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Charles Schwab Adds Solana Futures amid Solana Surviving Massive DDoS Attack

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Charles Schwab announced platform enhancements, including the addition of 17 new futures products to its thinkorswim trading platform.

Among these are Solana futures (/SOL) and Micro Solana futures (/MSL), joining existing crypto futures like Bitcoin and Ether. This expands crypto exposure options for approved futures accounts on Schwab’s platforms.

Solana futures trade under the symbol /SOL, with micro versions (/MSL) offering smaller contract sizes for more modest positioning amid crypto volatility. The “$11 Trillion” refers to Schwab’s approximate total client assets reported as $11.83 trillion as of November 2025, up 15% year-over-year, highlighting the massive scale of the firm now offering these products.

This move aligns with growing mainstream adoption of crypto derivatives, following earlier additions like Ripple futures and amid strong client interest in digital assets.

Futures trading involves substantial risk, including leverage amplifying losses—trading privileges require approval.

With ~$11.8 trillion in client assets and over 35 million accounts, this exposes Solana derivatives to a massive traditional investor base. Schwab, a conservative retail brokerage giant, adding SOL futures signals strong confidence in Solana as a mature asset class.

It follows CME Group’s launch of SOL futures in March 2025 and Solana spot ETPs trading since October 2025. This validates Solana alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum in regulated derivatives markets, reducing perceived risk for retail and institutional traders.

Approved futures traders on Schwab can now gain leveraged exposure to SOL price movements without holding spot crypto or using unregulated exchanges. Micro contracts (/MSL) lower the barrier for smaller positions, appealing to volatile crypto markets.

Expected to boost trading volume on underlying CME SOL futures, improving price discovery, tightening spreads, and attracting more hedgers/speculators. Community reaction on X has been overwhelmingly positive, with posts highlighting TradFi inflows alongside State Street’s tokenized treasuries and Ondo’s on-chain platforms on Solana.

Positions Solana favorably against competitors; some note SOL’s lower revenue multiple—122x vs. Ethereum’s 616x as undervalued given growing infrastructure trust. Schwab plans direct spot Bitcoin/Ethereum trading in H1 2026, signaling deeper crypto integration.

No massive immediate pump reported, but announcements like this often drive sustained interest rather than instant spikes. More regulated pathways could draw sustained inflows, especially as crypto ETP assets grow, Bitcoin ETPs alone >$150B in 2025.

Accelerates altcoin integration into TradFi, following Bitcoin/Ether dominance. Encourages competitors like Fidelity, Vanguard to expand offerings. Highlights maturing derivatives market: CME crypto volumes surged 140% YoY in Q2 2025.

A traditionally conservative brokerage like Schwab adding SOL derivatives underscores Solana’s evolution into a recognized asset class, placing it on par with Bitcoin futures since 2017 and Ethereum.

Community sentiment on X is highly bullish, viewing it as TradFi committing long-term infrastructure to chains it trusts alongside Ondo and State Street’s tokenized assets on Solana planned for 2026. Approved futures clients can now trade leveraged SOL exposure directly on Schwab’s platforms without needing crypto wallets or offshore exchanges.

Micro contracts lower entry barriers, ideal for managing volatility in smaller increments. This democratizes access for Schwab’s massive user base, potentially channeling significant traditional capital into SOL derivatives.

Expected to drive higher volumes on underlying CME SOL futures, improving price discovery, narrowing spreads, and attracting more professional traders/hedgers.

Part of a maturing crypto derivatives market: CME crypto volumes remain elevated post-2025 surges. Risks remain high—futures are leveraged, volatile, and not suitable for all— Schwab requires approval.

Overall, this is a major win for Solana’s adoption narrative, bridging TradFi and DeFi. It underscores crypto’s shift from speculative fringe to portfolio staple, though volatility persists. Always consider risks; futures trading can amplify losses.

Key Implications of Solana Surviving a Massive DDoS Attack

Solana’s network has been under a sustained distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack for over a week, peaking at approximately 6 terabits per second (Tbps).

Multiple sources, including crypto news outlets and community accounts like SolanaFloor and Pipe Network, describe this as the fourth-largest DDoS attack ever recorded across any distributed system or the internet.

