California Housing Blog

If I was President...

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:30 -0600

If I was President...

We'll actually I am. I was just elected 2009 President of the Realtors Marketing Association (RMA) in San Ramon, Ca. Our elections were held on November 13, 2008.

Check out the speech I gave to win the election. It's all song titles. Can you guess How Many?

Congratulations to the rest of the elected board!

Mike Tacconi - Vice President

Ernie DeCoite - Treasurer

Joni Toy - Secretary

Haisam Nijem - Sgt at Arms

Dean Kanat - Sgt at Arms

The Thursday morning Real Estate Marketing meeting is held at the San Ramon Community Center and is a forum for Realtors to showcase homes for sale in San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk. Immediately following the meeting is the Broker's Open House Tour were Professionals can visit the homes presented at the meeting and other that are open for viewing.

I am know as Mr Danke Schoen,and have been member of the Realtors Marketing Association since 2004. I greet everyone at the meeting with a smile and a song every Thursday morning. The meeting is a great place to network and share incredible energy from all those in attendance.

Danke Schoen,

Nate

TechTuesday "Black Friday" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.10

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:59:39 -0600

November 18, 2008 Volume 1 Issue10

Black Friday is almost upon us. Oh, you don't know what Black Friday is. Black Friday is not some day of remembrance or a time to worship the dead, but rather a day when people wander around like crazy Zombies to get the best deals on all kinds of stuff the Day After Thanksgiving. That's right Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year.

So why is this important? I hate shopping in those huge crowds. Besides who wants to get up and go shopping at 5am. (You'd be supprised how many people do)

Black Friday is a great opportunity to pick up all the stuff you have been talking about getting but have put off.

Laptops under $300, 9.2 Mpx Digital Camera for $79, ipod with Free Music, $200 HDTV or GPS under $100. By planning now you can be ready to buy all the technology you need for the best prices of the year. In some cases its even FREE!!! (After mail-in rebate)

Many of the stores have Internet Only deals as well so you don't have to fight the crowds. But why not go and stand in line a couple of hours talk to people in line and get your lead generation out of the way at the same time. If nothing else you can work off some of the turkey from the night before while you sprint for the 42" 1080i Plasma HDTV for $500. Be carful some of those Zombies are REALLY hungry!

Check out the ads and start making your shopping list.

http://www.black-friday.net/

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis

Keller Williams Realty

E-Marketing and Technology Coach

Presidential Election Results Announced!!! The Winner is...FREE COFFEE?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:15:36 -0600

TechTuesday "Online Polls" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.9

Novenber 4, 2008 Volume 1 Issue 9

So you have the election on your mind and you you want to know if your candidate has won. If you have subscribed to TechTuesday you would know that's not what we do here. Today's TechTuesday we will show you how to construct an online poll for Free. Who will win the Election? Vote Early - Vote Often.

After you vote go get your free coffee at Starbucks

To find out how I created this poll check out this video from Chris.Pirillo.com

If you do not have a Gmail Account yet, You will need to sign up for a gmail account. Now lets log in to Google Docs.

Now that you have the basics here are a few more tips to help you build your poll.

You can start building your poll once you are in Google Docs by clicking the NEW tab and selecting FORM.

I suggest you use the actual words you want people to choose from in the form instead of numbers like in the video. To do the count with text the formula would be:

"=Countif(b2:b100,"Your Text Here")"

I recommend creating your graph on a seperate sheet. After you have created your new graph you can get the Embed Code to add to your website.

Go to the right of the screen and select SHARE-->Publish as Web Page. Check the auto update box, and select the MORE OPTIONS link at the bottom left of the box. In the New screen select HTML EMBED then click get HTML.

Go out and get your own polling numbers!

Nate Ellis "Mr Danke Schoen"

Keller Williams Realty E-Marketing & Technology Coach

By the way this poll is no way scientific and has a margin of error of 99.9%

TechTuesday "Speaking in Tounges" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.8

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:41:32 -0500

October 28, 2008 Volume 1 Issue 8

Happy Halloween!!!

Woo..Haa..Ha..Ha..Haah! Did I scare you? Probably not since there are far more scary things going on in the market right now anyway. Today's TechTuesday I'm going to teach you how to speak in Tounges. Well Actually I'm going to show you a bunch of tools to help you translate stuff and learn to speak other languages.

I'll break this one down into 3 sections

Translate
Speaking
Just_for_Fun

Translation

Have you ever received a message like this "удовлетворить вашу женщину с большими мужчина сока"? Do you want to know what is says? You will need to translate it. You have a couple of options to do this. You could just learn every possible language and hope this one is one you know...or you could translate it online.
There are several online translation sites to choose from. Here are two of the big ones. Of course by know you have figured out that one of my favorite sites is Google. As luck would have it Google has a translation program for you. You get to select the current language and can translate it into over 30 different languages.

If Google make you feel like a fish out of water then try BabelFish. This is Yahoo's translation program. It can be a bit quicker because you have only one pull down menu for translation options. The short fall is there are not as many translation options.

