Real Estate Geekette

Back at it!

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:07:16 -0800

Wow - it's been a good long time since I've been on ActiveRain.

Having spent the better part of 2008-2009 investigating all sorts of social and new media, training real estate agents for my company (locally), and continuing to ramp up my real estate biz (sales and BPO's), it's been kinda crazy! I left my local corporate position a few months ago and am enjoying working my biz from my home office.

More soon - happy to be back at it! :)

Are you a well-rounded agent? Or a one-trick pony?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:42:13 -0700

Sometimes, real estate agents do more than simply real estate sales. Sometimes, some real estate agents go to classes for continuing education (outside of the required CE). Or, the agent may present key facts about market conditions to a group of interested local businesses or residents or online community.

And, the agent may check with other agent(s) to see if the agent(s) may want to make a move from their current brokerage to their brokerage.

All these things require time away from sales but are indicative of agents who are interested in becoming knowledgeable about the more complex issues in real estate and who are avidly interested about helping their community understand those issues and current market conditions,

These agents love their company and want others to experience what is good about the company.

Do these agents usually attract more business because of their positive outlook on their profession, their community and involvement in their community, and their company? Often, this is the case with well-rounded agents who focus on more than just their own pocketbook.

If you are a real estate agent, do you have a multiple or primary focus? Do you work at being well-rounded or being a one-trick pony? At this point in the real estate industry, agents who are able to compartmentalize their professional time opt for better time management, multiple avenues of professional growth and furthering the company's name in the community and beyond.

All these options of action lead to a better level of client satisfaction and a better professional career as a real estate agent.

Which agent are you? If you're interested in what a brokerage has to offer to help you be well-rounded and of greater value to your community, I'd love to share what we can do for (and with) you.

My contact information is above in the website header, or you can simply call (937) 623-9441 today for a confidential chat over coffee. Or, give me a shout-out or DM on Twitter: @ginakay. It'll be great to connect with you!

Social/new media - who's buying/selling real estate

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:34:33 -0800

Here' a question - and I will have an answer later in the post - who is buying homes by using social/new media? Is it truly Gen Y or Gen X? Is it only tech-savvy people or, as some say, people buying into the now-mainstream Social Media environ (Social Media now mainstream per Forrester: http://bit.ly/332kHL)?

Is it people who are joining Twitter, or LinkedIn? If so, in order to attract these people, whether professional contacts or more on a personal level - are your posts more personal interaction than business - at least at the start? Do you continue to have conversations with people who have similar interests and passions outside of the world of real estate? It's a good idea to do this - and you may well find that your business prospers because of your involvement in social and new media!

So who is buying and selling? Let's take a look - Our company focuses on the fact that females make up 85% of purchasing decisions that affect the home (http://www.wcr.org/LeadingWomenMay2008/tabid/196/Default.aspx).

In fact, women lead men in their involvement in the social media environs (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc20080516_580743.htm). Statistics are here at this study by Rapleaf: http://business.rapleaf.com/company_press_2007_11_12.html, including data on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Plaxo (Twitter is not included).

Our opinion is then, that women, often involved in blogging and other social/new media environs, are the ones purchasing homes, sometimes as a result of their involvment.

For the real estate professional, activities like posting listings, driving people to your site, even posting new blog entries is all well and good, but can't substitute for the human aspect of it all. Even the term "personal branding" has a key word that designates what business of today is about - the person; the human, the face behind the words on the screen.

Twitter bud @ChrisBrogan is an adviser to businesses, and his blog frequently stresses the relationship side of bringing social and new media to the enterprise (www.chirsbrogan.com). Chirs avidly pursues more than just the enterprise segment of the Twitter phenomenon. As someone who clearly outlines strategy and tactics for using social and new media for the enterprise, Chris nonetheless never loses sight of the fact that he loves humans and that the love of humans and their interaction is what drives him to huge productivity yet also to being down-to-earth personable with those he meets, online or otherwise. It's a characteristic that can be both innate and learned, and serves him well in his business as well as in making new friends across the globe.

