Snohomish County Homes Online

Protect Your Business Footprint from Local Rental Scams!

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:59:10 -0700

"Absentee Owners Offer Long Term Lease" Dead Giveaway, or Not?

As many of you know, our family has been looking for a home to rent in Everett, WA. I have scoured Craig's List, Trulia, and Zillow in my search to find just the right home.

My phone and inbox has filled with responses from landlords, real estate agents, and property management professionals. I've also received other inquires such as this interesting proposal on a nice Everett, WA property listed at a great price;

"Thanks for your interest and inquiries about my house. Yes, the house is still

available for rent and we are looking for a responsible person/family to

occupy and maintain the House now that we are not around.

I and my husband just traveled to West Africa for a program called, HIV/AIDS, Program For Deaf people We will be away for 3 to 4years or

more Will want to sale the house before but will change Mind that is

why will put up my house for rent to whom ever that

will take good care of it Also how long do you intend to stay? How soon

do you intend to move in?"

The email closed with, "Thank you and remain blessed

" (Note the lack of punctuation)

I sent them a polite reply, seeking more information. Their reply came back very fast, with nice photos of the house enclosed, but some sentences seemed a little more, "relaxed". Oh, oh; I think I see where this is going. Out of town landlord, low prices, poor grammar. I was getting a bad feeling about this. I believe the first response is their standard, prepared statement, then after the initial inquiry from you, they send out a less "managed" response.

My reply mentioned I'd have my attorney handle all financial arrangements; would that be alright? Further communications died shortly thereafter. I put an ALERT on that listing and turned them in, pronto!

The scammers are experienced; they know what to say to attract inquiries; they offer the rentals at a slightly lower price than surrounding homes; only require a $500 deposit, etc. Searching for a rental you need to be very careful; only deal with a home owner in person, or who has respected local representation. Home owners overseas on long term assignments, should raise all kinds of red flags. If in doubt, make inquiries of the neighbors. Check your facts with respected listing agencies, and never give anyone any money who doesn't have the keys, and isn't in the country.

If you're in the real estate business, make it a point to review your local Zillow, Trulia, and CraigsList resources every once in a while. Take a larger look at your business area. How is the house you listed and sold just last fall doing? Why is it listed for rent today? I know most Active Rain professional keep in touch with their buyers, sellers, and the local market; let's keep an eye out for fraud, and protect your business footprint.

They're often using your old photos, information, and wording, taken from prior listings from just months, and sometimes years past. So, their initial push to the buyers and sellers look quite legitimate. This affects all of us, and we're going to need to step up our common vigilance to help protect our online neighborhoods.

Let's keep scammers from harming our online neighborhoods; keep an eye out for scammers using properties you've handled in the past, and if you suspect fraud; TURN THEM IN!

Thank you, and bless you, indeed!

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Friday Funnies ~ Life Is Too Short Not To Have Fun

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:59:57 -0700

Remembering the happy times of childhood reminds us we don't need a ton of money to have fun. Many times, cardboard boxes substituted for a big park slide, and acted as stand-ins for the fancy sleds the older kids had at the local sledding hill, at the top of Lake City Way.

Growing up in Seattle, our snow usually only covered the mud by a few millimeters, so we had to use lots of cardboard boxes. Our Seattle home had a great run of stairs, and my sisters and I loved to pile up cushions, pillows, and quilts at the bottom, to shield us from the bruises we created with joy.

Looks to me like these two kids will be wrapped in many quilts worth of happy memories throughout the days ahead!

Via Gary Woltal - Assoc. Broker REALTOR® SFR Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty):

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

STOP, Look, and Listen - How to Buy a Home

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:15:25 -0800

Dear Snohomish Living Readers,

Our real estate market is changing rapidly. Today, you need to have a real estate agent on your side, whether buying or selling a home, or property.

Jay's article will help you see how to approach the process, without ending up "taken" on the transaction, or finding yourself, "behind the eight ball," in the negotiation process.

Wise words we can all use!

Via Jay O'Brien, Anti-Realtor (RE/MAX Prestige):

I once heard that in the 1970's, people were exposed to about 500 advertisements a day. That number has since multiplied to approximatley 5,000.

If you are trying to purchase a home, it is crucial to have a vision. Becoming the consumer expert on Zillow.com might be great for bar conversation at Happy Hour but won't quite do the trick if you are serious about buying. A few things to consider: the syndicated websites such as Trulia.com, Realtor.com, and Zillow.com are often displaying outdated content, thus it's accuracy is dicey. Your best bet is to establish contact with an Agent to represent you as a Buyer from the beginning in order to team up with a professional who knows your story, knows what you want, and makes sure they can get it for you.

The problem Realtors run into when working with consumers is the fact that there is no trust (perhaps that's a sign that there is not a fit between the two parties from the get-go...who knows?). What I do know is that I would not continually visit a doctor that took my advice when I suggested he perform brain surgery when my head ached or a lawyer who took my case without asking me any questions first. The point is, "keeping the eye on the prize" is 100% applicable. Calling multiple Agents and spitting out the "call me if you have something and I'll buy from you if I like it" line is ineffective at best. Let's run through why this sound thinking on paper does not work when put into practice nor would a Buyer really want this type of service if it did work:

1. If I "have" something, I am the Listing Agent

2. If I am the Listing Agent, I am on the hook to represent the Seller's best interest at all times

3. If I am representing the Seller's best interest at all times, how do you know I am looking out for yours?

Granted, there are Agents that can represent both parties effectively and ethically, but do you think most do?

It's simple. If you are looking for the best deal and the most effective results, you do the following:

1. Hire an Agent who is going to drive the transaction and get you what you want

2. Sign an agreement with them so it puts them on the hook (like a Listing Agreement)

3. Ask questions and allow them to educate you throughout the process. If you feel like you are smarter than your Realtor, do not provide direction to them, just fire them. Again, would you tell your financial advisor, doctor, or lawyer how to do their job? If you did, and they listened, you should be very scared.

This experience should be a pleasant one and is probably one of the largest transactions of your life. Make sure you are trusting the right individual to faciliate the searching, negotiating, and the sale.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Create a Winning Page, or Share Mine! Stacey Mayer 360-878-3614

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:56:16 -0800

I love the new blog you wrote, but why are your links obsolete? I can't find anything less than a year old on your profile. Are you still taking listings? The links are leading nowhere. Think; good information on live pages could really help today. Let's sweep away the old, stale pages, and get your business going again.