Both give you the ability to translate whole web pages, just copy the URL and paste it in the translator. Remember these are literal translations. If you are trying to reach an audience of native speakers with your message, I suggest you look at other options like Systran Business Translator unless sounding like a 1st grader works for your marketing.

Speaking

So the words aren't good enough. You actually want to be able to make sounds come out of your mouth in the hopes that someone at the local McDonalds will understand you. You know what they say...If you at least 3 languages you are Worldly, 2 languages you are smart and one language..."Your American". So lean to order your Big Mac in three languages.

To get a jump on learning a language the best resource is a leap across the pond. The has set up a wonderful robust site that can help you learn to speak several different languages. They even send you homework via email. If you just want a quick fix language phrase book, they have that too.

For a more advanced lesson you can join Rosetta Stone or a more economical option like or . If you just want Spanish try The best way of course is to emerse yourself in the culture so go on a trip.

Just_For_Fun

Ever feel like you voice didn't match you personality. Or maybe your an Old man surfing the internet posing as a teenage girl for the next John Stossel Sting. Well any way do we have a program for you. The Screaming Bee MorphVOX Voice Changer. With its pitch changer you can sound like a Munchkin or Issac Hayes, you decide.

Tired of searching Google in English? Try searching in Pirate. That's right matey, you can have your searches swingin' frum the gallows. You can even search for Captain Kirk in "Klingon" or that screwy rabbit in "Elmer Fudd". Sign in to your Gmail account and log in to your preferences. You can even choose from a bunch of Real languages too.

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
E-Marketing and Technology Coach
HomeWay.tv
Keller Williams Realty East Bay

TechTuesday "Google Phone" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.7

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:54:48 -0500

October 21, 2008 Volume 1 Issue 7

So you may have heard that Google has developed it own Phone operating system called Android. Today I'm going to show you how to put the power of Google in your phone with out upgrading or trading in for a new one. Google has set up a Free Service for everyone to harness the power of Google with almost any cell phone. The key to unlocking the power is by TEXTing.

Here's a little story how I found all the info I needed with out my computer and only my phone.

This morning I woke up and had to catch a flight to Austin, TX. I kissed my wife and kids goodbye and was breaking for the door when I realized I should check the weather before I leave. My laptop was packed up and it takes too long to start my Home PC, so I grabbed my phone and TEXT Google at 466453. I send the message "w Austin TX" a few seconds later I get "64F, Rain". Guess I better grab an umbrella.

So I hopped in a cab and made my way to the airport. Its a bit foggy this morning, better check to make sure my flight is on time so I text Google again with my airline and flight number "SW 105", Whala! "Ontime". The cabby isn't very talkative and is listening to French radio. I check how the market is fairing this morning and text Google the stock ticker "dji" (Dow Jone Industrial), market is up 78.4 points, sweet!

We are almost at the airport and I'd like to say thank you in French to my cabby. I text Google "t Thank You in French" and I get "Merci". We get to the airport and my cab ride is $87.45 WHAT??? So, I'm a little rattled and can't figure out how much I need to tip Frenchy for the ride. I ask Google to Calculate it for me "87.45 * 1.15" Google tells me "100.5675" so I give the cabby a $100 bill and race to the terminal. I know I shorted him a bit, but $87 bucks for a cab ride...c'mon.

As I'm standing in line I notice the lady in front of me (OK get your minds out of the gutter) has a cool rolling laptop bag. I ask her where she got it and how much it cost. She said she got it at a luggage store and paid about $100. So I ask Google to Price it for me. "Price Rolling Laptop Bag" "Targus Rolling Notebook Case $34-$67" Pretty good deal I'll need to look for one after the trip. As I wait at the terminal I check the market again. Yikes! down 57 points. Let see how my baseball team did last night "SF Giants" "SFGiants 7, LA Dodgers 2 final" at least my team won last night.

I look through my bag as I'm waiting for the plane and I realize I forgot the directions to the Hotel. So I start by getting the address by looking up the Hotel "Marriott Austin TX". Google found a couple of them. But I know its the one on 4th ST. Now I need the Airport Address "Airport Austin TX" Now its time for directions "3600 presidential blvd 78719 to 300 E 4th 78701". Perfect now the directions are on my phone. I wonder what there cell phone use laws are while driving? Google didn't have an answer for me on that one....

When you need the answer to something why not ask Google. There are a few more things that Google can help you with using their SMS service.You can send them a text message to 466453 to get info for the following items. Standard text message rates apply from your phone provider.

