All Around Hudson Town

Twitter Buttons, Badges, Gadgets, Counters - What else do you need?

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:41:29 -0500

Using Twitter? Pimp your blog, site and pages with these great TwitTools

Via Rita and Brian Burke ~KennaRealEstate.com ~ 303.955.4220:

If you are on Twitter are you announcing your Twitterxistence (I know that is not a word LOL) in all of your other outlets - blog, website, other social networks, e-mail and so on. Make it easy for people to follow you on twitter by adding gadgets and/or buttons. You can add them on each individual post, on comments, on your e-mail signature etc. etc.

I know this has been written about in some capacity or another a few times around here, but thought it might be time to spread the word again. This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get e-mails about.

Darren Rowse in his TwiTip blog put together a list of 181 FREE Twitter buttons, badges, widgets and counters... You will find plenty of buttons to choose from.

By-the-way TwiTip is an excellent blog to subscribe to. You learn something new every day!

Here are a couple of samples of the buttons

How do you get the buttons?

Follow these steps:
This works with Firefox, not sure if the same applies with Internet Explorer.

See a button you like - RIGHT CLICK your mouse.
A menu pops up. The 4th item down on the menu says - SAVE IMAGE AS - CLICK on that
Another box pops up that prompts you to save the image
Save it where it makes sense for you to save it (I save it in my pictures folder under Twitter folder that I have made)
I rename the image to something I can remember!
Save. Now the image is saved somewhere in your computer.

To insert the photo to your blog post, do as you would inserting any photo. It's a good idea to link it to your twitter profile - which allows people to click on the twitter image and get right to your Twitter page and follow you.

Check to make sure the link opens in a new window.
(If you need more details or help on how to do this - feel free to e-mail me and I'll be happy to help you out)

This is what mine would look like html (with the link)

Using this image

<a href="http://twitter.com/kennarealestate" title="Follow kennarealestate Rita Burke on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/3/2/6/2/ar123377755626237.png" height="128" alt="Follow kennarealestate on Twitter" width="128" /></a>

This would be your Twitter username

This would be where you have the image uploaded - I uploaded this on Activerain

Notice the alt= text on the uploaded image - GOOGLE reads this text, make sure you put something there that you want to be found for!

You can use the same code to insert this to your Activerain sidebar, which you have to do from Activerain - Your Home - Settings - Blog Description

Keep on Twittering and see you there!

If you missed any of the previous Twitter Tutorials - see below
Part 1 - The VERY Beginning click here STEP-by-STEP Starter Guide
Part 2 - What Next? Reply, Direct Message
Part 3 - Find people to follow that can help you and your business
Part 4 - The Followers
Part 5 - Modifying Twitter E-mail settings

Rita Burke

Kenna & Co. Denver Real Estate

303.710.2609
Brian Direct 303.710.5657
Rita Direct

Brian@KennaRealEstate.com Rita@KennaRealEstate.com

303.955.4220 Office
888.417.4347 Fax

Copyright 2009.© Kenna and Co. Rita Burke. All Rights Reserved. Denver real estate. Feb 4th 2009. "Twitter buttons, badges, gadgets, counters - what else do you need?"

Spotlight Community of the Week: Twinsburg, Ohio

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:45:45 -0500

This Northeast Ohio community is rich with history and tradition. It offers a variety of housing options for one and all as well as abundant city resources for recreation. The school system excels in preparing students for their college careers and beyond, and of course, it's difficult not to focus on the real estate market-which ain't too shabby, folks!

Here are the latest market statistics for the past six months:

This chart shows the active listings stats. Right now, there are 104 active listings.

This chart shows us that the sector of the market that is currently selling, meaning it's under contract is signficantly lower in price than the active listings that remain on the market illustrated in the first graphic. This tells us that homes are selling, but they are the more affordable, entry level homes.

This chart tells us that over the last six months, the average list price of a sold home was $244,153. It also tells us that it took an average of 131 days to get the job done and close the transaction. Note once again the pending sales, which are the most recent contracts that buyers have written are at a lower price point. This indicates that there are more buyers in the entry level range right now actively purchasing homes.

