Living In Arcadia

Professional Realty Council Launches New National Prototype Brokerage

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:30:42 -0800

Scottsdale, Arizona

On Thursday, the Professional Realty Council (PRC) launched PRC Access Realty, based in Scottsdale, AZ. Since 2006, PRC has been building a national network of background and credential checked agents that is expected to hit 30,000 members strong in a few short years. That equates to about 1 agent per every 5,000 households in the United States. The relative exclusivity positions PRC's member agents in a way that they can separate themselves from their competitors in the markets that they serve. Only PRC Council Members can offer PRC's "National Benefits for the Local Move", a managed benefits package normally reserved for national corporate transferees. To learn more visit: www.PRCStandards.net

With PRC Access Realty, PRC created a business model which is opening up new opportunities for brokers and agents. Independent brokers who want all of the benefits of a national franchise can license an office edition package for a fraction of the high costs associated with a national franchise. Agents who want to align themselves with PRC's consumer-friendly brand now have the option of joining one of the office edition brokerages (like PRC Access Realty in the Phoenix Metro Area) and can enjoy the benefits without paying the traditional high desk fees or splits of national franchises.

Professional Realty Council CEO Stephen O'Hara flew into Phoenix from PRC headquarters in Newport Beach, CA to dedicate the launch of PRC Access Realty on Thursday. Below are some of the pictures commemorating the ceremony:

Keeping the "Social" in Social Media Prospecting on Facebook

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:56:45 -0800

So, you have a Profile set-up on Facebook and you've become Friends with many of your old classmates, family, closest friends and a few colleagues. You may have even learned how to leverage your current or recent client's Friend Lists to tap into their Sphere-of-Influence (SOI) to expand your own. (See Turn Facebook Into A Prospecting Machine ) Now you might be wondering what do you need to say to turn all of these people into clients without boring or offending them? The long and short answer is to BE YOURSELF, and this is going to naturally vary for each person.

First and foremost you need to keep in mind that Social Media is best served for SOCIAL relationship building. It IS NOT a business advertising platform, but if you play the game by the 'rules', Social Media can be much more effective than the most expensive advertisement. Since 74% of your business will on average come from your SOI, we at the Professional Realty Council (PRC) specialize in helping our selected member agents build their SOI in cost effective ways that positions them as the GO TO person for real estate related services in their market area. We feel that Social Media is the most effective means of communicating and networking in real time on a large scale. Yes, nothing beats person-to-person contact, but your time limits will prevent you from reaching enough people to be highly effective from a MARKETING standpoint. (To learn more about PRC, please visit www.PRCStandards.net )

With this in mind, let's get back to what content you will provide. Through our surveys of top agents participating in Social Media, we have found that the 80%-20% rule applies. You will want about 80% of your contact to be personal and social, and about 20% to be business related, or roughly 4 out of 5 posts should have nothing to do with the fact that you are a REALTOR. The 80% should be about you, your family, your hopes, your dreams, your hobbies, and within reason your political and religious views. BE YOURSELF, and DO NOT be afraid to be POLARIZING. If you try to be everything to everybody, you are going to come across as being dull and forgettable. If you want to keep your life private, then Social Media probably isn't for you. You may also want to re-think sales as your career choice. People want to be in your Social Network because you add character, intelligence, humor and value to the collective stream of social consciousness. If you have strong political or religious views, so long as you do not personally attack someone with differing views, you will gain Friends and Followers who share those views. Yes, you may lose some of those who do not share the same beliefs, but the net gain of passionate followers will always outweigh the losses. BE YOURSELF, comment on what is happening in your community, or with your children, or grandchildren, or charities, or on what is in the news. BE ORIGINAL. While it's okay to on occasion copy someone else's post (with credit being given), don't make it a habit. Attach photos to your albums or Flickr account, and/or videos from YouTube. Use your smart phone to upload status updates and content as you participate: meetings, sporting events, visits to exciting places, gatherings with friends, etc. The idea is to let people know who the REAL YOU is. Trust me, you will attract the like-minded people that you'll want to become better acquainted with.

The other most important thing to do is PARTICIPATE in what others on your Live Feed are saying and doing. On Facebook it is very easy to add a comment after someone's Status Update to engage them in conversation. Be positive and supportive. Be likable. Ask lot's of open-ended questions. Your comments will not only be seen by the person who wrote the original comment, but by their ENTIRE Friend List. You can also send private messages to get to know someone better or comment on more sensative postings. Show that YOU CARE about them. Respond to comments that Friends add to your posts. You want to keep the conversations moving forward. Even if only a few people are involved in the conversation, many others will be reading the back-and-forth.

For the other 20% you want to just mix in enough content about your business to gently remind people that you are a professional and the GO TO resource for real estate information in your area. Talk about how you helped a recent client, post links to newsworthy articles about the real estate market in your area, share classes, seminars or other educational opportunities that you've had or offer. Talk about why a new listing is special or why you enjoy working with the client. Remember, the idea is not to sell a house today, but to build long-term relationships where people in your SOI trust you enough to call you WHEN they have a need for your services. This is no different than how you've positioned yourself to your SOI in the past, just with Social Media you are now able to leverage relationships much faster, in greater depth, and for FREE. My only caution is that you manage your time wisely so that you don't spend too much time in this one area of marketing.

I'd love to hear what Social Media prospecting techniques have worked for you. In my next installment I'll talk about using Twitter and Facebook in conjunction with your personal blog to reach an even wider audience.

Dennis Rosvall is the Broker/Owner or PRC Access Realty in Scottsdale, Arizona and can be reached at www.Facebook.com/DennisRosvall or www.Twitter.com/UberRealtyGuy

Turn Facebook Into A Prospecting Machine

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:50:10 -0800

If you are one of the 10's of thousands of REALTORS to already create a Facebook profile, you may be enjoying networking with your old high school friends, family and industry colleagues. Facebook can be addictingly fun, and can take up an enormous amount of time in your day if you let it, but is it working for you as a prospecting tool? Are you making money from the time that you invest 'playing' on Facebook.

Since NAR studies show that 74% of an agent's business will on average come from there sphere-of-influence (SOI), we at the Professional Realty Council (PRC) teach our agents ways to increase their personal (SOI) and mine it for more profitable business opportunities. One of our methods is to maximize Social Media as a prospecting tool. There are many things that you can do with Social Media, but here is one of the easiest ways to turn Facebook into a zero cost yet highly profitable money machine:

First, ask all of your clients in your initial interview what social media they participate in and how often. This should become as automatic as getting their cell phone number and email address - it's that important! For this example, let's assume that they are on Facebook. You need to sell the next line, but sound excited and let them know that you are big on Facebook and ask if it would be okay to send them a Friend Request. They'll say sure and now you are on your way.