	Examples
SMS Function	Short	Long
Local	Pizza 94598	Pizza walnut creek CA	To get business listings, enter what you want to find and include a city and state, or zip
Weather	w 94598	weather walnut creek CA	To get weather information, enter 'weather' (or 'w') followed by a city and state, or zip
Glossary	d ubiquitous	define ubiquitous	To find definitions on the Web, enter 'define' (or 'd') followed by the word or phrase
Sports	sf giants	sf giants	For NBA/NHL/MLB/NFL/NCAA scores/schedules, enter a team name (ex: Lakers, Sharks, Mets, Jets, Duke). Available only for sports in season.
Movies	Batman 94598	Batman walnut creek CA	To get movie showtimes, enter the name of a CURRENT movie and include a city and state, or zip
Stocks	dji	dji stock	To get stock quotes, enter a SINGLE stock ticker symbol or the word 'stock' followed by a less obvious ticker name
Zip Code	94598		Look up zip code information by entering a zip code
Driving Directions	94598 to 94806	walnut creek ca to richmond ca	To get driving directions, enter your start address then 'to' followed by your destination address
Maps	map walnut creek ca	Map 3021 citrus circle walnut creek ca	To get a link to the map of an address, enter 'map' followed by the full address
Flights	Ua 14	united airlines 14	To get flight information, enter the flight number to get gate times or the airline to get the phone number
Area Codes	925		Look up area code information by entering an area code
Products	Input (UPC/ISBN)	price computer	To get product prices, enter 'price' followed by the product name, or enter the UPC/ISBN code directly.
Q&A			Enter a fact-based question or query to get facts (ex: india population, who wrote hamlet).
Transaltion	t hello to spanish	translate hello to spanish	To get translations, enter 'translate' (or 't') followed by the expression, 'to' and a destination language, supports: english, spanish, french, german, italian
Web Snippets			To get snippets from generic Web results, enter 'web' followed by the search terms (ex: web stanford university, web ringtones for phone).
Calculator			Use calculator to solve math problems, units of measure or currency conversions (ex: 5+2*2, half cup in teaspoon, 70F in C, 1 dollar in pound, 3 USD in GBP).

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
E-Marketing and Technology Coach
HomeWay.tv
Keller Williams Realty East Bay

Nate Ellis <Nate@HomeWay.tv>

REALTOR

Keller Williams Realty East Bay

TechTuesday "Business Planning" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.6

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:54:18 -0500

Volume 1 Issue 6

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////// Have you had enough of This YEAR?//////////
////////////October is a GREAT TIME to//////////////////
/////////////start planning for Next YEAR.////////////////
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

There is no better way to avoid a slump then by planning for success. Top Agents have told me that having the mindset for success has carried their business through many a winter. So here are some FREE Tools to help your business start the New Year Stronger.

Start with a Plan

So you wanna double your business next year. How ya gonna do it? Just going out and knocking on more doors may increase your numbers a bit, but Do YOU Have a Plan?
So you want a plan but don't know where to start. Thats OK. A great businessman wants to share some of his secrets with you, for FREE.

Donald Trump wants to teach you How to Write a Business Plan. While tips on Hair Styles are not Trump's forte, I'm sure you can learn some tips on improving your business plan.

After you've taken your lesson from "The Donald", get yourself Fired Up and start writing your Plan.
If you are a Real Estate Professional there is no better guide than the Millionaire Real Estate Agent (MREA), or the Real Estate Bible as it is so fondly referred to.You will need to buy the Book, but I am sure with the exodus of Realtors from the business you can find one on the shelf at your local Used Book store. Or you can just use the tools available to all for FREE at MillionaireSystems.com You get access to many tools to help you Plan, Track and Build your business.

Get Some Tools to Track Your Results

You've got a plan Now Let's Track it! You are going to need to be able to track your Money and Track your Clients. Here's how you can do it for Free.

Tired of Paying Top Producer, ACT or SalesForce.com every month just so you can send out a couple of emails. Here is a FREE option to help you manage your Clients. ZOHO CRM (crm - Client Relationship Management) is a fabulous online tool to manage your clients information and the sales process. While this is a FREE Toll it is not set up for a Real Estate Business. You will need to spend a bit of time customizing the fields so they are useful for your business. Zoho also has a host of additional online tools to help your business that can replace the use of Microsoft Office.

Now that you can keep track of your Clients lets keep track of YOUR Money. Since you are managing your funds why should you pay for software to do that. OK so there are very good reasons to pay for software to do this, but if you need something to get you started for Free how about something from One of the Best Makers of Financial Software - Quickbooks. This gives you all the tools to start managing your money and your business. If you need more automation and advanced tools you will need to upgrade or incorporate one of their other services.

Now that you have made your money time to Pay Uncle Sam. TaxACT lets you File Your taxes for FREE. TaxACT does not have an income restriction or require any rebates to file your taxes on their website. You will still need to pay to file your State return so you may just end up upgrading anyway. (Hmmm...thats how they get you)

Go Out and Get The Business

You now have a Plan, the tools to implement it Time to get the business.
There are many ways to get leads. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you get Free ones.

Blog, blog, BLOG - Get on the internet and let people know who you are. Write about things you know about and like and people will respond. It takes a while to develop this lead source. Just remember as you write, always ask "Is this the First Impression I want to Make" Sign up and start Blogging today.

Lead Lists - If you are in the Real Estate business many title companies can provide you with contact lists of people who own homes in the area. All of this info is public info and can be pulled up on your own by going to the County as well.