You might want to keep all this in mind as you enter the social media sphere of influence. One thing I know - if you go online to any of these and are pure business with no social interaction, the welcome will be weak. Just like IRL (in real life, not Indy Racing League), relationships are made to be nurtured and fed - and not faked, but very, very real. If your sales strategy is without the human aspect, your entry into social and new media could well falter (or someone may call you out on what feels like "spamming" them).

The connections I've made online often morph into real-life friendships, with real-life meetups (or "tweetups" when on Twitter), as well as materializing, over time (just like real life) into business opportunities. Nothing better, in my opinion, given today's focus on online interaction, than to meet people in real life that you've met online, especially when those same people are as interested in your success as you are in theirs. Often, it's the helpful atmosphere that prevails. How better to interact with potential clients - who may, as we Realtors like to see happen, also become friends.

Whether it's a relocation lead, a local homebuyer or seller, or helping someone become a bit calmer when buying or selling a home (oh the potential frustrations), there's always the possibility of business flowing your way.

Too busy to... sell?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:15:16 -0700

Are you too busy to sell real estate? Is all your time spent on manufacturing post cards, sticking stamps on them, writing letters and monthly newsletters, then getting them printed to mail?

Or are you too busy figuring out which ads to buy, calling the local home book rep and local newspaper?

Or are you too busy entering data and then cross-referencing it with a private vendor's service to send out your monthly newsletter? Or choosing e-cards from a separate vendor and trying to figure out how to coordinate that card with your burgeoning database?

When I first joined Real Living, I was perhaps so entreprenureal that I insisted on reinventing the wheel - every wheel there was about doing business. I wanted my own local newsletter, postcards, you name it.

Well gusss what. That took a LOT more time than I thought it would - and a LOT more money too! Time, particularly was and is of the essence!

Now I'm happy to have Real Living's agent services - a password-protected database that links to our e-cards and databases, preserving personal and brokerage branding, a partnership with our local Home Book to advertise AND have videos on each active listing!

Of course there are other things I do for marketing. I make my own shopping list packets or note pads. I still call people to help them understand the market (and sometimes get listings woohoo!). I even utilize social and new media to help with getting in touch with others (many local brokerages don't have a person knowledgeable nor involved with social and new media).

Are you where you need to be? Or do you want to continue to spend your time and funds to do what a brokerage could offer you at much less cost, while retaining your personal branding? Let me know. I'd love to share.

Have no fear -you can still do business in this market!

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:16:01 -0700

Ok so things are down. Way down. And by "things" I mean the stock market, 401k, you name it. Even gas prices are down! So is business - for some...

Yes, the credit crisis has struck. Yes, home sales and values have slipped.

Know what, though? People still need to move - every month, someone has to find a new place - a new home, new apartment, new villa, new condo. When the need is there, we will meet it. Won't we?

Or are you giving up just because of the baaad news about the economy? If your 401k (if your company has one) has been deccimated by the recent losses in the market, be assured it's not as bad a loss as the overall market. And if you need to build that baby back up again, you really can't quit real estate now, can you?

Truth is, there are still people out there who need a home (house) versus an apartment for all sorts of reasons. Justification for the investment can take many shapes, but most often it is family or securing their investment. Yes, house prices have dropped recently. But land and house prices always rebound. Holding a large investment like a home is a long-term, not short-term investment.

Or is it the mortgage situation - there are fewer companies out there, that's true. The ones that are still around, like our Wells Fargo affiliate, Real Living Mortgage, may be going strong. In fact, Wells Fargo was recently named as one of the "safest" banks in the world. The world, mind you! Here's a link:http://tinyurl.com/4y3apq

Ask yourself - are you with a company whose mortgage affiliate is strong? Are you with a company that makes doing real estate less time consuming and painful? We believe in less pain and more gain.

Don't quit. If you're not making money in your business (and yes it's a business, not a hobby), then something's not right. Do you have all the tools you need to attract a new set of buyers? There are many out there - Young, families, female, emerging markets, relocations - there should be every reason in the world to continue working your real estate business.

Why do I think so? Just ask me. I am an agent with a forward-thinking company who has technology that attracts buyers and sellers like none other.

Are you ready to quit? Or are you ready to move? Let me know. I'd love to share.

Answer your phone, willya?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:59:34 -0700

Ok. So I've been making many phone calls lately. Lots of them are to agents. For various reasons. It's not from my usual phone number, either.