I'll help you create a one page lead magnet. Just a few easy paragraphs to help promote your local business. own a parked domain, saying and doing nothing, when it could do so much for your business? You would welcome new business, right?

Let's re-energize your online marketing effort, and while we're at it, the ActiveRain neighborhood. Is your ActiveRain profile active? Why give leads to someone else, when they've just been qualified as your lead?

I'll keep it short and simple. For my example, I'll use my own name. Where you see my information, put your information and location there. At the end, you will find a link to my live page, where you may copy it straight from the web, and customize the page as you need.

Follow the example below, and I promise; this simple, updated page will help you find new clients better than any empty home page. Let the search engines start to list you accurately again. "Feed" the search engines some fresh information.

I have written the page for a real estate agent to use, but it's easily customizable for your brother's printing business, or your neighbor's auto repair.

Here's the simple Google friendly page to share, below. Did you ever get around to posting pages when you purchased a domain a few years ago? Google simply needs accurate information, and when readers can easily contact you, you'll have a winning web site. A full-blown, "song and dance" site isn't really needed.

*You may copy and use as your own page, just customize to reflect your own name and business details*
**************************

Stacey Mayer, Everett WA Artist and Social Media Manager

[This is where you say, licensed real estate agent.]

Thank you for visiting my Everett, WA [add; your town, homes for sale] and local information page.

A PHOTO OF YOUR FACE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. I don't care if you gained some weight during the holidays. So did everybody. Visitors aren't looking to date you; they want to trust you. Basic guidelines apply. Dress like a professional; women, please dress modestly, without bare shoulders or cleavage showing; men wearing a jacket, etc, no shorts, beer cans, or tank tops please, and don't post a cell phone photo including the bathroom mirror.

[ Replace with; I always have several
home listings available, etc,] Hello, Everett, WA home buyers and seller. You are invited to give me a call, so we may discuss your needs. Born in Seattle, I have lived in Everett, WA for several years, and have enjoyed becoming familiar with Everett's neighborhoods, Puget Sound beaches, local schools, and hi-tech job opportunities. I look forward to helping you know the Everett area, and the lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest. We have several real estate properties in your price range, and we work with a team that includes the best mortgage specialists.

[Customize the introduction paragraph as if you're talking to a neighbor. Be friendly.]

Please post your phone and email contact information. Do not make visitors fill out a form in order to speak to you.

Let buyers and sellers communicate with you right away; phones still work best! A form is OK, but only if it's a choice.

Mention the best times to contact you, and when they may normally expect to hear back from you; such as within twenty four hours, a few hours, etc..

Stacey Mayer

Phone; 555-555-5555, Text; 555-555-5555.

Fax; 555-555-5555, if you use one. You'd be surprised how many folks still enjoy using a fax.

Name of Your Real Estate Company

Full Snail Mail Address

City, State, Zip

Close with a list of favorite links you'd look for if you were house hunting in your favorite town. What would you like them to find? What sites do you use online everyday? Do you use some local cell phone apps, too? Share your favorites.

I use Zillow everyday, for instance. Zillow is fun, and I happen to love comparing neighborhoods.

List Helpful Favorite Places
My favorite Everett, WA Newspapers; even a visible link, typed out as; http://www.heraldnet.com, is great.
My favorite Everett, WA Places to Shop
My family's favorite Everett, WA City Parks
Everett, WA Library System

Don't forget to link to your Active Rain Blogs, or other places they can find your listings,
home information, your Facebook Page, Google+, and other content you have created.

Here's my live page to see as an example.

***************

Please, no more stale or empty home pages. When I follow, "more about me," on ActiveRain, let me find current information with live links to your recent blog posts, or at least to your broker's home page; let me know you're still active in real estate, or not.

Remove or refresh old pages, and be ready to welcome new clients. Many of your past competitors have dropped out for one reason or the other, or retired. Plan to step into their shoes, now! One, simple, elegant, updated page will help you get started. If you need some help, just post a comment below, and I'll be glad to help with your questions.

The world is looking for you; let yourself be found.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Today I Was Told by BOA My Home is Going into Foreclosure

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:51:31 -0800

As you pass local homes going through foreclosure,

be charitable in your thoughts; as each home lost through foreclosure has a story. It's usually not about overspending, or being personally irresponsible. It's about a family's dreams, loss, and being caught in the recession.

There is a social and legal contract between Big Banks, and all Americans.

In the beginning of our nation's economic challenge, we trusted that home loans in default would be handled quickly, fairly, and honestly by the same banks Congress had worked hard to bail out. Instead, most of us have now heard of local real estate property being repossesed through a mysterious, "paperwork catastrophe", usually discovered just before their redemption date.

Loan modifications are the pipe dream of our time. We've watched helplessly as neighbors move, leaving another empty home in your neighborhood. You knew families just like them. How did this happen?

Please read this Fairfield County, Connecticut, family's story. The details of this family's home mortgage crisis resemble that of many Americans. You see, Bank of America claims to have never recieved certain needed documents. Signed documents often appear to go into a "black hole"; even when sent repeatedly. Even so, this Connecticut family continues to deal with Bank of America in good faith, despite going through a devastating health crisis.

Now, they have only our prayers to rely upon.

Find Your Representative

Via Gail Robinson, REALTOR, e-PRO Fairfield County, CT (William Raveis Real Estate, Southport, CT):

After three years of filling out loan modification paperwork and sending it in, I was informed via a phone call today from Bank of America that my loan modification was declined on 2/1/13 as I didn't submit all the documents. Bank of America continues to state this as a reason for declining my loan modifications, but I give them everything they ask for and then have my HUD counselor review it for completeness. Anyone who knows me knows how organized and detail-oriented I am. I have a Ph.D. from Columbia University and that required an incredible attention to detail. I know I submitted all the documents required as I carefully reviewed every request and my HUD counselor, Michael Haynes, of the Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven reviewed them.

This seems to me to be a bogus excuse. I think they just don't want to do a loan modification. Although why BOA would want one more foreclosure in Bridgeport, Connecticut is beyond me. They aren't going to sell the home for more money than I would pay for it. I bought this home at the peak of the market in 2005 and paid $400,000. It is now worth no more than $250,000. I'm earning a good income now, my income tanked when my husband became ill with pancreatic cancer three years ago and our expenses have been high due to the cost of medications, travel, and treatment. We also lost his income when he became ill. We were both in real estate and the market downturn left us with less money at a time when we needed more.