Free Leads - If you want a bunch of FREE Leads you can check out SalesGenie.com They will give you 100 Free Leads in the hopes that you buy a bunch more from them. These leads will be very, very, very basic and are shared with lots of people. But Hey! Free is Free.

If that's not enough you can always go out and knock on some more doors!

A Man, A Plan, a Canal, Panama!

Danke Schoen and Happy and Profitable Planning,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
Technology Coordinator
www.HomeWay.tv
Keller Williams Realty East Bay

Nate Ellis <Nate@HomeWay.tv>

REALTOR

Keller Williams Realty East Bay

TechTuesday "Free Tech Support" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.5

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:25:41 -0500

Volume 1 Issue 5

In this issue of TechTuesday we will talk about FREE Tech Support options.

FREE TECH SUPPORT

Have you ever had a problem with your computer and there was either nobody to help you fix it or you couldn't figure it out? Have you wished and prayed to the Microsoft Gods for a fix to a glitch? Or maybe you are pretty good with stuff and you just need a little help on writing some HTML code.

Here are 3 FREE sites you can visit for help with your questions.

TechGUY.org

If you're looking for free technical support, you've found it! This site is run completely by volunteers and paid for completely by donations and sponsors. There is no charge to you (although we do appreciate donations). To get started, check out the Tech Support Guy Forums. We hope you will return frequently! First, you might want to try searching for your answer. Chances are, someone else has already had the same problem you are! If you can't find what you're looking for by searching, you can post your question in our Forums, where other users will try to answer your question.

5StarSupport.com

5 Star Support has offered its "Free Computer Technical Support" service along with hundreds of free computer software downloads for over 7 years! Our dedication to this online computer support community has earned the respect of computer users world wide.

We have assembled one page dedicated to Computer Security. Anything that you need to know about the latest in security threats can be found here at our "Security Center".

An alternate method of free pc support is our "Free Computer Help Forums". There are many friendly moderators on staff eager to help you troubleshoot your computer problems!

Check out our newly updated Windows Vista Frequently Asked Questions pages for many answers to Windows Vista problems.

Visit our "Computer Tutorials" section for many free computer support related articles, such as; Clean Installation of Windows Vista, Install a Home Network, Configuring a Network Card, Partition a Hard Drive and many more pc help related articles!

We have hundreds of free computer self-help "Tips, Tricks & Tweaks" available at our Tips, Tricks & Tweaks section.

If you're looking for Computer Troubleshooting information, look no further. We have a large database of searchable information at your disposal located in the "Troubleshooting FAQ" section.

Protonic.com

Got a headache with your computer and no budget to fix it ..... protonic.com is here to help. We are a free service manned by volunteers all over the planet, helping people fix technology problems. We enjoy the challenge of solving your problem, we are up to date and work as a team. Our standards are assured by Quality Assurance sampling .... we do our best to put the smile back on your face.

Check out the sites above for your Tech questions. You will need to register to gain access to the forums and ask questions but you can usually browse the forums without registering. Most of your tech questions will be answered by email but some of the services do offer a chat board for immediate resolution. While these are trusted sites I DO NOT RECOMMEND granting any of the techs REMOTE ACCESS to your computer. Remote access is the ability of the other user to take control of your computer to manipulate your system files.

Get the list of other FREE Things that Everyone Should Know About.

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
Technology Coordinator
Keller Williams Realty East Bay

Nate Ellis <Nate@HomeWay.tv>

REALTOR

Keller Williams Realty East Bay

TechTuesday "Email" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.4

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:16:48 -0500

Volume 1 Issue 4

This week we are going to take a look at Email. Corporate, Free and Personal Domain email solutions.

So how on Earth did we communicate before email? (We actually talked to each other.) Now we can stay in contact with everyone we know at once by pressing send. Now there are Etiquette Rules you should follow, but today I want to focus on choosing the right email solution for your business.

The three solutions for handling your email are:

Free Web Mail and Service Provider Email - Free email service that is ad supported and accessible via the internet
Corporate - The email provided by your Company or Employer
Personal Domain and Paid Hosting - You pay for the email service and own the name after the @

FREE WEB MAIL and SERVICE PROVIDER EMAIL

You just signed up for the internet, chose your screen name and Wah-la! You have an email address Goodlookn987409@aol.com
Well that was 10 years ago. The Botox isn't working like you thought and people joke you should change your email to StiffLOOkN@omg.com (omg-Oh My God).

Now if you are like me and wanted to take advantage of getting access to the internet for cheaper you have probably changed your service a few times form AOL to Earthlink or your service got bought out and you've gone from Pacbell.net to SBCglobal.net to ATT.net

So after the 5th change you decided to sign up for a Web Mail account so you wouldn't have to change you email again. Most of you probably have an email account with one of the following:

Gmail - My favorite of the freebies. Gives you great Online and Offline tools. You also get free POP3 access (POP3 - ability to download your messages to Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird)
MSN Live/Hotmail - These guys have been around for a long time.
Yahoo - Nice interface and spam filtering. This has been my longest standing email account. I also like their upgraded (paid) email account.

