Over the last year, I have written and read a lot about social media. This blog, about the possible upcoming trends and new website to explore, could be very helpful to someone who is unhappy with the layout or user interface of a specific website. Earlier there was this blog, musing over why social media is the best way to market yourself and pondering, what did we do BG (Before Google)? There was this blog in which we linked to a video that explained the how-to’s behind Twitter, and another Twitter post about how we need to reach the right audiences. And of course, there was another blog that exemplified just how important social media is.

I realized I have done a lot of “why’s” and not a lot of “how’s,” and absolutely no “what’s.” There are a lot of tools out there that any real estate professional - or any business professional - could use in their arsenal in order to be the most effective with all of those websites we have talked about recently. I wanted to highlight a few things, both tangible and intangible, that I think are absolutely essential to utilizing all of that free Internet marketing stuff that will help you save on the one thing that it does cost you: your time.

Everyone’s time is valuable, and I know few people who want to be sitting at their laptop establishing connections or tweeting while everyone around them is making memories. That’s where there are websites like ping.fm and TweetDeck come in handy; they turn you into syndication. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and more all updated in just one place; I can say from experience that it’s very convenient. On Facebook, under the Notes application, there is a simple way to set up an automatic import from an outside blog so you minimize your copy/paste time. (On the sidebar nav, look for the Note option. On the right of the Notes page there is a box to set up the import/export function). That is HOW you organize your social sites and save yourself time.

In order to utilize SEO, blogs and websites need pictures and videos. Now it’s fairly easy to do a Google Image search and pick whichever picture you wanted to put on your own site, but remember that the image you chose was hosted by a website like yours, which you gave traffic to in order to get that picture and every YouTube video you search for is some kind of advertisement; that stuff is free. That’s why every business professional should have a digital camera or smart phone that takes good quality pictures to have original content on a blog/website. I admit that it can be hard to get into the routine of taking a picture when the city looks beautiful, or even remembering to take your camera out with you but once you do, it’s worth it. Videos are a little bit trickier, because typically they involve more editing and time, but it’s easier than ever to be your own videographer; all you need is a basic program like Windows Movie Maker to get you started. With tools like Flip Video Camcorders and most digital cameras, it is affordable and easy to build things like testimonials, motivational videos, informative shorts, and so on. These are examples of WHAT you need and HOW to make SEO work for you.

I hope this blog helped to expand on the initial discussions of social media. I think that at this point we all know why it’s popular and what it is, but now it’s time to figure out what we need and how to make it work for us.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

The PanAm Center here in Las Cruces is no stranger to big name acts, especially over the last few years. In a short amount of time, the NMSU arena has hosted celebrities like Bill Cosby, The Trans Siberian Orchestra, Kelly Clarkson, and more, and coming up in just a few weeks’ time Las Cruces will be graced by 2010 Best New Artist Grammy-Award winners The Zac Brown Band.

This six-man band, fronted by Zac Brown, is a colorful blend of true Southern rock ‘n’ roll mellowed out by a laid-back country attitude, often coming across as straight up bluegrass. It has taken the band some 13 years to find their sound, but in the process they have developed quite a following and fan base which continues to grow by single. “Chicken Fried,” the most famous and acquainted song off their newest album “The Foundation,” peaked at number 1 on the Billboard country charts for 2 weeks and is the most downloaded country song on iTunes ever; all of this comes across as quite a feat for a relatively unknown Georgia band. Just recently, the band took home the coveted Best New Artist Award at the 2010 Grammys, beating out pop artists that get considerably more airplay.

Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of country, but I heard “Chicken Fried” on the radio one day and made my husband find it somewhere, anywhere… Turns out we liked the first song so much that we wanted the rest of the album. The Foundation is the perfect combination of driving guitar, crooning violin, delicate harmonies sung by rich tenor voices and a message of undying hope that we will all see the beautiful things in life. “Chicken Fried” is the perfect testament to remembering how to appreciate the little things, with lines like “You know I like the sunrise/ To see the love in my woman’s eyes/ Feel the touch of a precious child/ And know a mother’s love.” When our country is in a somewhat bleak place and the light on the horizon seems so far away, it can be so nice to just melt away to the peaceful sounds of someone singing to you about how great life really is.