I am somewhat alarmed that most agents let the call go to voice mail. Very few answer. The ones that do often don't seem like they are engaged with answering, if you know what I mean. "hello" (in downturned voice) and honestly, only a few answer with their name and/or company. If someone says "hello" then the caller must ask who it is, then the dance begins - "is this Sam" "Yes..." or "Is this Sam?" "Yes. Who's calling?" aaaaa!! if there were a brick wall I'd feel like I was ramming my head into it.

What if I were a client? What if they had won some money from some contest entered? What if I were a doctor about that recent exam? What if I had been a loved one in a proverbial ditch somewhere? What if it were a new buyer or someone to list their house? A good lead, even?

I dunno. I try to answer my phone nearly every time it rings. I wear many hats, I have many clients and friends and family, and usually conversations don't take more than a few minutes or at the most an hour with the more needy or due to a more complex issue.

What about you? Do you answer, or does voice mail pick up? What's your reasoning, anyway?

I'm calling you. Now... (joke)

Bank owned homes - only for investors? Naaaah

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:37:12 -0700

Bank Owned Homes.Foreclosures. Corporate owned.

Buyers often believe bank-owned homes should come at a hefty discount from current market prices - and often, they do. Distressed homes without any sort of new paint or carpet or repairs are sold at minimum pricing, usually to investors but occasionally to first-time buyers and/or buyers who want to make the home their own in a big way.

Occasionally, though, banks will make repairs to homes, including the above-mentioned paint and carpet, and sometimes even lighting fixtures, kitchen and bathroom sinks and faucets, and even plumbing repairs.

The bank I work with does such things. The homes are brought from distressed condition to move-in condition, adding some other needed features so a buyer can move in and doesn't have to do much to make it their own.

Still, we constantly get calls from investors or other buyers that can lean toward attempts to get us to lower the price - sometimes to the extent of seeming to argue!

If a first-time homeowner is looking to buy a bank-owned property there are some caveats. For example, often banks or "corporate" owners don't have the 4-page (Ohio) Residential Property Disclosure Form or Lead Based Paint form, because they had never lived in the property and never knew anything about it. Sometimes, a bank representative will visit the property and evaluate its condition, as well as ordering a Broker Price Opinion for the property. In that case, if defects are found, we are still supposed to notify the potential buyer of such defects (hmm I can't remember where I found that story where that requirement was noted, but yanno, I know I saw it!).

If the buyer qualifies for FHA, then it's possible for buyers to roll the cost of repairs into the loan (via "speedy" FHA 203k program). If the bank improves the property to a certain degree, though, then the load on the bueyr is lessened. Yes? Yes.

At any rate, I'll just say this - and you can voice your agreement or otherwise. Banks either will or won't improve a property. If a property is improved to a certain level, shouldn't that property sell at that level, albeit below market due to lack of disclsures and unknown quantity due to non-occupancy? Or should banks simply not improve properties, let them sit all distressed and ugly outside and inside, and let the buyer not only beware but be uncomfortable?

The Voyage-er is better...

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:02:20 -0700

Yanno, you can live on a laptop. Or at least near a laptop. A little tiny palm tree, drink with umbrella, bowl of snacks and a dinghy nearby while your toes rub the warm sand, and it could be daaaays before you lift your head from the heady environs of Twitter, email, blogging and podcasting.

So. I went mobile. Well, I was already kinda mobile - laptop, portable printer, I can go anywhere there's electricity available (battery continues to fade, must get new one!).

More mobile I went, however. The laptop is cumbersome for checking email. Drag it out of the wheeled briefcase, clear off papers (oh, papers and then some) from my work area of choice, plug it in, turn it on, log in, wait and wait and wait for all those silly programs like AIM IM and Babylon and OOVOO to pop up (how the heck do I get them to stop??), and eveennntuallllyyyy I get online.

Well! No more. My pretty little Voyager phone has unlimited everything. Unlimited texting, unlimited calling, unlimited data - I am thrilled to not have to mess around with a laptop to only check my Twitterstream or email or to look up properties if I'm out and about. Perfect, I tell you! And (don't tell my husband), I have VCast Music as well. Oh, I can see the birthday tunes being downloaded. Or photos taken on the fly, without dragging out the camera. Freedom. FREEDOM!!

