A few months ago, my trusty old TREO died and and I knew it was time to step into some new technology.  I'd had my (eye) on and iPhone for some time, but was hesitant due to the fact that I used my TREO to open the GE SUPRA MLS lockboxes here in Austin.  The GE Supra lockboxes use infrared technology to open the boxes to obtain the key to show property.  As a Realtor, it's pretty hard to show houses when you can't get the key to open the door, so needless to say, this is a pretty important piece of technology.  

So, when the TREO died and I went to get a new phone, guess what?  Very few phones are being made/sold today that have an IRDA (infrared) port.  iPhone? Nope.  Blackberry? Nope.  Infrared is a dead technology. But thanks to GE and decisions by the powers that be with the Austin Board of Realtors (ABOR), we're stuck with it for now.

Bluetooth has made infrared obsolete.  

After thinking about what kind of functionality I wanted in my phone, an iPhone was definitely going to be my choice.  Only one problem, no infrared and no way to use the phone to open lockboxes.  Arggggghhhh!  So, I'm going to have to lug around yet another piece of hardware to do my job.  

Enter the ActiveKEY.  This goofy looking piece of equipment reminds me of a Fisher-Price fake cell phone.  Seriously.  Look at the photos.  I think GE must have engineers and designers that couldn't find a job anywhere else.  They have the nerve to charge me $180 bucks a year to use this piece of junk. (at least that is what ABOR charges).  

So I am stuck using this ActiveKEY and I found one redeeming feature about it that made it tolerable.  I could turn off the "radio" (the key uses the cell networks to update) to put the key into a deep sleep mode and the battery would last for weeks, so I could throw it in the console in my car and forget about it.  With the radio off, the charge on the battery would last for weeks.

That changed 2 days ago when they "upgraded" the firmware in my ActiveKEY and removed the ability for me to turn off the radio.  So now that the firmware is "upgraded" the ActiveKEY radio stays ON for 12 hours a day, constantly pinging the cell phone network.  This causes several problems, 1. I now have to bring the key in from the car (or purchase one of their overpriced car charger adapter$$ ) 2. Keep it plugged in which wastes energy. 3. Every time the stupid key pings the cell network, it makes my electronics freak out.  Way to go GE!  4. I'll probably forget the stupid key on the way to show property because it's no longer in my console.  

I'm still upset that they have no solution for iPhone users to utilize a fob the way Blackberry users can.  You would think with the number of iPhone users, this would be a top priority for GE, but they were probably using those resources on the ActiveKEY.

The real solution is to get off the ancient technology of infrared and move on to the 21st century.  Infrared is dead.  In the mean time, GE- Give me back the ability to turn off the radio on the ActiveKEY!

Maxwell McDaniel

Austin A Plus Homes

Search for homes for sale in austin at:

www.austinaplushomes.com

I did something last week that I never thought I would do.  I left Keller Williams after almost 8 years of hard work, closings, friendships, failures and successes.  In other words, it was a great learning experience.  I built my business from the ground up, begining in 2001.  I was in class getting my license when the terrorists hit on 9-11.  I built a great team, served several terms on the Agent Leadership Council, led the Technology Committee and served on the Financial Planning Committee.  About a year and a half ago, I brought on a partner, Jennifer Semler, to help run the business while I focused on special projects. 

During my tenure at KW, I was lucky enough to work in the same office as Joe Williams.  For those who don't know Joe, he's the KW co-founder, the Williams in Keller Williams if you will.  Joe is a great guy and he and I became close personal friends.  We've dined together, played racquetball together, hunted together and spent many hours just talking.  My personal relationship with Joe is one reason I never pictured myself in anything other than Keller Williams red.  Obviously Joe is a very successful businessman.  He can appreciate the underlying thought and contemplation that goes into a decision such as this.

In the last few months as my special project came to an end, I re-engaged myself with the business on a more regular basis.  As I did so, I began to get an itch that I was having trouble scratching.  More about that in a moment, but let me give you a little bit of history.  Prior to Keller Williams, real estate was essentially a "broker centric" model.  Agents worked for brokers who tended to dictate how things were done, and then took a 50% cut of the agents' commissions.  That's a huge chunk of money!  Whatever you earn, you only get half.  Once you pay your expenses, the tax man, etc., you're left with very little to show for all of your hard work. 

When KW came along, they started with the same broker centric model and were growing and having some success with it, but they weren't satisfied.  After looking at the way the business was run, consulting with their top agents, and crunching some numbers, KW decided to change the way real estate was done by moving to an "agent centric" model.  In the new model, agents would get to keep 70% of their commissions and what they paid to the company would be capped at 18,000 per year.  After KW got your 18k, you got to keep 100% of what you earned.  This was a monumental shift!  They also developed a profit sharing model that allowed agents to benefit when they recruited other agents to KW.  Profit sharing has made a lot of people very wealthy within the KW family, particularly those that got with the program early and helped grow the company.  By focusing on the agent rather than the broker, letting agents keep more of the money they earned, KW grew like wildfire.  It was a revolutionary concept when it was developed back in the 80s.  But like all things from the 80s, new ideas and technologies have emerged that are better.  Here is where i get back to the itch mentioned above.

Like almost anyone who has been in real estate a while, I started getting the urge to "do my own thing".  I wanted my own company with my rules, and most importantly My Profits.  As I started doing the initial research of setting up my own company under the Austin A Plus Homes banner, I was consulting with a fellow agent about the idea.  He loved the plan and he also started to do his own research.  After speaking with yet another agent, he mentioned a company called Private Label Realty.  Private Label, I was told, would allow me to set up and run Austin A Plus Homes as it's own business and pay Private Label nothing up front and no commission split and no monthly fees.  The only thing they are charging is a $295 transaction fee, including Errors and Ommissions insurance!  On top of that they were promising stock options to agents and a plan for an IPO in 5 years.  How could this be possible?  You simply can't run a profitable brokerage with such minimal fees.  I had to find out more.  I couldn't set up my own brokerage for so little money.

