Olentangy Living

Wordless Wednesday: Our Tax Dollars At Work!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:17:54 -0500

Shipping tape purchased at the Post Office, Made In China.

Photoblogging ... learning from the superstars ... then doing!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:01:55 -0500

I follow a number of "superstar" bloggers ... most of whom began on Active Rain. They aren't here much anymore as they graduated to their own blogs a couple years ago. When I first joined AR three years ago, I learned a great deal from them, and am continuing to follow their lead.

Most of these superstars have set up a photoblog to showcase their photography talents and the beauty of their local communities. Photos are an excellent means to give potential relocating clients a flavor of what life is like in the area. I also suspect a photoblog is good at generating GoogleJuice.

I've been taking simply gobs of photos since starting my own blog two years ago, so setting up a photoblog to use those photos was appealing. Last weekend I set it up and have been tweaking and adding photos since. The theme I selected has been very easy to work with for a photo blog. I don't recommend it for a regular blog however. Also, it was missing some features that I wanted, so I had to add them with html code. As is typical with a WP blog, it didn't take but a couple days for Google to find it and send people my way. YEAH!

I invite you to check out my new photoblog at OlentangyLiving.com.

And be sure to visit the other photoblogs that I have listed in the blogroll. Those superstar bloggers are great in what they do with their photography.

Me ... I'm still learning from them and trying to improve.

It's Almost Time! A challenge to Missy.

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:15:54 -0500

The Giant Eagle store in Lewis Center OH is ready. I challenge Missy to come up with a matching display in that state up North.

O-H ... I-O!

My first time on TV ... thanks to my blog.

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:40:06 -0500

Over the years here on AR, I've read where other agents were contacted by the media, thanks to their blogging efforts. Well, my time finally arrived!

A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by a local TV reporter. He had done an online search and found my blog ... my WP blog. He was planning to do a series of nightly reports on the housing market. Because I include my listings on my blog, he wanted to talk to me about the importance of photography.

We met last week at my newest listing which I really welcomed the opportunity to have extra exposure. It's a gorgeous home but at $699,900 it may be a tougher sell in this market. My seller agreed to be a part of the interview as well. (You may recognize him).

Although I've never had an issue with "talking" (as friends and family know) I was rather nervous about a TV interview because I was afraid of the sound bites. The reporter taped about a half hour of info, so I knew that most of it would end up being cut.

I recorded the newsclip with my camera aimed at the TV and hoped that The Murph wouldn't bark during the recording. Another agent was interviewed as well - and since we're dressed very similar - it's sometimes hard to tell who is who. She is in a home likely located in Clintonville, where she works. My home is in Galena, near Hoover Reservoir. Unfortunately, not much of the home was captured. Bummer!

I learned that I MUST stop "talking with my hands". ;-)

Luxury executive-style home is for sale near Hoover Reservoir, Galena Ohio

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:01:26 -0600

Executive-style, luxury, contemporary home near Hoover Reservoir (South of Galena) is now for sale. Nestled in 3 wooded acres overlooking a splendid ravine, this home is truly spectacular. Originally built in the early 60's, it was totally redesigned by a California architect in the mid 90's, to maintain its unique hexagonal design. You've heard agents say it before, but this home really must be seen in person to totally experience the 360° views in the open and flowing rooms, as well as in the many gardens.

No detail has been missed by the architect to provide "windows to the world" in all the rooms. However, even though the floor plan is open, the various wings provide privacy from the main living areas. It's an excellent home for entertaining with no worry about intruding upon the private quarters.

The cedar-lined home office is equally spectacular with its panels of windows and access to a 'sunrise' deck to get the out-of-the-box creative juices flowing. It even offers a separate workroom, perfect for an assistant or for compiling presentations on the open shelves. There is an exclusive entrance to the office wing via an exterior spiral staircase ... convenient for visiting clients or guests. This office wing could also serve as an artist's or photographer's gallery.

The floor plan of this wonderful home is extremely versatile so new buyers could use many of the rooms different than the current owners. If you need a home for multi-generations, you'll find it suitable for that as well. You're limited only by your imagination.

As the photos indicate, the home is very large, just under 5200 sq ft with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. There are 3 patios and 3 decks. Professionally landscaped with an unbelievable organic veggie garden with an enclosure designed by a professional landscape designer. Convenient to the Polaris area, the airport or downtown Columbus (~30 min). All this for a great price of $599,000. Compare that to the prices on "cookie cutter" houses and you'll make this your next home!

Google Map

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

This post and photos are the property of Elaine Reese, Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio 43085.All material and photos are considered copyrighted and may not be used, copied or stolen by any other parties. Plagiarism is against the law!

Fighting depression on Active Rain OR Leading a Protest

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:09:10 -0600

Like many of you, I've been working on my plans for 2009. 2008 was good, and I generally was feeling pretty good about 2009. That is until I read two recent posts.

First I read KK's post about a recent WSJ article. It was a somewhat out-of-character post for her but I'm glad she shared the info with us, because I had not read the WSJ article and feel that whether we agree or disagree with something, we need to at least be aware of what's going on around us. It got a little nasty, but Kristel wisely deleted those comments. I agree ... it's her blog, her rules.

Then I read Matt's 2009 predictions and was thoroughly depressed.

In my comment on Matt's post, I mentioned that maybe we need to start taking back control of our destiny (as Kristel suggests) by behaving as we did back in the 60's and 70's. No, I don't mean the Haight-Asbury portion of those times, but rather the attitude that "we're sick & tired and not going to take it anymore".