Despite the massive scale—equivalent to billions of packets per second—the attack had no measurable impact on Solana’s performance. Sub-second transaction confirmations. Stable slot latency. No downtime or block production delays

This resilience contrasts with a similar recent attack on the Sui network, which caused degraded performance and delays.Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko and others in the community have called this “bullish,” viewing it as real-world proof of the network’s improved engineering and maturity compared to past congestion issues.

Historical largest DDoS attacks have targeted providers like Google Cloud up to 46 Tbps in some reports and Cloudflare— multi-terabit events, but Solana absorbing this volume without disruption highlights its robustness for a public blockchain.

The recent sustained DDoS attack on Solana—peaking at ~6 Tbps and ranking as the fourth-largest ever recorded for any distributed system—had zero measurable impact on the network. This event, ongoing for over a week as of December 16, 2025, serves as a real-world stress test with several important implications.

Proof of Network Maturity and Resilience

Solana maintained sub-second transaction confirmations, stable slot latency, and no downtime or missed blocks throughout the attack.

This contrasts sharply with its history of outages like multiple in 2021-2022 due to spam or bugs and highlights significant engineering improvements, such as enhanced QUIC protocol handling, parallel processing, and robust validator infrastructure.

Co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko and community figures have called it “bullish,” viewing it as evidence that past congestion issues are resolved. The same period saw a similar DDoS attack on Sui, which caused block production delays and degraded performance.

Solana’s unscathed operation underscores a “clear divergence in network resilience under adversarial stress,” as noted in community discussions. This positions Solana favorably against competitors like Sui for high-throughput applications, potentially attracting more developers and users seeking reliable performance.

Real-world proof of handling “industrial-scale” traffic, billions of packets per second without disruption builds trust. It signals readiness for high-frequency trading (HFT), DeFi at scale, and institutional flows.

Sources describe this as placing Solana “alongside hyperscale cloud platforms” like Google Cloud or Cloudflare in terms of enduring massive attacks, reinforcing its reputation for speed and reliability.

The crypto community widely views this as a positive catalyst, with posts emphasizing “years of iteration paying off” and the network being battle-tested.

While SOL’s price saw short-term pressure amid broader market weakness, the event is seen as long-term bullish, potentially driving adoption as markets recognize the tech’s strength over fear-driven dips.

DDoS attacks remain a threat to public networks, but Solana’s defense—leveraging decentralized validators (~830+ active) and traffic filtering—demonstrates that well-engineered Layer 1s can absorb internet-scale assaults.

This sets a benchmark for the industry, especially as blockchains handle more real-world value. Overall, this incident transforms a potential vulnerability into a strength, validating Solana’s architecture in production under extreme conditions.

It’s a milestone showing the network has evolved from “fast but fragile” to “fast and robust.” CoinTelegraph, CryptoNews, Coinpedia, and on-chain metrics shared via Solana community posts. Solana’s official status page shows no incidents reported.

Is Samsung Phasing Out The SATA-SSDs Model?

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Recent reports indicate that Samsung plans to halt production of SATA-interface SSDs— the older, slower 2.5-inch drives like the 870 EVO series starting in January 2026, after fulfilling existing contracts.

Western Digital is not discontinuing production of consumer SSDs entirely. The rumors stem from a major corporate restructuring completed in early 2025 around March, where Western Digital fully spun off its NAND flash and SSD business to SanDisk, a brand it has owned since 2016.

Western Digital now focuses exclusively on hard disk drives (HDDs), driven by surging demand for high-capacity storage in AI data centers and cloud infrastructure. SanDisk has taken over all SSD operations, including design, production, sales, and support for both consumer and enterprise flash products.

This is primarily a branding change: Popular lines like WD Black (e.g., SN850X, SN8100 series) and WD Blue NVMe SSDs are transitioning to SanDisk branding, but the underlying technology, manufacturing often in partnership with Kioxia, and product lineup continue without major disruption.

New consumer SSDs have launched or appeared under mixed/transition branding in 2025, including high-performance PCIe 5.0 models like the WD_Black/SanDisk SN8100 up to 8TB, speeds exceeding 14 GB/s and budget options like the Blue SN5100.