As you know, my husband has Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer and he is getting hospice care in our home. I haven't told him yet that our home is going into foreclosure. BOA says to consider a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure or a short sale and just leave, but my husband wants to spend his final days in his own home. Is that too much to ask of a big heartless organization? Probably. But don't you wonder where all that Mortgage Settlement money went to? Weren't the lenders supposed to be doing more loan modifications instead of allowing homes to go into foreclosure? What the heck are they doing with that money anyways???

It makes no sense at all to me, but my hope is that if you would reblog this post that BOA will notice it on social media, reconsider their decision to foreclose, so that I don't have to tell my husband that our home is going into foreclosure. He's been going through a tough time over the past few weeks and my fear is this will cause him enough stress to push him over the edge emotionally and physically.

I trust in the power of AR to get the word out and in your love and kindness to support me at this time as I try to be strong for my husband. Thank you.

6 PM 2/9/13 UPDATE: Two Social Media managers from BOA contacted me today and my case will be sent to their Escalation Team. I will know more on Monday and will post an update in a new post. Thank you all for taking the time and effort to reblog, Tweet, share on FB, post on Google+, and for your comments/calls/e-mails. AR may not be a face-to-face group, but we are a community in the true sense of the word - a group of people who care for one another and help each other in their time of need. Thank you my AR family from the bottom of my heart.

2/11/13 Update:

Three calls today from BOA and I now have one point of contact for dealing with them. I haven't anything to report yet, except that this time it seems like my loan modification has been fast tracked for priority review. I will report back as I know more. I really appreciate your help. I should know more by the end of the week. I'll keep you informed. Thank you so much! This wouldn't have happened without your efforts. I'm very grateful to my AR friends! Thank you!

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Reese, the Camano Animal Shelter Cat; One Year Later

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:08:19 -0800

Thank you, Camano Animal Shelter Association. We're so grateful Reese was rescued and cared for at CASA.

We found Reese posted to the Camano Animal Shelter page on Facebook, and that was that. I began lobbying my husband and daughters to bring home a new kitty, and they easily capitulated.

Soon afterwards, Reese was adopted through the Camano Animal Shelter Association's website. We've loved and enjoyed him for a whole year, (December 2012,) and watched as he's changed from an already friendly cat, into a devoted family character cat.

He attempts to herd us both off to bed by 10:30 every night. When it's cold, we're just not fast enough for him, so he leaps onto Phil's lap, and gives him a look.

He seems to say, "well, at least your lap is warm, but can't we all go to bed now?" He prefers center stage on my husband Phil's chest, and later, he may take up the middle of the bed, for maximum warmth, of course.

We had no idea he'd infiltrate the family so much in a year. Now, if there is a book in Phil's hands, there is a big, orange tabby cat on his chest, too. For the first time in my husband's life, the cat selected him as his chosen person. It 's wonderful.

CASA hosts several community events and fund raising campaigns throughout the year. Please visit their pages, and perhaps find your own special companion cat or dog, to bring into your forever home. Call 360.387.1902 to discover a favorite adoptable pet, today.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Eye Care Blog Review; Visionaire Eyecare 425-670-9888

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:26:22 -0800

Hello Active Rain friends,

Here's a Gathering of my Eye Care Blogs

Last year I wrote several eye care blogs, and enjoyed posting them to Active Rain with their original illustrations. From my years of experience as an optician, I've learned many, if not most, real estate agents are self insured. Your annual eye exam, and a new pair of eye glasses, may end up falling behind other priorities.

My eye care blogs are meant to move your eyes back onto your priority list.

High blood pressure, diabetes, and other life-threatening health issues can be detected during an inexpensive eye exam. You may actually save the cost of an expensive hospital stay, by seeing your eye doctor regularly.

Wearing old, corroded, worn-out glasses to work, is as bad as wearing old, mud-caked, beat-up shoes to a job interview. Aren't prospective real estate clients "interviewing" you, when they meet you? Let me help you look professional, boost your credibility, and take some worry off your shoulders. Hopefully, my articles and illustrations will help you remember to call your optometrist, today.

Here's a few things to do when you find your New Year's eyes looking puffy, with dark circles in the morning. Yes, quitting smoking tops the list!
We posted an original Christmas tree animation to Dr. Wong's Facebook page to share with everyone; just the right size for email use. We all enjoyed watching it blink, blink, blink, in several colors.

Buying a yearly supply of contact lenses is proven to result in healthier eyes, and saves money, too. It may also be the only way to keep your teenager or spouse from overwearing their contacts.

A fresh new pair of eyeglasses helps you return to school with clear vision and confidence. Young adult's vision prescriptions change as their face matures and fills out; it's just natural.

Dr. Randy Wong specializes in contact lens fittings for patients with astigmatism. Today's contact lenses are able to deal with many more complicated prescriptions than before. We'll work with you to get your prescription just right.
Come see our new selection of fancy, colored prescription contacts lenses! Order new corrective contact lenses in your favorite design, or color. Red, purple, or brilliant green, an amazing selection is now available.
Do you have a good back-up pair of eye glasses to wear? Have you lost your glasses recently? Well, we have cash discounts for patients whose truck just rolled over their glasses, and discounts for sunglasses, and "the dog ate them again" glasses, too.
Kids project to practice good eye-hand coordination; color, cut out, and print their own party mask; posted to our Facebook page. Children need many opportunities to develop small muscle control in their hands, and increase their hand-eye coordination. Besides, it's Halloween!
New ophthalmic eye glasses in popular, "cat eye" styles may help you discover another side of your character. The younger generations sure love them. Thankfully, we have several favorite fashion lines available. (They're cute, but when I put them on, I see my mother!)
Please, come have your eyes checked before you're sent to us from the Washington State DMV. Call us for a North Seattle, Edmonds, Lynnwood area eye exam. Saturday appointments available; 425-670-9888.

Plus this last blog, because every webmaster needs to remenber the basics.
Take care of webmaster basics when you build a new site, or an established domain; don't forget to submit the site to the top search engines with proper meta tags. Re-check your site a few months later, just to be sure your site was added to the top search engines. *Featured; SiteProNews.com Featured: Jim Dougherty's LeadersWest.com

Thank you, to Dr. Randy Wong of Visionaire Eyecare, for sponsoring the Golden Betta Awards™, blogs on EdmondsShoreline.com™, and the entire Snohomish-Homes.com™ network.