I know there are lots of boomers on Active Rain who remember those turbulent times. We were in our late teens and twenties then. For those on AR who were being born then or afterward, here's a synopsis of what was going on:

We were in what turned out to be an unwinable war. There was a draft then, so everyone with a son, husband or brother lived in fear of having their draft deferrment change. New technology for the first time, allowed us to "see" the war front within days of it happening. We saw the body bags that were being sent back and didn't like it. The protests began. College students were willing to face the National Guard and risk being shot or killed. I began attending OSU a couple weeks after Kent State and had to always wear an ID badge around my neck, or risk confrontation with the Guard that was posted on campus. Eventually the US pulled out of Nam. Regular people were able to make a difference with the politicians.

Martin Luther King began leading marches to gain equal quality for minorities. People were willing to stand up - frequently against fire hoses and guns - to support a cause they believed in. They wanted a piece of the dream that others took for granted. With much turmoil, regular people were able to make a difference by getting laws changed.

Women were expected to be mere maids, nannies, and servants to their husband's household. Our schools taught us that we didn't have the same opportunities as the boys, and gave us "homemec" and "secretary" classes so we would be good little girls. It was very hard to buy a house or a car without a man's (our husband or father) signature on the loan. Nothing was in "our name" alone. We were relegated for the most part to low-paying jobs - secretaries, nurses, teachers, clericals - that often "served" the men. Be pretty, stay quiet and heaven forbid, don't THINK. Along came Gloria Steinham who told us we could be equal and have the same opportunities. So we took to the streets, burned the bras, and said, "fix your own d*mn dinner". Regular housewives were able to make a diffence in changing laws and attitudes in the workplace.

There's been a lot of lamenting not only here in AR, but in the blogosphere as well, about the state of our current economy, the unscrupulous corporations, and unsavory politicians. I see much hand-wringing and "woe is me" kind of attitudes. People write about "coping" in today's environment ... how they're going to "adjust" to today's environment. No where have I read where anybody is going to work to CORRECT what is wrong. Now some of you may say that you just did that with your presidential vote. I disagree, because people voted for Obama HOPING he makes the change. You can't HOPE it will change. That's not taking ownership of MAKING it change. There's a big difference there!

As bloggers, we have a lot of power. It's the new form of demonstrating in the streets and on the steps of statehouses. We don't have to face fire hoses or guns ... just people like the anonymous person on Kristel's blog, which is a far cry from staring down the business end of a gun.

If you don't like what's happening now, FIX-IT! Write about it (within our COE, of course). Do your part to make a difference. And if that doesn't work, maybe we should hit the streets ... with blackberries in hand.

Regular people CAN make a difference.

Come on all you people under 50... take responsibility to make a difference like your parents did. And for my fellow boomers, you know you've been saving those puca beads for just such an occasion.

I found a nifty analytic site

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:19:40 -0600

Tonight I was checking some incoming links to my Reese's Pieces blog. I came across a link coming from a site I wasn't familiar with, so I checked it out. It's Quantcast.com. Lo and behold, it had a lot of information about the readers of my blog as well as quite a bit of other helpful information.

Now, I'm not sure why it's been tracking my blog as I've not installed any script for it to read, but for some reason the site has been analyzing my traffic. Since I use WP.com and can't install any javascript, I can only rely on the stats that WP provides which just tracks referring sites, most viewed posts, and click-thrus. However, Quantcast measures ...

Traffic trends: Generally the monthly stats that Quantcast is recording is only about 20% of what WP records and their trend doesn't match. I assume that if their javascript were installed this would become more accurate. They also track regulars vs the first-times. I don't place much value on this stat since cleaning off cookies changes a regular to a first-timer.

Geographic: this section shows traffic by country, state, city and DMA. I didn't find anything that looked surprising here as it seemed to be reflective of my commenters and emails. It would be a good tool to verify (or not) whether a blogger was hitting their targeted area.

Demographics: this was no doubt the most interesting section.

It showed that my readers are 50/50 male to female.
41% were aged 35-49 and 32% were over 50. Hey, I'm "old" so I would expect to attract an older crowd. Those are my clients, so it fits.
72% had no kids between ages 6-17; 28% had kids in that age range. Again, that pretty well fits my clients.
26% had household income between $30-$60K; 29% had incomes of $60-$100; and 29% had incomes of over $100K. They mentioned that the site is attracting higher incomes than is normal. YEAH ... love those folks with money!
38% had no college; 44% had college degrees; 17% had graduate degrees. In this area, they said the site attracts a higher educated crowd than normal.

Business: this section shows the number of readers who view the site from their home vs at their employment. A fourth of my readers are doing it on company time, otherwise they're being good employees with 76% reading at home.

Lifestyle: this section shows what other type of sites the readers like to visit. Thankfully, there were no p*rn sites on the list. That's reassuring.

If your blog platform allows you to add javascript, you might want to add this one. The site has been set up to allow web sites to gather data for the purpose of establishing media advertising dollars. For those of you who sell ad space on your blogs, you could use the info to determine how much to charge by proving that you're delivering their targeted customer. It's a pretty cool tool!

Enter your blog's address in the search box, to see who you're attracting. It's fun.

The changing face of real estate for 2009

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:18:14 -0600

While other people are preparing for the holidays, many real estate agents and their brokers are working on their business plans for 2009. This is especially important now since 2008 was such a challenge and 2009 projections are up for grabs.

Brokers are now sending out postcards or letters to agents trying to entice them to join their brokerage. Some need to increase their number of agents so they can increase their revenues. I've received three such letters just this week - and, no, I won't be changing because I'm only interested in representing the No. 1 company - Real Living.