It kinda looks like an iPod. But that wasn't why I wanted it. Well, maybe it was. Nick Spirtos, one of our agents, has one like it and it was funny how he was always tapping on that keyboard to his listing manager Dorie Watts. And darn it, I was admittedly envious in a good way - happy for him to have it but wanted one kinda like it for my own. So I thought well, why take a laptop everywhere? I don't have to. You don't either. I'm not a Verizon or Voyager salesperson but boy oh boy - this baby is cool and worth the upcoming monthly bill. And I waited long enough for great technology that this one should be good for at least a little while. AND I got a hundred bucks off - more than worth the wait. My big fat phone that I had dropped so many times its poor little casing was broken and the battery looked like it would pop out any minute is relieved of its duties (I'm relieved too).

Still and all, I'm welcoming some freedom. That said, I'll step away from the laptop, have a nice drive home, and check email and tweets later.

On my Voyager. Uh huh, baby. Oh yeah.

Podcamp Ohio June 2008

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:24:57 -0700

www.podcampohio.com - I went expecting a lot and came away with more than expected. Registered early so as to get a Tshirt, I put a badge on my web site (see sidebar), stuck a sticker on my car window (I felt soooo 60's!!). Hungry for more information on Social and New Media, I wished for 2 days of sessions versus just one. Heck, it was definitely a bad hair day but I couldn't let that ruin my day, nor impact meeting people who were just as involved (uh, addicted?) to this new/er way of relating to others on the Internet.

It is indicative of the movement, if I can call it a movement, that there were early-early adopters, early adopters, late adopters and like me, middle adopters. Sessions were presented by people in the know about podcasting, vidcasting, blogging, microblogging and more. Authenticity is the name of this game, but game it is not. I do wonder of the personality types of those involved in social and new media (I am an EN/FTJ for those interested and familiar with Myers-Briggs typology). It is, instead, real community for those who like to meet others, whether technoloogy-oriented or simply relationship and help oriented. Most of the people I listened to, spoke with, read of or shared comments with were helpful types - blogs and microblogs are rife with advice from people who have "been there" in all sorts of ways, be it life events, managing life, managing and creating technology and software.

Duly noted was the comment by www.Girlfriendology.com 's Debba Halpert that while men adopt and create and purchase technology faster than women (paraphrasing, forgive me, Debba), women often eschew the online gaming and other uh, male pursuits for the relationship and community-building nature of social and new media.

More later on this great event. Anyone have extra air fare for a Podcamp in a distant city? Or will I simply have to wait until the sessions are placed on a site, such as what Columbus' www.coefficientmedia.com/podcampohio is doing. Sigh. I guess I'll have to wait...

Are you happy? Why are you?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:36:39 -0700

I get all the time "I'm happy where I am, I love my company" with people's brokerages when I talk to folks with whom I co-op. And they don't go any further. I don't often ask for lots of details, figuring if they reeeeally want me to know, they'll tell me. Often though, it stops there.

Now, I know they don't have to spill the beans to me, that's true. But why not elaborate? If their brokerage is making them happy, why then don't they try to get me to join them, or at least open up about why they like where they are?

I'm all for good companies keeping people happy. But if it's broad-based yeah, I'm happy happy carefree, then I want to know why. Am I nosy? Well, possibly.

Maybe because I am unabashedly proud and thrilled with my brokerage - with the technology with which we are provided, with the optimistic, forward-thinking mindset, with tools that are unmatched that help us get, service and sell listings, with tremendous in-house mortgage and title entities. I'll blather on (well, maybe not "blather" per se) but I'll bend folks' ears just because I like where I am so much.

What makes you happy - where you are? Do you have input into how things are done, are you involved in your office or prefer to be left alone, do you have profit-sharing, is there an overriding positive attitude that makes the environment wonderful, etc.? Is it the free coffee (you know you need it)?

C'mon. I wanna know.

They're falling... again

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:12:50 -0700

We've been spared, here in the lovely Midwest, from diving prices and panicking sellers, and greedy greedy buyers.

Not spared from foreclosures, however, here in Ohio...

