I am attending the Canopy Roads Visioning Workshop at Dorothy B Oven Park in Tallahassee, Florida. The issue is how to manage, protect and plan for the future of the canopy roads and canopy corridors in Tallahassee, Leon County. Tallahassee and surrounding lands have a unique tradition of having so many trees and tree covered roads, the canopy roads. This is one big attraction to me living in this community. As the urban area expands, there has to be a plan to manage the tree population. I am gathering the comments made at the workshot for those who care about trees and how a community can plan for the future of these inhabitants among us. There is not a day that goes by almost that I do not drive or walk down these beautiful tree canopy roads. When you look at early photos of Tallahassee you can't help but notice these natural wonders. There is such a restful, cozy feeling traveling through these canopy road coridors. They are our treasure. We Tallahasseans love our trees. Here are the comments made. *It is about our trees which connects us to our past. It separates us from other cities. Canopy roads serve as primary transportation corridos in our community. *There is a management plan already, such as when to prune the trees. *What are the big issues: *TRANSPORTATION: -Prohibit commercial license vehicles. Alternate roads to protect trees. -More focus in alternative transportation. -Enforcing speed limit. -Have non canopy road routes as well. -Development should adapt to the canopy roads and not threaten the roads. -Triple canopy road system -Safe bicycle passage. -Road bumps to restrict traffic. -Build homes along roads with nice views. -Off road paths parallel to roads. -Bike and pedestian trails. -Plant more trees. -Offer more protection for parallel off road paths. -Schedule automobiles on alternate days. -Use GIS in planning. *TREASURES (the people): -Network of canopy and historic roads regionally and nationally recognized. -Offer ad valorem tax break for land home owners who protect their canopy trees. -Recognized as national asset -Featured in travel magazines. -Canopy road festivals. -Public roads. -Improving vistas. -Secure funding. *TREES: -Tree education program Keeping as many trees as possible as a community heratage. -Agressive enforcement of tree maintenance. -Include other trees beside Oaks. More biodiversity. -Risk assessment of trees and catalogue them. Prevent fatal accidents. -Expand and nurture wildlife habitats. -Enforce tree removal and protection. -Expand tree growth. -Have a grading system for canopy trees. -Extensive mnagement. -Management should be corridor specific, road specific. -Limit denisity. Tallahassee has a strict no cutting down tree without planting more trees policy. This is a subject that will be of importance to our community for a long time I believe. Kenneth Fach, REALTOR Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor 1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103 Tallahassee, FL 32309 Cell/Text 850-339-5753 Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com Each office is independently owned and operated.

The acorns are on the ground now all over, here in northwest Florida, a sign that autumn is here. I like walking in the parks, and in neighborhoods, stepping on many acorns and hearing the crunchy sounds this creates. However, there is more to acorns than just the announcement of a change in seasons. Squirrels eat acorns. The native Americans ate acorns. This member of the nut family is nutricious, and abundant. There are tons of acorns everywhere, enough to feed a lot of people. So what do you do with acorns? They are on the ground waiting for harvesting hands, and they are free. When I was an archeology student at the University of West Florida,I had an interesting assignment during a fall semester.I had to gather wild acorns and make bread or muffins out of them. Other students had to gather or hunt other foods in the native American way. We were to have a natural harvest feast with everyone bringing what they were to bring: roots, rabbit, deer, an edible bark type, seeds, vegetables and more. So, I wandered through the vast forests surrounding the University of West Florida, and collected buckets of acorns. Fall is a very comfortable time to be outdoors anyway, after the long, hot Florida summers. I took the acorns home, boiled them in hot water to get the toxins out of them (something you must do), and I let them sit in the water, I think overnight, but I do not remember exactly. I do remember breaking the shell, and roasting the acorns in the oven. They became ready to eat, with or without salt or sugar. Delicious is how I would describe roasted acorns. I took other acorns, and before it was over with, I had tasty acorn muffins, enough to share with professor and classmates. I only made acorn muffins once, but I would be willing to do it again. Here we have an edible, natural food, right in our own yard, and instead of eating them, we walk on them. Nature is abundance. Just look around. Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor 1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103 Tallahassee, Florida 32309 Direct/Text 850-339-5753 Each office is independently owned and operated

Homebuyers: Looking for the right place to call home? Make a wish come true.
Remodeled ranch style home in desireable Eastgate neighborhood, in Tallahassee, Florida.  3/2, nice fenced back yard.
Offered at $189,900.  Seller willing to assist with closing costs for
Buyer.  MLS172745

There are many more ranch style homes available as well. Get back into a ranch and relive an era.

Call Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, 850-339-5753  http://KennethFach.com
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor, 1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, Florida

Each office is independently owned and operated. 