The end of the year is the time when we see agents switching to a different broker or doing some soul-searching to decide whether to stay or leave the industry. Next year's Board's fees are due this month (over $800 in central Ohio) and if an agent hasn't been doing well, they may decide they simply don't have what it takes to make a living in this business. The average gross income for an Ohio agent is only around $35,000 per the OAR. Since agents are self-employed, all expenses must be paid from that minimal amount, leaving not much money for household expenses.

We've already seen some small brokers merge and close offices to consolidate overhead costs. Some agents have already quit the business - 7% of the CBR members did so in 2008. 2009 will likely see a further decline. That's not viewed as a negative, since having low-producing or part-time agents is a problem the industry faces nationwide.

You don't want to go to a dentist or a CPA that only has 2 clients a year, or has another full-time job, do you?

The one thing that we do know is that the word "Change", that has become so popular politically, will also apply to the real estate industry in 2009. The change is being driven by the Internet, new technology, new equipment (like smart phones) and of course, the mortgage industry. You may already have noticed some of these trends occurring. Here's what is being said in the industry blogs or by other self-appointed gurus:

Broker, Agent Trends

Survival of the Fittest will be the mantra for 2009. Brokers or agents who entered the business in the early 2000's because "pickings were easy" will either leave the business or they'll need to change their business model and skillset to successfully compete.
The Internet will continue to increase as THE main means to sell homes. Brokers and agents need a good web presence to advertise their listings on many sites not just the broker's site or Realtor.com. The "old-fashioned" brokers and agents are projected to eventually go out of business.
Agents need technological skills because clients expect their agent to know how to market homes on the Internet, to know how to place the listing on multiple sites (not just their broker's site) and to know how to achieve good SEO so buyers "find" the homes.
Photography is THE most critical skill for an agent to possess because buyers decide in a nanosecond whether they're interested in a home. Bad photos or no photos are no longer tolerated by buyers. If there is no photo or if the photo does not make the home appealing, buyers are quick to click the "NEXT" mouse button.
Print advertising is dead. In 2006, only 7% of the buyers found their home using that medium, and that percentage is expected to decline even more when the next survey is done. The only agents who are continuing to use this medium are agents who don't know how to use the Internet to sell homes.

Seller Trends

Too much available inventory requires a seller's home to be well-staged for the photos and in prime condition for showings. "As-is" only is appropriate for foreclosed or REO homes. Buyers no longer want to fix-up what a seller hasn't.
Sellers absolutely cannot be overpriced when they go on the market. In fact, it's better if they start off a little under the market, as they'll get a quicker sale at a higher price than if they sit on the market and have to keep reducing the price. (this is a hard one for sellers to grasp.)
Real estate commissions increased in 2008 because sellers recognized they needed the pros to get their home sold. "You get what you pay for!" This is why some of the minimum-service brokers have gone bankrupt or left the business. With homes taking longer to sell and more marketing expenses incurred as well as the agent's time cost, agents are willing to walk-away from listings (or buyers) that are apt to be a money-losing proposition.

You pay more for a good CPA or attorney, so expect to pay more for a good agent.

Sellers are interviewing agents by Googling them. Sellers are doing fewer in-person interviews of agents. Rather, they're Googling the agent's name to check their web presence and to see how well or how poorly the agent does at marketing their current listings. They also consider whether the agent is more focused on marketing themselves vs their listings.

Buyer Trends

Buyers are viewing fewer homes in person than they did 5-10 years ago. Why? They use the Internet to look at the photos. They use Google maps and Google Street Views to look at the neighborhood, proximity to highways and railroads, and to see if there are power lines or towers behind the home. Buyers use these tools to ELIMINATE homes rather than to SELECT homes.
Buyers will need good credit scores and a down payment in order to buy a home. Gone are the days of 100% mortgages with questionable ability to make the mortgage payment. That's what got us into this "mess".
Buyers will need to be pre-qualified prior to viewing homes. With stiffer rules by lenders, agents need to know the buyer can be approved for the price of homes they will be viewing. If state laws allow, agents may also require a retainer (ex. $300-$500) from the buyer prior to viewing homes. Doing this ensures that the agent will be paid for their time and expenses (like attorneys or doctors) even if the buyer decides to not buy. Some newer broker business models charge buyers $XXX for every Y number of homes shown.

Topics being bantered about

Buyers paying for their broker/agent rather than the listing broker paying the buyer broker. Mortgage and RESPA rules/procedures would need to change to allow this.
Brokers hiring agents as employees. As you can imagine, there are lots of pros and cons of this one. Given we work 70-80 hours a week, how would "overtime" be handled? If agents are held to a 40-hour week, would a client be required to use multiple agents (1st shift, 2nd shift) during their transaction? Would clients be willing to pay based on a "fee for service" rather than a commission as a percent of the purchase price? How would clients feel about always having to meet their agent at the office (like a CPA or lawyer) rather than the agent driving to their home? Would clients miss that "personal touch" that we now provide?
Fee for Service vs Commission. Unfortunately, agents now do a lot of work for free. If we list a home and the seller decides to not move/sell, we don't get reimbursed for our marketing expenses and time. If a buyer looks at 20 homes and decides to continue renting or stay put in their current home, we don't get paid for our time or gas. Some sellers want open houses, some don't. Should those sellers who want 5 hours of our time on a Sunday afternoon pay more than those who don't? Shouldn't a seller who prices their home right so it sells in 30 days pay less than a seller who insists on overpricing and the home takes 5 months to sell? Lots of pros and cons on this issue as well.