There are many reasons for prices to fall. Take, for example, a school district nearby that has a 30 month supply of homes for sale. 30 months! Talk about a glut on the market...

So anyway, back to me and my situation.

I have a lovely condo for sale. Listed, at first, just below market. Yeah! Thought - wow- this will be good for the client, she'll be free of this condo as she moves on, get a nice dime from it for her life, and some nice work for me with compensation.

Well.

We have the lowest (and i mean the lowest) DOM in the industry locally. Lowest!!

But this condo... cute though it was, immediately liveable, only got one offer.

A contingent offer (shudder). Nice guy, but had to sell his condo before he could buy hers. You know the story.

So - we advertised, marketed, Twittered, Active-Rain'd, reverse-prospected, talked it up and up and on and on, like usual...

Not much action. Oh, some showings, but no offers. And his condo was nice too - larger than hers, but priced attractively for sale.

So - she needed to sell. We dropped the price. And dropped it again. And finally...finally...

Oh - he dropped his too - but still - no offers.

We got an offer on hers that she couldn't pass up - but not before dropping her price by a large percentage.

I'm so disappointed his didn't sell. I have seen time after time, price make the difference - after all that marketing, price still made the bottom-line difference in selling this condo.

So. She will sell hers. He won't, until later, maybe next year. I'll get paid, retain two friends, and all is well.

Except it didn't work out like we thought it would. All because of price. And I priced it "right" at first, then at the second drop, then at the third. Market data reflects that - I don't take overpriced listings, not at all.

Sigh. It will be ok. And the person who is buying her condo will be happy there. I've been on tenterhooks with this contingency though. But all is well. Everyone probably had what happened, happen at the right time. We just sometimes want what we want, when we want it.

My garden's petty little criminal

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:44:32 -0700

I love my garden. Gardening, the whole earth-thing - makes me relaxed like nothing else can. I get great joy from going out daily to see what's new there - what new plant has arisen? Have the columbines multiplied? Did the iris morph into different colors this year (no!)? did the small Korean Lilac bloom this year? (yes!) Is there room for a smoke tree? (no, sadly). Are the lilacs on the bigger Korean Lilac bush as fragrant as last year? (yes!). Did that little maple tree grow with all the rain we have had (No and I don't get why, unless it's a really slow growing species).

We have a cape cod style home, kinda small, so curb appeal is important, too. And our neighborhood is pretty, but there are a few foreclosures, so the more attractive the yards and other homes, the better.

Photos will be added here later, as soon as I can locate my little wires for downloading from camera. Oh for infrared!

Anyway - so you can imagine my consternation when, day... after day... after day... over the past few weeks I have found the heads of my iris' broken off, flung to the ground, smashed underfoot.

Ugh. A kick to the stomach. I mean, I KNOW plants don't have "feelings" or pain. I KNOW that breaking off the heads will in fact encourage further blooming. I KNOW all this.

Still.... kinda makes me sick.

Who would do such a thing, so callously, right outside my front door (at the sidewalk)? I mean seriously RIGHT outside my front door.

So what do I do.

I thought of several methods of confrontation. Put wedding white tulle around the iris plant, a laminated, attractive sign that says "I bloom for you." Put caution tape around it and a sign that says "Warning! You are being filmed!!" Stand unobtrusively nearby with camera and capture photo of offender, then put on laminated sign above iris plant with "you done it" plaque and pointer.

What to do? I don't know if it's a student at the nearby elementary, or a recent adult addition to the neighborhood.

I do know I'd like it to stop. I think it will stop. Until then, I'll keep scouting about for solutions.

Vacants and minimal "staging" - do you?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:30:05 -0700

Well, I have a ton of properties listed (ok not a TON but several). Of the vacant ones, I normally do minimal "staging" - for bath and kitchen, greenery, a touch of color, perhaps a small picture of a house in colors that go with the home's decor, nice, white towels wrapped in wired ribbon for stability. If there is a dining table (or if a folding table will do), a tablecloth, placemats, nice coffee cups, napkins and cute or snazzy or sporty snack-size paper plates - perfect for after-school or a cinnamon bun before heading off to work.