Many real estate agents, utility service workers, engineers, and government professionals use a Treo smart phone in their business. Here are some tips to keep it doing what you want it to do and fast. The tips here relate to a Treo700wx, which uses a windows operating system, unlike earlier Treos.

TIP 1 
After accessing internet sites on your Treo, click on Menu at the bottom right of your browser screen. Then, click on Tools. Click on Option. Click on Memory, and now, you can delete or clear out your files and history. If you don't do this, the sites build up on your device, and eats into you memory. When you delete files your free up memory so your browser can work faster. It is a good idea to save your favorite sites by clicking the Add to Favorites link.

Tip 2 
Now, click on your device's Start button. It will have the windows icon on it. Then, click on Setting and then System at the bottom of the screen. Look for the Memory icon. Next, click on Running Programs. With your Stylus, click on each program not in use and click the Stop button to stop that program from running and competing with the other programs on your device. You should have no more than three running programs at a time.

Tip 3
To remove programs you uploaded to your device, but no longer want the program, go to Start, click on Settings, then system, then, click on the Remove Programs Icon. Tap on the program you do not want, and click the Remove button. This wil free up even more memory.

Tip 4
From time to time, your screen may be acting crazy. It may need an alignment, or balancing. Click on the Windows Start button again. Click on Setting, then System, then click on the Screen Icon. Click on the Align Screen button, and tap on the plus symbol. It will move around as you tap. Keep taping it in each position the plus appears at until the screen refreshes. Then, click the OK button.

Tip 5
Keep your eye on the battery icon on the top of your device's window. I have to recharge mine several times a day. Make sure, and this is very important, make sure that you do not sleep with the Treo being recharged. When that red light turns to green, you know the Treo is recharged. As you sleep the charges stays connected to the Treo, this is potentially damaging the battery, and will put an earlier end to the battery. The minute that red light turns green, I would disconnect the charging cord. Also, it is a good idea to turn the phone off when you are recharging the Treo.

Tip 6
To control battery power, and prolong battery life, go to Settings, then System, then, click on the Power icon. Click on the Advanced button, and now you can adjust when you want the device to turn off when not in use, and when you want external power to go off. Always click the OK button to save your changes.

I hope these tips help. I live with my TREO everyday, and it is practically my roving office. It is the most important tool in my real estate business.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, Florida 32309
Direct/Cell/Text  850-339-5753  Blog  http://KennethFach.wordpress.com  http://KenenthFach.com

Each office is independently owened and operated.

How often we are with buyers in a home, and they ask the question, "What did the owner pay for this home?" or "When was that last home we saw sold and for how much again?" Now, with a service by housefront.com you have that information in your palm, PDA, TREO, etc. I just send a text message to 46873, input the property address, and in seconds, I get a text message back with the answers to the buyer's questions above, even approximate square footage, and estimated value. You can savev the messages so that you can refer to them as you are moving about with the buyers. I love the tool. It is free too.

 

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO

Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor

1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103, Tallahassee, FL  32309

Text/cell 850-339-5753 

Each office is independently owned and operated.

I am a REALTOR in Tallahassee, Florida, with a great company. Would love to do referral business with agents around the country. For you new agents (I started in 2004), I have a list of tools that i constantly use and you should take advantage of them: 

1. Housefront.com  Here you can look up property data, including estimated price range, year build, approximate square footage, and get that information in a text message on your cell. You go by a property, text 46873, input address, and bingo, in seconds you get useful data. I use it all the time with buyers, and as a WOW tool for sellers. The information comes from the public property records, and (perhaps MLS, I am not sure about that). The information is updated regularly. Wow, another use for my TREO 700.

2. Jott.com, you call 877-568-8486, and make verbal reminders, or notes to yourself or or to others. You will find the verbal note in text form as a text message on your cell, and in your email. You can also listen to your voice message as well. This is a great tool that I use on the road when I need to jot down FSBO addresses. I don't have to jot down anything on paper now. Why write down notes, memos, only to loose them. I have lost so many written notes.

3. Godaddy.com  I have my blog site, a website, and email through them. Very inexpensive, and it comes with everything. I especially like the variety godaddy offers. I would also suggest a Point2Agent website since much of the work is done for you, and you have so much you can do to cusomize pages, add pages, and also have great search engion optimization with some work on your part.

4. Do more business via text messaging. I personally would like to use text messaging more than email. It is more convenient, even though a text can only have up to 160 characters, you can always continue with another text and another text. I see many agents who are not texting. I iam working with a buyer and a loan officer right now, who prefer that we all communicate via text messaging.