You might wonder what the big deal is since they are ALREADY your client, right? Well, here's the magic. Think of Facebook as a Rolodex on steroids. If you use any kind of address book, either on paper, Outlook, or Top Producer, etc., the address book is a static file that you use to look up information. You also need to update it with changes as they occur (Plaxo members excluded.) Also, it's a linear relationship between you and your contact, and is only of value if you reach out and make a connection via phone, snail mail, email, or in person. Facebook, on the other hand, is an ACTIVE address book. It automatically updates contact info in real time, you get a constant stream of everything that is being shared as important to your contacts, AND you get exponential access to all of the people that are important in THEIR lives. All at your fingertips. All for FREE.

Your second step then becomes once your Friend Request is accepted, you can view their entire Friend list (Depending on individual privacy settings, you may have access to this without even Friending them.) When you are actively working with a client, or just completed a transaction, your relationship will be at it's highest point with your client. Now is the best time to send a Friend Request to all of their friends. You can do this with or without permission from your client, and with or without a personal message attached to the Friend Request. It's important here to NOT sound like a REALTOR or salesperson, but rather just a friend wanting to network.

For each request you send, one of three things will happen: 1) They will see that you have a mutual friend and just accept you, 2) They will ignore you, or 3) They will contact your client to see if you are a good person to Friend with. Of course, your client LOVES you right about now so they'll only say good things about you. Also, the more of their friends that accept your request, the more mutual friends will be displayed - creating a bigger bond of trust as mutual friends are regarded as personal endorsements.

You can see how this can quickly and exponentially build your SOI by leveraging the goodwill that you have with your current clients. The larger your Friend List, the more opportunities that you will have to receive warm leads. In another blog post, we'll talk about content to drip on them via your Status Updates/Live Feed that will build your reputation as the GO TO resource for real estate in your community.

Do you really know your REALTOR?

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:18:01 -0800

How many times have you heard stories like this: A neighborhood in Anytown, USA is being served by one or more veteran REALTORS who really know the community and market place. They might be with a recognized brand, have a sterling track record and they leave a flag at the end of your walkway each July 4th. They serve their customers well because they are knowledgeable and offer value because of it. Then, along comes the new guy. Blankets the neighborhood with glossy postcards, billboards and Open House signs. Within a few months his listings start popping up all over and before long is beating the veterans head-to-head on listing appointments. By the way, this agent just got their license and has yet to actually close a transaction.

So, how does this happen? Why would a seller trust their business to a new and potentially negligent agent versus using an established veteran? The answer folks, and I hate to be the messenger to point out the obvious - is that to buyers and sellers, ALL REALTORS LOOK AND SOUND THE SAME!

I am not talking about your sphere-of-influence - I know that your Mom loves you. I am talking about attracting clients that you DO NOT already know. Consider this: You are a veteran agent with 10 years in the business. You're competitor just got their license last month. You both work for a national brand and have professional signs, business cards and stationery. You both belong to the same Board and MLS. You both use the same forms. You both put your listings all over the internet. You both drive nice cars and look professional and speak well. So, the question in the clients minds is who to choose - and they can't tell the difference. They think you are both EQUALLY good and they will thus choose based on either the lowest commission or who they liked the best. This is REAL folks, and it happens everyday all over the country. So, how do you as a veteran agent win this battle?

This is where Professional Realty Council (PRC) comes to the rescue. PRC is building the first nationwide network of 30,000 agents that have all been backgound and credential checked, plus meet three year minimums of living and working in the communities they serve.

In the corporate relocation world - a $32 Billion Industry that represent over 800,000 transferees each year - there is a growing demand for all representatives working with corporate transferees to be background checked. In our litigious society, there are increased liability concerns that presents exposure to the corporate employer should negligence or, even worse, criminal activity take place against an employee during their move. It won't take long for this liability to penetrate the way REALTORS do business in their local marketplaces. In some cases, it unfortunately already has. REALTORS who join the PRC Network have passed their background and credential check, so they can proudly demonstrate that benefit to buyers and sellers when interviewing for their business. Since it's a third party validation, it holds much more weight with the consumer than simply offering a resume. It's often the slight edge that is needed to establish trust and win the business.

Any REALTOR that meets PRC's standards can apply for membership, and if selected, can use the PRC brand to endorse their qualifications, build their sphere-of-influence and increase their market share. Broker/Owners can also license an Office Edition to back all of their qualifying agents. To find out more, you may visit www.PRCStandards.net.

At PRC, we like to say "You can hire any agent and take your chances, or hire a PRC Council Member and Buy or Sell with Confidence."

While National Brands Misfire - Upstart Real Estate Network Grabs Market Share

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:12:19 -0800

What is the purpose of creating a brand? Maybe a better question is what would happen in our modern economy if brands didn't exist? That is, what if all products and services simply were called by their generic name? Kleenex was Tissue. Pepsi was Cola Drink. Ritz-Carlton was Hotel. Big Mac was Hamburger Sandwich. In all of these cases, from a consumer's perspective there would be no differentiation from one product to another in their respective product categories. Even if one product offering was far superior to its competitors, there would be no way for the consumers to identify which product it was simply by looking at the package. And thus, the function of branding is to help with the point-of-purchase decision making process of the consumer.

The branding of a product or service is created by utilizing marketing, advertising and public relations to convey a higher value of one product over another to the product's target market. The more skilled and diligent these disciplines are consistently applied over time, the better the brand awareness for the product or service becomes. So, as the producer of a product or provider of a service, the purpose of branding is to create a perceived value in the minds of consumers that will make them think of and purchase your product or service instead of that of a competitor. When product or service offerings are plentiful and perceived to be nearly identical by consumers, then using branding to win this battle in the minds of consumers becomes critical.

To illustrate how this works, here are some examples:

Q. What is Domino's Pizza's BRAND?

A. If you said the red, white & blue Domino's pizza box, you'd be wrong. That is part of their MARKETING IMAGE, but not the BRAND. For that you need to look at the value to the consumer. What is their need that Domino's fulfills? The answer is that your family is hungry and you don't have time to cook. So, Domino's promises to feed them in under 30-minutes. THAT is their BRAND! Remember "Delivered to your door in under 30-minutes, or it's FREE"?

Here's a another:

Q. What is LensCrafter's Brand?

A. If you said "Eye glasses in about an hour", you'd be correct! See, you're catching on.

How about:

Q: What is McDonald's Brand?

A. You may have thought of a few negative opinions of their menu offerings, but in the end you'll agree that their brand is a fast and consistent meal that meets your expectations anywhere you go in the world. Yes, that's a little tougher, but they have made more people into millionaires than any other company based on the brand of offering consistency.

Now, let's apply all of this to real estate:

Q: What is Realty Executives' Brand?

A. Hmmmmmm? You know, I'm not really sure, either. I don't mean to be coy, nor disrespect the fine agents at Realty Executives, but I've been in this business for 15 years and I can honestly say that I don't have a clue what their value proposition to the public is.

Q. Coldwell Banker's? Century 21's? Keller Williams'? Prudential's?

A. Again, I don't really know. If a buyer wants to buy a home, or a seller wants to sell a home, what is it about any of these brands that connects with the consumer to make one stand out over another?

How about this one:

Q. What is RE/MAX's brand?

A. Ah, you say, THE BALLOON! One of the most recognized logos in the world. Great answer, but wrong again. The famous balloon logo is also a MARKETING IMAGE, not a BRAND.