I'm here to tell you, the bar has been raised again.  Just as KW reinvented the business from a broker centric to an agent centric model; Private Label has moved to a "client centric" model that benefits not only the client, but the agent as well. 

Here is how it works, with the client's permission, PL offers bundled services at a discount.  Title insurance and closing duties, mortgage loans, property insurance, and home warranty policies are offered as a one stop shopping experience.  In much the same way that telephone, cable, and internet service are sold now, PL has moved that business model to real estate transactions.  The brokerage business exists only to facilitate transactions for the other related services.  The affiliated businesses, title and mortgage, are owned by the parent company of the brokerage which is also the company granting stock options to agents.  So as an agent, you have a financial interest making sure the parent company is profitable, thereby incenting you to encourage your clients (with full disclosure of course) to use the discounted bundled services.  My big question was how does this sit with RESPA?  Answer: Approved.  Texas Department of Insurance?: Approved. 

So, as you can tell, I'm pretty excited by the new business opportunity and the possibilities it brings.  I'm going to miss my old friends from Keller Williams, but I imagine that will be short lived.  Not because I don't care about them, but when they learn about Private Label and what it can do for them, they'll be right here with me.

I'm attaching a link to an article that came out in todays Austin American Statesman regarding the sales trends in Texas real estate.   The article confirms (as many others have in the past) that things just aren't so bad in Austin with regards to real estate. 

According to the article, the Austin real estate market prices were up 6.4% with regards to 4th quarter data 2007.  The thing that I find most interesting is that our prices are rising and yet unit sales are slightly off.  This was especially noteworthy since the availability of jumbo loans was hampered last years credit crunch.

Remember if you want to search for homes for sale in Austin, you can always visit our website at http://www.austinaplushomes.com/ .  It's a great tool to keep track of what home prices in your neighborhood are doing.  Also, we will be launching a new tool to allow you to track the SOLD prices of homes soon.  If you're interested in a free subscription, drop me a line at maxwell@austinaplushomes.com or call us at 512-236-0223.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.statesman.com/business/content/news/stories/local/02/15/0215homes.html

Maxwell McDaniel

Austin A Plus Homes Team

Keller Williams Realty

A new article from Forbes just came out and ranked Austin as the fastest growing large metro in the country.  Our population is supposed to jump by 15% between now and 2012! 

Here is what Forbes had to say about our great city

"The self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World" is booming, thanks in large part to Austin's high-tech industry (key employers include Dell, IBM and Apple) and the University of Texas, which provides the area with a steady stream of engineering talent. In addition to music, the city also has a thriving film industry. Its projected gross domestic product growth by 2012 is second only to Mobile, Ala., and first among the largest 100 metro areas in the country. Metro area Austin's population is expected to grow nearly 15% by 2012. "

Also according to Forbes our GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product) will rise by 32%, among the highest in America. 

Remember if you're thinking about being one of those new comers to Austin, you can always search for homes 24 hours a day at www.AustinAPlusHomes.com

Cheers,

Maxwell McDaniel

Austin A Plus Homes Team

Keller Williams Realty

I just got back from the Keller Williams Family Reunion in Atlanta.  It's our version of a national convention.  It's truly amazing the amount of knowledge that is shared at these events.  Some of the best agents in the country are teaching classes on how to do exactly what they are doing to be successful. 

It also allowed me to refocus on my business, work on my website www.AustinAPlusHomes.com .  I went to no less than 5 breakouts that focused solely on how do drive more traffic on the net.  It's truly amazing how many agents are getting the majority of their business from the Internet.  

If there are any other KW agents out there that didn't go this year, you really should considering buying the CDs and listening to as much as you can.  Otherwise, make plans to go to the Family Reunion next year in Orlando!

Maxwell McDaniel

Take a close look at the numbers for the Austin market now.  When I say close, I mean CLOSE!  What's happening?  Well, that depends. 

Remember that any and all markets are made up of many sub-markets or even micro markets.  Real estate is INTENSELY local.  Also remember the old adage, there are three kinds of lies, 1. Lies, 2. Damn Lies, 3. Statistics.  The last thing I'll ask you to remember is the purpose of the media and in particular the big national media outlets.  If you think they're in the news business, you're wrong.  They are in the business of selling advertising, period, end of story.  The more sensational and headline grabbing they can make their news, the more we Americans with our insatiable appetite for headlines pay attention.  Therefore the more they can charge for commercials or ad space. 

That said, does the US have a real estate crisis?  Nope.  Despite what you read, the entire country is NOT undergoing a real estate crisis right now.  Are some markets down?  Of course they are.  I feel bad for my colleagues in Florida, California and a few other places. 

Back to the Austin market, the local media is begging for a big story.  They want to write that the Austin market is in trouble.  It's not.  There are certainly neighborhoods where inventory is increasing.  Marketing times are getting a little longer.  Other neighborhoods are doing great!  Here is a tip for you.  The closer you are to downtown, the less volatile your price swings are going to be.  If you're in Round Rock, Pflugerville or Cedar Park, things might be a little bit bumpy for you for a while.  But if you're inside "the loop" as I define it, there is nothing at all to worry about.  Austin has had strong growth, but not boom growth for the last 3 years.  Our economy is fundamentally strong.  We'll be just fine...

Don't believe the hype.

Maxwell McDaniel

Austin A Plus Homes