With all that said, Las Cruces is especially excited to play host to this great all-American band. Rumor has it, the PanAm Center is going to be completely revised for this concert in particular. On the floor, where the folding chairs normally sit, there will be a wide-open dance floor, perfect for 2-stepping with your significant other or just a place to sway and enjoy the sound. I can’t remember the last time the arena changed up the concert setting like this, but I’m sure it’s going to go over well in a mellow setting like this one.

The Zac Brown Band will be at the PanAm Center on Thursday, March 4th at 7pm. The opening acts include Nic Cowan, Levi Lowrey, and Sonia Leigh. Tickets range from $22-$32, including the floor. Tickets are available for purchase at the PanAm ticket office or on Ticketmaster. We hope to see you there!

To purchase tickets from Ticketmaster, CLICK HERE.

To see the Zac Brown Band website, CLICK HERE.

To here snippets of their newest album, The Foundation,
CLICK HERE.

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For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

In this blog entry I talked about the cuisine of Las Cruces and how important they are to our community and culture. Of all the wonderful things we have to eat here, red and green chile is certainly the most defining food; we put it in everything, dessert and drinks included. But a few evenings ago, I was skimming through old blogs post, going over things I had written and what had been going on in Las Cruces in the past few months, and the aforementioned post struck me. I had talked about food, even highlighted some restaurants, and completely neglected to mention cultural drinks.

Just like with food, the characteristic drinks change with the scenery; Miami is famous for its mojitos, the Napa Valley for its wine, and so on… After my husband and I bounced ideas back and forth, we realized that the drink that best embodies New Mexico is the margarita. A sharp beginning with a smooth, sweet flavor with just enough kick… For most adults, it is the drink of the state. Nearly all restaurants in town have their own variation of a unique and special margarita, but we have made it our own special mission to find the PERFECT one.

Myself and the Evelyn Bruder Dream Team have started an ongoing cultural project that will showcase a Las Cruces restaurant/cantina and highlight the best tasting margaritas all over the city. Oh, we know it’s going a tough project, with lots of effort and hard-work going into it… But we are willing to do this for you!

This past weekend we had the chance to experience the Agave (the blue) and Sangria (the pink) margaritas at Si Senor Restaurant, as suggested by our server. Both were delicious, with a succulent and special taste and were made with Jose Cuervo Gold, so there was no unfair biased based on what type of alcohol was used. Both were made the Si Senor basic house recipe and had their own personal flair; the Sangria (which is house made) is sweeter and less bitter on the end, while the Agave was milder all around and tasted more distinctly of the tequila. Each one was very tasty, but for very different reasons.

If I had to pick a favorite, the pink Sangria margarita is the winner. It was just so smooth and does such a good job of incorporating two cultural favorites, the Sangria wine and the taste of a traditional margarita.

One restaurant and two margaritas down, with many more to go. This weekend we will be venturing out again to take a taste of New Mexico; keep a look out for our ongoing blog project about this experience!

For any former and current Las Cruces residents, we are always open to suggestions! Just drop a comment in the box below and let us know where we should go and what we should try.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” - Oscar Wilde

Someone told me that Oscar Wilde quote when I was in my 20’s, and it never left me. Of all the motivational lines regarding failure and success that I have come across in my life, not one has spoken to me quite like that one. Maybe it’s the fact that no where do you read the word ‘failure,’ which I believe has a negative stigma attached to it, and maybe it’s the fact that this particular line provokes thought. It doesn’t actually say anything about falling short, but instead assumes that none of us want to be a shell. For the most part, we all want to get out and live a little, and we all know that we’re probably going to stumble once or twice along the way.

Please take a moment to watch this motivational video that I just happened to come across. It’s not so much a matter of success and failure, but rather the idea that in order to live you must take risks, and risks are worth taking. There are also some interesting examples, which I think speaks pretty loudly.

