kate ford: Shiny Button Syndrome and Google+ How to Implement in 15 Minutes - 11/30/11 03:48 PM
The shiny button syndrome... New is good but I try like the dickens to avoid the shiny button syndrome. So why did I give Google+ the time of day?When a shiny button (my term for the latest online fad or do-or-die technique) is brought to my attention, I filter with Detect and Avoid.
I've learned what starts as a simple exercise can turn into a 3-day project with no measurable benefits. Yet, if Google+ was easy to implement, why not look into it further? After all, per Google, this is how to verify you are the author of your site. It … (57 comments)
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kate ford: I don't recall her name at FHA when I began originating mortgages... - 10/01/11 02:56 PM
I don't recall the person's name at FHA when I began originating mortgages but I remember her clear and consistent message -- Homeownership Strengthens America. I took her mantra to heart and determined to be part of such a movement to build up our country, one real estate transaction at a time.
I've been asked why I left the mortgage industry because, clearly, I'm still in love with finance and helping people achieve their goals of homeownership. It's a personal story, one I won't go into here but you can read about it at my mortgage information website -- Little Did … (8 comments)
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kate ford: Grabbing Our Attention vs Leaving Us Cold But Don't Tell Nutsy - 04/06/11 05:41 PM
Answer: What philosophical Charlie B, the dry-humored Mr. James, quirky Billy Jays and of course none other than the Boss of Nutsy have in common. [Insert Jeopardy theme]
Question: What are home inspectors?
Response: No, I'm sorry but that is not correct.
I was recently invited by AboutUs.org to contribute an article to their online marketing website. Cool! So as I unveiled my secrets in How To Write for Internet Marketing Success, I was mulling over a few bloggers on ActiveRain, specifically Nutsy and his knowledgeable band of Home Inspectors across the country.
These 4 inspectors and 1 certifried assistant grab … (20 comments)
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kate ford: Honey I Erased The Bear - Are You Hunter Or Hugger? Friend Or Foe? - 09/17/10 08:43 PM
Theodore Roosevelt, acting as a humanitarian to a bear on a hunting expedition, sparks the lovable "Teddy Bear". But what about his guide, Benjamin Vernon Lilly? On a mission to wipe out bears, definitely no one ever names a cuddly toy after him.
So which are you? Teddy Roosevelt or Ol’Lilly? Do you hug the bear or hunt the bear?
Well! For a small entrance fee (actually it's free), you too can determine whether you are bear-friend or bear-foe.
Follow This Link and just to get you started,have some fun with:
Jumps on Marries Plays with Shoots Feeds Dresses Hides from … (28 comments)
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kate ford: Selling Is Not A Dirty Word - 07/16/10 06:48 PM
We do it everyday. It's unavoidable for the human race. We only quit when we die. We sell.
Moms sell health and safety to toddlers. Your boss sells motivation. Colleges sell opportunity. Dancers sell inspiration.
I was watching So You Think You Can Dance this week. What a season it's shaping up to be. I love the competition.
But what really got me thinking about selling began with a judge telling a contestant that although he had the technique and experience, he wasn't reaching the audience. No one was voting for him. Why? He wasn't selling.
We don't sell the tangible. … (26 comments)
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kate ford: I Do Not Hug Squirrels In Nighties But I Do Back up My Computer's Files - 02/17/10 05:29 PM
Have you backed up your computer today? What started out I thought as a corrupted Google toolbar causing Firefox to hide in a state of non-response turned into a full fledged computer failure a few days ago.Hardware, browser, software... Malware, virus, corruption... My normally well-behaved laptop did not care what label I gave it, my HP was under siege. Alien forces were in command.I scanned, I defragged, I dumped, I sought for errors. I swore, I cried and I even screamed more or less. Just yesterday, I joined the masses who threaten to throw computers out windows. Short of the actual … (63 comments)
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kate ford: Firefox Hanging With Bad Kids In Town? Guilty By Association! - 02/08/10 09:51 AM
Die hard Firefox fans, I have scary news. Your Firefox may be hanging with the bad kids in town.