Others may have accounts with Mail.com or GMX.com because they had a user name you liked.

These email options are a great way to start receiving and sending email to your friends and family. If you are doing business through email you should really be using one of the next 2 options. One last note on FREE Email. The ads you see while looking at your email are determined by looking at your email. These services use an algorithm to skim your email to put pertinent ads on the screen.

CORPORATE EMAIL SERVICE

This is an email address provided by your company or employer. These email addresses are usually formated as;

"First Name"@company.com
"First Name""Last Initial"@company.com
"First Initial""Last Name"@company.com
"First Name"."Last Name@company.com

Some companies also add numbers before the "@" if more than one employee matches the email address format.

This type of email says I work for the company. Look you can trust me. You may even be required to use this email for all of your business correspondences. The email is sent (typically) over a secured server and incoming email is scrubbed for SPAM. Because of the way this type of account is structured you may not be able to receive email from some people and BIG BROTHER is always watching.

While your computer will be protected better that other services there is one fatal flaw for anyone whose business depends on maintaining relationships. WHEN YOU LEAVE the company YOU LOOSE YOUR EMAIL address.

To solve this issue you should invest in your own Email Solution.

PERSONAL DOMAIN and PAID HOSTING

Get your own domain name. This is the best solution for any professional running a business. Next week we'll look into Tips for Selecting a Great Domain Name. Here are some of the many benefits you receive by setting up your own Domain for emails.

Your New Domain Name should only cost you about $10/yr. A very inexpensive way to brand yourself.
You get unlimited addresses before the "@". This is a Great Way to Filter Junk Mail from Leads.
You control your SPAM filters.
You appear to be a professional.

Your primary email should follow the formating standards that major companies use. (see above) You can choose to have these emails forwarded to any of the other solutions above or you can set up a Paid Email Service.

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
Technology Coordinator
Keller Williams Realty East Bay

Nate Ellis <Nate@HomeWay.tv>

REALTOR

Keller Williams Realty East Bay

TechTuesday "Cell Phone Tools" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.3

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:04:20 -0500

Volume 1 Issue 3

In this issue of TechTuesday we will look at Free Tools for Your Phone.

SlyDial - Ever had a client that you didn't really need to talk to them but you need to get them a message. Well SlyDial is the answer. This service lets you leave a message on someones Cell Phone with out it ever ringing. 267-759-3425

Jott - This magical service allows you to leave a voice message on the service and it sends you a typed note of your message along with the audio file. The paid version includes the ability to call in and send text messages and email using the service.

GrandCentral - Get a Free local phone number and voicemail. You will need to put your name in to reserve a number once one become available.
--------------------------------------------------------

Here are a few more Things I thought you might like.

iWantSandy - Need an assistant. Tell Sandy. She will send you an email or text message and remind you about all of your appointments. Send her an email and she will remember it for you. If you upgrade your Jott account you can even call your assistant to make new appointment reminders.

FREE Directory Assistance - There are several to choose from 800-GOOG-411 or 800-FREE-411 or 800-555-TELL

MLS on Your Mobile - Register here first then go to wireless.ccartoday.com on your mobile device. (Contra Costa County, CA)

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
Technology Coordinator - Keller Williams East Bay Walnut Creek

Nate Ellis <Nate@HomeWay.tv>

REALTOR

Keller Williams Realty East Bay

TechTuesday "Free Programs" Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.2

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:36:22 -0500

Volume 1 Issue 2

Welcome to the second issue of TechTuesday, your weekly update on technology for the Real Estate Professional.

This week we will focus on some Free Programs Everyone Should Know About.

Anti-Virus Software
You should have at least 2 Anti-Virus software programs at all times. I recommend at least of them be a paid subscription. Since you are here looking for FREE stuff, these 2 are pretty good.
Spyware Doctor and AVG Free Anti-Virus
Also take a look at Spybot a Spyware remover.

Internet Browsers
Are you frustrated with Internet Explorer and looking for something New.
My Favorite Browser is Mozilla's Firefox. With a ton of widgets (add on programs), this browser can save you time and help you find stuff on the web faster.
Opera has a cool interface and sleek design.

Office Suites
Tired of giving Microsoft all of your hard earned money. How about 2 great alternatives to buying Microsoft Office?
The first is Open Office. This is a Free open source program that has all the capabilities of Microsoft Office including: a Word Processing Program (i.e. MS Word), A Spreadsheet Program (i.e. Excel), Presentation Software (i.e. Powerpoint), A Database Program (i.e. MS Access) and a Graphic Editor (i.e. MS Paint). And by the way it will also save all your files into PDF's directly from the program.
The second option is through the internet giant Google and their Google Docs Platform. It can do all the same things as above plus a few more tricks. The only catch is it is completely online. To access Google Docs you must first sign up for a Gmail Account.