No one knows what 2009 will hold for the industry, but one thing is certain ... the industry WILL continue to evolve into something new and exciting.

Thanks to my innovative broker, Real Living, and to my wonderful clients, I had a great year in 2008! I'm looking forward to 2009 being even better.

Central Ohio school district home prices for 9 years

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:05:17 -0600

A couple days ago, I mentioned that our local prices have "sort of" bottomed out. I prepared a couple graphs for my last newsletter showing the average prices by school district since the start of the decade. These graphs show that while prices in the last couple years have declined somewhat, we haven't experienced the severe declines that speculative markets (FL, AZ, CA) have experienced.

Keep in mind, that these prices reflect the averages of what buyers are SPENDING in a given school district. That doesn't necessarily translate into a specific price change for a given home. That's an important distinction. These figures also don't include the prices of new builds unless the home was a spec and entered into the MLS system. So, for some districts with a lot of new housing developments (such as Olentangy), the prices may be understated.

This first chart shows the school districts closer to the actual Columbus metro market. (click on the thumbnails to see larger versions).

This second chart shows the school districts in more outlying districts. I've separated the large Olentangy district into east/west segments, with Rt 23 being the dividing line. So the west segment is largely the Powell and Liberty Township area. The east segment consists of the Lewis Center and Galena areas.

The Columbus metro market has traditionally weathered previous market downturns because of the diversity of the economy. While sales have slowed the past two years we're still not seeing the really negative numbers that other markets may be experiencing. That's not to say that sellers who purchased in 2003-2005 AND who did 100% financing won't be in trouble if they try to sell.

As most local Realtors® will say, you buy a home to live in and enjoy a certain quality of life. You shouldn't use it as an ATM machine or for speculation as you might do in the stock market.

Therefore, if you qualify to buy a home and have the down payment to do so, it can be a good time to buy now that the interest rates have dropped this month. It can be an extra special holiday present for you and your family.

Read another post on this subject

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

I'm not from Missouri ... but show me the money!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:25:02 -0600

I read a few blog posts on AR - from my subscriber list. I read a few of the group blogs in the outside world. I read even more individual blogs of former AR members who graduated to their own blog.

So many of the AR and group blogs are mini instruction manuals on what we should or should not do for blogging. Some of those people are considered the "experts" or "gurus". On AR, people have strong opinions on whether listings or market reports should appear on a blog. Localism wants the focus to be on Chamber of Commerce type articles or restaurant reviews.

Well, I sell real estate! That is the primary focus of my WP blog. I put listings on it and I have a static page on it for market reports. I know how much traffic those pages get. I also know that even though the "experts" and "gurus" would find all sorts of things wrong with my WP blog, I really don't care. It's delivering repeat readership from ordinary people (not just Realtors®) and it's generated phone calls and bu$ine$$. That's the only thing that matters. Yes, I write some off-topic articles for fun and interest, but most is real estate or community related. I believe that's the type of info that the general public wants, but that's just my opinion.

When you read a post by someone telling you what to do, have you ever looked at their blog to see whether they have any listings? Does anything on their blog or web site indicate that they have ANY business or enough business to make a living?

Before I decide whether I'm going to implement the blogger's suggestions, I check to see if what they're recommending is working for them. I look to see if they have any listings or seem to have any experiences working with buyers. If there is no indication that they're making a decent living from this industry, then I certainly don't give much credibility to their suggestions.

If someone is going to tell me that I need to be on such & such social media, I want proof that THEY'RE getting business from their time spent there. If someone tells me I should post only on certain topics, then I want proof that those topics are providing income for THEM. If all the time spent on all the various social media spots isn't generating income in proportion to the time spent, then I really question whether the ROI makes sense.

If I check out your blog for examples of business you have, will I see evidence that you have a viable business? If not, I may not consider your advice to be credible.

SHOW ME THE MONEY and I'll believe whatever you have to say!

This is for Missy ... and all the other folks "UP NORTH"!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:51:27 -0600

GO BUCKS!

BEAT MICHIGAN!

Fall colors in the Olentangy River Valley in central Ohio

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:30:14 -0500

Saturday was certainly a pretty fall day. The Murph and I were out and about late in the afternoon, and with the fall foliage beginning to turn colors, I snapped some photos along the way. We were in the Powell, Dublin and Plain City areas, and although there are tons of homes in these suburbs, they are interspersed with natural areas.

The Murph got to see his first horses. For a change, he didn't bark at them. Guess he thought "those dogs were just TOO BIG to mess with". We went by a farm with a bunch of cows by the fence. Murph's nose was in overdrive as he got a whiff of fresh manure.

Tomorrow is supposed to be an equally pretty day. I recommend taking advantage of it by getting out to enjoy the scenery. It'll be gone too soon and it's a long time till March!

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

This is what got us into this financial mess!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:30:05 -0500

I drove by a builder's model today on my way to my open house. I couldn't believe this sign. The model wasn't open so I couldn't ask if this is a no-money-down program or perhaps a sweat-equity opportunity.

Even so, the builder is still encouraging people to buy when they will have no equity in their home.

Haven't they learned?

This subdivision has numerous resale homes for sale with many priced close to what the owners paid. They're having to compete with the builder's programs.

What chance do those sellers have?

After my open house, I stopped by a local restaurant to pick up carry-out. While I was waiting, a lady approached me, having recognized me from my blog. (It's hard to get away from this business!) She told me about her mother's home which is listed in another area east of Columbus. Her Mom's home is for sale in the $400's. Her parents purchased it for in the $500's. Her Dad is now deceased and Mom needs to sell even if it means selling at a loss. She asked me what my thoughts were on the bail-out program and whether it would help her Mom.

