Christmas and New Years can be a great time for showing your home to its best advantage. A green Christmas tree with other holiday decorations can be a wonderful asset, especially it you don't overdo it. A welcoming wreath on the front door, the aroma of Christmas cookies just out of the oven . . . You know the scene.

But if you're into decorating, don't make the mistake of piling on lots of extra stuff like an inflatable Santa in the foyer or Christmas toilet paper in the powder room. Keep your decorating simple and tasteful. That way the decorations will add to the decor and cozy feeling of your home but not distract a potential buyer.

As important as the interior holiday decorations are, probably the most crucial is the initial drive-up impression, the curb appeal. We all know how bleak our yards look in the winter, so add a bit of bling with a few strands of non-blinking white lights, perhaps some poinsettias on the porch, that wreath on the door, and maybe even an outside holiday tree on the deck.

And please, when the holdiays are over, remove the decor immediately. There's nothing worse than showing a home in the middle of January that's still showing the holiday spirit. New Year, new look for a house on the market. Besides, my mother always told me it's bad luck to keep your decorations up after New Years, and we know we need all the luck we can get in this market!

Have a wonderful holiday season. Come see us next year. We'd love to show you Angel Fire and Taos real estate!