Email Manager and Calendar
Here is an alternative to Outlook. Mozilla's Thunderbird. This Email manager lets you save all your emails offline and manage multiple accounts from one interface. You can also run advanced tools to sort your mail for you. To keep track of dates you can use Mozilla's Sunbird.

Program Type	Name	Similar to	Website

Anti-Virus	Spyware DR	Norton/McAfee	http://www.pctools.com/free-antivirus/
Anti-Virus	AVG Free Anti Virus	Norton/McAfee	http://free.avg.com/
Spyware Remover	Spybot		http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
Internet Browser	Firefox	Internet Explorer	http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
Internet Browser	Opera	Internet Explorer	http://www.opera.com/
Office Suite	OpenOffice.org	Microsoft Office	http://www.openoffice.org/
Office Suite	Google Docs	Microsoft Office	Sign in to your Gmail Account
Email Manager	Thunderbird	Microsoft Outlook	http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/
Calendar	Sunbird	Microsoft Outlook	http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/sunbird/

There are a ton of other FREE tools out there.
If you have a suggestion on other Free Programs Everyone Should Know About Use this link to add them to the list.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pNhIqyfzF0zu_hpreZmkkDA

For those looking for some Cool new things to check out try these:

www.cuil.com - This a a relatively new search engine (i.e. Google). It got hammered on its debut, but is worth taking a second look.

Try out Chrome. This is Google's latest stab at dismantling Microsoft. Chrome is a Brand New Internet Browser (i.e. Internet Explorer). i like the integrated search and web address bar. This is still in its test phase so there are bugs, but try it out.

Sign up to Start Blogging. This will sign you up for a FREE Real Estate blog with ActiveRain.

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
Technology Coordinator - Keller Williams East Bay Walnut Creek

Nate Ellis <Nate@HomeWay.tv>

REALTOR

Keller Williams Realty East Bay

What does the 700 Billion Bailout Mean to Main Street?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:53:29 -0500

So, the New $700 Billion Dollar Mortgage Bailout Bill (aka. HR 1424) has been passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President.

Now What? How does this Bill help Main Street?

There are 4 major components designed to help Joe Sixpack on Main Street.

Freeing up the credit markets so financing is easier to get.
Assist Homeowners with Loan Modifications to avoid Foreclosure.
Increase the FDIC Insurance Limit to $250,000. (temporary)
Delay the implementation of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for 1 year

While the over all Goal of the Bill is to give the Market a "Shot in the Arm", markets did not react favorably. Stocks, Gold and Oil all closed down after the signing.

So how does the plan work to Free up the Credit Markets? The plan is by the the Fed buying up the debt that nobody else wants, banks can then lend money more freely. The Banks will not have to increase their reserves to cover delinquent loans and foreclosed assets, because they have sold these notes to the taxpayers.

Since the Banks don't have to increase their reserves they can lend money more freely in the market and the leverage can get the economy rolling again.

These Loans and other debt that the Feds have procured can be renegotiated to help troubled borrowers regain financial stability. Since the Feds are buying the debt at a discount the goal is that restructuring the payments could stop the default hemoraging and eventually turn a profit.

To help mitigate "Runs on the Bank" on institutions like Wachovia, currently seeking refuge in the arms of Citi Bank or Wells Fargo, a provision to temporarily increase the FDIC insured deposit limit to $250,000. This should help big and small banks that are struggling from having their deposits wiped out keeping them in business.

There have been several riders and amendments stuffed into the Bail Out Plan. These include money for rural schools, mental health benefit inclusions and a bunch of tax extensions and exemptions. The most important of which is the delay of implementing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for one year.

The delay of the AMT will save save middle class Americans from a tax increase and help them have more money that can be spent to help the economy.

To read the $700 Billion Bail Out Bill in its entirety use this link.

http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/110/h/h1424.pdf

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis

Amazing Growing List of Free Stuff - 16+ Free things that everyone should know about

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:18:10 -0500

So you have been scouring the web for Freebies. You have found the Ultimate List of Free Stuff that Everyone Should Know About. have you been searching for a Free alternative to Microsoft Office? What about a program to edit your photos Professionally. Maybe you just want to make free calls from your computer to any phone. You will find these and many more solutions here.

So why is this the ultimate list? Because you can add your own freebies to the list. If you write a review about the item I will link the notes to your review. So submit away.

Why pay for something if someone is giving it away here for free! Get the List of Free Stuff that Everyone Should Know About

Danke Schoen and Enjoy! ~Nate Ellis

If you have other suggestions about Free Anti-Virus, Free Spyware remover, Free Internet Browser,Free Word Processor, Free Spreadsheet, Free Email, Free Calendar, Free Phone, Free website, Free cool tools, Free Photo, Free Video, Free Real Estate, Free research, Free Education, Free fax or other Free Tools -Please click the "Add to the List of Freebies" button above.

If you do add a suggestion to the list. I reserve the right to edit, and or remove information you have provided. If any of the links above do not work or information provided is not accurate, please comment and I">ll look into getting them corrected.