I didn't have a good answer for her. Will another bail-out program in the future be needed for the buyers who CONTINUE to buy with NO-MONEY-DOWN!

This is the "Main Street USA" that the politicians profess to "care about". They're focused on getting large groups registered so they can vote come Nov 4. Do those new voters own homes? Do they understand the impact the candidates' programs will have on homeowners? Do they understand the impact the candidates' programs will have on the financial markets or small business owners, who employ more people than big businesses?

The NAR (via Realtor® magazine) made a statement quite some time ago that "if real estate is our job, then politics is our business" or something like that. Most of us avoid stating a preference for one candidate over the other for fear of alienating clients or potential clients.

Our industry is full of self-employed small businesses, such as inspectors, roofers, plumbers, electricians, chimney sweeps, general handymen, landscapers, and on and on. What will each candidates' programs do for those people? Or for us?

Is it time that we should speak up?

Are Sellers & Buyers Friends or Foe?

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:37:17 -0500

Selling or buying a home can be a wonderful experience ... or a troublesome one. It all depends on the parties involved. Naturally, having it be a wonderful, joyous, exciting time is the preferred outcome and that's what happens in the majority of sales.

HOW TO BECOME A FRIEND

First of all both parties should rejoice in the fact that they share some things in common - they both like the house and they both want to move to a different home than where they are living now. Having a buyer choose a seller's home is a complement to the seller. Likewise, having a seller trust the buyer enough to allow them to walk through the home and investigate its innermost corners during an inspection, is a complement to the buyer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow the GOLDEN RULE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both parties should recognize that the Contract for the purchase of a home MUST be a win-win for both parties or it won't become a Contract. The negotiation process to settle on the details of the Contract will attempt to find a common ground between the two parties. To some people, the closing/possession date is more important than the purchase price. To others the price may be more critical and they are more flexible on other terms. It's a give & take to find which terms are acceptable to both parties. Keeping an open mind and looking for workable solutions during negotiations will result in both parties being satisfied.

What it really boils down to is having RESPECT for the other party. People that remember that the others are people as well - with feelings, emotions, and maybe some financial concerns - will usually do much, much better in the negotiation process. Often, when both parties work together and respect each other, good things happen. A seller may decide to leave something for the buyer that the buyer otherwise would have to purchase. The buyer may be willing to overlook some moving dust if events happen to cause the seller to run out of time during the moving process. I've even had sellers plan a neighborhood BBQ to introduce the buyers to their new neighbors. That's wonderful!

HOW TO BECOME A FOE

Start out with an attitude of it's MY way or the highway!
Make DEMANDS rather than suggest SOLUTIONS.
Treat the other side as if they were an inanimate object - not a real person with feelings.
If you're the buyer and the seller gave you a good price for the home, add to the seller's financial pain by submitting a 2-page list of remedies you demand be fixed.
If you're the seller and the buyer paid full or nearly full list price, refuse to do ANY of the requested repairs even though they may be legitimate.
Threaten to pull out of the Contract every chance you get. That keeps everybody on their toes, keeps stress levels high and makes you feel powerful.

WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?

If you're a seller and have friends in the neighborhood, do you really want the buyer telling your friends what an arse you were? Likewise, if you're a buyer, do you want the seller to alert your new neighbors such they decide it's best to not get acquainted with you or welcome you? Obviously neither is the desired situation. So go into your home buying or selling process with a positive attitude and you'll eventually be so glad you did, when everybody has a great time at the closing table.

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

Sightseeing along Delaware County water ways

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:13:02 -0500

Today I had to traverse from one side of southern Delaware County to the other ... something I do frequently. Since I wasn't under a specific time limit, I took some time to take photos (see below) around the three main areas for boaters. It was a rather warm day in the high 80's, so being next to water seemed like a good thing to do.

I first had to be up near Hoover Reservoir which extends from the east side of Westerville northward to the west side of Galena and beyond. I stopped at the southern part where the dam spillway is to snap photos. There were LOTS of Canadian geese there resting close to a picnic shelter. Given the "mess" they make, actually having a picnic there certainly wouldn't be very appealing. There were also quite a few seagulls and brown ducks as well.

Northward on Sunbury Rd where it crosses over the reservoir, I stopped at another boat launch site to take some photos of the backside of some homes across the water. A couple of the homes have installed the huge rocks along their water frontage to prevent erosion. Others haven't, and the erosion is obvious. There are many waterfront homes along Hoover. Because of a specific agreement with the City of Columbus, the water level can't be raised as high as originally planned because the city would be responsible for taking the owner's land away. (That's why there are no waterfront homes along Alum Creek - they learned a lesson!)

Then my errands took me westward on Big Walnut Rd, so I took a brief side trip up Africa Rd to a boat launch on Alum Creek Reservoir. Not many people there, in spite of the warm day. However, it is a weekday, so most would be working. Or perhaps, the gas costs have curtailed some of the time spent on the water.

Back down Africa Rd to Lewis Center Rd which goes past the bottom of the Alum Creek Dam then northward along the west side of the reservoir. On this side of the lake, there are campgrounds, a beach, and a couple boat launches. One of them is for the sailing club. There's something inherently peaceful about a sail boat, even though they were moored.

Also, on this side of the Reservoir is the Dog Park. Of course, I HAD to stop here. It was the busiest place ... but it WAS a great day for the dogs to enjoy a swim. I wasn't dressed appropriate to go inside the beach fence and potentially be subjected to "shake-baths", so I stood outside the area. All I saw was large dogs, but then I heard a familiar sounding bark & snappy growl and knew there had to be a doxie somewhere. Sure enough, there was a short-hair ... letting the big guys know who was REALLY the tough guy on the beach. I later learned his name was Scooter.