Of the listings that have been on the market over the last six months, this chart shows the percentages of what is active, sold and pending. With 52% active and 47% either pending or sold, it is a somewhat balanced market. This indicates stability and an absorption of homes out of the inventory.

This pie chart illustrates the percentages of homes that sold in a particular time frame. Planning a move? This is the best indicator of the time it will take to get the home from "for sale" to SOLD.

Wondering how market time effects the ultimate sale price? In this instance, not much. Homes are holding their value and selling within 5% of list price.

Here are some handy links for the City of Twinsburg so that you can learn more!

Twinsburg City Link

http://www.mytwinsburg.com/

Parks and Recreation Department & Activity Offerings

http://www.mytwinsburg.com/site.cfm/currentactivityguide.cfm

Learn About Twinsburg's Roots

http://www.mytwinsburg.com/site.cfm/about-twinsburg.cfm

Stay up to date with all the happenings in and around T-Town with the City's e-newletter here

http://www.mytwinsburg.com/site.cfm/register-t-mail.cfm

Finally Homeowners Get a Helping Hand, Program details here!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:49:08 -0500

Homeowners were lent a hand this week by the Obama Administration's newest effort to help families remain in their homes. The "Making Home Affordable" program was created to help as many as 9 million homeowners who want to stay in their homes, but are struggling with their finances.

Here is a good link http://www.financialstability.gov/makinghomeaffordable/index.html

Modification program

What is it?

Homeowners who are having trouble affording their mortgage payments either because of issues such as job loss or because of resetting interest rates may qualify for new, more affordable loans.

Do I qualify?

• You must live in the home.

• You don't already have to be behind on payments.

• The loan balance can't exceed $729,750.

• It's aimed at homeowners who have lost a job, had their payment jump, been hit with higher expenses, owe more than the home is worth or are otherwise at risk of default.

• The loan must have been originated before Jan. 2.

Example:

You bought a $200,000 home three years ago with a $190,000 first mortgage and an adjustable rate. Your payment was $1,170 a month. Now it's jumped to $1,530. Your gross monthly income is $3,700. Your monthly payment could be reduced to 31 percent of your gross, or $1,147 a month. Or, if your payment was still $1,170 but your income had dropped to $2,700 a month, your mortgage payment might drop to $837.

What do I do?

Gather pay stubs, last tax return, second mortgage data, and balances and monthly payments on loans and credit cards. Also summarize why your finances are stressed. Then call the company where you make your payments. Deadline is Dec. 31, 2012.

Refinance program

What is it?

Homeowners who haven't been able to refinance because their homes have lost value may now be able to get new loans at today's low fixed rates and get rid of higher fixed- or adjustable-rate loans.

Do I qualify?

• You must live in the home.

• You can't have been 30 days late in the last year.

• Your mortgage can't exceed the current value of your home by more than 5 percent.

• The loan may be serviced by your bank, but it must be held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

• It's OK if you have a second mortgage in addition to a first mortgage that's 105 percent of the current value.

Example:

You bought a $200,000 home three years ago with a $180,000 first mortgage. The balance now would be about $172,000. To refinance today with 20 percent equity, no private mortgage insurance and without an FHA loan, you'd need your home to be worth $215,000. But maybe it's lost 18 percent of its value, so it would be worth $164,000 today. Under this program, you may still be able to refinance at the best rate.

What do I do?

Gather pay stubs, your last tax return, second mortgage data, and balances and monthly payments on loans and credit cards. Then call the company where you make your payments. The deadline is June 2010.

**For details for borrowers from the Administration on Obama's "Making Home Affordable", please see the link below.
http://www.financialstability.gov/makinghomeaffordable/index.html

Its the Weekend Drive List!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:09:19 -0600

Priced Reduced $25k on Luxurious Copley 5BR in Swan Lake!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:54:14 -0600

Swan Lake Swim & Tennis Community
Private dead end street, mature trees & landscaping
Five bedrooms all with private bath access
Beautifully appointed finished lower level
Teen or In-law suite in Lower Level
Over $40k in improvements in the last two years
Elevator to all three levels
Three car garage, Sprinkler system

Excellent condition! Seller reduced the price to solicit an offer!