Well, what about "Above the Crowd", or "Outstanding Agents, Outstanding Results" you say? Aren't they all part of the brand? The answer is yes and no. RE/MAX has a lot of great agents, but so do the other brands that I mentioned above. They also have a lot of them. If you are an agent in any medium to large city, there could be hundreds or even thousands of great agents working at these companies and they are all fighting over the same market share. Even if a consumer believes that RE/MAX has "Outstanding Agents", as one of their agents you could still find yourself in competition with hundreds of your own colleagues. In the consumer's mind, they still don't know who to hire because all agents sound the same. They all are claiming to be #1. Somewhere the RE/MAX brand became more about the agents themselves than the consumers they serve. The very name stems from "REal estate MAXimums" which stands for maximizing an agent's commissions and nothing to do with the consumer, so it really doesn't address the need of helping the consumer in the point-of-purchase decision making process.

So, as an agent, how do you create a perceived value in the minds of consumers that will make them think of and purchase your service instead of that of a competitor? How do you use a brand to stand out from your competition?

Is the answer in the red hat that you wear? The Hummer that you drive? The family pooch in your photo? The pumpkins and flags that you give your farm area on the holidays? None of that is a brand; it's a personal image. Confusing a BRAND with a PERSONAL IMAGE is the single biggest mistake that agents make in their marketing. Advertising a personal image will create a memory in a target market. Advertising a brand will connect at a deeper level with your target market because the brand fulfills a need. A successful brand will win the battle in a consumer's mind every time over a personal image.

Where the big companies mentioned above have missed the mark, a national upstart company out of Newport Beach, CA seems to have gotten this right. The Professional Realty Council (PRC) gives its network of PRC Council Members a consumer-centric brand to secure a place in the minds of buyers and sellers. You may have not heard of PRC, but you will soon. They are the first company on a national level to require background and credential checks of all of their agents. Consumers have a natural distrust of real estate agents because as I demonstrated above, they can't tell the difference between them. Often it's too late when they realize that the agent they hired is inexperienced or negligent. PRC solves this problem by only accepting applications of REALTORS who pass their minimum required standards, pass a background check, and have significant area and industry knowledge. Their brand reflects that "You can hire any agent and take your chances, or hire a PRC Council Member and buy or sell with confidence." This brand resonates with a consumer because it meets a need: they want a qualified agent that they can trust.

In this economy, consumers also want to know that they are getting a good value. Home builders and relocation companies for many years have offered incentive packages to their buyers and sellers if they use their preferred vendors. The transactional savings these 'managed accounts' create are passed along to the consumer in the form of a benefit package. Because PRC offers a similar benefits package to its nationally relocating clients, every agent in their network is able to offer the same "National Benefits for the Local Move" to all of their local clients - even if they are simply moving across the street. Again, a need of a consumer is fulfilled by the PRC brand. This creates value and demand for the services of their member agents.

The Gallup Poll conducted a study for the Better Business Bureau in April 2008 of what consumers want from a business they buy from. The top four answers were:

72% - Deliver on their promise

70% - Stand behind their advertising

67% - Increased Disclosure

66% - Certify products are inspected and safe

PRC realized that there is a natural hesitancy for buyers to make an offer on a home that they know very little about. They are suspicious of the seller and fear the unknown condition of the home. This is often reflected in low offers, difficult negotiations, extensive and costly repair requests, and often lower net proceeds to the sellers and lower net commissions to the agents involved in the transactions. Therefore, PRC offers consumers the PRC Certified Home that pre-inspects and warrants their Council Member's listings prior to placing them on the market. A buyer can purchase a typical home and take their chances, or buy a PRC Certified Home and enjoy piece of mind. Again, the PRC brand fulfills a need of the consumer and leads to a happier transaction for everyone involved.

Lastly, because PRC only certifies enough agents to serve their market areas, there is virtually never competition between agents. In fact, PRC only allows 1 agent to be certified per 5,000 households. This works out to about 1 per zip code, or about 30,000 agents nationwide. Again, by keeping the supply of agents exclusive to their communities, they each experience higher demand and enjoy greater market share.

It is very difficult and expensive for a single agent to create this kind of consumer-centric brand on their own. Yes, they can get a background check and offer incentives on their own. They can even pre-inspect a home. However, they lack the story and 3rd-party credibility that a national company like PRC can use to substantiate value and trust in the minds of consumers. It's not just about what services you offer, but the perceived value that will make a buyer or seller think of and purchase your services instead of that of a competitor. PRC acts as an advocate of the consumer, therefore their endorsement helps their certified member agents stand apart from their competitors and gain market share in the communities they serve.

For more information about PRC, please visit www.PRCStandards.net

Buyers & Sellers to Gain Greater Access on December 1st

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:50:15 -0800

PRC Access Realty comes to the Valley of the Sun!

After 15 years helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs in the Valley of the Sun, I am venturing out to launch my own company on December 1, 2009 - based right here in Arcadia, Arizona. As a licensee of the Professional Realty Council® (PRC®), I am opening my own office as broker/owner based on their consumer friendly national brand. Since PRC's brand is consumer driven with strong demand, I am currently looking for top agents who want to share in the opportunity to offer PRC's value added services.

This is a venture that has been in the works for sometime. I have spent the past 5 years of my RE/MAX Hall of Fame career helping develop the PRC® national brand. My partners and I working in several states have built a model based on the latest trends in marketing and real estate, creating a consumer-centric "Network of Standards®" among experienced real estate professionals. See www.PRCStandards.net.

Our agents at PRC Access Realty will be able to offer buyers and sellers our unique brand of "National Benefits for the Local Move^TM" that can only be offered to PRC Private Clients®, including the benefit that all of our agents have passed a Background and Credentials Check by a third party. PRC screens each licensee to insure that they are true professionals that meet or exceed their national standards. At PRC, we like to say "You can use any REALTOR and take your chances, or you can hire a PRC Certified Agent and Buy or Sell with Confidence."

So, look for the PRC Red Tag logo out front. You'll know the homeowners made a wise choice - you can, too!

Dennis Rosvall

The Greatest Job in Arizona goes to....

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:01:54 -0700

I saw an article on MSNBC this morning about a British guy who won the "Greatest Job in the World" - to get paid $110,000 to spend six months on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia not doing much more than blogging about his adventures as caretaker for the reef's islands. I don't know about you, but that would combine my two loves and be my greatest job to have, too. I've been to the Great Barrier Reef three times and I could easily spend the rest of my life there. I'm also obviously addicted to social media, so it's a natural fit.

So, this got me thinking: Who has the greatest job in Arizona?

We have such a rich and diverse state full of beauty and history, from the Grand Canyon to Tombstone, that there must be somebody who has the ultimate and most envied job? Is it someone associated with one of our many sports franchises? (Where are you @DbacksPRGirl?) Maybe a Park Ranger on the Rim, or maybe a maitre d' at one of our highly rated restaurants? There are certainly some great jobs to have in Arizona.

