I started doing real Home Video Tours about 6 years ago and the biggest problem, and still to a degree, was finding a web host to upload the video to. The next biggest problem was finding a Video Program to edit the raw video shot to add some flair. After using a complicated program for about 2 years I finally went to CompUSA and asked the advise of the "experts" and they suggested a program that costs about $230 that was so damn complicated to use that I had to make notes on how I did things because the next time I tried to duplicate an edit I couldn't figure out how I did it. I fought this program for years until one day my 14 year old daughter (should have been the first one to ask) was making Home Movies from video clips and still pics on her computer with her friends and she had all kinds of fancy twists from one scene to the next, blending music and voice overlay, adding cool distortions to pics with zoom in and out features and when I saw her first one I was like WOW...how in the world did you accomplish that. She said she was using Microsoft Windows Movie Maker...a FREE program on her computer.
Folks...I'm here to tell you that I now use Windows Movie Maker and couldn't be happier. It is sooooo simple to use and has more features, whistles and bells than I care to use. It's amazing at just how easy it is to use and the learning curve wasn't but a couple of days. I highly recommend it. I'm still looking for a good quality video host though.
Here's my latest home video movie made with Movie Maker:
It's amazing me how people jump into something without first analyzing it. I was in Facebook for about 2 years before I entered any bio info trying to figure out WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THE SIZE OF MY UNDERWEAR? Then I saw the potential and jumped in. If there's one thing I can't stand, that's somebody that is constantly trying to SELL something on Facebook on their wall, when it's a "socializing" place...hey...isn't that what eBay's for?
Then there's the Real Estate Agents on Facebook...their friends are 500 other "Real Estate Agents". What's that all about? Do they plan to sell them a house? And then there's the "Private" profile....how's that working for ya?
Here's all you need to know, and all you need to do to get your message out in Facebook:
Can you pass this simple TEST?
What does this Facebook guy do for a living?
What does this Facebook guy do for a living?
What does this Facebook girl do for a living?
What does this Facebook girl do for a living?
What does this Facebook guy do for a living?
What does this Facebook guy do for a living?
So...what does YOUR Facebook picture look like? Simply put, your picture should do the advertising.
WONDERFUL ESTATE SALE home 2 Bedroom 2 Bath, with 2 Car Garage + UNIQUE RV CARPORT, Family Room, Form Living Room with Fireplace. This home has been well cared for with all Brick, Sprinkler System, Private Back Patio with Metal Covered Roof with Gas Grill. Priced at only $149,000. See our Home Video Tour below for a complete walk through tour or click below for the MLS Listing sheet.
What IF...I were the New Presidential Housing Czar?
Take this scenario...all the homes for sale in my city are foreclosures. All the agents became Federal Real Estate Agents under my employ by appointment of the President of the United States. My job is to Dispose of all the homes in the best manner, at the highest price possible in the shortest period of time.
My first day on the new job, I searched the MLS and found hundreds of homes by new and seasoned agents as well as broker owners of these companies that had the following problems:
(1) No picture in the MLS at all after 14 to 45 days. (2) Blurry pictures that you can't even make out what the house looks like. (3) Great homes in high priced areas with ONE STINKIN picture of the outside. (4) Nice looking homes that have 5 pictures of the OUTSIDE ONLY. Not one single inside shot. (5) Virtual Tours that are nothing more than a rotation of the same 7 pictures already posted. (6) Virtually no description about the home. A 200 character description field using up 50 characters. (7) Incomplete information on the MLS like whether or not there is zoned HVAC for a 3,500 square foot 2 story house...whether or not there is telephone service in a rural area. (8) A large number of agents that have NO EMAIL address to communicate with. (9) Get this...a home that the "City" field says "UNKNOWN". Give me a break...you don't even know the city and you enter 999-Unknown? (10) REO or Foreclosure field and the field says "Unknown". Again, is real estate sales too much a "burden" for you? (11) I pulled up "Contemporary" homes in a large area....found 77 and looked at each one....only about 6 were Contemporary. Oh...I get it now...IF it has a "vaulted ceiling", that makes it contemporary....Frank Lloyd Wright is turning in his grave. (12) The "Original" listing price starts off at $124,000 and the "Current Price" is now $152,000. Are we starting our day without a Starbucks stop? (13) The Showing Instructions say "VACANT" and "APPOINTMENT ONLY". Oh...do we not want to disturb the mice? Is this a "computer system error"? (14) One listing field for the number of square feet in lot said "CONDO". Is my IQ just to low to understand that? (15) The "Locator Maps": Those are the maps you click on to show the location of the house from the MLS listing in our area which the agent is suppose to "verify" by going there...confirming it and zooming in or out if necessary ... shows on most listings 2 streets neither of which I've ever heard of and rather than zooming out to show where in the hell in the city we're talking about. Again...let's not spend too much time letting somebody know where this place is.
I could go on, but WHAT DID I DO AS THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL HOUSE CZAR FOR MY TOWN ON THE FIRST DAY OF WORK?
Well, I called in 200 of about 300 real estate agents and I FIRED EVERYONE OF THEM. They are now out of a job. They might now have to ask if you want to Supersize the Fries with that order.
You would think that in the tough economic times we're in and the housing market being a key element of the erosion of our national economy that the Cream of the Crop would be left in this business and you'd see some top notch creative, efficient go-getter agents promoting the sale of their home for their client. But I believe what has happened is that all the hard working well-intended agents have left the business and left us with the "Don't Bother Me" agents that have a "Financially Influential Spouse" that gives them Referrals so it doesn't really matter if you do a good job or not...it's just whether or not you "know somebody". Some day, that may change.
I just received this email from a friend and I pretty much knew most of it, BUT, there are definitely some SCARY Real Estate Issues involved here folks. If you think any of this is inaccurate, let me know.
ISSUE
JOHN McCAIN
BARACK OBAMA
Favors new drilling offshore in USA
Yes
No
Appoint conservative Supreme Court Judges who interpret the law only
Yes
No
Military Service (Active and/or Inactive)
Yes
No
Time in US Senate
22 YEARS
173 DAYS
Advocates Socialized Medicine
No
Yes
Supports abortion (including 'partial birth')
No
Yes
Troops out of Iraq now
No
Yes
Supports 2nd Amendment Gun Rights
Yes
No
Supports homosexual marriage
No
Yes
Overall programs require large tax increases
No
Yes
Supports English as the official language
Yes
No
Social Security benefits to illegal felons?
No
Yes
HOME SALES TAX
MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples) and no tax increase for all other existing home sales.
OBAMA
28% on profit from all home sales, a MAJOR 'hit' affecting retirees downsizing for equity transfer to retirement.
STOCK DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN
15% (no change)
OBAMA
24.6% increase to 39.6%
GENERAL INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500 Single making 50K - tax $12,500 Single making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 60K- tax $9,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion back to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 50K - tax $14,000 Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Under Obama, taxes almost double!
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN
0% (No change to previous Bush repeal of Inheritance Tax
OBAMA
Wants to restore the inheritance tax, a HUGE hit to long-term family held business and properties lost due to inability to pay exorbitant inheritance taxes. Multiple properties going into receivership, often sell for 50 cents on the dollar.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New federal 'luxury' tax proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet.
Additional federal gasoline tax.
New federal tax on natural gas, water and electricity.
New tax on retirement accounts.
New, across the board general taxes to pay for socialized medical benefits, including to illegals.
Above information may be verified at the following sites:
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