The split was announced years in advance plans dated back to 2023 to create two focused companies: one for HDDs (Western Digital) and one for flash/SSDs (SanDisk). Production of consumer NVMe SSDs remains active, with recent releases and previews confirming ongoing development.

Unlike Samsung’s rumored SATA-specific cutback, this affects all WD-branded SSDs, but SSDs themselves are not being discontinued—expect rebranded equivalents from SanDisk. Existing WD SSDs continue to receive support, and stock/warranties are handled through SanDisk channels.

If you’re shopping for SSDs, high-end options like the SN8100 series are still among the fastest available, now often listed under SanDisk. Prices and availability should remain competitive, with alternatives from Samsung, Crucial, and others if branding is a concern.

This move shifts focus to higher-margin products amid rising NAND prices and AI-driven demand. Samsung will continue producing and developing consumer NVMe SSDs (M.2 PCIe drives, like the 990/9100 PRO series).

The company has announced new consumer-oriented NVMe products, including: A compact PCIe 5.0 M.2 2242 SSD. Plans for even higher-capacity and faster drives in 2026 and beyond. SATA SSDs represent a shrinking portion of the market around 20%, as most modern consumer PCs and laptops use faster NVMe/M.2 slots.

Discontinuing SATA models aligns with industry trends but does not mean an exit from the consumer SSD market entirely. The rumor stems from leaks by hardware commentator Moore’s Law Is Dead and has been widely discussed on sites like NotebookCheck, TweakTown, and Reddit.

Samsung has not officially confirmed it yet, but multiple sources from distributors support the SATA-specific claim. If you’re concerned about buying SSDs, stock up on SATA models soon if you need them for older systems, as prices may rise due to reduced supply.

NVMe consumer SSDs should remain widely available from Samsung. NAND flash prices have already doubled in recent months, and Samsung’s potential exit from SATA which accounts for ~20% of the market but is dominated by Samsung could reduce overall supply.

Analysts forecast 20-50% hikes for budget/SATA SSDs by mid-2026, with spillover effects on NVMe drives as demand shifts. Some warn of 12-18 months of pressure, potentially lasting into 2027. AI data centers are absorbing most NAND production, leaving consumer channels underserved.

This mirrors recent DRAM/RAM shortages and could make high-capacity drives scarcer or pricier. If Samsung proceeds, affordable 2.5-inch SATA SSDs for older PCs, laptops, or external enclosures will become harder to find and more expensive. Stock up soon if you rely on them—prices may rise quickly due to panic buying.

Modern systems overwhelmingly use M.2 NVMe slots for faster performance up to 14GB/s vs. SATA’s ~550MB/s cap. Samsung’s move accelerates the death of SATA for new builds, pushing consumers to NVMe—even for budget upgrades.

NVMe SSDs from Samsung e.g., 990/9100 Pro series remain in active development, with new high-capacity models planned for 2026+. Popular lines like WD Black (SN850X, SN8100) are rebranding to SanDisk but use the same tech/partnerships.

Production, warranties, and support continue seamlessly—no discontinuation of the drives themselves. Minimal disruption beyond seeing “SanDisk” labels. Existing WD SSDs retain support via SanDisk channels.

MetaMask Announces Native Bitcoin Support Amid MoonPay’s Commerce App Launch for Solana Seeker

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MetaMask officially rolled out native support for Bitcoin (BTC), a major milestone in its transition from an Ethereum-focused wallet to a true multi-chain platform. This integration, first teased in February 2025, allows users to:Buy BTC directly with fiat via card, Apple Pay, etc.

Send and receive BTC on-chain. Swap BTC with EVM-compatible tokens or Solana assets. Manage BTC in the same wallet as other networks. Currently supports native SegWit addresses, with Taproot coming soon.

Bitcoin transactions will appear in your asset list but may take longer to confirm than on faster networks like Ethereum or Solana.To encourage adoption, swapping into BTC earns MetaMask Rewards points.

MoonPay Releases Exclusive Commerce App for Solana Seeker

MoonPay launched the MoonPay Commerce app, built exclusively for the Solana Seeker smartphone— Solana Mobile’s second-gen Web3 phone.

The app provides a curated shopping directory of brands and creators accepting crypto payments via MoonPay Commerce and Solana Pay integration on Shopify. Launch partners include Fortune Magazine, Pudgy Penguins, and Doodles, with holiday discounts available for Seeker users.

