Let's Start at the Beginning

Robin Burgarella
Specializing in Real Estate on the Treasure Coast of Florida (Central East Coast), 
and Estate Sales through Crimson Key Estate Sales.

This blog is for those of you out there who either:
    1)  Want to BUY a home,
    2)  Want to SELL a home, or
    4)  Want to liquidate personal possessions through an estate sale.

...A little background on Robin Burgarella

• Robin began her real estate career in 1998 in Connecticut, selling real estate for ____________ Real Estate.  There she handled all types of residential properties, including foreclosures and short sales.  
• In 2009 she and her husband Cass moved to California, where she initially worked in real estate, then eventually opened a thrift shop.
• In 2014 she and her family moved from California to be near her parents in Sebastian, Florida, where she now works for Dale Sorensen Real Estate, and her and Cass run Crimson Key Estate Sales.  Robin specializes in residential sales and offers personal property liquidation services through her estate sale company.

Real Estate Sales

Using all the resources of the prestigious Dale Sorensen Real Estate Company and her own personal marketing plans, your home will be promoted extensively to the buying public.  A professional photographer will take photographs of your home, which together with the home's specifications will be marketed through MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and many other on-line local, regional, national and international real estate promotional outlets.  You can be assured that Robin will take utmost care to vet whomever shows your home, using a secure lockbox when required.

Robin also offers personalized staging at no cost to the seller.  She and her staff will examine the contents of the home, and using those items within the home and other pieces in her own inventory, will rearrange the furniture and contents, adding decorator touches here and there and generally "sprucing up" the property to make it more desirable and have greater "curb appeal."

"What," you may ask, "kinds of changes do you make?  Well, that answer will differ from house to house, but we may choose to move a piece of furniture that is interfering with an asset feature of the room, or move paintings to more visually appealing locations, or put some negative decor or accessories away and add some of our own.  We do not attempt to hide any of the home's flaws, but if a home is too cluttered, we may move items into the garage or other storage areas to enhance the livable area and showcase the home's assets.  We may take from our own inventory items such as: artwork, linens, pillows, lamps, silk plants and flowers, small pieces of furniture, area rugs, curtains, ceramics, live plants, basketry, trays, dishes, and other accessories.  This is especially important for marketing purposes, as the professional photographs we have taken of the home's interior will drive more buyers your way if they like what they see.  Our clients are always amazed at the transformation, and how much more appealing their home can really be.  

Real Estate Searches

Using all resources available to her through her own searches and the Dale Sorensen Real Estate Company's sources, Robin will tirelessly pursue the type of home for you that is within your required parameters, price range and location.  She will negotiate for you to get the fairest and best price, and stay on top of all communications and paperwork until the sale is completely consummated.

Crimson Key Estate Sales

If the home is also for sale, this is the best way to sell it, as the estate sale is massively advertised through newspaper ads, on-line marketing, signage, and Robin's database of over 1,500 email addresses, many of whom follow Crimson Key from sale to sale.  Through personal exposure to your home and word of mouth of those many visitors, your home is sure to sell quickly.

Robin brings to the Client years of experience in the pricing and selling of previously-owned merchandise.  She knows what the local markets will bear, and how best to move merchandise out the door and get the maximum return for the client.  Her customer base numbers over 1,500, many of whom faithfully follow her from sale to sale.  Crimson Key's events are marketed extensively within a 50-mile radius and beyond, through newspaper ads, internet postings, national commercial estate sale networking companies, and signage.  Crimson Key Estate Sales is an insured and bonded company.

For complete liquidation of a home's contents, from personal items to large furniture pieces, Crimson Key will take care of your every concern.  "Just what," you may say, "is involved in an estate sale, and what is my part in it?"  Well, again, each situation is unique, however if it involves the estate of a deceased person or someone who is entering an assisted living or nursing home, or perhaps just leaving the home and most of its contents for one reason or another, there is a definite process, as follows:

1. Robin will come and assess the contents, her and client negotiate terms, come to an agreement, set a date, then sign contract.
2. Robin and staff research local requirements and secure any and all permits needed for sale.
3. Client removes or labels any items he or she wishes to keep.
4. Robin devises a marketing timeline and budget, and hires staff.
5. Robin and staff set up display tables around house and remove contents from cabinets, closets, drawers and other storage areas, organize items according to category, and then display all items on tables in the most attractive manner possible. 
6. Furniture is rearranged in rooms in order to accommodate however many tables needed to display all contents of home, and one or more Check-Out Stations are established at the most strategically secure locations in the house.  Lighting is assessed, and if more lighting is needed lamps will be provided.
7. After all items are on display, a computerized pricing system is set up and pricing of items occurs.  Unique or valuable items are researched for average selling price via internet and proprietary subscription sources.  Pricing is keyed into a proprietary software product, giving each item a unique number, category (i.e., kitchen, linens, jewelry, electronics, tools, furniture, etc.), customer number, description, price and barcode.  After all items on a table are keyed in, price tags are printed on self-stick labels and affixed onto each item.
8. Client is presented with full inventory printout by category of all contents of home.
9. After all items inside and outside of the home (outbuildings, yard furniture etc.) have price tags on them, the home in general is "spruced up" to make our customers have a more pleasant shopping experience, and also to show the home in the best light should it be for sale.
10. Any and all safety hazards around the home are flagged and either safeguarded or eliminated from the traffic pattern.
11. Signage is posted in every room relating to sales tax, sale dates, restricted areas, etc. 
12. FIRST DAY OF SALE! - Robin and staff arrive one hour before, set up cash register and "Quick Check-Out" if needed (a second checkout cash line).  Caution tape is installed outside if needed to guide shoppers into the home and away from restricted areas, or to be used to restrict parking.  Outside informational signs are installed, outdoor furniture tags are affixed, and Crimson Key directional stick signs are installed around town in as many places as city codes will allow.
13. At the time designated, doors open, shoppers grab the Crimson Key shopping baskets and begin loading them up, with Robin and an assistant at the check-out table, and extra quick cash checkout table in a nearby location.  Staff is posted in other rooms assisting shoppers and overseeing security. (Valuable items are situated near main checkout for higher security.

Sales can be 2 or more days, with escalating discounts as end of sale nears.  Any leftover contents can be donated to charity or sold to highest bidder for a complete buyout.  Crimson Key Estate Sales will box up the contents and leave the premises broom-cleaned.  In cases where the property is paired with the Estate Sale, Robin and staff may lightly "spruce up" and enhance the property with selected props of Crimson Key.