Continuing on with my errands near Powell, I went to the boat launch at O'Shaunessy on the Scioto River, which is just south of Home Rd off of Riverside Dr. Again, only a couple boaters in the water. As I was walking back to the WEENR-mobile, I noticed a bunch of carpenter bees were taking advantage of some flowering weeds to gather nectar. Better they spend their time here, than boring holes in nearby homes.

Since I seldom get any time off from real estate, I really enjoy the opportunity for these side jaunts to reconnect with nature and for a brief period of time forget about all the details of the real estate business. I need that once in a while to recharge the batteries.

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

10 Years of Home Prices in Delaware County in Central Ohio

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:38:59 -0500

In June, I recorded the 10-yr average of home prices for Delaware County through May. Now that we're through the summer months, I've updated it.

This chart shows the average price for single family homes that were sold between Jan 1 thru Aug 31 for each of the years. The red bars represent those average prices that are equal to or higher than the current average price this year in 2008. People who purchased their home in the "red bar years" may have difficulty selling their home for more than they paid for it.

The striped bars represent the averages for Southern Delaware County. The solid colors represent the northern half of the county including the city of Delaware. The difference between the '98 average and the '08 average for the southern part of the county is a 27% increase. For the northern portion, it's a 30% increase. Those are respectable conservative growth rates for a 10-yr period.

This next chart below shows the number of homes sold in both segments of Delaware County. As you can see, there has been substantial growth in southern Delaware County. Keep in mind, this data only includes sales recorded in the Columbus Board of Realtors® MLS system. It does not include new-builds purchased directly from the builders unless the homes were spec homes.

As both these charts show, both prices and units sold are substantially higher than they were 10 years ago. Yes, there is a slight decline for this year, but it IS slight. It also reinforces the need for sellers to have their homes priced right to achieve a sale.

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

Houses vs cars ... what's the difference?

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:43:37 -0500

I've been going to ask this question ever since I joined AR in '06. After reading Laurie Mindnich's post on dual agency, I decided to finally ask my question.

First let me explain that I follow the Ohio law that says we need to go over the subject (and get the brochure signed) prior to opening doors or discussing financing with the buyer. When I receive a request to view one of my listings, I ask the buyer if they've viewed homes with any other agents. I've found that gets me the answer I'm looking for rather than "are you working or represented by another agent". In their minds, they may not have committed to an agent, so they answer 'No" when asked if they're working with another agent. If they say they've viewed homes with other agents, then I know how to proceed.

Back to my question. I've not understood why Realtors® must go through explaining "who we work for". If a buyer calls me to see one of my listings, the buyer already knows I'm working with the seller. Do they really need a pamphlet to tell them the obvious?

Consider how insurance agents work. I have my car insurance with State Farm and my agent's name is Al. If someone crashes into the WEENR-mobile, does Al have to have me sign a form explaining that the situation might arise that State Farm would be a dual agency? Or that Al might also represent the stupid person who hit the WEENR-mobile?

I haven't had a car accident since getting into the business 10 years ago, so it's possible that insurance agents do have such forms. I'm not sure. Car accidents can get quite pricey, and with medical bills, can easily run into the same dollar value as homes. (We'll have to ask Jay Thompson about that.)

Perhaps insurance agents ARE required to do something similar to our Agency Disclosure. But, if they aren't, then why not? I'd like to know that Al is looking out for me more so than his stupid client. I'd also like to know that State Farm will be representing me and paying MY bills rather than favoring their other stupid client who hit me. What if I should decide to take the "hit-ee" to court ... whose side will Al or State Farm be on?

Oh, excuse, me ... stupid question ... State Farm would be representing State Farm! DUH!

Could/would someone explain to me the difference for Realtors® versus the car insurance companies?

P.S.: I often use car insurance as a way to explain dual agency. For some reason, it helps people understand the issue better. They "get it" with cars ... they don't "get it" with houses.

Home not selling? Maybe it's NOT dog friendly.

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:50:24 -0500

Over the years I've found it amusing to learn what "objects" people buy homes "around". For instance, sometimes they have or want-to-have a big TV, so they'll look for a suitable wall and ample space for the sofa or chairs that seem to go with TV viewing.

Others might have large dining room sets so the dining room becomes critical. If the seller's home doesn't have space for these things, then they either may not get the showing or the home will be rejected during the showing.

The other 'object' that people buy homes "around" is THE DOG! (I'm guilty of this one when I was owned by Dobies. ) This is a "dog people' concern ... not a concern for "cat people".

I've had listings NOT sell because they weren't suitable for THE DOG. Mostly the consideration is getting the dog to the back yard and the size of the back yard. THE DOG must have room to run and play you know! THE DOG may also need a fence or the ability to add one. And, of course, they sometimes consider whether the muddy feet will be coming back into the house and walking over carpet. I had one listing where half the showing feedback comments were that there were too many steps down to the ravine below. (think snow & ice on the steps)

I think over the years, I've received more feedback comments regarding "not suitable for THE DOG" than I have "not suitable for the kids". Guess Pedigree's slogan DOGS RULE is right on target.

I understand completely! Heck I even gave up driving sports cars and switched to a Cherokee 20 years ago when I got my first Dobie who grew - and grew - and grew- and no longer fit in the 2-seater unless I had the T-tops out. Now that I have The Little Murph, do you suppose I could fit For-Sale yard signs in a Mini Cooper??

