I have had the oddest late summer, crazy winter of a Realtor/ moms lifetime. My blogs have suffered but one might be able to argue it was for a good cause. The cause being my son and how one simple viral video, of something he does everyday can change a families life.

In late August I was actually cleaning one of my vacation rentals (I had just fired a maid for not doing so hot) when my husband and son called to say they had caught a shark and were very hot. It was super hot outside but they catch sharks every weekend so in my mind I was working.  I did not have the time to go grab them some water for them. Little did I know a 7 foot shark drug my son and husband around in a kayak for an hour. Yes this sounds crazy but this is how you shark fish out of a kayak. My son is 9 and the whole world called CPS and everyone else they could think of but he is studying to be a marine biologist so as you can imagine this was of no concern. We were commended by so many for spending time with our kids and not just sitting them in front of a Wii. My husband is a fellow Realtor (who does not have time to practice now), software engineer in computer security, and was a paramedic so he thinks about things well in advance before taking any chances. He also was an off-shore fishing guide and studied marine biology as well so our son loves this time with his dad. My daughter and I go now a bit but she is still young.  GMA, Fox and Friends and news outlets around the world went wild. Our life became a phone ringing off the hook and it still rings about this all the time. Hunter was recently asked to enter a kayak film festival. Its been an interesting time in our lives.

My son filmed the footage and here is a link to the real video which also shows his other videos and his excitement to study animals period. http://www.sharkboyhunter.com If any danger would have been at hand the shark would have been cut from the line instantly and it is human to leave a circle hook in a sharks mouth.I would appreciate the support of anyone who believes that learning about marine life and conserving it is important.

My blogging may have suffered but  I have to help Hunter in his quest to save sharks and make sure people do not get the wrong idea about this video and what our son spent years learning to do before he stepped foot on that kayak. He has had some great adventures and does not even care to play video games. I love to see a child that wants to read about different sea turtles and learn about the world we should be living in and not stuck connected to via blogging.

As agents we have to blog. Its part of our craft and its important to any future clients. Its important to keep in touch with one another and have something to read from our peers. I vow to blog for myself and have fun with it instead of just talking about the market. I vow to tell people about the fun they really can have if they get away from a computer and act more like my 9 year old.

In the spirit of getting everyone away from their computers I want all agents to know I offer half my commission to you on my vacation rentals. come use it for yourself or refer a family member that needs it. Its not a lot but its a tank of gas and can save you on your hotel tax as well. I even know a kayak guide lol:). If you are reading this as a consumer then take the same advice. get out and explore the world. Yes shark fishing is not everyone cup of tea but we have so much to offer in Galveston and I have great rates to offer everyone.

I will keep blogging but I am enjoying my crazy, busy life, my extremely nice work load in our off season which is a blessing, and my family. Come enjoy yours to. Galveston is really amazing and we have come so far since Ike.

I have a few other vacation rentals coming on board but here is the page where you can find 2 great owners I represent with different offers for anyone who is looking for a nice economical place to stay or that killer gulf view:).  

http://www.galveston4sale.com/Galveston_Vacation_Rentals/page_1700145.html

Have a wonderful day. Look forward to the upcoming Spring and keep whats really important in focus so you can give your clients the best service ever.

Happy Mardi Gras as well.

Here  is video footage of my husband and son, who kayak every weekend catching a larger then usual Black Tip shark from his Cobra Kayak. 

Yes most mothers maybe upset but my son has spent  lots off time learning  safety drills and  the variety of fish he has caught is really amazing. His  dad  could be  considered somewhat  a shark expert and  has  logged  to many hours  offshore to count.  It is almost always catch and release.  Kayak fishing is growing in popularity and those who know about sharks may know a Black Tip is docile. My husband has was a paramedic for about 18 years. He is a software engineer specializing in information security.  He is an agent but right now not practicing.

I just  thought  I would share.  Its a great  memory  for my son and actually these sharks are all around us. They caught 6 more last weekend and this time dad was behind the camera while the fishing action was all Hunters.

Galveston got some great publicity and we have  had a great summer of visitors. This will be a memory my son will never forget.   After  going on Good Morning America and Fox and Friends (the after show version online was  hilarious) he has had a world wind press tour. He was interviewed again last  night by the Galveston Daily News for a second story.