This pushes real-world crypto commerce directly on mobile, leveraging the Seeker’s built-in blockchain features. Both announcements highlight the ongoing push toward seamless multi-chain and mobile-first crypto experiences as of mid-December 2025.

With over 30-100 million users estimates vary by source, this exposes Bitcoin to a massive DeFi-oriented audience without requiring separate wallets or wrapped assets like WBTC. Users can now manage BTC alongside Ethereum, Solana, and other assets in one interface.

This lowers barriers for retail users entering Bitcoin, potentially accelerating mainstream adoption and cross-chain flows. Direct swaps between BTC and EVM/Solana tokens encourage bridging Bitcoin liquidity into DeFi protocols.

This could spur development of Bitcoin-based apps, especially if future updates include Bitcoin L2s, Ordinals, Runes, or Taproot features.

Competitive pressure on wallets intensifies rivalry with multi-chain competitors (e.g., Phantom, Trust Wallet). MetaMask’s rewards points for BTC swaps tied to a $30M program incentivize usage, potentially shifting market share.

Broader ecosystem signal reinforces Bitcoin’s role beyond “digital gold” – as a base layer for building and liquidity. Community reactions highlight excitement for Bitcoin ecosystem growth (e.g., Runes, memecoins).

Implications of MoonPay’s Commerce App for Solana Seeker

MoonPay’s exclusive Commerce app launch for the Solana Seeker phone targets mobile-first crypto commerce, integrating MoonPay Commerce and Solana Pay for seamless payments on Shopify stores.

Curated directory of brands (e.g., Fortune, Pudgy Penguins, Doodles) with holiday discounts makes crypto spending feel like traditional e-commerce. This drives practical adoption beyond speculation.

Exclusive to Seeker (Solana’s second-gen Web3 phone), it adds tangible utility, potentially increasing device demand amid pre-orders and airdrop hype. Low-cost, instant payments via Solana encourage more brands to accept crypto, expanding MoonPay’s infrastructure.

Mobile crypto trend acceleration highlights growing focus on hardware-integrated blockchain experiences, positioning Solana as a leader in consumer-facing payments.

These announcements align with a maturing multi-chain landscape interoperability win: MetaMask bridging Bitcoin to DeFi + MoonPay enabling Solana-based commerce signal convergence across chains. Easier tools for holding/swapping BTC and spending crypto could onboard more users, especially retail.

Bitcoin trading around $86K down ~4% in 24h, off 2025 highs. No massive price spike tied directly to this news, but positive sentiment for long-term utility. Overall, both moves advance seamless, user-friendly crypto experiences – from unified wallets to everyday payments – setting the stage for wider 2026 growth.

Spanish and Danish Police Dismantle Cross-Border Gang Behind Crypto-Motivated Kidnapping and Murder

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In a joint operation announced in mid-December 2025, Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), in collaboration with Danish authorities, dismantled a transnational criminal organization responsible for a violent kidnapping and murder targeting cryptocurrency holdings.

The crime occurred in April 2025 in Mijas, Málaga province, southern Spain. A couple— the man of Dutch origin, aged 37, and his Colombian partner, aged 29 was ambushed by 3-4 masked assailants armed with handguns, dressed in black with gloves and balaclavas.

The man was shot in the leg while attempting to escape. Both victims were forced into a vehicle and taken to a house, where they were held for several hours.

The attackers demanded access to the couple’s cryptocurrency wallets in an attempt to steal their digital assets. The woman was released around midnight and immediately reported the kidnapping to police.

The man’s body was later found in a wooded area near Mijas, showing multiple signs of violence beyond the gunshot wound.

Police Operation and Arrests

Spanish police conducted raids in Madrid and Málaga, arresting five suspects. Seized items included firearms— one real, one simulated, clothing with blood stains, a balaclava, an extendable baton, and biological evidence linking to the crime scene.

In Denmark, four additional suspects were charged; two were already imprisoned for similar offenses. The operation, sometimes referred to in media as “Operación Lambo/Urus” possibly due to the victim’s luxurious lifestyle, including a high-end Lamborghini, effectively dismantled the network.