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

Delaware County home prices may be better than you think!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:57:12 -0500

As real estate agents, we're often confronted with having to inform sellers that the price their home might sell for now is perhaps less than they paid for it, especially if they haven't owned it very long.

Since I live in and primarily work in southern Delaware County, I decided to check average home prices since 1997 when I purchased my home. Delaware County has also gone through substantial developmental growth during that period as well. People moved to the county in droves during those years, buying new homes in all the subdivisions that builders eagerly built to meet the demand.

The first chart shows the average price of the homes sold in Delaware County for the period Jan 1 thru May 31 for each of the years 1997 to 2008. In 1997, the average price for the county was $215K. It reached a high in 2007 of $300k. For 2008, the average has declined to $278K (-7.6%), but that also represents an INCREASE of 29% since 1997. So depending on when the seller purchased the home or whether they've added equity loans, they may or may not have difficulty selling and paying closing costs.

The second chart shows the actual NUMBER of homes sold in the county during the same time frame. We tend to think that fewer homes are selling than in past years, but not so says the graph. In 1997, only 525 homes sold during the Jan-May period. For this year, 712 homes have sold ... a 36% INCREASE! The highest number of homes sold in 2005 when 934 sold during this period.

Bottom line is that we're not in as bad a shape as we "feel" like we are. We just need to remember to keep things in perspective.

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

Year-end home prices for 5 years by central ohio school district

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:57:23 -0600

This report shows the 5-Year Average Home Price comparison by central Ohio school district. It shows that central Ohio DOES NOT have severe falling prices like California and Florida.

Our growth here in the Columbus metro area has been quite conservative over the years. There was some minor decline in 2007, caused by all the media hype and higher than normal inventories. Builders have cut back the number of specs and we're getting some of the resale inventory sold, so things are improving.

We're probably not out of the woods yet, but the market is looking like it might improve a little over last year. For the economy's sake nationwide, let's hope so.

The percent change of the 2007 average home price versus the 2003 average home price for each of the school districts, is as follows:

Buckeye Valley +23%
Upper Arlington +22%
Olentangy (Powell area) +19%
Worthington +17%
Dublin +14%
Olentangy (Lewis Center area) +12%
New Albany +10%
Marysville +8%
Gahanna +7%
Hilliard +7%
Delaware +5%
Westerville +4%
Big Walnut (2%)

One thing to keep in mind is that these are the average SALE PRICES for the school district. It does not represent the price increase a given home might experience. It only represents the prices that buyers are paying for a home in that district.

Regarding Buckeye Valley, most likely the increase reflects the new development that is occurring there. The newer homes would be more upscale than the older rural homes that are prevalent in the district. Big Walnut's data is apt to also be skewed as to whether a new development was selling heavily during one of the years.

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

Looking for the beauty in a Central Ohio snowstorm ...

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:13:26 -0600

It's weekends like we're having this weekend that I'm glad I have a home office and don't have to make a trek out on the roads. My Cherokee (aka the WEENR-mobile) doesn't have a problem in the 6" of snow that Delaware County has received so far, but I'm not so confident with others on the road around me.

Staying home allows me the opportunity to see the "beauty" of the snow. I always find it amazing how the tiny flakes are able to stick together on the smallest twig to transform it into a piece of artwork.

The row of evergreens that provide my home with privacy, as well as shelter for birds and rabbits, don't need tiny lights to turn them into Christmas trees.

Of course, The Murph, with his short legs, has a rougher time of it although he LOVES to run through the snow - leaping through it like a rabbit.

Someone sent me a very funny poem about a "Dachshund Tunneling Through Snow". I would love to post it here but it's not quite G-rated, so I'll resist. It focuses on the "parts" that get really cold.

Today we're supposed to get more snow with 45 mph winds, so stay inside and look for the beauty around YOUR yard.

Then go inside and get warm with a cup of hot cocoa.

If you would like more information on the Central Ohio area,
then I recommend these links to pages on my web site or blog:

Average central Ohio home prices by school district - updated monthly
Average central Ohio home prices by suburb subdivisions - updated monthly
View a list of Central Ohio new home builders
Powell Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Lewis Center Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Dublin Ohio area map showing key subdivisions, zip codes, growth area for new development
Worthington Ohio area map
Hilliard Ohio area map
ElaineReese.com for lots of helpful info for home buyers and sellers
ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com (my blog) for more personalized info for buyers & sellers
View videos of Elaine's listings

The innocent victims of high foreclosure rates!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:01:38 -0500

Ohio is 5th in the number of foreclosures. It appears, at least locally, homeowners aren't the only victims.

Tonight on the local news they reported on a story that made me sick.

In one section of the Columbus metro area, where many new homes are being foreclosed, people are packing up their belongings ...

and leaving their pets in the home to die.

The Capital Area Humane Society has seen an increase in this type of abandonment.

Some pets are found in time by neighbors who hear the animal, knowing the humans have vacated. There was one German Shepherd puppy left in a crate in the garage that did not survive. They showed another dog, left in a bedroom, that was seriously malnourished.

There are many shelters around town, and most would understand the circumstances as to why the owners can no longer afford to care for the pet. There's no cost to drop the pet off at the shelter.

But there's just no good rationale for leaving an animal alone in a home to starve and die! That's just awful!

Motivational speakers ... gives me shoes or knives and I might bite!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:22:20 -0500

Are you as suspicious of real estate motivational speakers as I am?

They come in to incite us into action ... give us a lot of razz-ma-tazz ... rah-rah-rah sis-boom-bah ... the whole eye of the tiger thing!