Candles (not burning!) also, for scent. Or, if I am in the frame of mind to mess with sometimes-messy potpourri, I put some of that out on a nice gold charger with a candle or two in the middle.

Sometimes curtain/window treatment that is unobtrusive but softens the hard edges.

However, it is vacant properties that have no furnishings and aren't about to have that can be problematic. I don't budget currently for a full staging (nor do the clients); so it's bath, dining and kitchen that get the attention.

I have found some success with this - people think it's cute or it gives the impression of family where otherwise it would be just a plain, blahh home.

Are these Secrets that I am giving away? Oh, not really. We've all seen the information on Staging online or on TV that shows it helps in selling a home. In a particular price range, I'm thinking minimal staging will work (and have seen it work too). I'm all for Staging but when the client refuses a full Staging experience, the treatment I give the home makes a difference.

What do you do (or what does your client do) to prepare the home if they don't really know what to do when it is without furnishings?

Housing standards for distressed areas

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:22:41 -0700

Ok, no, I'm not talking about urban areas rife with boarded-up houses. I'm talking about areas devastated by tornados, flooding, hurricanes, illness... you name it.

In the US we have national building codes. As areas revamp and revitalize, we have local standards of how a home should appear in concept. Local building codes and restrictions also take place.

But what about aid to other countries where devastation has taken its toll, not only on people but their living quarters as well?

Is there a comprehensive list anywhere of available or desired building materials for the climate? I'm talking about Bangladesh, sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia, and then some.

Are there codes for building homes that could withstand hurricanes and earthquakes in remote areas?

Here's one reason for asking. Myself and a few others are working on Housing for African Orphans - either through existing organizations or I will set up my own Foundation to do this. Some of my Twitter friends are interested in helping resolve this budding problem as well. I am operating at a disadvantage however because I don't yet know some of this information.

I will find out, though.

The HIV/AIDS crisis strikes primarily at sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, over 70% of peoples affected by the illness are in sub-Saharan Africa. Orphans whose parents and/or grandparents, aunts and uncles have died, have been taken in by orphanages. Thing is, these people are burdened by their grief over losing their family members and are thus may experience stress in dealing with the orphans. In fact, my church sponsors one such orphanage in Morison, South Africa where some of the kids live with grandparents.

When their caregivers are no longer able to take care of the orphans, or when the orphans grow old enough to desire or to need a home of their own, where will they live? I have not heard this problem addressed except through one non-profit who assists in building/rebuilding communities.

Is there an HIV/AIDS orphan problem here in the US? Probably. You don't hear much about it though.

The larger need is in Africa.

Can high gas prices work to your advantage?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:18:42 -0700

I know the gas prices are ridiculous. I concur with my Twitterkin and with Maureen McCabe that the prices are ridiculous.

Will this debacle somehow work for some real estate agents? Possibly.

Let's say you have a client who is the usual age of today's buyer (roughly age 32). Let's say this client is computer-savvy. Like most buyers of today, this client may have even looked online prior to calling any agent to see a home. That's where your company and its technology can turn what appears to be a factor to ruin businesses into something beneficial.

When your client finds the homes online that they want to see, can those searches be saved? If they can, is it under the MLS logo or your company or personal brand? If it is branded, is it your phone number the client calls, or the brokerage phone number?

Whether it's online via MLS or a brokerage, buyers of today want to search for the home that fits their needs online. It's so important to be able to do that, many companies have provided potential buyers with a way to search within a branded scenario. Real Living Realty Services has done just that with Real Living 2.0. Branded and beautiful - that's the key.

And while you're at it in this debate, people who find homes online don't go driving around as much as people who don't go online. That saves you (and them) gasoline. I know in our area, many buyers want the privacy and comfort of their own car. They love it (most of my buyers are in the 20 - 35 year old range) - they find homes online and contact me to provide them access to see the home. We bond via email, blog or Twitter, and then via in-person connection.

A home stager voiced the facts the other day at our All Agent Meeting - buyers average age is 32. Sellers' average age is 57. While age does not often match this in regard to interest in the Internet or computers, certainly more people of younger ages are more exposed to instant communication via text messaging, email, Twittering or blogging simply by virtue of their youth. If we use that to our advantage, while in kind helping them the way they want to be helped, then the gas price impact on our business is reduced. Less drive time, more sales - what do you think?