I'd like to hear your nominations. You can nominate yourself, a friend that you're envious of, someone who may be a local celebrity, or just a job that you know exists even if you don't know who holds it.

This should be a lot of fun, and at the end of the month I will select the winner of "The Greatest Job in Arizona!"

The Future of Social Media

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:28:21 -0700

I will never profess to be a bona fide techie or even an advanced user of popular software or hardware. I am, however, at age 40, of the generation that grew up as technology grew up. I had my fist Commodore VIC-20 in Jr. High, and a Commodore 64 in college. I witnessed the birth of fax machines, laser printers, and cell phones. I began my real estate career in 1995 right as the Internet was gaining popular acceptance. I witnessed the dot com boom and bust, the land grab for domain names, and the cultural game changer inthe iPod.

While I grew up with technology, I wasn't always on the cutting edge of it. I had email and web access with the old AOL dial-up service in 1995, but don't think I owned a CD player until the late 90's. I was taking digital photos in 1997, but have yet to own an iPod (I think my daughter has three!) I've been using a BlackBerry for most of the decade, but just got our first Nintendo Wii last week (I won it in a drawing to my kids delight!) I've had a plasma HDTV hanging on my wall since '05 with a DVR, but have never rented a movie from Netflix or bought On-Demand, preferring instead to trek to Hollywood Video or RedBox.

I say all of this to build a framework for what this post is really about. I don't know how to create technology, and I may let some trends slip by unnoticed, but I do latch on to others when I see a potential to reshape the world. Web 2.0, while frighteningly young, is something to stand up and take notice of.

I only learned of blogging about 3 years ago and didn't begin my own until I started this space early last year. While I realize to some that that delay may seem to be an eternity, the surface has really only been scratched on the extent that blogs will eventually penetrate all levels of society. Blogging was really the beginning of social media as we know it today. MySpace took it a bit farther, followed by Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. There are dozens of social media sites out there that now allow anybody to share their thoughts, hopes and dreams with the world in every digital media platform. Twitter has emerged as the glue that ties the rest together with it's unique ability to rapidly grow a distribution list. Words, graphics, pictures, music and video have been incorporated into all of the major social sites, and while the younger generations were the first to jump on the bandwagon, businesses and professionals are only now starting to see the potential of this emerging technology. This is why I predict that all hell is about to break loose.

As business starts to realize the potential of being in front of countless thousands of "friends", "fans" or "followers", money is going to start getting dumped into commercial side of social media in exceedingly increasing rates. Hundreds of social media companies will be born and some that may not even exist today could be Fortune 500 candidates just a few years from now. Just like during the dot com run, we will see venture capital poor in once a profitable and sustainable business model emerges - and it won't be long.

As society becomes more tolerant to social transparency, more and more people will be sharing themselves more openly in the digital world. Advertisers will be able to focus their ads only to those who have expressed interests in their goods and services. Entertainment will be focused even tighter on market segments with digital delivery of content to the device of a consumers choice. The very way we communicate with others will blur as technologies continue to consolidate.

The company that has been noticeably absent from this conversation is Microsoft. Have they missed the boat and will they be over-taken by a start-up with a new angle and hip following? Don't count on it. While I've never been a big fan of Windows, I think the Office suite of programs sets the world standard. It won't be long before Outlook transforms into a social media tool with unparalleled power. Just think about this: You have an MS Exchange enabled version of Outlook on all of your devices. On your desktop you have an MS version of a Facebook-like wall showing current updates of everyone of your connected friends. When you open a contact window, a full stream of their recent posts is displayed, complete with video uploaded from their cell phone or Flip Video, and a history of every communication that you've had with them - including voice transcripts of your phone calls. You type out a blog post and it automatically sends to the desktop of the distribution list of your choice. Key words are all interactive, calendar items are scheduled automatically and contacts update instantly.

Plaxo and new products like redPear's Core Relationship Manager touch on some of these functions, but once Microsoft wakes up and builds them into Outlook you'll see many social media companies go the way of the Netscape Navigator. While the big will get bigger, the monetizing of social media will be the catalyst to bring the world out of our current recession and lead us into the next bull market cycle. Buy stock in any of the companies that have patents on the key technologies. Trust me, they are bargain priced compared to where they are headed.

If that is not enough, what do you think will happen when Google gets it figured out?

Are you eligible to save huge money on your current mortgage payments?

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:29:28 -0700

Here's is some information passed along to me from a friend in the mortgage business regarding the Federal Governments new Loan Modification program:

The Obama Administration unveiled the final details of its "Making Home Affordable Program," which is designed to help up to 9 million American families refinance or modify their loans to a payment that is affordable now and into the future.

One of the initiatives in this program is aimed at helping struggling homeowners "modify" their loans to avoid foreclosure. Here are some common Questions and Answers about the Modification Initiative in the program.

MODIFICATION INITIATIVE

Who is eligible?

To apply for a Home Affordable Modification, you must:

Own and currently occupy a one- to four-unit home.
Have an unpaid principal balance that is equal to or less than $729,750 (for one unit properties).
Have a loan that was originated before January 1, 2009.
Have a mortgage payment (including taxes, insurance, and home owners association dues) that is more than 31% of your gross (pre-tax) monthly income.
And, have a mortgage payment that is no longer affordable, perhaps because of a significant change in income or expenses.

If you answered YES to all of these questions, you may be eligible for the Modification Initiative.

Am I eligible if I missed some mortgage payments?

Yes. If you missed two or more mortgage payments and answered "yes" to the Modification Initiative requirements above, you may be eligible for a loan modification.

Do I need to be behind on my mortgage payments to be eligible for a Home Affordable Modification?

No. Responsible borrowers who are struggling to remain current on their mortgage payments are eligible if they are at risk of imminent default. Examples of being "at risk" include facing a significant increase in your mortgage payment or a reduction in your income. Contact me to discuss your specific situation.

I have a second mortgage. Am I still eligible?

Yes, but only the first mortgage is eligible for a modification under this specific initiative. Contact me for details on how to modify your second mortgage.

I have an FHA loan. Can it be modified under this program? Are all loans eligible?

Most conventional loans including prime, subprime, and adjustable loans; loans owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as well as private lenders; and loans in mortgage backed securities are eligible for a modification. Contact me to discuss your specific situation.

I have a mortgage on a duplex. I live in one unit and rent the other. Will I still be eligible?

Yes. Mortgages on two, three and four unit properties are eligible as long as you live in one unit as your primary residence.

What does the Modification Initiative do?

If you are eligible for this plan and are approved, you will be put on a trial modification for three months at a new interest rate and payment.

If you successfully make the payments and are current at the end of the three-month trial period, your servicer will execute a permanent modification agreement that will lower your interest rate to a fixed rate for five years.

What happens after five years?

Beginning in year six, the rate may increase no more than one percentage point per year until it reaches the "rate cap" in your modification agreement, which is basically the market interest rate on the date the modification is finalized.

That means your rate can never be higher than the market rate on the day your loan is modified. This is great news because rates are currently at historic lows... and you can lock in now.

How low can my interest rate go?