TechTuesday Technology Update for the Real Estate Professional 1.1

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:10:24 -0500

Welcome to the inaugural issue of TechTuesday, your weekly update on technology for the Real Estate Professional.

This week we will focus on the Tools that were brought to us as part of the SHIFT Tour.

First Here is the link I promised from last week to help get you started blogging.
Sign up to Start Blogging. This will sign you up for a blog with ActiveRain.

Tools from SHIFT

Special 60 Trial Period for Top Producer - A special 60 Day trial period has been set up for SHIFT participants. Contact Top Producer for details.

Sign up for FREE 30-Day Training for Top Producer (Provided by MAPS coaching program)
Classes starting soon - Check out FREE MAPS Training Classes for more details. (You will need to be logged in to the KW intranet to access link.)

Tools for Agents from Any Company

AgentMountain.com - FREE downloads; Presentations, Reports available to agents from any company

MillionaireSystems.com - FREE MREA (Millionaire Real Estate Agent) tools including business plan and models from book. Available to anyone.

Keller Williams Exclusive Tools (You will need to be logged in to the KW intranet to access link.)

KWConnect.com - Scripts, Training, "Power Hour"

KWU - Keller Williams University - KW Training Programs, MREA Job Descriptions and tools, Coaching, Masterminds

KW Intranet - KW Email, Downloadable Marketing Material, 411 Business Plan, Goal Entry and Tracking, Preferred Vendors, Your KW Web Site by eAgentC, KWLS

SHIFT Technology Resources - Clickable resource list from KW

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis
REALTOR
Technology Coordinator - Keller Williams Realty East Bay Walnut Creek

CalHFA Suspends Loan Programs and Down Payment Assistance

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:34:29 -0500

Just got this announcement from CalHFA. This is a huge blow to First Time Home Buyers in California. These programs help a lot of people bridge the down payment gap. I hope we get these back soon!

Effective immediately and until the financial markets stabilize, the following CalHFA first mortgage products are temporarily unavailable:

35 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage - interest only PLUSSM
40 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage
HomeChoice Program
New BLOCK Forward Commitments will not be issued, including forward commitments for the Self-Help Builder Assistance Program (SHBAP) Additionally the following subordinate loan programs are also temporarily unavailable:
High Cost Area Home Purchase Assistance Program (HiCAP)
CalHFA Housing Assistance Program (CHAP)

Effective September 23, 2008, the interest rate on all 30-Year Fixed Mortgages will be 6.750%. This situation is being monitored daily and these rates and loan products are under continual review. When conditions warrant, programs will be reinstated, announced by Program Bulletin and posted on CalHFA’s website.

View the complete CalHFA Bulletin #2008-31

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis

888-808-6283

The Best Hardship Letter

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:32:56 -0500

It can be very difficult putting into words just how much you need help in getting out of your mortgage. Weather you are trying to Save your Home and renegotiate with the Bank or your are asking them to let you sell the home in a Short Sale for less than you own, You will need to compose a moving Hardship Letter.

You really must think of the Hardship Letter as an essay in a non-fiction (Actual Events) writing contest. There are thousands of entries and we need yours to stand out. You could use any number of the templates out there, but will you stand out, or did you take a shortcut.

So, What makes a good Hardship Letter?

Key information is included in letter and is easily found (Borrower Full Name, Address of Property, Account Number(s), and Borrower contact information)
Describe the events that were out of your control that have caused you to become delinquent.You will need to provide documentation supporting your Hardship. (Sample Hardship Types - Adjustable Rate Mortgage Reset,Illness, Loss of Job, Reduced Income, Failed Business, Job Relocation, Death of Spouse or C0-Borrower, Death, Incarceration, Divorce, Marital Separation, Military Duty, Medical Bills, Damage to Property)
Tell YOUR story - What did home ownership mean to YOU? What does loosing your home do to YOUR family? How will getting lower payments/selling your home help? What will you be able to do once this ordeal is over? How will you up hold and adhere to the new terms?
Be Brief - Keep it to one page if possible but no more than two.
Spellcheck-Spellcheck-Spellcheck
Have someone read the letter and get their feedback
Hand write the letter - I suggest typing your letter first so you have composed exactly what you want. Then legibly hand write the letter. If your writing is difficult to read then type the letter.

The letter should allow the Bank's Account Manager to get to know you and your situation. A Good letter will help to create a connection between You and the Account Manager in charge of your loan. If the letter creates enough of a connection then the Account Manager will work harder to help get a resolution that works out.

As you are writing the letter you should be moved. The letter should be difficult for you to write. Stick to the question format above and you should be able to get through it.

Most of the letters are scaned and faxed over to the Banks these days. So don't write on colored paper or stationary with background images. Crying on the letter won't help either, but if you were honest and passionate in Your Story the reader will pick up on that.

I also suggest that you include a large faxable black and white photo of your family to include with the letter. This makes you more real to the Account Manager and not just another file.