See this lovely home today! Call your agent of choice or Stacey at

330-592-2051

Lipstick Tip of the Week

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:10:28 -0600

Not all high-impact improvements on your home need to cost alot of money, but there are some that are definitely worth it. With spring comes thoughts of what your home could look like. It needs freshening up from the curb so as not to appear "dated." What's the quickest way to make a huge impact? Exterior paint. If you're considering a sale this year, it pays to have the exterior painted, pressure washed (if your siding is a neutral color already), paint your shutters (yes, even vinyl--they fade!) and put some style in your entryway. In my opinion, no one says it better than HGTV when it comes to curb appeal and tips for taking on such tasks, so I've included a link here that outlines some exterior improvements and guidelines for jazzing up your home's tired look. Remember, it's the first thing a buyer sees: on the internet or in person, the view from the curb can make or break a home's marketing. Click here to read more: http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/house-makeover/index.html

Handy Graphic for First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:27:35 -0600

This comes courtesy of the Ohio Association of Realtors. Print it, link to it. Blog it. Get the word out....free money, folks!

http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/b6911d004d24c833931bf726a9949436/government_affairs_tax_credit_chart_022309.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=b6911d004d24c833931bf726a9949436

Hudson Market Watch

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:25:32 -0600

Market watch for the entire Northeastern Ohio MLS

Market Watch for Hudson over the past week showing average listing criteria

AND NOW THE EXCITING NEWS!

Supply and demand and this week, between the sold and pending listings, you see that the demand is outweighing the supply, by a significant amount! This trend needs to continue and I suspect that it will. It's a great time for sellers to place their listings on the market as there are fewer sellers than active buyers resulting in shorter marketing times and stable pricing!

It's not Hype...Hudson is SELLING!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:32:24 -0600

Market watch for the entire Northeastern Ohio MLS

Market Watch for Hudson over the past week showing average listing criteria

AND NOW THE EXCITING NEWS!

Homebuyer's Tax Credit--Demystified! Here it is in terms we can all understand!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:56:10 -0600

Eight grand, new buyers: The tax credit included in the economic stimulus legislation is much narrower than the $15,000 proposal. This credit is equivalent to 10 percent of the purchase price of the home--although it's capped at $8,000--and applies only to first-time home buyers and principal residences. But unlike an earlier $7,500 home buyer tax credit, this one does not have to be repaid.
· First time buyers defined: For the purpose of this legislation, a "first-time home buyer" is someone who hasn't owned a principal residence for three years before buying a house. (The date of purchase is considered the day that the title is transferred.) That means if you've owned a vacation home--but not a principal residence--within the past three years, you would still qualify for the credit.
· 2009 buyers only: Only those who purchase a home on or after January 1 and before December 1, 2009 are eligible for the credit. Anyone who bought a home last year won't be able to take advantage of it.
· Income limits: The tax credit is subject to income limitations. Single buyers need a modified adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less to qualify for the full credit, that's $150,000 for married couples. Those earning more than these thresholds may be eligible for reduced credits.
· Refundable: Because the tax credit is "refundable," qualified buyers can take advantage of it even if they don't have much tax liability.Recapture: Buyers have to own the home for at least three years in order to capitalize on the credit. If they sell the home before then, they will have to return the credit to the government. (Exceptions will be made in certain cases, such as death or divorce.)

Many thanks to Mark Thomas of Fairway Mortgage for the scoop!

What IS my brand anyway?

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:49:42 -0600

It sure took a long time to find a company that allowed me to feel like I was aligned with my brand. Then came a buyout and the total shock that followed: What IS my brand anyway?

Is it the sign by the road? Is it how I market myself? What defines it and how can it be carried over to the new place...

Here's what I've come to learn: there were those of us that really embraced the Real Living brand...the whole of it. We incorporated it into every piece we put out into the public, every conversation with a client/customer and every sale we transacted. When we had it taken away on such short notice, I felt a sense of "identity theft!"