The Treasury is providing incentives to your lender to write the interest down as low as 2%, if necessary to get to a payment that you can afford based on your income.

What happens if that is not enough to get to an affordable payment?

If a 2% interest rate is not enough to bring your payment down to 31% of your gross monthly income, your servicer can extend your payment term--for example, give you a 40-year loan rather than a 30-year.

If that is still not sufficient your servicer will defer repayment on a portion of the amount you owe until a later time. This is called a principal forbearance. A portion of the debt could also be forgiven. This is optional on the part of the investor. There is no requirement for principal forgiveness.

Are there any other benefits to this program?

Yes. For every month you make a payment on time, Treasury will pay an incentive that reduces the principal balance on your loan. Over five years the total principal reduction could add up to $5,000.

How much will a modification cost me?

There is no cost to borrowers for a Home Affordable Modification. You will not be asked for any money by your lender. However, you may not want to "go it alone." Please contact me for information on affordable resources designed to assist you with your loan modification. After all, you only get one chance to do this right.

If there are other costs associated with the modification--such as payment of back taxes--your servicer will add those costs on to the amount you owe. Your servicer will also forgive any late fees.

Is housing counseling required under this program?

Borrowers are strongly encouraged to contact a HUD-approved housing counselor to help them understand all of their financial options and to create a workable budget plan.

However, housing counseling is only required for borrowers whose total monthly debts are very high in relation to their incomes (55% of your gross monthly income).

If you would like to speak to a housing counselor, call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673).

How do I apply for the Modification Initiative?

We have excellent tools available for you to assist you in putting together a Loan Modification request. Please contact me for details.

My loan is scheduled for foreclosure soon. What should I do?

If your mortgage has been scheduled for foreclosure or if you have missed one or more mortgage payments, should contact your servicer immediately.

You may also want contact a HUD-approved housing counselor by calling 1-888-995-HOPE (4673).

As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss how this may specifically impact you, I'd be happy to help. Just call or email me any time.

Jon Littlefield, CMPS®

Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Cell: 480.703.0512

Fax: 800.954.0780

www.AzLendingAuthority.com

"You're at Home Here"

Why get connected with Social Media?

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:24:26 -0700

I've had several of my friends who haven't joined Facebook or Twitter yet contact me recently wondering how Social Media can help them in their business. Basically, what's the point? Well, I remember people asking that same question about 12 years ago when the internet was just coming into its own. Seems a bit silly now, doesn't it? The best way I can answer the question is this: The world is changing right before our eyes faster than we can even imagine. It's become connected and transparent. I think that most of you can admit that a static Rolodex or address book has been replaced with electronic versions like Outlook, Blackberry, etc. Now these databases are being replaced with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, RSS Feeds, et al. Basically, Social Media has transformed your address book from a place where you keep your contacts to a place where your contacts keep you. (Damn, that's good - I'll need to post that on Twitter!)

Social Media is an interactive, multi-faceted, global database where everybody can learn and share from everybody else. You can find your own balance as to how much you want to share or observe. Don't you think it would be great that if all of your friends and clients shared their greatest successes as they happened and you could congratulate them in real time? Do you think that would make a powerful impact? Think they might remember you when it comes time for them to need your services? And, what about their friends who you have never even met? Do you think they might wonder who you are and what you do when they see you interacting with their friends? You bet! As with most things in life, 90% of success comes from just showing up.

Here's a video by Perry Belcher that explains the point of using Social Media in business better than any others that I have seen. Thank you to Chris Pollinger of the PRC Network for passing this along.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=53661224331&h=-TJwY&u=g-LQ4

Also, thank you to the dozens of you who have already joined my Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn networks. Much more good stuff to come.

I'm on Facebook and LinkedIn at Dennis Rosvall or DRosvall@prcstandards.net, and Twitter at UberRealtyGuy. See ya soon!

Cub Scout Cake Auction A Huge Success!

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:28:31 -0800

Brandon Rosvall won the "Best Valentine's Day Theme" Award for his Valentine's Day message to moms everywhere in the 2009 Arcadia Cub Scouts Annual Cake Auction Wednesday night at Hopi Elementary. The auction featured dozens of creative and colorful cakes featuring various Cub Scout and pop culture themes. The final numbers aren't in, but I'm estimating the auction raised in the ballpark of $1,500 this year for Pack 6. Congratulations to all of the theme winners, participants and helpful parents for their great efforts and generous contributions!

Lizzie Rosvall Performs in High School Play "Once Upon A Mattress"

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:54:52 -0800

Lizzie Rosvall in full costume at the conclusion of Coronado High School's school play "One Upon A Mattress". Presented by the Coronado Performing Arts Department on February 5,6 & 7th, the entire production was really cute. We are proud of Lizzie, a freshman at Coronado, for her role as a Court Lady and singer in the chorus. The entire cast and orchestra did a wonderful job. Please support your local High Schools and help our kids become well-rounded young adults.

Arcadia Foreclosures Lead to More Roof Rats

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:05:51 -0800

It's roof rat time of year again in Arcadia..yeah for us! If you missed the article by Diana Balazs on AZCentral.com on January 26th, check out the following link:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2009/01/26/20090126sr-rats0128.html

South Arcadia residents Barry & Joan Paceley work hard each year to get the word out about controlling the roof rat population. They expect this year to be worse with all of the vacant and bank owned properties in the area that will not have the citrus fruit harvested or cleaned up. This could be a problem for everyone.

If you know of someone looking to buy a foreclosure home in Arcadia, please give me a call. I have current and updated lists of all of the best deals. Let's try to get some of these vacant properties sold and keep our community nice for everyone. The roof rat population can be easily controlled if everyone does their fair share to keep the citrus off the ground and their yards clean of debris.

Arcadia's Cub Scouts Den 8 Complete Webelos

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:27:15 -0800

Congratulations to the Arcadia Area's Den 8 Cub Scouts who have completed their Webelos Achievements and are ready to earn their Arrow of Light Badge, thus graduating to Boy Scouts.

Max Bradley, Daniel McCloskey, William Nickerson, Eric Oihus and Brandon Rosvall have worked really hard to earn their badges and we are all proud of them for their dedication and efforts.

Below are some phots taken during their Traveler Achievement, where they planned out an itinerary to travel to, buy tickets, then ride on the new Metro Light Rail from 38th St to Mesa and back. Max Bradley, Daniel McCloskey and Brandon Rosvall got to sit in the control cab of their train before it left the Sycamore/Main Street station on their return trip. (Sorry about the photo quality. I was taking the photos right into the sun.)

Brandon Rosvall on the Metro Light Rail

Daniel McCloskey on the Metro Light Rail

Max Bradley on the Metro Light Rail

PF Chang's Rock & Roll Marathon Runs Through Arcadia

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:30:43 -0800

One of the neat, and sometimes inconvenient, things about living in Arcadia is that every January the PF Chang's Rock & Roll Marathon runs through the area. The course heads north up 48th St along the linear park, then east on Indian School to Scottsdale. Our family loves to get up on these Sunday morning each year and cheer on the runners as they pay by our neighborhood. We often have friends running, and being at roughly the 15-mile mark, we provide a good pit-stop for fresh energy food, water and words of encouragement. Plus, the music is always fantastic.