Links to your online real estate listings are welcome on my SnohomishHomes and Living Facebook page.

I'd like to blog for a few local real estate agents, or businesses, who'd like to see their business grow as our business has grown. If you'd like to find new clients this year, please call; 360-878-3614. Book limited; call today.

Please visit my Stacey Mayer, Artist Facebook Page.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Sunglasses, or Cataracts in Seattle? Visionaire EyeCare; 425-670-9888

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:41:44 -0800

Today's a gorgeous day in Edmonds, WA, and as I was taking my daily walk, I was glad my Transitions® progressive lenses quickly darkened to protect my eyes. During my eye exam a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Randy Wong informed me I had very early stage cataracts. How could this happen in Seattle? Now I'm being more careful to wear sunglasses, or my Transitions® glasses whenever I go outside. My contact lenses may block UV light, but they're no substitute for good sunglasses.

Growing up in Seattle, I don't recall wearing sunglasses at Seattle's Matthew's Beach, near Nathan Hale High School, or even wearing sunglasses at Green Lake as a little girl. When my family visited the saltwater beach at Golden Gardens, we didn't use sunglasses there, either. Clearly, my eyes have accumulated many hours in the sun, and now I have beginning cataracts to prove it.

Most of a persons lifetime sun exposure takes place before they turn eighteen years old. That's true for even for me. Living in Seattle, our family had a small boat, and enjoyed many hours slowly traveling up the Seattle Slough, exploring Lake Washington, and going through the Seattle Chittenden Locks. I don't ever recall owning sunglasses. Besides, it's always raining in Seattle, right?

Cataracts interfere with your lens ability to transmit light to the retina. There are several different types of cataracts, and they don't always develop in both eyes. Think of a layer of Puget Sound "fog" preventing you from seeing clearly, and that will help you understand how cataracts affect vision. As an optician, I help to educate my patients, so their cataracts stay in the beginning stage, before they progress to the, "clouding my vision" stage, needing surgery.

Dr. Randy Wong has found early cataracts in patients as young as their early thirties, but congenital contacts are occasionally found in newborn infants. One of my school friends had cataract surgery in her mid-forties; she's a native Seattleite, too. Most of the time we had sunscreen to protect our skin, but we didn't even think about our eyes.

My friend told me; "I thought I had night blindness or something, just like my Mom", and she'd grown used to avoiding any driving after dark. She believed her increased light sensitivity, with halos surrounding oncoming headlights, etc., was just a "normal" part of the aging process. I told her, we weren't that old!

After having surgery to remove her cataracts, she can now drive anytime, anywhere. She's converted one of her fancy, designer eyeglass frames into beautiful new reading glasses. She told me she, "feels like a teenager again, driving her first car!"

We need to pay attention to changes in our vision, and guard our overall eye health more diligently as we pass forty. See Visionaire Eyecare in Edmonds for a new eye exam and visual fields test, if you're in the North Seattle, Edmonds, Lynnwood area. Remember; even if you live in Seattle's temperate weather zone, you need to wear good sunglasses to help preserve your vision.

Next time you attend an Edmonds art gallery walk, visit a Puget Sound beach, or walk Green Lake, remember to bring along Transitions® lenses or sunglasses to protect your eyes from further sun damage.

We may live in Seattle, but we still only have two eyes.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

This One's Gold: Don't Lose Your Domain!

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 22:51:31 -0800

Is Your Domain Safe?

Real Estate marketing is tough; it's a challenge finding qualified buyers, and sensible sellers. Facebook Pages, blogging, meetings, and family makes for a busy life. Clearly, real estate is still your passion; so may I ask, why did you let your domain lapse?

Last week, a friend handed me his business card, and I visited the domain of his popular Seattle restaurant. Some blond girl was occupying his front page. I knew what that meant.

His established business domain was about to be lost. Thirty days after expiration, it could be sold to anyone. I called my friend immediately. A family "friend" manages their web pages, and he hadn't renewed the site - yet.

What if Your Domain is "Kidnapped"?

Don't let this happen. I've found hundreds of expired business sites. After years of work, and countless links, they let their domain lapse for the lack of $10 dollars or so. Did you know it may cost $300 - $3,000 to get it back? The more links it had, the more it may cost you.

If your page is now occupied by a link farm, all of your information will be replaced; you should take action right away.

What Can I Do?

Call your registrar immediately, and find out how you may get your site back. (Find your Registrar at WHOIS.) Now, post your current information. It's better to post a simple, plain HTML page, than to let your site go, just because you don't like the old design, or you think a Facebook Page is enough. Odds are, your old domain won't disappear; it will be used to make money for someone else. It may even turn into an R-rated site, or worse.

New is Silver, But Old is Gold

Fact; older, established domains are given added weight by Google. This can't be earned by a new-fangled, template site. (Thank you, Google!) But, you ask, you're active on your Facebook Page, so does it matter? All social media leads to a domain; yours, or somebody else's. Where is your blog published? Think; if you owned a boat, would you let another boat take away your anchor? Your domain name anchors your social media success.

Be Found with One Good Page

Allow the web's search engines to easily index your information. The home page, or index page, on your "golden" domain is where your name, phone numbers, real estate license number, (if required), should always be found. Add a photo of your favorite neighborhood, or a nice head shot. You may leave the fancy web site for later, but don't sacrifice your business until then.

Your information should be added to sites long considered the backbone of the web. Sites such as; Ask, Alta Vista, Excite, Lycos, Yahoo; many more good, old friends. Every link, or web mention you earned two years, or five years ago, is now working for you again. Talk about a bargain.

Make it Easy

When your information can be found without signing-in to a site first, and your new client's cell phone search for you pops your phone number up right away, you'll appreciate how your simple page is treated by the search engines.

Please, toss that smiling blond from your home page, and let your newly invigorated domain bring today's real estate buyers and sellers to your doorstep, once again.

You've already worked hard for them.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Use Your Eye Insurance Early! 425-670-9888

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:40:26 -0700

Visionaire Eyecare of Edmonds Loves Active Rainers!

Call 425-670-9888 early! This is a friendly heads up for all you presbyopes, (all those who need readers or progressives,) - if you need to use your vision insurance before the end of the year, please call us at Visionaire Eye Care of Edmonds, WA soon. Our late afternoon and Saturday appointments are filling up! I know my Active Rain friends will be racing the sunlight, trying to get one last home shown before dark. It's so much easier to see the wet road, or into the back yard of your real estate listings with new glasses. Do you really want to fight the glare of headlights with those old glasses again this winter? Do you truly want to go on your upcoming cruise vacation, without the pair of prescription sunglasses you know you need?