I learned a new term I could have done without. Hanging. Come to find out, my laptop wasn't crashing last week. (Argh, Man, Groan, Sigh, and Whew... External Drive Here I Come) It was hanging.
Now the good news is that there were no viruses, no malware. But without warning, my pages would gray out and I'd get this nuisance of a spinning wheel that wanted to go on for eternity. Nothing would load and in the meanwhile, I was fresh out … (25 comments)
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kate ford: Argh, Man, Groan, Sigh, and Whew... External Drive Here I Come - 02/05/10 08:21 PM
24 hours later, I am still alive but barely. Yes, order in the universe has been restored but I'm N-E-V-E-R going through that again.
Crashing, not responding, black screens and safe mode start ups are in the [not too distant] past. And I'm buying an external drive first thing tomorrow morning, yes I am.
I laugh when a vendor tells me to contact my IT guy for issues with their software. I AM my IT guy, I tell them. But today in its extreme was not a day for laughing.
So how many hats do you wear?
Take for instance yours … (20 comments)
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kate ford: Have You Hugged Your Mortgage Lender Today - 01/21/10 11:07 AM
Whew! 2010 and mortgage lending is still in tact. FHA changes are rumored to be coming have been announced making NOW the best time to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage.
You might remember I write for The Green Valley Savvy, a local magazine new to the Las Vegas valley. I have the pleasure of supporting our real estate market each edition. In November I wrote about the importance of using a Realtor and in December, how to choose a mortgage professional.
Speaking of lending, mortgages have taken a beating the last couple of years. Unjustly accused of every … (20 comments)
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kate ford: New Year Resolution - How's Marketing Working For You? - 01/09/10 04:03 PM
What have you been up to? I can tell you I have had my poor little nose to the grindstone. I've missed you all and my nose is asking me for a break.
So, I have been thinking about marketing. How many of us declared a resolution this New Year to step up our marketing endeavors -- To make 2010 an improvement over 2009. Well, today is January 9, 2010. Yep that's means eight days have passed since declaring our resolutions.
Of course I have had a year or two without New Year Resolutions. I think I know why. The previous … (22 comments)
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kate ford: Happy New Year With More Vinegar From Kate - 12/31/09 08:06 PM
Happy New Year and no, Nutsy has not crashed my lap top's hard-drive as Charlie has suggested. We spent the holidays with the kids with honorable mention going to Diego and Giovanni!
In honor of the twins, I have identical pictures of myself, each holding a different baby. Seemed fitting. :)
Anyway... we came home after celebrating welcomed by left over clothes that missed getting washed before Christmas. I went to deliver a bunch to the laundry room when a yucky odor wafted up out of the washer. I'd forgotten that I'd left some gym clothes in a bit of water … (20 comments)
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kate ford: Shakespeare and the Scourge of the Homeowner - 12/18/09 11:10 AM
No one welcomes the messenger of bad news. But please don't shoot me. I just want your holidays to sparkle.
Yep, it's that time again. Especially for those of us who live in hard water areas like Las Vegas, Nevada.
If you followed previous posts on my dishwasher, you know mine got pretty scummy before I discovered how to eliminate the Scourge of the Homeowner. The solution is cheap, you could almost call it free.
***VINEGAR***
So I'm back to announce it's that time again to run a couple of glasses of vinegar in your empty dishwasher on … (14 comments)
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kate ford: We almost made it to Thanksgiving... Ohhhhh Babies! - 11/24/09 05:18 PM
Just a quick update so you don't think [as Nutsy puts it so discreetly] I cashed in my chips! I'll be back to the rain in a few days but first...
Drum Roll Please!!!!
...our daughter is checking into the hospital right now to have the twins tonight. Whoo-hoo.
One of the little guys is breech so she is having a c-section. But she made it to 37 weeks. Not too shabby! I am going to be tied up a bit and am relying on James and Charles to pick up the slack in my absence.
… (18 comments)
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kate ford: That's Some Bad Fur Nutsy -- Kate Ford Alive And Well In Las Vegas - 11/11/09 11:49 AM
How bad has it gotten when you receive inquiries from a squirrel to your whereabouts. A pretend squirrel. Named Nutsy.