Rise of “Wrench Attacks”

This case exemplifies a growing trend known as “wrench attacks” — physical assaults or kidnappings to forcibly extract private keys or transfer funds from crypto wallets, bypassing digital security.

Security experts, such as Jameson Lopp CTO of Casa, tracked at least 66 physical crypto-related assaults in 2025 alone, with reports indicating a significant spike globally. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis noted that violent personal wallet attacks are on track for record levels in 2025.

The successful international cooperation highlights increasing efforts to combat crypto-related violent crime across Europe, as high-value digital asset holders become targets for organized gangs. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities process seized materials.

Similar to the Spanish case involving a violent kidnapping and murder targeting cryptocurrency holdings, the United States has seen a sharp increase in “wrench attacks” — physical assaults, home invasions, kidnappings, and torture aimed at forcing victims to transfer crypto assets.

Attacks correlate strongly with Bitcoin’s price boom, making high-value holders prime targets. Many cases go unreported due to embarrassment or fear.

Crypto investors John Woeltz and William Duplessie allegedly held an Italian visitor captive for weeks in a luxury SoHo townhouse, torturing him including electric shocks and dangling over stairs to access his Bitcoin wallet worth millions.

Brothers Raymond and Isiah Garcia allegedly held a family hostage at gunpoint for nine hours in Grant, MN, kidnapping one member and stealing $8 million in cryptocurrency. The incident forced a local school to cancel homecoming events for safety.

Scene from the Minnesota family kidnapping where armed suspects stole $8M in crypto. Three Florida teenagers allegedly abducted a crypto entrepreneur after a conference, drove him to the desert, and stole $4-4.8 million in crypto and NFTs. Two were charged as adults with kidnapping and robbery.

Remy St. Felix led a gang targeting crypto holders in North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and New York. Victims were kidnapped, assaulted, tortured, burned with irons, objects under fingernails, and forced to drain wallets. St. Felix received a 47-year sentence.

Other incidents include burglaries coordinated via hacked iCloud accounts and opportunistic assaults on known holders. Chainalysis projects 2025 could see twice as many physical attacks as previous record years, with the US among top victim countries.

Lopp’s database logs over 225 global attacks since 2014, with accelerating frequency. Criminals often research victims via social media flaunting wealth or on-chain data, then use violence for quick, irreversible transfers.

These cases underscore growing physical risks for self-custody holders, prompting some to shift toward institutional custody or enhanced personal security. Law enforcement responses have led to arrests in several high-profile incidents, but the trend continues amid crypto’s mainstream adoption.

Preparing Your Home for a Successful Open House

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Want to draw serious home buyers to your home and get the most money?

Open houses are back. In a big way.

Despite all the internet listings, virtual tours, and home videos – buyers still want to see and walk through a property in person. In fact, they really want to.

The problem?

Most people who put their house on the market have no idea how to prepare the home for an open house. They open the doors, turn on the light and cross their fingers. That almost never works.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way.

Prepping a home for an open house is free to do, easy to implement, and can have a huge impact on how quickly the home sells.

In This Guide We Cover:

  • Why open houses matter in today’s real estate market
  • The open house prep checklist no one can ignore
  • Home staging tips that actually work
  • How to make open house day a huge success

Why Open Houses Still Matter In Today’s Market

Walk into any open house right now and you will see the changing nature of real estate.

The traditional open house has evolved a bit. Gone are the days of a few for-sale signs in the yard and an “open” sign on the door.

Buyers want serious sellers to take the sale of their home just as seriously as they do. That is good for sellers, because it really is a win-win.

Case in point:

According to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report – 65% of sellers hosted 1-3 open houses in 2024. That is a big jump from just 44% in 2021.

In other words: buyers are craving the in-person home buying experience. They are looking for the chance to visit a property in person before putting an offer in.

A good open house provides the buyer with the best possible experience during the real estate home search process.

And that matters.

An open house does more than just show off the home. It creates urgency and competition among buyers. Buyers start seeing their competition right in the home. That competition leads to serious offers.

Open houses give buyers a chance to visualize their future home.

But all of that is only possible if the home is ready.

A cluttered, dirty or unfinished home not only turns buyers off – it hurts the sale. Buyers remember a house that was messy, smelly, or had needed repairs. Those negative impressions last through to the offer.