5. Another useful tool, is to use Google to get directions to businesses in your community or other community. You call Google directions at 800-466-4411, and get directions sent directly to your text message application. Cool. No human interaction, only computer. You are asked for city, state, and business name or category. You choose the closest match. It is free too. One thing about Google, they are trying to make everything free. This is great for you and I.

Just thought I would share this with all of you, new or old REALTORS. I am still on the campaign to drop paper all together. It is hard becoming digital, but wow, think of all the benefits: cleaner environment, save more trees, more convenience, no paper to get torn, soiled, wrinkled, more order in life.

 

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO

Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor

1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103, Tallahassee, FL 32309

Text/cell 850-339-5753  http://kennethfach.com/  http://tallahassee.kennethfach.com/

 

Each office is independently owned and operated.

You might want to use http://zoominfo.com to search persons. I do a search on just about everyone for business and fun.

Also, these site may be useful for improving your website SEO and other useful information. I am just beginning to make use of all these resources:

http://mikes-marketing-tools.com/ranking-reports/

submitexpress.com/tool.html

http://marketleap.com/cerify/default.htm

http://digitalpoint.com/tools/keywords/

http://googlerankings.com/

http://Ihelpyou.com

http://inventory.overture.com

http://toprankblog.com

http://technologyforrealestate.com

http://marketpostion.com

http://orlandore.net

http://isnare.com

http://ccleaner.com

http://windrosesoftware.com/optispider

Also, you can check yourself by doing a search on yourself at Google to see where you come up. Search by your name, phone number, company name, other names, or identities you may use, nickname, addresses, personal and business. Very revealing and interesting. The internet is full of wealth.

Fill free to add to the list of useful sites.

We Realtors have an abundance of useful tools for us. I have just upgraded from a TREO650 to a TREO700 wx, because I wanted a windows based operating system. I love the 700. So, so much more memory for all my notes, apps, data. I was always nervous about memory with the 650 since there is so little of it after you download the MLS data on it. My frustration is over, and I liked the 650 much too. Now I am walking on clouds. I like how you can click the windows start icon, and all your important functions are right there, and easy to get to. I also like the one hand operation of treos in general.

I think a lot of real estate practitioners do not know what ranch style homes are or they forgot. I go to the MLS to see homes, and I find that such and such a home is listed as a ranch style home when I know it is not, because either i have seen the home, or I know that in a particular neighborhood, the homes are not ranch. Also, the picture of the home in the MLS often will show that it is not a ranch home. I think this is a serious problem. After World War 2, most of the homes that were build in many communities, were ranch style homes. For years, and probably today, most resales are ranch style homes. Ranch is coming back for a number of reasons: easier to maintain the structure, often in convenience intown location, solid structure, and affordable. I want to review what a ranch style home is for those not familiar, or who may have gotten lazy and have decided to lump resale homes in this category.
Characteristics of a Ranch style home:
1.  Low pitched gable roof on a low to the earth structure.
2.  Long horizontal structure, sometimes rectangular, sometimes L shape, sometimes U shape.
3.  The focus is on horizontal lines, not vertical dimensions.
4.  No dormers in the roof.  (this is often a misconception)
5.  With an attached garage, or in some areas, like my Florida panhandle, many have carports.
6.  Natural materials, typically brick or wood.
7.  Big windows, often bay windows.
8.  Open floor plan, with bedrooms on one side separate from living, dining and kitchen, but sometimes
     master bedroom on opposite side of home from the other bedrooms.
9.  Focus on fewer interior walls.
10. Often on big lots, but not always.
11. Sliding glass doors in back in the pure ranch structures, but sometimes, these doors are replaced
      by french doors.
12. Lack of ornamentation.
13, Not a rocking chair front porch type of home.

I hope this is helpful. I grew up in ranch homes all my life, and am sensitive to what agents and others call ranch when indeed they are not looking at or describing ranch.

One thing I want to add regarding the old ranch style homes, is that I would feel much more secure in that kind of a structure than in many, if not MOST of the new homes build today. I just personally think that the construction mentality in those days focussed more on quality, and I say that from a consumer's experience, and in observance of how society is today.

More people are moving out of busy south Florida and find less expensive real estate in north and northwest Florida. There is so much nature, and land waiting to be developed. There are many state parks and forest land. In Tallahassee and surround area, there is a wave of new subdivisions beating the prices of bigger urban areas. Tallahassee is the capital of Florida, and the home to two big universities as well as two important technology centers. Typical prices for single family homes with a minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 baths range between $150,000 to $260,000. I can assist you with finding your new home in the area, whether in the city, suburb, or country. The homes and land are here waiting for you.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO, Keller Williams Town and Country Realty, Tallahassee, Florida                     850-339-5753 Direct, http://kennethfach.com/