Cash Discount Eyeglass Packages Available

We carry many favorite brand names, such as Gucci, Mocha, Silhouette frames, and many other brands. We also carry some of the most commonly used types of contacts in our Edmonds, WA, office. It's easy to make an appointment online at this link. Call us early to book your annual eye exam. Your VSP and Regence, etc, insurance welcome. Yes, we have cash discounts, too, and complete eye glasses packages are available for non-insurance patients. Call 425-670-9888 for details. See your eye care professional before the end of the year; the sight you save may be your own.

Come see me in Edmonds, WA! Stacey Mayer, Optician, and Active Rain Member
Twitter:SnohomishLiving

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Seattle Area; Do You Need Sunglasses?

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:36:05 -0700

Hello from sunny, Edmonds WA! There's sure been plenty of sunshine in the Seattle area lately. Hasn't it been wonderful showing our local real estate in the sunshine? As a practicing optician, I speak to many patients who didn't know they needed sunglasses in our normally cloudy, Seattle-metro area. They thought it was just a fashion statement! If you've ever had a sunburn from an overcast day, you know ultra violet rays pass straight through the clouds. Many people don't realize this also affects their eyes, and their family's eyes, too.

Children especially, should be wearing sunglasses, as eighty percent of your life's total sun exposure takes place before the age of eighteen. Get out those sunglasses for the kids! Harmful ultra-violet rays easily travel through our thick, Puget Sound clouds, causing damage before you know it. Cataracts and macular degeneration from years of sun exposure aren't fun. When bright cloud cover gives you a headache, or you're squinting, and feeling uncomfortable outside, your eyes are asking you to reach for your sunglasses. Whether you're showing a new home listing, or flying kites at the local park with your family, remember to wear good sun protection to protect your eye sight for tomorrow.

So, show off our wonderful Seattle area real estate - but bring along your sunglasses!

I look forward to assisting you in choose marvelous new eyeglasses, and sunglasses. I'm happy to serve you in the greater Seattle area at Dr. Randy Wong's Visionaire Eye Care, Edmonds, WA. Eye exam appointments available, Monday through Saturday, 425-670-9888.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Queen of Woodinville's Equestrian Trails

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:54:27 -0700

When I was eleven, I was boarding my Anglo-Arabian in Woodinville, WA, where a few other Seattle families were boarding their horses. Another young woman, Leslie Coey, was boarding her big, black Morgan/Tennessee Walker mare, Shawnee, in the same pastures. Shaunee didn't have the fanciest head, but she was short backed, had a long croup, deep chest, marvelous shoulder, and truly excellent legs. The hills around Woodinville were our "outback", and we rode over those hills with the glee of youth until I went to college, and life separated us.

Leslie kept in touch over the years, sending us annual Christmas cards featuring Shawnee, with her several Appaloosa pasture mates, and famous barn cats. The pasture and barn were sold, and turned into the home of the Foremost plant. The nearby trails were used more often by four-wheelers than horses. I was busy raising my daughters many years later, when Leslie invited us out for a summer day with her horses.

It was a gloriously sunny summer afternoon. My little girl, Kathleen, just two and a half, with her three older sisters, went on a wonderful trail ride. They were mounted on Shaunee, her Appaloosa daughter, and Appaloosa pals. All these years later, Leslie's big mare was almost 30, but her legs were still *perfect*. Not even a wind puff.

Her knees, ankles, pasterns, hooves and hocks were still ideal. Her coat still sported a mirror-like shine. She was Leslie's cherished companion, and it showed. At her advanced age, it was harder for her to get up and down, but once up, she still enjoyed life thoroughly. She finally gave up the ghost at the grand age of 35; a valiant and treasured friend.

Thinking of her legs, I thought of all of the horses I've evaluated over the years. There were some well-known champions who had legs as excellent as Shaunee's. There were many more horses with upright shoulders, long cannons, tied-in-behind the knee horses, and horses with upright pasterns, poor hooves, and narrow chests, etc. Plenty of horses without any overall balance at all. Most I wouldn't want to ride. They simply weren't built for comfort, much less soundness. None of them were destined to travel the miles and miles of trail rides Leslie and Shaunee shared.

Thirty-five sound years. Shaunee taught me why "good legs" matter. Fancy heads? Not so much.

Stacey Mayer is the artist and webmaster of AWhitehorse.com. Her drawings and paintings are enjoyed around the world via FineArtAmerica.com. Stacey invites you to follow her on facebook and twitter.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Web Design; Get out your Scissors!

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:34:56 -0700

Sometimes, the best way to fix your web site is to get out the scissors. Print out your front page, and cut up the parts of it. Pull out the rubber cement from the back of your drawer, and pretend you're creating a picture puzzle. Is there a better place for your links? Is your phone number above the fold? Remember to put usability over flashy graphics, and wasted space.

This morning, my client and I worked together re-designing her clinic's home page. With the original web designer on the phone, we cut up the page, and penciled in some new ideas. By moving the pieces of our page around on paper, we were able to arrange things very nicely. I think it took us about 25 minutes.

Our "scissor session" wasn't welcomed very warmly by our webmaster. We heard some growls, a few harrumph sounds, and several big, exasperated sighs. It's a nearly $4,000 web site, and it needs to integrate with the client's established Facebook and Twitter accounts. Some of the changes are just standard design issues. We'd like to unify all the different fonts, down to one font in only two colors, move the menu bar, and be sure to have some current, written content on the home page.

My client quickly understood their web site with the help of our old friends; scissors, a pencil, and rubber cement. We gave the page better organization, and a faster loading time, just by using scissors to see what's possible. I think it will score higher in search engines, and with our readers, too.

As a social media manager, I know my expertise overlaps most webmasters. Many websites have been slow to flexibly integrate Facebook and Twitter with regular web traffic. His reticence to re-work several pages wasn't unusual. Webmasters may be "stuck" in design templates they've used in the past, and be wary of the rapid changes presented by social media.

Well, change is here. Your customers should be able to find your domain, and interact with you easily. That's what social media will help you accomplish. Instead of pages presenting fancy code, we need to offer a good, old fashioned handshake, via Twitter and Facebook updates. If your webmaster is more of a coder than a design and content source, this may be tough for them. Today, you may find it's time to cut ties, and trace a new pattern for your business to succeed.