CLICK HERE to be taken to the video.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

This morning, I woke up to a lovely 1/4″ dusting of snow on the ground, which is always a surprise in Las Cruces. It had gotten unusually cold last night, dipping into the low 30’s, which can sometimes be a nice reminder that it is still winter. So many days the temperature stays at a moderate low 60’s, with not a cloud in the sky; sometimes I think us Las Crucens forget that it’s still winter. Recently, I’ve heard people complaining about our recent bouts of winter, and sometimes I want to remind them that it could always be worse. We could live here:

During January, our average temperatures are in the mid to high 50’s, and apparently we’re not supposed to receive more than 2 inches of a snowfall a year. Well, I can certainly say we surpassed that this year, if not by much; there was one particularly snowy night that dropped at least 2.5 inches on us, which is enough to cancel school here! Naturally, by noon it had all melted away.

A lot of people become frustrated with the random bouts of snow we have here, but I like to look at it as a brief reminder of how lucky we are to enjoy 350 days of sunshine a year and four very gentle seasons. It’s always a pleasure to see snow sticking to the palm trees and yuccas - as long as it’s only a few days a year.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

 As I did my weekly peruse of real estate blogs around the nation, I came across one   story that really caught my eye. RealtyInIdaho.com recently asked the question, Where are the safest places to live in the United States? The data they used to generate the results came from Bert Sperling, a database expert with BestPlaces.net, which analyzes things like crime rate, unemployment, terrorism threats, extreme weather conditions, and environmental hazards.

Among mid-size cities, which do you think came in at number one?

Our great city of Las Cruces.

I found it very interesting that Sperling interpreted the word ’safe’ in so many connotations. He wasn’t only talking about the low crime rates and lack of terrorism threats in Las Cruces, but also the sense of personal security with our steady economic growth and job security promises in our great city. Four gentle seasons and 320+ days of sunshine a year means that no one ever has to worry about extreme weather conditions.

Las Cruces can already boast having quality public schools, award-winning health care, and a flourishing arts and culture scene. With New Mexico State University, premiere shopping, fantastic restaurants, and a central location to lakes, skiing, mountains, and more, there isn’t much more I could ask for when it comes to Las Cruces.

Don’t believe me? Check out my blog, What Makes Las Cruces “the best place to live?”.

Also make sure to check out Las Cruces’s award list to see why everyone else thinks we’re such a great community.

To request a more personalized look at Las Cruces, CLICK HERE.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

We have all heard of Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace at this point. Whether you’re a grandparent or a middle school student, someone in your life has started a story with “So, on Facebook this morning…” or something to that effect. Social media sites has revolutionized how we stay in contact with our friends and families and how we reach out to new people; that is undeniable. When MySpace was first launched in 2003, I doubt that it’s creater and now-president Tom Anderson had any idea what kind of a trend he was starting. All of a sudden, we all had places to express ourselves candidly and openly while basking in the glory of the First Amendment.

But just as the founders of MySpace learned, being on top doesn’t often last long. The social media trend took a sudden turn around late 2007, and Facebook stole the spotlight from MySpace and has since then held its position as a huge asset to people of all walks of life. I use Facebook to keep in touch with old colleagues, friends, and family, as well as my Facebook Business page to connect to clients. Social media websites and marketing have become sort of a passion of mine, both in my professional and personal life, and as a way to keep you updated with new trends, websites, and ideas, I decided to introduce you to some of the newer, more popular social media websites.

 Last.fm is one that is so new to me that I haven’t even ventured into its depths yet. The site has been around since 2002, but only in the last year or so did it start to gain momentum and attract a large influx of people. I always try to do some research before I join a new website, and Last.fm is more for fun, less for business than other social sites. If you’re the type of person who listens to Pandora or Yahoo! Radio during the work day, then you might want to check out this newer, hybrid version of the two that allows you to befriend people with similar music tastes, chart your most recently and most played tunes, as well as fill out a full profile where you have the opportunity to plug your professional website and business. I’ve never heard of a real estate professional finding a client through similar music tastes, but there’s a first time for everything, right?

The more I expand my marketing and outreach, the more websites, profiles, and layouts I have to set up and design. This can be very time consuming and irritating: sign up, wait for confirmation, fill out profile, upload photos, build HTML, transfer information from older profiles… All of those reasons is why I was skeptical to join Tumblr, another blog/social media website built around sharing information. Founded in 2007, Tumblr really is new to the internet and is catching on quickly. However, in the initial set up process, I became infatuated with Tumblr’s easy-to-understand layout and design, the incredibly easy posting process, and overall feel of the website (which I later learned is the Tumblr team’s goals). Like with Twitter, people choose to follow someone whose information is compatible with their own likes and can choose to “re-blog” someone’s posts to share with more people. Let’s start to follow each other: CLICK HERE to be taken to my budding Tumblr.