They tell us that they were Realtors^® once upon a time and now they're sharing ALL their knowledge so we can become good, fired up agents ready to change into top producers.

My skepticism has always been that if they were such good agents, why aren't they still in the business.

Um-m-m, could it be that they realized they could make more money being on the speaking circuit and selling their "system" and DVD's to those of us who want to be "just like them"!

Let's see now ... who's REALLY going to benefit from this? I think we know.

My broker had one of these speakers for us a few weeks ago. Today, the Board had one for our Sales Associate Day. The guy my broker hired was very good and very entertaining. Today's speaker was neither good nor entertaining.

Both speakers were presenting materials on how to gain clients in this down market. What I found amazing from both of them was that neither really addressed blogging as a way to gain business or make an early connection with prospects. Neither mentioned the importance of knowing or learning SEO as a way to effectively reach potential clients. They both mentioned the word 'internet' but didn't give it the importance it should be receiving.

Now, I realize that their goal is to speak to the masses, and as we know the masses aren't ready for blogging. But how can these "pros" suggest tactics that they used ten years ago? I wonder how successful they would be in today's techie world if they tried to actually get business the "old-fashioned" way they used when they were agents long ago.

And, most of all, why in the world do I want to spend hundreds of dollars for their out-dated system! I'm always amazed at the agents who gleefully pull out their credit cards afterwards.

They're called motivational speakers and they do a good job at motivating agents to make THEMSELVES richer. I just don't understand why people will spend their money on these DVD's but won't bother to devote TIME to learning how to blog.

Of course, we're all glad it works that way, aren't we!

Here's my motivation for you. Go blog 'em TIGER!

Now pay me $199 and I'll put that on a DVD for you.

Excuse me, I have to take this call ... it's my dog!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:33:43 -0500

For those Rainers who don't like posts that are animal-related... stop right here. But for those that want to read something funny on a Friday ... well, you might just get a kick out of this.

We have lots of posts that keep us up-to-date on the latest techie toys. I just read about a new techie tool that is projected to be introduced mid-2008.

It's a cell phone for DOGS!

The unit attaches to the dog's collar similar to the electronic fence transmitters. It will cost $400 plus a monthly service fee. It's waterproof and will have a GPS system, which could be a good thing to find a roaming pet.

It will have two buttons on it. One is "Call Owner" ... and I'm assuming that is to be used by a HUMAN who finds the wandering pet ... and not to be used by the pet.

The other is a "Call Center" button. Guess that can be used if the HUMAN doesn't answer their phone.

Now, here's where it gets a little humorous if you let your mind wander with the possibilities.

The phone can be programed to call the HUMAN if the dog strays a certain distance from the home. Imagine sitting in a closing and having to say, "excuse me, I have to take this call ... it's my dog".

The owner can call the dog's number to talk to the dog. In the case mentioned above, I guess the HUMAN could say, "GET BACK IN YOUR OWN YARD!" Or we can tell them to GET OFF THE SOFA because we KNOW that's where they are. Or we can whisper sweet nothings to them to assure them we'll be home soon.

The phone can also be programmed to only accept the HUMAN's calls. This would prevent the dog from receiving 'wrong number' calls or calls from telemarketers. I must admit I find the "heavy breathing" aspect of responding to a telemarketer's calls to be intriguing.

Wouldn't you like to be a "fly on the wall" when the dog gets his first call to watch his head spin around as he tries to see where "the voice" is coming from. You could really have fun messing with their little minds. Think of the exercise they could get by running throughout the house trying to find their HUMAN.

Of course, eventually they may just tire of the new toy, and when they see it's just their HUMAN's number, they could ignore the call. I suppose they'll eventually ask for a vibrate button so they can easily go back to sleep on the sofa.

Wonder how many minutes The Murph would use ... and will those minutes include a ROLLOVER plan?

I won a small victory against a plagiarizer - thanks, Google!

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:09:28 -0500

This is an update to a post I did in mid-August about a scraping blog from the Czech Republic stealing 3 of my posts from my outside blog.

I filed a DMCA complaint with Google, carefully following the specific procedure for doing so.

Since the site wasn't located in the U.S. my only option was to complain to Google because it's one of those sites setup solely to earn income from Google Adsense. The site contains ONLY stolen material.

In addition to filing the DMCA complaint, I also emailed many of the other people who had content stolen to advise them of the situation with info on how to file a complaint.

Recently, I received an email from Google saying that while they did not have authority to take down the site, they had blocked my 3 articles from being searchable by Google. They said they would also record the offense in ChillingEffects.org.

So now, when I enter the domain name of the offending site into a Google search, this copy shows up in fairly large letters, at the bottom of each of the 20-some pages ...

In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.

Then if someone clicks on the ChillingEffects link, they see the following copy, (protected somewhat since I'm an individual):

Notice Unavailable
DMCA (Copyright) Complaint to Google
The notice is not available.

Chilling Effects serves as a clearinghouse for cease-and-desist notices. Chilling Effects is not the sender of these notices, and is not responsible for removing pages from the web or search engine listings. If you believe a web page or site was wrongly removed, you should contact the ISP or search engine who removed the site. In the case of an improper DMCA notification, you may wish to file a counter-notification.

While my articles are still posted on the offending site, at least they're not generating Google Juice. It's a small victory, but at least a victory.

BTW, I recommend visiting ChillingEffects database to see all the cease & desist complaints filed - mostly to Google. A lot of them targeted bloggers who used plagiarized material. It's an interesting read.

Maybe it will put a little fear into some of the plagiarizers on ActiveRain.