This year the race was on January 18th and the weather couldn't have been more beautiful. I think it was pushing 70 degrees by noon! We sat at the corner of Osborn and 48th St and listened to the local bands play their sets. I especially liked Sevencar Pile Up. With a name like that, how could they go wrong?!

Of course, on race day there isn't a whole lot else we can do. At least, there is nowhere we can go. We are virtually land-locked by the marathon and half-marathon cutting off our escape routes with road closures. The roads usually start to open up around 1:00, so we just needed to plan around it.

With the big Cardinals vs. Eagles NFC Championship game on at 1:00 that afternoon, the marathon was a great way to kill the time and quench the nervous anticipation.

Anyway, kudos to the Cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, PF Chang's and all of the sponsors and organizers who pulled off another great civic event. And, congratulations to all of the runners that competed. I envy you all. It was one of my life goals to run a marathon. Maybe someday...

Great affordable housing in Arcadia and South Scottsdale

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:13:37 -0700

If you don't think now is a great time to buy a home, think again. Prices in the Phoenix area have dropped 25%-50% in many areas, including Arcadia and South Scottsdale, from their highs in 2005. Mortgage interest rates are again approaching all time lows. With the financial and stock markets in turmoil, banks closing everyday, and 401K's losing their value right before your eyes, maybe buying real estate at a deep discount is a great place to park your money. Real estate always has, and always will be, the greatest long-term investment. If you look at real estate in that light, right now everything in ON SALE! We all know the the market is cyclical, and right now it is down. In a year or two it'll begin going back up, and in a few years the wisest of investors will reap huge rewards

Finding a great property in invest in doesn't even take that much work. Any knowledgable REALTOR can point you in the direction of several good investments based on your financial and risk factors. As the past few years have taught us, investing in real estate (or anything else) isn't for everyone. If you have a short-term outlook, you may lose your money. If you invest for the long-term, you could do very well.

To make things easy, below are a few properties that I have available in the Arcadia and South Scottsdale areas that are priced well below their previous highs. If any look interesting to you, please give me a call:

3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 1328 sf total remodeled townhome for $185,000.

2 Bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,088 sf like-new and gated townhome in South Scottsdale for $219,900.

2 Bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1335 sf townhome with great ammenities in McCormick Ranch for $269,900.

3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 2090 sf single family completely remodeled home in Arcadia for $399,000.

Road work at 2:00 AM?

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:21:25 -0700

How many others here in the western Arcadia area were woken up at around 2:00 am this morning by jackhammering? Was it road construction at 44th St & Indian School? I understand that the city needs to work on the roads at night when there is less traffic, but jackhammering? C'mon! There has to be some kind of noise ordinance against this. I know I can't blast the radio at 2:00 am. If it wasn't there, then where was it? We live near 48th and Indian School and it was loud enough to wake us up through our open windows. (By the way, don't you love this time of year with the A/C off and the fresh, cool air blowing through the windows?)

So, here a note to the city or whomever it was: Stop jackhammering in the middle of the night!

Thank you!

Lessons from Dubai

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:39:15 -0700

Every few weeks I like to Google what's new in Dubai. There is so much energy and creativity in their architecture that it's inspiring to just take it all in. When I first moved to Phoenix in 1994, I felt the same energy here compared to my hometown of Portland, OR. Now, it seems like Phoenix has lost its vision of what it could be when it grows up. Yes, the lightrail, ASU and T-Gen will draw new development downtown, and the new convention center and Sheraton Hotel are nice, but hardly are they international landmarks that leave an imprint on the imagination. We need buildings that will give Phoenix an identity. I found the newest building to be announced in Dubai, the Atrium City Towers, which I posted below. As creative as they are, they will simply blend into the visionary mix in Dubai. However, at over 100 stories, if something like the AC Towers were to be built in architectually bland Phoenix, it would become an instant internationally recognized landmark. It could be the Eiffel Tower or Sydney Opera House of Arizona. Heck, they even look like they could have been inspired by our majestic Saguaro Cactus. Take a look and let me know if you agree...

Atrium City Towers, Dubai

AC is a cluster of three supertowers - rising above 100 floors, to be connected at base with an atrium and with skybridges.

Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:35:01 -0700

BRIDGE OVER PUDDLED WATERS

The City of Tempe, AZ, and Otak are making it easier for walkers and bicyclists to get across Tempe Town Lake, one of the area's most popular outdoor destinations. Otak's Tempe office, along with T.Y. LIN International, is designing a unique new pedestrian bridge over the Town Lake Downstream Dam. City officials want a bridge that blends art, architecture, and engineering in what it hopes will become a new icon for the city. When complete, the bridge will connect bike and pedestrian paths on the north and south sides of the lake, as well as provide a link both to Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash path system and to Tempe's downtown Mill Avenue District. Preliminary designs are for four 240-foot spans, constructed on the existing piers of an inflatable rubber dam. The 16-foot wide walking/biking surface will be at least 16 feet across, enabling multiple bikers, runners, walkers or sightseers to pass each other simultaneously. Part of the long-term goal is to create a complete loop around Tempe Town Lake. Otak is providing architectural design, landscape architecture, civil engineering, public outreach and survey services. As with many Otak projects, the overall design will also incorporate public art. This pedestrian bridge is one part of the improvements planned for the area. For information on how Otak can help with your project design email us.

I came across the above article on the Otak website. This is the best idea I've heard in a long time. A few months back I read a story about how the inflatable dams of Tempe Town Lake are deteriorating in our harsh sun faster than expected, to a replacement cost of many millions of tax dollars. My initial thought was why not build a shade structure over the dam(s) to keep the sun off? They could create all kinds of architecturally interesting styles to create the shade, perhaps modeling something along the lines of SkySong in Scottsdale. This, however is PERFECT! I've ridden my bike up and down the north water front many times and I always thought it'd be cool to cut over a bridge to the south side on the west end. This pedestrian and cyclist bridge is the perfect solution. It looks architecturally interesting as well. Kudos to whoever thought this one up. Let's hope that Mayor Hallman and the City Council approves the plan.

Free Membership to Camelback Village Racquet and Health Club!

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:24:59 -0700

Normally I don't like to use this space to advertise my properties for sale in the Arcadia area - those can be found on my real estate website www.DennisRosvall.com, or a host of other real estate sites. This time, however, it really relates to the lifestyle of living in Arcadia.

I have a great new property in the Hopi Elementary boundaries that is too good to pass up. Priced at only $447,500, it is one of the most affordable in the area. It's 2090 sf have been completely remodeled, and features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen with slab granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and all the extras.

What makes this home unique is that the seller is willing to include with the sale a 1-year FREE membership to the Camelback Village Racquet and Health Club with the purchase of the home. For those of you who know Arcadia, this is the premier Health Club to join in the area, not only for their workout equipment but also the social and networking aspects. A family membership runs about $1,690 to sign-up, and $228 per month. That's a lifestyle package worth $4,426! Just think, your clients could have use of the pools, tennis courts, gym, exercise equipment, and all the amenities of a private club - for FREE!