Open houses are big time investments for serious buyers. Help them out a little bit. Do the work and make the home look its best.

Selling your home? Working with the MN Nice home buyers team means getting an experienced agent on your side that has worked with hundreds of home buyers in the region.

This team has the inside scoop on what home buyers are looking for.

Preparing the Home For The Open House

The reality is – there are certain things that must be done for a home to be ready for open house.

Ignore these critical steps and you are setting the house up for a sub-par showing.

Step 1: Deep Clean Everything

The number one thing you must do before an open house is this.

Clean, clean, clean.

We are not talking about a regular cleaning of the home here. Buyers will look under the sink, in cabinets, in closets, behind furniture.

Everything has to be spic and span.

Pay particular attention to:

  • Clean the grout, mirrors and fixtures. Don’t forget the inside of the toilet.
  • Kitchen appliances – the outsides are important, but so is the insides of the fridge, stove, oven, etc.
  • Windows and natural light sources – these often get overlooked. Buyers want to see natural light.
  • Carpets and flooring – they get dirty and people notice.

The easier you make it on buyers eyes to see the space, the faster the home will sell.

Step 2: Declutter Like Your Life Depends On It

There is a lot of advice out there on staging a home. Not everything has to be done. At the end of the day staging a home is simply done to help buyers see themselves living there.

The biggest single thing you can do to stage a home is to declutter.

Remove at least 50% of everything visible in the house.

Buyers will try and make their life in the home in their mind. Packing up the things that get in the way, forces buyers to focus on the home itself instead of all the clutter.

Step 3: Do Necessary Repairs

These small issues are red flags to buyers that things are not quite right with the home.

Fix that leaky faucet. Repair the door that sticks. Change the lightbulb that will not turn on. Buyers see these things as signs the home has bigger problems that the seller has not addressed.

Do not fall into this trap.

Final Tips For Staging a Home

Don’t want to do the full staging process? Here are a few tips that will help you get it close without too much fuss.

Stage Key Rooms First

While the whole house should be decluttered, not all rooms need full staging.

Focus on the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen.

These three spaces sell homes. Prioritize these three rooms when preparing the home for an open house.

Create Flow

Move furniture to create clear walking paths through the home. Buyers need to be able to walk through the home without hitting furniture.

Take out large or bulky furniture that makes rooms feel cramped. Space equals money.

Neutralize Personal Style

Neutralize any personal style in the home.

Family photos should be removed. Bold or personalized paint colors should be toned down. Religious or political items should be removed.

Buyers need to be able to see the home as their future place of residence.

Add Finishing Touches

Small finishing touches go a long way when preparing a home for an open house. Consider adding some fresh flowers on the dining table. Lemons in a bowl in the kitchen. Clean white towels in the bathrooms.

Open House Day Checklist

The day of an open house is not the time to get lazy.

Make sure you prepare the property before the open house and do the following on the day:

  • Turn on all the lights, open all blinds and curtains, even during the day.
  • Control the temperature. Adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature at least one hour before buyers start arriving.
  • Make sure the home smells great. Use less potent smells. Baking cookies or brewing fresh coffee are great ways to have a nice smell in the home.
  • Take prescription medications off the property.
  • Lock up jewelry, cash, electronics and valuable items in the home. Open houses bring strangers in, protect your valuables.
  • Sellers should not be present at an open house. Buyers will not open closets, check all the spaces and are unlikely to ask questions with the homeowner present. Take the dog out too. Not everyone loves animals and some people have allergies.

Conclusion: Making The Most Of Open Houses

Open houses should never be left to chance. They need to be carefully planned out and implemented to ensure a good turnout and experience for potential buyers.

The most important step is preparation. Preparing the home for an open house needs to be on top of the seller’s to-do list.

Clean the home top to bottom. Declutter and depersonalize. Tackle those lingering repairs and needed touch ups.

Stage the home, or at least the key areas of the home, to create that visual impact for buyers.

And on open house day make sure you make the home look and smell great.

Buyers are seriously investing their time to visit an open house. They want to know the seller is taking the sale of their home just as seriously.

By taking care of these simple tasks and following this guide the home seller can increase the chance of a successful open house and the offer to come.