And then the famous words from my loving husband...."It WILL really be a little bit better just a little bit later" as I posted on David Childress's blog earlier.

I did alot of thinking. Taking what I've learned, I think perhaps it's not that I could ever really be robbed of my "Real Living" brand. The logo is gone, and the wonderful marketing materials we were provided, but the lessons will live on in so many ways beyond in my personal marketing.

It's later...I'm more than a little bit better....I'm excited. Time to try my brand on its own, without the logo but with the wisdom I've learned while having been part of the family. Thanks for the opportunity to learn so much, not only from corporate but from each other.......

Jott Emerges from Beta

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:58:00 -0500

For almost a year, I have been using JOTT to send text and email messages via voice from my phone. For anyone who has had to steer, shift and text all at the same time, you can appreciate how convenient this service can be. And to top it off, it was FREE.

Now you have choices....there is still a free account but there are also a few other options for those thinking of using the JOTT service but for different reasons. Visit their web site for more info. Have JOTT now? You'll be asked to make a decision about the plan you'd like to be on within the next ten days.

I plan to continue....well worth the $3.95 per month they're going to charge me with to keep me out of the ditch and from writing checks in excess of $1,000 for my insurance deductible on my car!

Visit www.jott.com for more!

FHA: Everything old is new again!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:11:26 -0500

Honestly folks, I have seen alot of loan programs come and go, and not surprisingly, some crashed and burned. Through it all however, FHA has been a viable option for buyers in all kinds of financial situations for a variety of reasons. During that time however, it's been somewhat stigmatized as being for first timers, those with bad credit and so on.

With all of the conventional loan products raising their standards to effectively exclude buyers or charge them for having average credit by adding points, it's time to take another look at FHA. Did you know that mortgage insurance alone is reason enough to take a look at saving your buyer alot of green over the life of a an FHA loan vs. a conventional product?

A few quick links to help you determine the max loan amount in your area and if you are on the approved list for condo purchases:

https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm (for loan limits by county)

https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm (for approved condo communities)

It's in your best interests to get a side by side comparison when obtaining your new loan. Consider the conventional option and then FHA. In addition, remember that with the use of the numerous programs out there, you can still obtain 100% financing by having the seller contribute your down payment and/or closing costs!

An End to Ho Hum Print Ads....PLEASE!

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:10:26 -0500

Alright guys, this is an all out plea for help!!

We have a community paper that we spend gazillions on to purchase a full page color ad in. It's read by virtually everyone in the zip code here, but we want to modernize and update it to reflect our fresh/modern branding that I've really come to know and love.

Since we are all Real Living folks from different areas, I'd be curious to hear what everyone is doing when running display ads/grids with loads of listings. We want to capture attention, maximize our marketing dollars by getting the most we can on a page without it being too crowded and confusing for the consumer.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Multi-Task your Social Networking and Email

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:03:30 -0500

Read this in another group, Justin Williams is my new hero because keeping up at the speed of Maureen is tough for dinosaurs like me....this makes is easy.

Read his post about www.digsby.com It's fantastic! Click here:

www.activerain.com/blogsview/552119/Multi-Task-Social-Networks

It's a pretty amazing time saver. Hope this helps all of you that are a bit overwhelmed with the myriad of sites and updates that you need to maintain on the social networks, IM's and Emails.

Make it a great week, guys!

Hi Def Video Tour...WHOA

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:37:37 -0500

Hey I have to admit that I've not tried to insert a link into one of these blog posts before so here goes!

I'd be REALLY curious to hear what you guys think about this!

high definition Video Tour

What happened to Virtual Tours?

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:44:29 -0500

I must have been asleep over the last year or so because something happened to virtual tours: they're gone.

Very few agents in our market use them consistently. They have been replaced with boring slide shows that attempt to mimick a virtual tour and yet, fall short of what a tour is intended to do. Are we that cheap as a group that we have ruled out virtual tours as a viable part of our marketing plans?