Please enjoy the video

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp8WjkCO-V4

Its an odd thing to consider but part of being a real estate agent in this day and age also must include being a writer. I remember the days in college and in high school when I could write for hours. Now between appointments, research for clients, maintaining a website, syndicating listings, and etc I cannot find much time to put thoughts down about my market. Did I mention being a mom, wife, maid,  and dog referee (all titleI am VERY proud of). I don't want to sound at all like I am complaining about being busy but I am  neglecting my blogging time which is now an essential part of our business PERIOD. The reasons why are simple BUT does your client understand why???

WHY IS BLOGGING ESSENTIAL- Simply put blogging about your market, your career, and your services is ESSENTIAL for many reasons.  Most  of use are trying to get content for SEO which really is a great thing and TRUE CONTENT is KING when it comes to love from Google.  Spending your money buying links to pig farms is  not going to help   You willl not get ahead in this business and in my opinion looks quite unprofessional.  The so called "Black Hat" tactics to get ahead in the SEO game will eventually become an issue with the robot that you are trying to trick. True content that you can achieve via blogging about your market is not only a rewarding way to get knowledge out about our field and the areas we working, but it serves as a legitimate reason for Google to give you a boost.  Again we are talking  about a robot, all be it a robot that comes out with new tricky algorithms to tease us all in the SEO game.

My husband is a computer security professional and I wonder why he cannot just do this so called "Black hat" magic that some of my competitors pay thousands of dollars for  months and its quite simple. He can but its not the right business plan and you will wind up losing clients who don't  understand and in the very near future you will not be considered a credible source for search  engines. One day, and that day is now in my opinion content will be the only relevant thing that search engines seem to care about.  YES you can throw your key words into an article as many times as you think will be a benefit  but how does that look to the buyer/seller who has no idea why you keep saying key search term phrases like "Galveston real estate" every few sentences. This is the market I work in so I picked it as my example.

What does the potential client think about  this bizarre blog??  They think you have lost your mind and sometimes it does feel that way. I just wonder if we are all blogging for the right reasons? 

Content is King and we all know it in the SEO rat race but I just think maybe when we are constructing our thoughts some of the blogs I read make us look really bad.  You can get Google juice by digging deep  and finding  a good topic about  your market to talk about without saying the key phrases you are targeting over and over.  Kind of makes us look like the ranting of a real estate agent gone mad. We do need to service our sellers by offering them a highly ranked site to advertise their listings on but if we do it with quality and make that quality something a future buyer may enjoy then we have satisfied all aspects of why blogging needs to be a daily part of our day.  We have a chance to really  educate our community about real estate and make  the search engines happy.  Lets do it right.  The days of Google and other search engines allowing us  to do it wrong are coming to  a halt.  The robot  may not have a brain but lets hope the people behind the robot allow quality and  not quality in terms of blogging about our markets,  profession,and the future of our nations home market.

As I head off to do homework I would like to leave my thoughts with a calming photo of Galveston. This was taken from one of our Galveston vacation rentals.

Galveston is hosting our annual Lone Star Biker Rally November 4-7.  Come join us for an amazing event that is fun for all ages.  Get all the details at our city site www.galveston.com.

It's not to late to come and play.  We have a fantastic, newly renovated vacation rental that sleeps 6 (will sleep 8 when custom bunk bed mattresses arrive).  Unobstructed views at the Maravilla which has some of the most beautiful grounds on the island.  Enjoy the hot tub, exercise room, and full kitchen stocked with all you need to make yourselves right at home. 

FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE.  Rent for 2 nights at $325 and get a 3rd night for $100.  All hotel tax

Here is a sneak peak at the condos view but make sure you visit the link above for all the details and more photos.

I see some great agents who have wonderful sites that are ranked well, however they might have an easier time of it if they would not have named their website www.myname.com. Yes we want to brand our names to our business however Google is a robot that does not know www.sallyisbest.com has anything to do with her market.  Your URL should have your search terms in the name if at all possible yet this may be far to late for some markets.  My website is named www.galveston4sale.com and I have remained on first page Google for many years 9since 2004( YET in hindsight I would have named my website quite simply galvestonrealestate and my SEO LOVE would have wrapped its arms around my business in ways that did not include me creating a huge presence online.

Some of you may disagree but my marketing concentrates on my city. My pictures on sites like Twitter and blogs are of Galveston for my profile.  My Twitter profile name is GalvestonTexas.

Food for thought. Opinions welcome.