Probably won't cost you $4,000, either.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

The Craft of Romance in Everett, WA

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:21:59 -0700

My husband, Phil, and I have just returned home from a quick, evening shopping adventure at Michael's, on Everett Mall Way. We arrived just in time to rush inside from the steady drizzle, and pick up the item I needed for a resin art project. As we were checking out, another couple came through the doors, only to be told, "We're closed, sorry folks". They probably tried Walmart, next. Walmart may be all that's left, at nine p.m. on Friday night.

Fred Meyer's used to be a good place to find sewing notions, or even a few yards of fabric. Our local Fred Meyer's doesn't carry fabric anymore, so they're not on our favorite, late night shopping spree list anymore. Walmart has a good supply of miscellaneous fabric and notions, and an increasingly nice selection of beading materials and findings. Plus, it's close by.

We aso have a nice JoAnn's just a few blocks away. They're famous for their high quality fabrics. Fabric stores remind me of the shopping trips I'd take with my Mom when I was young. When your last sewing machine needle breaks, the night before you're planning to wear the prom dress Mom's making, you knew you'd be taking off together on a late night shopping trip. Usually, that also meant sharing a chocolate sundae, from Dick's Drive-In on our way home. (Lake City Dick's is my favorite!)

Phil enjoys finding the little things "just right" for my artistic creations. Thankfully, Phil's quick to grab the keys, and take me shopping for last minute arts and crafts items. His mother, RoseAnn, was here today visiting, and she made me think of what my Mom would have been sewing at this stage of her life. Our Moms were always working on some project, or another. Sometimes, Phil and I just sit together, and look through new books, patterns, and fabrics. Just like shopping sessions we'd share with our Moms when we were growing up, and what I've done with our four girls, too.

After we walk in the house, with just a little rain on our shoulders, I asked Phil if we have any ice cream left in the freezer. Phil smiles, and shows me the jar of chocolate topping, as he closes the cupboard door.

It's a Friday date night, courtesy of Michael's.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Arson Destroys Everett Area Church Building

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:39:18 -0700

Saturday morning, October 17, 2010, we lost our church to arson. It was a lovely, small LDS church building, serving about 700-800 people since 1989. Located in Mukilteo, WA, the building was a total loss. My husband just happened to drive past the chapel that morning, and was stunned to see the fire.

Neighbors were talking in small groups, along with firefighters, local leaders, and news media. The Mukilteo Fire Department was still working to douse hot spots as he took these images.

A church is a community's place of gathering; a center for weekly activities, weddings, memorials, and memories. Why would anyone attempt to destroy the peace of mind of a community by setting a fire? We may never know. Thankfully, Snohomish County, Everett, and City of Mukilteo leaders are working together to catch the perpetrator.

During the early 90's, the Seattle area was targeted by an arsonist who eventually killed three people, destroyed several local homes and churches, and over $30 million dollars worth of property. He was turned into authorities by his own father, and is now serving a life sentence. I remember meeting his father. A kind and compassionate man, with a forever broken heart.

As we make plans to attend church in another building, and reorganize our family's schedule, I realize another father is about to have his heart broken. My heart goes out to that family, whoever they are. I hope our community will be able to rally around them, as they face what's surely to come.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Edmonds WA Diabetes Eye Exam 425-670-9888

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:23:53 -0700

Edmonds - Lynnwood - Shoreline Diabetes Exams

Dr. Randy Wong of Visionaire Eye Care in Edmonds, WA, wants to see you for your annual eye exam sooner, rather than later. Diabetes is an unfair disease. Your eyes won't tell you what's silently happening. Without a thorough retinal exam, diabetic changes may begin to affect your vision health before you know you have type 2 diabetes. There is no obvious discomfort associated with early diabetes eye damage. But it's still doing its' dirty work. One of the first parts of your body it effects, are the tiny blood vessels of the retina. The early stages of non-insulin diabetes may go unnoticed for years. You may not even have a clue that your eyes are under attack, before the disease causes diabetic retinopathy. That's why an annual exam including the optomap® retinal exam is recommended.

Dr. Randy Wong is trained to look for any unhealthy changes taking place silently within your eye. Dr Wong will thoroughly evaluate your retina, (the back of the eye,) during your eye exam. This assists in the early detection of several common diseases in addition to diabetes; glaucoma, high blood pressure, macular degeneration, and some cancers. This quick, and painless eye exam, has fast become the method of choice for patients seeking early detection of the disease. Many families with no prior history of diabetes, are discovering family members with the disease during their regular eye exams.

If signs of the disease are found, you and Dr. Wong can take steps to protect and preserve your eyesight. Before diabetes causes periods of blurred vision, or frequent urination, your eye doctor needs to find it. If members of your extended family have diabetes or eye disease, or you're just wondering if your eyesight could be better, make an eye appointment with Dr Randy Wong, your optometrist in Edmonds, WA. Call Dr Randy Wong, at 425-670-9888 to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Most insurance plans, including Regence and VSP accepted. Contact lens patients welcomed.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Color Contact Lens Prescriptions 425-670-9888

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:59:54 -0700

Contact Lens Exams in Edmonds, WA

My favorite eye care center in the Edmonds - Lynnwood Area is Dr. Wong's Visionaire Eye Care, 425-670-9888,

Offering custom contact lens exams, as well as regular eye glasses exams. "It's not for vision correction, so how can it hurt my eyes?" I've been asked by many young adults. Beware; so-called "Lady Gaga contacts," also known as round contact lenses, can hurt your eyes with only a day of wear. I know this is the time of year everyone talks about wearing fancy colored contacts to an upcoming party, or special round contacts for an evening out, but did you know, getting a prescription first, may save your sight?

Read more...

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Edmonds VSP Providers 425-670-9888 Eye Exams in Edmonds Shoreline

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:21:10 -0700

Are you looking for VSP eye care providers in the Edmonds or Shoreline area, for regular or contact lens exams?
Dr. Randy Wong, a participating VSP optometrist in Edmonds, WA, is located near Edmonds Community College. Visionaire Eye Care of Edmonds is happy to take VSP insurance for eye exams, new eyeglasses, and contact lens fittings. VSP eye care insurance is one of the most widely used eyecare insurance plans by Washington families and companies. "Call us, and we'll look up your insurance benefits. We are happy to talk with you about your VSP eyecare coverage."