I know several people who belong to Camelback Village and they say it's the best health and social club around. So, don't just live in Arcadia, really live in Arcadia.

If you'd like more information on the home, just click http://www.realtor.com/Prop/1102412154

Or, give me a call at (480) 232-0948.

As an ADDED BONUS, I am having an OPEN HOUSE this Sunday, September 28th, from 12:00-4:30 pm. Anybody who buys the home as a result of the open house, will also get the wine chiller fully stocked with a variety of hand selected wines at the close of escrow.

Arcadia Pack 6 Cub Scouts Set to Begin a New Year

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:13:07 -0700

For most of you in Arcadia, school has started and it is time to get back in the swing of things. Led by Scoutmasters Win & Francesca Thomas, Arcadia Cub Scouts first Pack meeting for Pack 6 will be next Wednesday August 20th at 7 pm in the Hopi cafeteria. We will be registering new and old Scouts, and talking about Scout-O-Rama and the upcoming Campout. As always, this first meeting is a business meeting but it really helps us when everyone shows up to get the scoop on the upcoming year.

If you have a son in 1st to 5th grades who would like to join Cub Scouts, please stop by and attend this informational meeting. Annual costs for scouting are very minimal, and the values, friendships and fun that the children enjoy are priceless. Adults looking to give back to the community and share in their son's experiences are encouraged to help in any of the many leadership capacities. I've been a Den Leader for 5 years and I wouldn'd trade this time with my son, Brandon, and his friends for anything!

Our first full fledged Pack Meeting will be on Sept. 10th, also at Hopi at 7:00 pm. With the theme of Getting to Know You, there will be several Ice Breaker activities, including a Human Scavenger Hunt, a Snowball Hunt & a Skittles Search. It should be lots of fun!

The following weekend of Sept. 12-14 is out first Campout. We will have all the campout information at the Pack Meetings. For now, I am attaching a link to the campsite website so you can check it out. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/oleary-group-camp.shtml

We will be visiting the nearby Meteor Crater that Sunday before returning home. It will be great fun!!

We look forward to another great year!

Summer in Arcadia - and beyond!

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:37:08 -0700

Hi Again!

Yes, I've been a little quiet lately. With the kids out of school it seems like we are busier now than ever. Thank goodness school starts up again next Monday! This year Brandon is moving to Villa Montessori and we are so excited. He get's to be reunited with his friends Matthew and Max from from baseball. Lizzie is #1 on the waiting list for Desert Mountain High School, so she will be starting the year at Coronado High until she gets accepted at Desert Mountain - hopefully sooner than later. If you are wondering why? Both of our children are special needs and need programs that cater to their strengths and challenges. If you need information on any of the special needs programs in the area, I'm sure that we can be a wealth of information to you.

We were blessed to be able to spend my 40th birthday in San Diego for a week this July. We enrolled Brandon in a baseball camp at our almamater USD, and we stayed at the Horton Grand in the Gaslamp Quarter. What a great time that was. In the 18 years that we've been away from San Diego, that city has grown so much. PETCO Park was a great addition to downtown and we had a great time at a ballgame. We also toured the Midway Aircraft Carrier - one of the highlights of the trip!

In the category of happy and sad news, we finally found a home for Turk last Friday. If you remember, Turk was the 5-month old St. Bernard "puppy" that we were fostering for St. Bernard Rescue. He was a great dog and Jennifer and the kids were begging to keep him as we all grew very attached to him. Just before I was about to give in, a wonderful older couple from Sun Lakes took him to his new home. We hated to see him go, but aldready have our two older Saints, it's probably for the best. I can't wait to see him in a year and see how big he gets. He should top 150 lbs by the llok of his feet!

As for the real estate market, I've actually had a great season. My affiliation with Parent Relocation Council is paying off as home buyers and sellers are begging for what we can now offer by setting their homes apart from the competition and bringing new value to their sale. The new marketing pieces are stunning, and definitely showcases my experience as being something more than the typical agent in my area. I look forward to bigger and better things as the market continues to improve.

I hope all is well with you. Drop me a note sometime.

Cheers!

Dennis

Arcadia Little League All-Star Tournament Results

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:51:24 -0700

Arcadia 9, McDowell Mountain 0 (Minors All-Stars)

In continuing the tradition that I started during the the Angels regular season, I am providing these game summaries and highlights so that the players have the opportunity to see thier names in print, and can share the game accounts with their family and friends who may have missed the games.

On another scorcher of an afternoon where the temperatures hit 113 degrees in Phoenix, the Arcadia All-Stars took on the McDowell Mountain All-Stars in second-round, lower-bracket action of the District 6 9-10 Year Old All Star Tournament.

Where pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong on Saturday night, Monday night's game was the complete opposite. The Arcadia All-Stars played their hearts out and easily defeated McDowell Mountain 9-0.

McCain Schellhardt started on the mound for Arcadia and in the first got some terrific defense behind him. On a sharp grounder to second baseman Paul Bullington, the ball took a wicked hop off his glove but Paul recovered with an amazing bare-handed snag in mid-air and fired the ball to Grady Ottomeyer at first to narrowly beat the charging runner. McCain fielded a ball near the mound for the second out, and Sam Huff fielded the third out from short. In the bottom half of the first, McCain led off the game with deep drive and aggressive baserunning to score the inside-the-park home run! Matt Govig followed with a walk, but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice hit by Huff. Sam sole second, but that was all that Arcadia could do in the first.

McCain went back to work in the second and got two strikeouts with a great catch by Huff at short between them. Paul Bullington hit a deep triple in the 2nd, followed by a sacrafice RBI by Brandon Rosvall. Riley Erickson followed with a solid double to end their production for the inning.

Three quick groundouts in the third brought Arcadia's offense back to the plate. Joe Matsock singled, then moved to second on a walk by Grady. He then stole 3rd and home on some heads-up baserunning. Grady stole 2nd, and then scored on an RBI double by Shawn Murphy.

Ottomeyer came in to pitch the 4th, and a strikeout and some help from Brandon who made a great catch into the sun in foul territory down the third-base line. Then with a runner on thrid and a wild-pitch to the backstop, Matsock made a perfect toss to Grady covering home for the tag and thrid out of the inning. In the bottom of the 4th, McCain walked and sole both 2nd and 3rd, Andrew Smith walked and stole 2nd, and Joe Matsock hit a 2 RBI single to score them both. Sam followed with a single before the inning came to a close.

Grady pitched a gutsy 5th with 3 strikouts to end a McDowell Mountain threat. Max Siegel ripped a deep triple to get things going for Arcadia in the bottom of the inning. He scored on an RBI single by Ben Kazan, who later stole 2nd and 3rd. McCain walked, then Smith got an RBI single scoring Ben. McCain and Andrew both stole, and McCain then stole home for the final run of the game.

Max pitched the top of the 6th for save, helped by Riley Erickson who caught a deep fly to left in the sun, an infield fly rule second out with runners on 1st and 2nd, and a caught fly ball by McCain at short for the final out of the game.