Have a great day,
Christina

I just made a post about my stupidity with a lead service which reminds me that I get about 6 emails a week and a few phone calls a day asking if I would like  to be first page Google for the search terms in my area. I have been for all the search terms that mean anything since 2004.  I find it funny that any company would pay employees to make a call, hence costing them money when they could simply do a Google search when finding us in whatever manner they employ.  If I did want to move up a spot or 2 (I am always between 4 and 5) I might consider a pitch if you research where I was and knew my search terms before you call.

Whats said is I have saved the numbers so I don't answer.  The reps are often so rude when they realize they wasted their time and even begin to argue with me that I don't know my ranking.

Note to any business, even ours. research is key to not looking like an unprofessional.Maybe by posting this publicly as well as in our RE forums I can save a few of you some phone calls. Lets hope these companies are starting to understand and might even save themselves a buck.

Have a great day:).

Christina

Your Galveston, Tx Real Estate agent

Recently I made a really dumb decision.  I was trying to prove to a fellow member of the real estate world that lead sites do little or nothing in my opinion, for any business.  My husband has well over 10 year of RE experience and started one of the first RE websites in his area.   Well he OF COURSE has used all the tricks of the trade and warned me a long to time ago.  I get about 5 calls a week, often from the same parties asking if I would LOVE QUALIFIED leads. Use the money for SEO.  My first page Google site lets me qualify my own leads. LEAD SITES DO NOT WORK. Experience speaks for itself. Trying to help someone learn from this really became more then just what I hoped would save this party time and money.

To make a long story short in my sad tale I was trying to prove I was right and this real estate investor was wrong so he would not waste any money.  I signed up for a site that CLEARLY STATED 15 day trial (I planned to cancel in about 5 days after proving I did not get any leads).  The site is called www.wehavehomeleads.com.  I received an email saying I would be charged in 15 days if I did not cancel which seemed very fair.  I also watched a video warning me to cancel before 15 days.  The email I received even stated that I would not be charged until the 15 days, of course SINCE AFTER ALL THIS WAS A FREE TRIAL.  Needless to say I was charged instantly the day my 15 day trial started.

I cannot cancel. I have tried all morning and I hope that my stupidity, while knowing better as a seasoned agent can help those of you who think these over priced services can do as much as  keep their word. Yes, I am sure some decent sites exist but be warned.  Earn leads the right way by being a smart way.  It is just to easy to pay for something that does not exist.  If you are a good agent leads will come. If someone wants to list their home they will contact you for an interview or information.

In regards to this site I have had to contact my bank.  The site most likely will not help in anyway after reading reviews and I will cancel my card.  I made a mistake just to try and help another party so I hope me admitting my stupidity will help anyone considering this. 

Simply work hard as an agent and the leads will come.

I would love to hear any opinions and hopefully hear that some sites are not practicing such horrid morals, in my opinion.  Hopefully they will contact me and apologize.  We will see.  If they do the post will reflect that but until now my bank is my advocate and I am left feeling stupid all because I was trying to prove a point. Point proved.  Hope my point that should have been left as my opinion helps others.

This site also targets the real estate,  non-agent investor. Very humbling to feel stupid when trying to help  others but sometimes it is better to just AGREE TO DISAGREE.

Have a blessed day.

Christina

The photos on the virtual tour speak for themselves.  This home is in a wonderful community close to the municipal golf course, moments from the Seawall, and minutes from attractions such as Moody Gardens.  The community features a tennis court, a small lake, and a wonderful playground.  It is a MUST SEE! 

Please visit the virtual tour today.

Call today for a showing or more information.

Thank you,

Christina Stevens

409-443-8959

This is a great, large home that could be perfect for a family or an investor who might want to convert it into a duplex.  The price has been lowered and the owners are motivated.  Please check out our virtual tour.  The home is well worth your viewing time and just waiting for the perfect owner to come along and make it their own.

Here is the link to our virtual tour.

Providing you with all your Galveston, Tx Real Estate needs.

Christina Stevens

Realty Associates

409-443-8959

Please visit my site to find out more about this great home with a 3 garage apartments, plus room to make possibly to more in the garage space.  The owner has just remodeled and the photos speak for themselves.  We are currently interviewing renters for the back apartments but will not rent the main home.  We want to leave that decision up to the new owner.  This is a great chance to live in a fantastic home and have it pay for itself.  Price was just reduced last week.  Again the photos speak for the home more so then I can.  It is moments from Galveston College and the Seawall located in the central part of the island.

 Check out our virtual tour for more information.

For all your Galveston real estate needs please contact Christina Stevens

409-443-8959