Dr. Randy Wong's professional staff enjoys helping you find new eyeglass frames to fit your needs and lifestyle. Your entire family is welcome in their spacious, light-filled clinic. We're near the 99 Ranch Market and Rite Aid on SR 99. Our clinic is just a few minutes north of the Lynnwood Seattle area, with lots of easy parking, and Saturday eye appointments available. We're able to submit your VSP insurance claim directly, so you'll be able to enjoy your new eyeglasses without filling out any insurance claim forms. Call 425-670-9888 for an appointment, today, and follow our updates on Facebook.
Visionaire Eye Care is a sponsor of the EdmondsShoreline.com™ Homes and Living Guide.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Equestrian Listings: Show them Off!

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:56:59 -0700

I want to feature your horse property listing. My domain is low right now on equestrian real estate listings. What do you have? Good pictures, and a nice place for a family to keep horses? A ranch, with working hay pastures, equipment, and barns? Or a show horse palace, with corrals, turn-outs, and ideal places for the photographer to set up, and take videos?

Let's show it off to the horse world. I own one of the most highly trafficked equestrian sites on the net; http://www.awhitehorse.com, with over 3,900 links leading to the site, we have been well established since 1996. If you have attended Raincamp, you know the value of this site for marketing your listings.

Cost; free for activerain members. Caveat; your listing needs to be ready to feature; pictures, details, and short write-ups ready for me to cut and paste. I've been doing this a long time, and it still amazes me how people say, "wait, I don't have any pictures yet, can't we just run the ads, and when they come out, send pictures then?" LOL... This is instant, in the palm of your hand, right now.

Featured listings will be FRONT AND CENTER on our android cell phone app, "awhitehorse".

Now, are you ready to go? Great. Let's get started here:
http://www.awhitehorse.com/equine-properties.html

Please contact me directly via email. mayer.stacey@gmail.com

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Everett's 7th Avenue Produce

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:43:36 -0700

We're regular customers of 7th Avenue Produce Market, just off 7th Avenue and 112 Street Southeast, Everett, WA. We love their local, beautiful produce, fresh fragrant flowers, and we enjoy the personal customer service and attention we recieve when we visit. It's fun to support the local produce market, and great to see such an enthusiastic business thrive in our neighborhood. The facility is large, open, and modern, with whole walls of windows that lift up in the warm weather.

We became devoted shoppers because of the marvelous Christmas Trees they were selling a few years ago. Tall, fresh, and lushly formed sheared Douglas Fir for under $50. Wow; we called every friend we knew. These were premium, perfect trees, just the right size and "plumpness" native Washingtonians expect to find for our Christmas Holidays. But then we found the barrels and baskets of fresh walnuts, hazelnuts, and chestnuts! Look at all the locally made gift items! Fresh local honey, a hundred different sorts of dried fruits, small, boutique gift baskets, home-made candles - there were many perfect holiday gifts. Wonderful Christmas holiday baking items, too. We were so pleased to find such a wide array of holiday gift ideas made by local and regional artisans.

This week, we found a great, big watermelon to enjoy in our ultra warm weather! Yes, the heat has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest, and we're ready; with a 28.9 lb watermelon for just $11.27. It's in cooler right now, and tonight, we're going to enjoy watermelon after dinner. Compare prices; a small 4lb watermelon, on sale at Walmart, sells today for a bit over $4.00.

We also wanted to take home the fragrant hybiscus, potted, standard sized, filled with new pink or yellow blooms. The fresh flower buckets of fresias in lavendar, white, and purple, were perfectly fragrant. We grabbed nectarines, oranges, sunflower seeds, peppers, sweet onions, roma tomatoes, apples and caramel dip. I wanted to take entire buckets of fresh flowers home. He had nice lilies for sale, in bronze, reds, and lovely pastel colors. His prices and selection show personal care and concern; nothing is "just normal"; it sparkles.

Everett's 7th Avenue Produce is perfectly located to serve an appreciative south Everett to Mill Creek clientelle. Snohomish County is one of the most progressive supportors of the local produce and craft movement sweeping America, and 7th Avenue Produce is another one of the reasons it's growing. Check out 7th Avenue Produce Market, and let them know what your favorite items are; they'll love recieving your feedback.

7th Avenue Produce
11033 7th Avenue Southeast
Everett, WA 98208
(425) 212-5939‎

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Memorial: Birthday of Martha JuliRae Rank

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:58:31 -0700

The sun has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest, and families are crowding the local Washington beaches and waterways. I listen to the news of recent swimming accidents, and I remember losing my family on the water during an especially beautiful summer.

My little sister, Martha JulieRae Rank would have been 47 years old this Fourth of July, 2010. She drowned at the tender age of 10, at Ozette Lake, Clallam County on July 11, 1973, with my family; Dad, Robert Ray Rank, (44,) Mom, Joyce Merilyn (Black) Rank, (44) and brother, David Alan Rank, (8). Martha and my Dad were never found. As the 37th anniversary of their passing nears, I remember them with love and fondness, and sadness, too. I wasn't able to share their lives with my four daughters. We lost a set of grandparents, and aunt and uncle I know my daughters would have treasured.

Cold water drownings are a fact in the Pacific Northwest. The outdoor temperature may have quickly risen past 85, but the Snohomish County lakes, rivers, and streams are still quite cold. Every time I hear news of another family's possible loss, it brings my family's accident back as if it was yesterday. Hypothermia is an equal opportunity killer. Sure, sometimes the victim is brought back with fast medical intervention; but not always. I listen to the radio, and hope that at least today's news family will be able to find their lost loved one. With the lakes so cold, and the waters traveling so fast on the rivers, it's sometimes difficult to find the body. It's bad enough they are gone, but to never find your loved one, is a special kind of sadness.

When you visit one of our wonderful parks or recreation area, please take care. Read up on where you're going, scope out what others had to say about the location. Be aware the water is always colder than your body can handle, past a certain point. Hike, swim, and visit parks and wilderness areas as a group. Wear a simple whistle. Leave a note in your car, telling everyone where you're going. Keep your cell phone charged, even if it's left at the car. But more important than anything else; talk to your family before you go. Simply let your family know you love them.

Please make a will before you go on an extended vacation; just write it into your travel budget. Our family died intestate, (no will,) and with my father's body never found, adopted and step-children left behind, plus a few properties, the legal mess was *awful*. Just take an hour or two with a trusted legal advisor, and make sure you never put your family in that position. Leave them tangible proof of your enduring love and concern by creating a will. You'll sleep better, knowing this all-important detail is settled.