In the belly of the beast

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:57:52 -0700

Ohio has made an inroad into the belly of the foreclosure beast. Must be why OCWEN was open to accepting a deal that was a large amount under what was owed for my client recently. They didn't fight much though my commission had to drop a bit. Here's what OAR published today about Gov. Strickland and his agreement with OCWEN and several other loan servicers. Let's see now if the loans will be sold off...: From OAR's newsletter, see http://www.ohiorealtors.org/news/eNews/0407.html

I would post the content but have not asked for permission to do so. You can view the newsletter by clicking on the above link.

Social and New Media

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:39:22 -0700

I have inundated myself with learning more about Social and New Media lately. Hours and hours spent devouring books and Internet postings, as well as chatting with newfound friends/followers on Twitter and more have made me sleepless in Ohio tonight.

It is, after all, 3:26am.

That said, I am seriously thrilled. Long a "geekette" - this stuff sets my alert to high and my energy up as well.

From blogging, to Twittering or Utterzing, to distribution of press releases, the entire New Media world has undergone an explosion of new development. RSS feeds can be aggregated by Yahoo Pipes or other aggregates like Technorati or FriendFeed so you don't have to check several different web sites - they are all on one feed. Makes it a little difficult to copy/paste a link to a favored page or site, but hey - there are other ways to share! Even press releases (particularly those handled by distribution services like MediaWire or others) can be formulated to be posted and attractive to several different audiences simply by formatting and distribution. Adding links to press releases - who'da thought?

I am truly excited about New Media. There is a local (well, 40 miles away) group called @newmediacincy on Twitter that has meetups now and again, where people can exchange ideas, grump about possible glitches or bugs, and get to know one another.

Social and New Media is, after all, about relationships. It appears to be about fun, as well. I'm open to fun!! After all, real estate is one of the most fun businesses (well if you enjoy it, as I do!).

All this Social and New Media is not just social, not just business, but like many brick-and-mortar sales offices, it mingles social and business, making your Twitterfriend or business associate a bit more "human" if you will - transparant, honest - and that's great IMHO.

But at 3:31am... well... there's no meetups going on right now! Just the kitty who (thankfully) is sleeping near me, and hubby in the other room snoring away, and other kitty who-knows-where but at least not yowling!

Back to the Twitterscreen...

Question: Why do most recent posts on Localism fall to the bottom?

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:08:24 -0700

Interesting - I just posted something to Localism and to see it, you have to scroll to the bottom of the page. Argh! People want to see the newest event, not the oldest event. See http://tinyurl.com/3a6omm for a quick view - posts appear to be listed in order of submission from oldest to newest. Not quite what i expected, and the nonprofit may question me on it. Could this be fixed?

Is it me, is it you... Avatars in cyberspace

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:44:30 -0800

Well whaddaya know. I tried and tried to get my SitePal avatar on my Real Living web site - and can't! Wah! That's the only downside to the site. Otherwise it's easy and fun to work with and has brought me lots of buyers and sellers!

That said, avatars (animated or non-animated characters or images) are increasing exponentially - what used to be just thumbnail photos are now being touted as "avatars" (and I guess they are; I didn't develop the naming convention)... while avatars that can be used to speak by converting text to voice are not so common.

I had a 15 day trial of a SitePal avatar and just loved it. Now I renewed my license purchased last year, and have issued a helpdesk request to see if avatars can be added to my ActiveRain blog. There is a <script> within the code, and the avatar did not display even after I posted the code in HTML. So..... time to wait, and hope.

These are really cool - you can get "skins" where you can glean contact info from interested parties, you can have FAQ's, or have an avatar that even looks and sounds like you (by recording your own voice, then the avatar synchs with your voice). I can't wait to find where I can post it!!!

Waiting... waiting....

I also sent a helpdesk request to my company helpdesk (thus the discovery that I can't use the avatar) and to SitePal.

One thing SitePal needs to work on (and I'll let them know this - darn, I am so vocal!!) - their avatar, when doing text-to-speech, reads the word "blog" as "b - l - o - g" - funny, yet I am surprised that word is not in the lexicon for the avatar.

Will keep ya posted.