Wouldn't you agree the name says it all? Yep, that's some bad fur Nutsy!
Or maybe.... The squirrel is real and Steven Smith is the alter ego. For that matter maybe Charles Buell is Nutsy's alter ego #2. After all, I've never laid eyes on Seattle's Home Inspector or The King of The House.
And how about James Quarello? Alter ego #3 hiding in Connecticut?
Or have I been apart from Active Rain for too long? Man I got the flu … (51 comments)
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kate ford: Throw Tomatoes At Me If You Must - FHA and Subprime - 10/31/09 11:27 AM
Go ahead! Throw tomatoes at me if you must. FHA is a subprime type program. Recently I read "Subprime home loans are back - Las Vegas mortgage borrowers go FHA"*. Just so happens this favorite blogger of mine, Esko Kiuru, is from Las Vegas.However I'm adding FHA never left the subprime type market. It just became less popular starting in the late 90's.You see, before subprime as it's labeled today gained popularity, FHA was the program of choice for subprime type borrowers. That is, consumers with little cash and less than perfect credit.Personally I'm not a big fan of government programs … (56 comments)
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kate ford: Saving Smart For The Future- My Story Of Losing Everything - 10/29/09 05:09 PM
Yesterday it happened. The unthinkable. I lost everything. And I could have easily avoided the loss.
But let me back up a couple of months ago when I was approached by my friends who own the website, Military Family Matters specializing in money matters for military families. They asked if I would write an article for them on the special needs of the military when considering renting vs buying a house.
But I would have done well to follow their advice about saving.
I have quite a few irons in the fire which probably contributed to losing everything yesterday. Anyway, I … (27 comments)
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kate ford: Warning! Do NOT Read This If Gunk Grosses You Out! However I still need your opinion PLEASE! - 10/23/09 11:38 AM
I like fresh avocado but yuck! I'm disgusted with opening the dishwasher only to find yesterday's dinner still stuck to the silverware.Do I need to apologize that this has nothing to do with real estate?
Anyway I had a bright idea yesterday. Dig out a flashlight, get down on my hands and knees and check out the inside of my trusty dishwasher than is never supposed to need repairing. You know... courtesy of the folks who bring us the lonely Maytag guy.Blech. Gunk, gunk and more gunk.Ahhh, THAT'S WHY remnants of grapefruit pulp coat my glassware. And bits of cilantro redeposit … (28 comments)
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kate ford: My 38th Wedding Anniversay - What A Journey and I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way! - 09/03/09 12:20 PM
"Like a Norman Rockwell..." "You must be the Brady Bunch..." "The Ford's with their entourage..." "Is that a day care you have there?"
I woke up this morning thinking back over the last 38 years. Today is my 38th wedding anniversary.
I'm really lucky. Steve and I happened to meet when we were still teenagers. What luck our paths crossed. I knew I wanted to marry him almost right away. It took Steve a little longer. But he came around pretty fast. :)
This is a picture of us with our four daughters. We'd been married about 9 years here. … (35 comments)
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kate ford: ActiveRain Gods Speak And I Get To Keep My Fingers - 08/04/09 10:04 AM
At least the other 9 including thumbs.
ActiveRain Gods have a good sense of humor. First of all you have to read my first blog today or this will make no sense. Then come back and read this one.
Suesan blogged yesterday that she changed her profile to show us her curls. And it resulted in losing an astronomical amount of points. She was a little steamed. Her points were restored so her story ended happily.
This morning, I happened to comment on her blog the same thing happened to me and so when I had to edit today's blog, How … (36 comments)
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kate ford: How Mortgage Approval Cost Me a Finger - 08/04/09 09:19 AM
This mortgage approval will cost you one finger. Hold up your hand, Kate.Attempting to squeeze out loan approval for someone I believed was stronger than he looked on paper, I was arguing my case before my underwriter. For sure I knew I had it in the bag when he joked, "Hold up your hand. This is going to cost you one finger." Imagine his chagrin when I lifted my left hand for the first time. No pinkie! Cut off since I was a baby, I thought it was funny and it became our joke for years to come.I lost my finger … (19 comments)
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