I have to admit that I have done slide shows in place of tours due to the sheer lack of enthusiasm on the part of the client. They seem to "suffice" so I just let it go. I find them VERY boring and don't really see how making the pictures move on a screen is any better than the picture page on the MLS.

All that said, I had an opportunity to view the video on today's home page and also read a post by an agent in New Hampshire that's using full video tours with editing, hi def and voice over. WOW. Let me tell you, if I were a seller in his market, he'd get my vote.

So what's a girl to do? What are YOU doing? What is done in YOUR market? Is a property video more of a listing tool or a method of attracting more buyers?

Social Marketing for a Newbie...

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:20:47 -0500

I often read a blog called Duct Tape Marketing and it's a great place to get ideas on marketing. I have felt for some time that blogging, social marketing, etc. are huge consumers of my time and I've been trying to determine what to take part in, what to pass up and where to land.

Today's post, addresses some of what Kaira talks about in her book. In determining what to do, figure out what you want your customer's experience to look and feel like when they interact with you.

As a Real Living agent, I don't know that I really fully integrated my all of my materials to truly reflect the experience I wanted my customer to have. This is really something I need to work on!

Let me know what you guys are doing to create a consistent marketing theme with your audience. I'd love to have your input as I begin this journey....

Thoughts on Being Strong with Clients...

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:14:56 -0500

I was commenting on Chris's blog about advertising and it got me thinking....why are we all too quick to bow to what a seller wants?

If I go to my doctor and he tells me I have high cholesterol, I don't say BS....I don't buy it. I am paying them to assess my needs and tell me what to do about the problem.

We sit in front of sellers all the time. We dance around issues about price, marketing time, condition, improvements, ROI, commission, etc. Too many times we allow them to take control of the most critical part of the marketing process: setting a realistic price. We are doing them a grave disservice by not educating them. Most of the time, I find that if you thoughtfully address their concerns up front, show them how buyers are actually searching for homes and what marketing conditions really look like, they start to understand.

However, you must be willing to catch a little flack from them first. They don't all take the news well. I have to explain to them that selling a home is like selling any other product. Pepsi folks dont' take it personally when Coke reduces their prices...they simply respond to compete.

In short, take your time. Educate and stand firm. You're not giving your client the best service unless you do.

NO PMI ON NON OWNER OCCUPIED?

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:19:40 -0500

Has anyone else heard about this? How are we to get around THIS little issue when attempting to sell rental property?! My LO told me about it today. No mortgage insurance is available on investment property on a going forward basis.

Ideas?

What a nightmare...the listing sold in a day...

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:45:42 -0500

Never in my life have I seen a more puzzling situation with a seller than I have on my plate right now. An elderly couple, needing to sell came to me to list their home. After walking through the house and seeing what needed to be done to sell it, we priced it fairly and I thought it would likely sell within $7k of list within about 30 days.

Well! I network a great deal, found an agent with a buyer that just loves that area and BAM! Sold it for within $3k of list. I thought everyone would be thrilled. All terms were met, closing dates worked, everyone was happy....or so I thought.

Turns out that since it sold quickly, I didn't earn my commission. The seller was furious that my networking resulted in a buyer (so why pay a buyer agent other than the fact that the buyers agent is his own sister! Try cutting HER out of a deal? Really?!) And, since there were no ads, opens, etc, I surely didnt' deserve a full side!

So here I am, actually feeling somewhat guilty for doing what I'm paid to do....sell homes.

In this market, I'd pay someone double a commission to sell my house within $3k of list!

A Sobering Fact

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:25:09 -0500

Just returned from a visit to one of the rentals I owned and spoke with a representative from the City of Akron who informed me that in just a small area, there are literally thousands of deserted homes that are being slated for demolition, one by one. I drove down the street and within three blocks saw more than a dozen boarded up houses. It's downright depressing.

As a Realtor, it just turns my stomach to see such despair and outside of the very few folks that really try to keep their homes in good repair, the neighborhood is challenged and in what seems to be a viscious cycle of decline caused by foreclosure and bankruptcy.