Happy selling!

REO OH IO

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:59:41 -0800

Hi All,

I'm a newbie to Active Rain and found this REO group - our REO bunch at my office in Ohio is tight-knit and yet helpfu, which is great!

Are you finding that investors are offering lower than usual investor ratio for REO's? I had one that offerend below 70% of retail (home is priced under market) and I was shocked. Is this common practice these days?

Have car, have no car...

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:45:43 -0800

Ah, the thing Realtors fear... a vehicle breakdown!

So - what do you do, but arrange for service and alternate transportation? And after that, is it a chance to organize what you have going, already? If you don't have to be anywhere, this may be the perfect time to tackle those piles of files and check your process on your marketing plan or task list - where are you on those, anyway?

For me, I'll have to arrange for service, empty my car of its real estate related items, and ask to use hubby's car tomorrow or until my car is fixed. To pay for it, I've got to turn in a closing (prefer not to go into debt for service), and I am thankful I have a closing! So my priorities for the next hour or so are set! (well, I did log on to get an ActiveRain lead and to do this blog post!)

But that will only take part of the day. The rest of the time, I'll be accessible to the agents in my office (I do part time admin work for the brokerage) in case they need help, or for others within our sphere if they need help. I will finish the 1/2 hour task of finally organizing things in my home office area as well - instead of a desk with clutter and a tickler file that needs managed, I'll have a pristine and clean desk where my mind won't go to messy environs. Makes for better thinking!

Now what remains? I know for one, I have to determine how many things I am/want to be involved in on a weekly basis - prioritizing church, family, work and volunteer activities. I have committed to some volunteer activities and then got slammed with other things (like buyers and sellers - whoopeeee!!), so had to put the volunteer things on the back burner for now. But, I will still tackle them because they are near to my heart and I will honor my commitment.

Education is also a prioritizable item. I really need to get some CE. I really would like to finish my degree(s). I would like to read a couple of books.... see, there just isn't enough time in the day.

Thus, prioritization is a... priority!

Now, I have to go - just got a couple of leads! Who needs a car to do followup by phone and email!

The ex-burb extravaganza

Gina Kay Landis (Home Experts Realty) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:59:06 -0800

In the past years, many of my past clients are moving from suburbs or urban environs to the ex-burbs... the tiny towns, sometimes in other counties, that surround the greater Ohio Miami Valley. Whether it's Clinton County and its Hillsboro neighbors, Warren County and its Springboro arena, Miami County and the towns around Troy, the Preble county or Shelby county environs, people are looking for a small-town atmosphere to raise their kids yet be within a half-hour of their workplace.

Showing a home in Wapakoneta and other homes in a 4-county spread a couple of weeks ago at the request of the buyers, I found that the buyers wanted something kind of in town, yet not "downtown" in a small town, but not rural either.

The quest for privacy in a small town and a bit of green space has been standard across the several buyers who have successfully moved to the ex-burbs. The travel time to their work has, for some, been essential. For others, it didn't matter so much. What mattered most was the implication of an atmosphere of safety, the lack of traffic, the smaller school system, and getting to know their neighbors. Most of them moved from suburban or other small towns and from parental or apartment homes.

The ex-burb appeal is not to be denied. The increasingly urban feel of many newer suburbs, with either zero lot lines or homes as close together as they are in a truly urban environment, can make certain people feel constrained as to their activities, privacy, and ability to know enough neighbors to feel comfortable.

Even within urban environs, ex-burb feel can be achieved. In many of our "first" suburbs, homes are not smack-dab upon each other. In some urban/suburban neighborhoods, there are even 1/2 are lots. Within my home town of Dayton (ok, I lived 5 miles north of the city while growing up, downtown later in life), there are enclaves where large homes grace the neighborhood streets and offer convenience to services and nearby highways. Just north and/or south of Dayton, other inner suburbs feature homes with expansive floor plans and equally expansive yards. With the choices in educational facilities these days, whether public, private, or parochial, one can often find just the right fit for their family.

Are ex-burbs the way of the future? Possibly - probably, some sources say. While we have to be careful not to steer people, choices within all sorts of living areas are available and can be offered to buyers who want similar things to what an ex-burb small town can offer.