It's great to see Arcadia get the bad memory of Saturday out of their system and hopefully their newly found confidence will carry over and lead them to victory Tuesday night under the lights.

We'll see you all there. Go Arcadia!

Next up: Arcadia vs. ??, Tuesday, 6/24 at 7:30 pm (Be at Huff's at 5:30 and/or Chaparral Park by 6:30)

(Click on the comments link below to encourage on the team.)

Arcadia Little League All-Star Tournament Results

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:33:57 -0700

Desert Foothills 10, Arcadia 0 (Minors All-Stars)

I try really hard to keep these positive to encourage the kids, but unfortunately, last night there wasn't that much positive to write about. The evening went something like this:

On the first day of summer and the longest-day of the year where the temperatures hit 115 degrees in Phoenix, the Arcadia All-Stars took on the Desert Foothills All-Stars in first-round action of the District 6 9-10 Year Old All Star Tournament. Playing began at sundown which helped bring the temperatures down to a warm, but comfortable level.

I'm not sure if it was the excitement or nervousness, but the Arcadia kids just didn't seem to get in sync the entire game. Joe Matsock started on the mound for Arcadia and looked sharp in the first inning throwing hard and getting one strikeout. Desert Foothills played some heads-up baseball and took advantage of every opportunity to squeeze one run across the plate. In the bottom half of the inning, McCain Schellhardt led off with a base hit and later stole second. That was all the offense they could muster as the next three batters went down on strikes.

Matsock returned to the mound in the 2nd and kept the game close. McCain made a great catch at short for the first out, and Matsock picked up another strikeout to shut down the offense. In the bottom of the second, Grady Ottomeyer reached first on a close play at first, and then on a base-hit by Shawn Murphy was thrown out at second on a questionable call when he over-ran the bag. Max Siegel followed with a walk and Brandon Rosvall reached on a single to load the bases. A strikeout and groundout followed to end the inning and much of Arcadia's offense for the evening.

Joe pitched an quick inning in the 3rd as he easily fielded the first and second outs to Grady at 1st. A few batters later in what was probably the defensive play of the game, Sam Huff tagged a leaping runner out at the plate who tried to score on a hit to left. With perfect execution, Sam caught him dead in his tracks as the runner jumped over his head. With Sam's size, no runner is going win that battle! In the bottom of the third, a walk by Andrew Smith was followed by another blown call at 2nd as he was mistakenly called out on a steal attempt.

The 4th inning started out well. Matsock was tiring but continued to throw hard and easily got the first two outs on strikes. This is where the wheels fell off for Arcadia. A couple misplays in the outfield started a merry-go-round of Desert Foothills batters as they scored six consecutive runs off Joe, then another three off Shawn Murphy in relief. Nothing the defense could do could slow down the offensive production of Desert Foothills, and Arcadia found themselves staring at a 10-0 deficit after 3 1/2 innings of play. With their spirits broken, Arcadia went down on three consecutive strikeouts to end the inning and the game, which was called on the 10-run rule.

However, Arcadia will live to see another game. This time in the lower-bracket early game on Monday evening. Bring lots of water an suncreen, it's going to be a scorcher. Let's hope Arcadia's offense heats up as well!

We'll see you all there. Go Arcadia!

With special thanks to Jennifer Rosvall for lovingly putting together the awesome programs for the team.

Next up: Arcadia vs. ??, Monday, 6/23 at 5:30 pm (Be at Chaparral Park by 4:30)

(Click on the comments link below to encourage on the team.)

Arcadia Little League Results

Dennis Rosvall (PRC Access Realty) — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:42:51 -0700

Rockies 12, Angels 7 (Arcadia Minors)

All good things come to an end. The Angels had a great run against some tough odds, but the Rockies up-ended them 12-7 Thursday night to end their season and Championship hopes.

The Angels played a pretty good game, looking especially sharp in the field, until the late innings when our pitching tired and the Rockies bats came to life. Max Siegel started on the mound and got one strikeout, then Grady Ottomeyer and Brandon Rosvall both made great cross-the-diamond throws to Parker Walton at first for the last two outs. Beau Kelly and Max led off the bottom of the first with base hits, and Beau quickly scored on a double by Grady. Two batters later, Tanner Semple knocked an RBI single scoring Max to make the score 2-0 Angels.

In the top of the second, Michael Connelly made a dead-on throw to Beau from deep left-center to nail the runner trying to stretch his hit into a double. Max then picked up two strikeouts, but not until the Rockies first run crossed the plate. Unfortunately, the Angels could muster little more than a walk by Cade Blouin in the bootom of the inning.

The top of the 3rd was the all Brandon show. He struckout two with some great pitching, then caught a pop-up behind the mound for the 3rd out. Ian Kitts led off the 3rd with walk, and was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice by Beau. Beau stole 2nd and 3rd, and Max walked and stole 2nd. Parker then hit a 2RBI double to start the marry-go-round. Tanner followed with an RBI double scoring Parker, and Matthew McCartin followed with an RBI double of his own to score Tanner. A couple fielding errors helped Matthew steal 3rd and home to cap the inning at 5 runs and a 7-1 lead.

The tied started to turn in top of the 4th. Where Brandon was dominant in the 3rd, the Rockies lit him up in the 4th. I'm still not sure how it happened, but somehow he gave up 5 runs in the inning against one strikeout, and all this after Beau made a great catch on a pop-up to 2nd for the first out. Ian ended the Rockies threat by making a great catch on a deep fly ball to right to thunderous applause by the peanut gallery. With the score now 7-6, the Angels again couldn't get their offense in gear with only a base hit and two stolen bases by Brandon in the inning.

By now the momentum had turned in the Rockies favor. After Nick chased down a baserunner trying to steal home for the first out, the 6-run inning put the score out-of-reach for the Angels, and so went the season.

I'll be the first to say how proud I am of this team. All these kids played their hearts out all year and had a great time in the process. Personally, after coaching Brandon for the past 4 years, I had some anxiety about turning him over to a new team and coach. Knowing that I had taken him and our past teams as far as I could as a coach, I hoped that he'd land on a team with a coaching staff that would challenge him to do his best. To Coach Wally and all the assistants, I can't thank you enough for drafting him and the incredible job that you did all year for all of these kids. Brandon has never been so eager to get to the games, and for a kid with OCD, that speaks volumes! While Brandon may be moving up to Majors next year, I can only hope that one day we'll all team up again. We wish you all well next season.

And to all of our new friends in the cheering section, thank you for making this a fun year and one to remember. Our family would love to keep in touch with all of you, so don't be strangers. And if one of you can help us find a home for our team mascot Turk, we'll be forever grateful.

As for these blogs, they've been a lot of fun. When I was in Little League as boy in a small town in Oregon, seeing my name in print in the local newspaper sports column was a thrill that I'll always remember. I hope that I've been able to share a little bit of that thrill with your son. And, if you haven't tried it yet, teach him how to Google his name...

From all of us, thank you and have a fabulous summer!

The Rosvall's

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