless opportunities for fun and entertainment. As your trusted Lake of the Ozarks real estate agent, I have made it my mission to help educate you on all of the fun things to do in our beautiful area. This week, I want to fill you in on one of the fun events that will continue all throughout the summer - our local farmers markets!

Why Shop At A Farmers Market?

You could get your produce and groceries at the local supermarket, or you could shop at a farmers market on the weekends. While there is a undeniable convenience with shopping at a major grocery store, there is an equally undeniable charm with shopping at your local farmers market. You can trust that the food you purchase at the farmers market has been grown and prepared with the utmost care and attention to detail - and you can feel great about supporting local farmers in the process. (As an added bonus, the produce sold at farmers markets is often much cheaper than the produce sold at a typical grocery store.)

In addition to high-quality meats, vegetables, dairy, and baked goods, you can also get a number of other things at many farmers markets. Other vendors sell handmade jewelry, ceramics, and other crafts, along with potted plants, soaps, and any number of other different things.

Farmers Markets at the Lake of the Ozarks

There are actually several different farmers markets held all over the Lake Area, and they are officially open for the 2016 season! Choose which one to attend based on what fits best with your schedule and location:

Eldon Farmers Market
Rock Island Park in Eldon
Every Friday through August ~ 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Camdenton Farmers Market
In front of the Camden County Courthouse in downtown Camdenton
Every Saturday through September ~ 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM (rain or shine)

Osage Beach Farmers Market
Entrance to the Osage Beach Premium Outlets in Osage Beach
Every Saturday through September ~ 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Three Arrows Farmers Market
Three Arrows Store at Copperhead Trading Post in Eldon
Every Saturday through September ~ 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Support The Local Community At Lake Of The Ozarks!

No matter whether you're a local or a "weekender," the Lake of the Ozarks has so much to offer. If you are interested in buying a house at the Lake of the Ozarks and making the Lake Area a bigger part of your life, I would love to talk to you! I have been buying and selling Lake of the Ozarks homes for over twenty-five years, and I would be truly honored to help you find your dream home at the Lake. Give me a call to get started! 

Susan Spica
Professional REALTOR®

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868

Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484

Livin' The Lake Lifestyle: Bridal Cave

Several weeks ago, I introduced a new blog series that I've decided to call "Livin' The Lake Lifestyle." As your real estate expert at the Lake of the Ozarks, I have made it my mission to help educate you on all of the wonderful things our community has to offer. In this series, I'm featuring some of the unique features and attractions our beautiful area has to offer. This week, I'm continuing this effort by featuring one of our area's most spectacular natural attractions: Bridal Cave.

*Photos taken from www.facebook.com/bridal.cave.3

Bridal Cave Lake of the Ozarks

Nestled along the shoreline of the Lake of the Ozarks, Bridal Cave offers some of the most scenic vistas in our area - both above and below the ground. Above ground, they offer a gift shop, souvenir shop, hiking trail, picnic areas, and a dock. Below ground, the cave features one phenomenal feature after another - soda straws, giant columns, draperies, and more. Rated as one of the most scenic caves in America, the cave hosts thousands of visitors every year.

About Bridal Cave

Bridal Cave was first discovered by pioneering settlers. It was officially protected in 1948 and opened to the public for tours shortly thereafter. Today, guided tours leave every few minutes and last approximately one hour. The cave holds a steady temperature of 60° F, so it is pleasant to visit all year-round.

The cave originally got its name from the local folklore of a Native American wedding ceremony held within the cave sometime during the early 1800s. The cave's romantic origins hold true today, as over 3,000 couples have exchanged vows in the stunning Bridal Chapel. Countless additional couples have renewed their vows at the free event offered by Bridal Cave every Valentine's Day.

Mystery Lake

One of the cave's most famous features is shrouded in mystery and (aptly) named Mystery Lake. The Lake is 20 feet deep, and the waters are stunningly clear. The Lake gets its name from the slowly decomposing wooden ladder that is laying on the bottom of the Lake. No one knows how the ladder got there; there is no known record of a expedition that made it back far into the cave prior to the date the ladder was found. Not only that, but no one has been able to find a natural entrance to the cave leading to Mystery Lake that is large enough to fit wooden beams as long as the ones found in the cave. Experts are still researching and exploring in an attempt to find out the origins of the wooden ladder, but they have been searching for years already without any success.

Ready To Make The Lake Lifestyle YOUR Lifestyle? Call Me!

Though it's arguably the most famous cave at the Lake of the Ozarks, Bridal Cave is only one of several caves in the area. If you're a cave enthusiast, you'll have to also check out Ozark Caverns, Jacob's Cave, and Fantasy World Caverns. The countless natural attractions in our area make it an ideal location for any and all "outdoorsy types." To learn more about Bridal Cave, visit www.BridalCave.com

Interested in making the lake lifestyle a part of YOUR lifestyle? I would love to help you make that dream come true! Give me a call at 573-280-0484 to schedule showings of some of the homes for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks. I would be honored to assist in any way possible!

Susan Spica
Professional REALTOR®

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868
Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484