The prize for this contest is ...

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis

888-808-6283

I want to keep my home. What can I do?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:37:17 -0500

You must cut your expenses!

But how do I cut my expenses? I have already cut everything I can. Have YOU?

You must first start by writing out your current budget and tracking all of your expenses.(30 days)
Get a roommate
Carpool or take public transit
Cancel non-essential services
Sell some of your stuff – Ebay/Craigslist
Get another job
Ask for overtime
Bring your lunch to work
Invite friends for pot luck dinners and rotate dinner nights. It's cheaper to cook for 4 than cooking for 2.
Clip coupons / online coupons
Walk More
Plan your Trips for efficiency

After you have trimmed your budget, take a look at Other options you may have.

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis

888-808-6283

I don't Think I can continue to make my mortgage payments. What are my options?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:24:59 -0500

The first thing you must do is seek the advice of the following professionals:

A Non-Profit Distressed Homeowner counselor
A Mortgage or Loan Officer
A Real Estate Agent
A Lawyer

All of the professionals above will need the following information from you in order to be able to give you the information you need to decide which option is the best for your situation.

Your Original Loan Documents
A Very Detailed list of your current expense budget
A Hardship Letter and supporting documents
Last 60 days of all of your Bank and Investment Accounts
Last 30 days of your pay stubs
Last 2 years of taxes

Make sure you make multiple copies of your documents so you always have a set available to give to one of the professionals.

Your options will be based on the professionals you contact. Start with the Non-Profit Housing Counselor. They will give you unbiased options for your situation. In most cases they can not tell you what your next step should be. They will only give you the options.

Then seek out the advice of the other professionals. When selecting the other professionals to consult look for people that give back to the community and work directly with local housing agencies and cities. Make sure you ask for and check the references of each of the professionals. Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Lenders should not be charging you up front for their services. There may be fees however once documentation is being submitted to the lender or for requesting documents like deedsa and credit reports.

You should always be able to get a free consultation.

Danke Schoen,

Nate Ellis

888-808-6283

How Can a Non-Profit Distressed-Homeowner Counselor help me?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:00:41 -0500

The job of the non-profit distressed Homeowner Counselor is to inform you about all the options that may be available for you to save or sell your home and to inform you about the possible consequences. Counselors can be found by contacting the HOPE Alliance or by contacting your local City and County Housing Offices. In your Counseling session you should cover the following:

Establishing and Amending your Budget to allow you to Keep Your Home

Contacting your current lender to see if you are eligible for:

a) Interest Rate Freeze

b) Interest Rate Reduction

c) Principal Reduction

All of these options may be know as Loan Modifications.

Choices you have for selling the home

a) Selling to a Relative

b) Selling on the Open Market

c) Short Sale

The Advantages and Consequences of a Short Sale and other options

Cash for Keys Programs

The Foreclosure Process and Consequences

Possibility of Bankruptcy

If you have questions about the process feel free to contact me.

Nate 888-808-6283

Buy a Home in California with No Money Down (CalHFA)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:29:17 -0500

Buy a Home in California with No Money Down (CalHFA)

Now is the perfect opportunity for First Time Home Buyers to take advantage of declining values in California. One thing stopping many buyers from getting into the market has been lack of a Down Payment. The State of California wants to help you bridge that gap and help you with the down payment so you can get your piece of the “California Dream”. Check out the video below with Nate Ellis"Mr. Danke Schoen" interviewing Sherri Kerth from CalHFA

For over 30 years, California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) has supported the needs of renters and first-time homebuyers by providing financing and programs that create safe, decent and affordable housing opportunities for individuals within specified income ranges. Established in 1975, CalHFA was chartered as the State’s affordable housing bank to make low interest rate loans through the sale of tax-exempt bonds. A completely self-supporting State agency, bonds are repaid by revenues generated through mortgage loans, not taxpayer dollars.

CalHFA offers Below Market Interest Rates and these are posted on their website. The rates are usually good for an extended period of time but will change with major shifts in the market. It has been my experience that they will raise rates faster in deteriorating markets than they lower rate in improving markets. You can lock in your rate for 30-90 days for the same cost. If you are buying a Newly Constructed Home you can lock in for up to 6 month. To be able to lock in your rate you must have a property in contract.

Highlights of the CalHFA Program

Financing to 102% of Purchase Price with FICOs down to 620 (90% on Manufactured Homes)
No Declining Market Hit
No Hit for Condos
No Minimum borrower contribution
No Inspection report required (if not checked on contract)
Can use with City Downpayment Assistance Programs
Can use with CalHFA Down Payment Assistance Programs
Below Market Interest Rates
30 yr, 40 yr and interest only options.
Lock for 30-90 lock same cost.
Fixed Lender fees
MI can be petitioned for removal once the loan balance falls below 79.9% LTV
Borrowers with limited Credit OK
BK/Foreclosure OK after 3 yrs
Non-Occupant Co-Signers OK

For more information Click Call Me to call me for free or email me

Get CalHFA Downpayment