I hope that I introduced to you to a website or idea with this blog. Listed below are some other ideas for expanding your internet reach, or at the very least taking the user name you want! Keep in mind that even if you join 100 websites today, you don’t have to become active right away. If you have a common name or a specific name you want searched (like our “Evelyn Bruder Dream Team”), it’s smart to register your desired user name before someone else gets it. Stash the instructional emails from the parent site in a special folder in your email, and whenever you have the time you can start up again!

Let’s connect!

(You must be logged into the following sites in order to see my profiles)
My Facebook
My Twitter
My Tumblr

Like the idea but not a fan of Last.fm? Check out: imeem

Like the idea of Tumblr but not Tumblr specifically? Check out: Posterous

Like Facebook, and want to see more sites like it? Check out: Bebo or hi5

Love to blog, and want to expand to more platforms? Check out: LiveJournal or Blogspot

Like YouTube, but want to expand your video hosting? Check out: Vimeo Viddler

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

We have probably all heard this story in one way or another, but sometimes it helps to hear it again. We created this inspirational video for you - for everyone - to remind us that sometimes, all we need is a little perseverance.

Take just a couple of minutes to watch the story of the song birds and enjoy! Thanks for joining us.

CLICK HERE to be taken to the video.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

Did you know that 28% of traffic incidents, including accidents with fatalities, occur when a driver is using a cell phone? The Washington Post

Last month, Las Cruces became the sixth city in the state of New Mexico to restrict the use of mobile phones while driving, with city council unanimously passing tough punishments and fines on those who break the new law. All restrictions go into effect on February 5th.

Punishable cell phone usage includes, but isn’t limited to:

Sending or receiving calls, text messages, or emails

Reading text messages or emails

Reading, selecting, or entering a number or name

As a team, we are dedicated to providing you with up-to-date information regarding the Las Cruces community. We want you to be prepared for the change in the first week of February to avoid harsh punishments like a $500 fine or up to 90 days in jail. There are certain exceptions to the new laws, and I feel the most important to know is that handling a cell phone is permitted ONLY when contacting emergency services.

So, head to your mobile service provider or Best Buy to pick up a hands-free set to keep in your car!

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698

You may remember THIS BLOG in which I talked about bringing Hollywood to New Mexico, where tax incentives and cheap labor costs lure production companies to our expansive state. I have always had a positive stance on show business being in New Mexico, as it has a positive effect on our community economically and socially. I recently received the monthly newsletter from the Film Las Cruces Organization which highlighted some important information that I want to share with you.

Firstly, filming had a large impact on our great city this year. You might remember my blog about ‘Due Date’ filming in Las Cruces, but there was more than just one movie being filmed here; “Refuge,” “Warrior,” Ilegales,” “Bomb Squad,” and “The Las Cruces Bowling Massacre” were all filmed or based out of Las Cruces. Each production team hired students and citizens as crew members, employed local catering companies, and stayed in Las Cruces hotels (not to mentioning the purchasing of various goods around the city). According to Film Las Cruces, the economic impact for Las Cruces in 2009 was around 2 million dollars.

In just a couple of months, the 2010 White Sands International Film Festival will be kicking off here in Las Cruces. From April 15th-18th, numerous films will be up for review; during that time, various networking events and parties will be held for national and international film companies to connect to Las Cruces professionals and scope out our region for prospects. This is an exciting event for film amateurs and professionals as well as critics and movie enthusiasts. To see festival and ticket information, CLICK HERE.

The Film Las Cruces crew promises that many new and exciting film projects are going to kick off here in Las Cruces in 2010. We will keep you updated on important filming scheduling, road closures, casting opportunities, and more; check back often for updates!

To see more information about Film Las Cruces, CLICK HERE.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

For more information about what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, CLICK HERE

We welcome comments and questions - CLICK HERE

Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698