Enjoy our overdue summer sun, but remember; because our local cold waters are so beautiful, they can sometimes cause tragedy even when used with respect.

I'll be thinking of you out there.

We recommend the personal legal services of:
James T. Hendry
(425) 387-9719
Attorney at Law
Everett, WA.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Professional Appearance; Eye Exam in Edmonds Shoreline WA 425-670-9888

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:38:24 -0700

Don't You Need A New Look?

I recommend Visionaire Eyecare in the Edmonds, Shoreline area. Are you struggling with over-the-counter readers, that make your "dress for success" look, a wreck? Technology for eyes has changed so much, you may come into your Optometrist's office, and walk out with progressive contact lenses. Oh, you're never heard of those, have you? How long has it been since your last eye exam? Well, it's time. Let Maria or myself, help you choose just the right new glasses.

Your Personal, "Curb Appeal"

Just as the right real estate agent is more apt to meet your needs, a good optician will fit you into exciting, effective, and "right message" eyeglasses. Any good agent may be caught in a poor light, after using a "road wreck" for glasses. "Yeah, my dog got to these a few months ago, and I still need a new eye exam." Or the ever classic, "I left them on top of my truck, and had to run back, and find them after the next off-ramp".

Perhaps you're trying to get by with, "over-the-counter glasses, and now and they're so scratched..." Poor eyeglasses hide a good agent's professionalism. Let Maria or myself, help you choose just the right new glasses!

Your everyday vision needs may increase after hours at the computer. Your eyes seemed fine till just recently, right? Our eyes work hard, and change over time. Thankfully, optical lens advances and contact lens choices available at Visionaire Eyecare of Edmonds will give you many vision options.

We've, "I'm smart and trustworthy," frames, and, "I'm beautiful," frames. Or, "we're going rock-climbing this weekend," frames. We'll tailor your new RX to your lifestyle, daily computer use, and wallet. Dr. Randy Wong's eye care offers the technology, expertise, and fashion tools to communicate your professional image, *clearly*.

Protect Your Health with Eye Exams

Schedule an eye exam

, and be ready to see a new world. Plus, it's the fastest, least invasive way to find out if you have one of the "silent saboteurs"; diabetes, high blood pressure, or glaucoma. A simple 30 minute annual eye check, covered by insurance, answers those questions. A thorugh eye health exam is available in our Edmonds, Shoreline area office. Now you may relax; with priceless information about the health of your eyes, and body.

When you're reading contracts with clients next week, you'll see those details effortlessly; without hiking up the eyebrows, emptying a purse, patting down jacket pockets, or running back out to your SUV for your readers. You're going to present yourself with confidence. Plus, with today's anti-reflective, your client will see your eyes, and more easily read your face's messages. Later, you'll drive home safely without blinding, oncoming headlight glare.

Trusting your eyes again; what a pleasure!

Stacey Mayer is an optician and ActiveRain Member in Snohomish County.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

Capturing the Rain Blossoms

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:58:10 -0700

Wasn't the little bit of sun that appeared briefly spectacular the other day? I know we've missed it terribly, but there is a silver lining to all these clouds. The damp weather continues to soak Western Washington, and I've needed to rush back to my car more than a few times, to close my car's sunroof during a sudden shower.

As I've waited for the weather to be "beautiful" again, I've noticed an amazing amount of growth to the shrubs and flowering trees I pass on my way to work. With that in mind, I grabbed my android phone, (it's also my camera,) and went on a local expedition for good landscape photos. What a grand portfolio of colorful shots I found!

The Snohomish County Courthouse provided great pictures, wrapped in rhodies, azaleas, green and bronze leaves. I snapped a bunch of those, just to use as custom backgrounds on my phone. s nearby schools, beaches, parks, playgrounds, and neighborhoods, will become treasures you may use again and again. As twilight touches the western horizon, the spectacular coastal Olympic Mountain range will return, appearing over the evergreens. Click that!

I can promise, your appreciation of the beauty of Puget Sound will grow, alongside your photographic record of the vibrant northwest gardens and blooms you saved during the wettest Washington State spring in memory. May our rain always bless our blooms, mountain glaciers, and salmon, alike!

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.

RainCamp RoundUp; The Real McCoy

Stacey Mayer (EdmondsShoreline.com) — Sat, 29 May 2010 05:20:04 -0700

More than twelve years ago, I won my first award for "search engine optimization". I began accumulating "Editor's Choice" awards before anyone ever called it, "SEO'. There were no .html books at Amazon, and no web building seminars, or classes at the local community college. I just read everything I could find, and tried to ask a lot of questions. It was the "Wild West Era" of the web, they said. There were no limits to what I could do!

I talked to some of developers of the earliest search engines on the WWW, names that are now almost forgotten, like Thunderstone, Alta Vista, and Webcrawler. They turned out to be the most generous, helpful human beings I'd ever run across. They were idealistic pioneers, that gave ordinary citizens the tools for transparency in government, commerce, and media. I listened. My coloring book site, awhitehorse.com, had over 1.5 million page views a month, and I'd not even spent a dime on print media to do it.

Then, the world decided to make money from the web, and write books, create curriculums, and claim thousands of domains. There was a fortune to be made! They'd just use the same methods from the print world, and take over from, "everyman" out there. As innovation and openness was being pushed against the wall, you could see the big money interests squeeze everything into "big money only" models. If money could be made, they would take it all, and move out the "little guys". Oh, dear. Now you had to have quite a budget, because the early development stage of the Net was over. Or perhaps, it just went sideways.

Are you ready to use new information and communication pathways from today's social media? Want to be a part of the world that rewards hard work, and succeeds by helping others? Would you like your "honest handshake" to become as easily recognized on the web, as it is by your neighbors?

Then come to RainCamp. Learn how your thoughts are just a Twitter way from being shared with like-minded individuals worldwide. What's more, you'll see how intentions can't hide from being amplified, and multiplied, across the net. The deep pocket marketers can't ride this wild horse. You're about to be discovered; then shared, and shared, and shared again.

RainCamp. See it as learning how to ride together towards a New Horizon.

Stacey Mayer, Artist/Webmaster
http://www.Snohomish-Homes.com
Successful social media management,
illustration to custom app creation.
Everett, WA Call: 360-878-3614 or text.