At a local level, our market is humming right along. Business is good and we're grateful that things are looking up after a long hibernation. However, I am left to wonder what happens to areas such as this one?

Input from the City worker? "Well, eventually we'll run out of houses to tear down so then things will come about for the better." It's so sad.

I work with several agencies that are telling me that there is a definite shortage of affordable housing. Isn't there something that can be done at a grassroots level? Have I lost my mind thinking that at their core, everyone wants a nice place to call home?

Habitat will NOT refurbish homes, stating that it's too expensive. Habitat families are in default in record numbers. Isn't there somewhere in between that one could reasonably invest and make a home habitable without breaking the bank and have more residents in the neighborhood? Wouldn't this assist families in turning things around? Not everyone can swing an $80k note on a house.....but maybe a $45k low/no interest note is feasible. Why build houses that are over three times as much as the average sale price in the neighborhood when there are structures that exist and with minor repair, could be perfect homewownership solutions for low income residents.

Am I missing something?????

Closing costs and the price of financing them vs. Paying...

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:32:22 -0500

I just got my first real slap in the face while preparing to present an offer the other day. Without being too specific and protecting the identity of the innocent victim here, I can tell you this much...

Price of home$185,000

Price of having a 680 credit score? $3,700 in points (Thanks Fannie!)

Sickening.

I realize that there has to be some changes in lending, but this seems to be a bit of overkill. Anyone else finding it to be a tough sell? At least these folks are planning to stay in this home awhile, however if you figure that the average mortgage is 7-8 years in length and most of the interest is paid during those years, you have to wonder....how much IS going to be generated through these new charges?

What do YOU tell your clients? I'm great at the pitch but this is a sticky one ....

What are your favorite Freebies?

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Sun, 18 May 2008 19:48:37 -0500

If you've been in real estate for more than a week, you've wasted precious $ on loads of products aimed at helping you in your business. However, with the budget of my depression era grandmother, I've been ruthless at cutting expenses and putting the bucks where they count these days. Ironically, it's made a huge impact!

Here are my two current favorites and I have to thank Al at Real Living in Northfield for an AWESOME web building class for one of them.....

First, www.slide.com for easy, breezy slide shows that I can post to my site. My sellers love them and I think they jazz things up alot! I know a ton of agents that pay dearly for software and/or virtual tours....these still get the job done and they are FREE. (Thanks Al.)

Second, www.jott.com is a must for those of us who are destined to drive our cars off the road while trying to text or email clients. Yes, I am well aware we SHOULD NOT be trying to do those things, but I can tell you I'm probably not the ONLY one doing it. Sign up at the web site, add your contacts and away you go. You can simply call JOTT, say the name of the person you want to text and/or email and dictate your message or reminder that is send instantaneously. A record is kept for you at your JOTT site. Unreal and now you don't have to wait to get back to the office to send that follow up email!

So what's your favorite real estate related freebie? I'd love to hear!

Loving the Tech Perspective....

Stacey M. McVey (Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland Southwest) — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:03:03 -0500

Anyone who knows me for more than five minutes knows that I'm a gadget girl. Anything that helps me tame my paper tigers, organize my work life and enhance my marketing efforts is worth a try for me and I've got to say, THANKS REAL LIVING for making my busy life on the go more productive with all the great tools and cutting edge marketing!

As a working Mom, the ability to have my office online not only makes it easy to work wherever I happen to be but also lightens my briefcase and saves reams of paper that I used to have to carry. I can communicate so much more efficiently with clients--all of whom use email and text messaging in their corporate lives and expect me to do the same.

I urge those of you out there to get REAL excited about the tools available to you. Learn about just one new thing a week...pencil it in. You'll be glad you did. It's one way we really stand out in today's crowd. We truly are a full service company! If I have one complaint it is that as a profession we are NOT considered "early adapters!" Time to get with the program...

What tools are YOU using? Share with the class....we all bring a unique perspective!

303.710.2609 Brian Direct	303.710.5657 Rita Direct
Brian@KennaRealEstate.com	Rita@KennaRealEstate.com