photo courtesy of peasap

National Association of Realtors® Convention - San Diego - November 13-16

The National Association of Realtors@ Convention (NARDiego) is upon us.  I had no intention of going this year, but a few recent conversations with agents whose opinions I truly value, really got me thinking about it.  Of course, there was a few huge issues in the way.  First, you need to get a pass and they're not cheap.  Second, there's travel involved (sometimes living in San Antonio makes me feel really far away from just about everything).  And third, there's the incidental costs of hotels, food, and things like cabs to and from events.

It all adds up rather quickly.  Because of that fact, I hadn't made plans to go.  I'm doing well lately, but not well enough to throw down a pile of cash like that.  I'm spending my money re-investing in myself and my business as well as doing the usual - paying the bills.

So, after a conversation on Twitter with Kelley Koehler (@housechick), I really started to think I was going to miss out.  I think this year's convention will be an interesting one to say the least - just read my most recent post on AgentGenius to understand what I think we're preparing for in the coming years.  So now I had the desire to go...but not the plans.

A pass.

After some thought, Kelley gave me a few ideas about how to acquire a pass.  I didn't think it would work, but I've learned to trust Kelley (she's freaking smart that one!), and so I followed her plan.  It worked.  I've acquired a pass thanks to a good Samaritan I know via Twitter.

An idea.

If you happen to know Mariana Wagner (@mizzle), you might know of her strange fascination with the idea of arm-wrestling me.  I don't know when it started, but we often joke about it on Twitter.  Well, the idea popped up and I sent Mariana a message - "How much do you think people will pay to see us arm-wrestle?"  It was half-joke and half-serious question.  Mariana even offered to put up $50 of her own money for a different accomplishment if I can pull it off (more details on that if I make it).

So the idea grew in my head through the night.  What if I could figure out a way to make it there?  I thought about driving (which isn't easy considering my wife and I only have one car and she has a job and all that good stuff) - it will only take me 19 hours and 24 minutes according to Google.  Not exactly the best idea.

And then there's flying, but that's expensive.  So perhaps, the RE.net Arm-Wrestle Of The Second Century could bring in enough to pay for it.  So here's the idea...

Can this really happen?

I'm taking donations.  From agents and companies - whoever wants to contribute.  By my estimation, my flights and hotel should run me about $1,200.  That's a lot, but let's break it down - $10 from 120 people.  Doesn't seem so bad now.  The donations will be used to cover those costs and will allow the RE.net Arm-Wrestle Of The Second Century (Mizzle vs. RErockstar) to occur.  If you're going to San Diego, you will get the invite to watch it take place live.  If you're not going, you will be able to watch the video after we get back (of course it's going to be videotaped - and probably from a million angles).

All it takes is reaching the goal of $1,200.

But wait, there's more.

In the interest of incentives and feeling like I'm doing my part for good in the world, I've decided to once again involve Mothers Fighting For Others.  If you've ever met Rocky Turner (@headmutha) you'll understand why her organization is my charity of choice.  For every cent over my goal of $1,200, I'll donate it to Mothers Fighting For Others.  And if for some reason, we don't reach my goal, the entire amount will be donated to Mothers Fighting For Others.  It's a very short time (2 days maximum) to reach the goal, so no matter what happens it's a win-win situation.

So how about it, send me to NARDiego and help support Mothers Fighting For Others.  And as an added bonus, I will be giving the top contributor (dollar-wise) a special gift from my collection of band memorabilia from my days as a rockstar.  I have a few things in mind and they're all much better than just a CD or a poster (or something like that) - these are actual artifacts from my personal collection.

So what do you say?  Am I going or not?

Think of all the things you'll gain: front row seats (or at least some video) to RE.net Arm-Wrestle Of The Second Century (Mizzle vs. RErockstar), potential contributions to Mothers Fighting For Others, more posts and reporting from me, and if you donate big time - a serious piece of rock and roll memorabilia.  Just click the "Donate" link below and PayPal will take care of it from there.

Because of the nature of how I'm doing this, I don't think you'll be able to claim any tax deductions for this, but that's for you and your accountant to figure out.

Donate to RErockstar's NARDiego Fund/Mothers Fighting For Others

And remember - there is only two days to pull this off!

Meet Frank and his agent, Sally.

In trying to come up with a simple breakdown of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, I thought that video would be the answer.  Since I've done a few for the previous tax credit, I wanted to find a new way to use video to explain it all.  Enter Frank and Sally.  In this video, Frank's agent Sally, helps him understand the basics of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.  In the future, Frank and Sally will be providing some much needed help to me, so that I might take some time off from blogging when they're able to pick up the slack.

If you'd like to use this video, just click on the video and locate the "Embed" text box on that page. Copy and paste...that's all there is to it.  All I ask is that you attribute it back to me and RErockstar.com.

Frank and Sally are fictional characters who do not represent any persons living, dead, or animated.  Sally is not technically licensed in any state other than the virtual world, but her real estate knowledge is based on Texas real estate (I taught her everything I know).  Frank likes Metallica, but Sally is more of an easy-listening kind of gal.

photo courtesy of whiteafrican

Big news for some becomes big news for all.

You may remember me discussing some thoughts about the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) the other day in "Will the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) drive up the costs of referrals?"  I was lucky enough to have been invited to attend the webinar in advance and didn't think it would be available until sometime after NARDiego, but it appears the Association has decided to let the cat out of the bag.  Watch as Dale Stinton, CEO of the National Association of Realtors® lays out some of the basics of the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) and explains just what you'll be able to do with it when it launches.

The RPR has generated a lot of talk in Realtor® blogging circles (although not much here at ActiveRain, which I thought was a bit disappointing) and whether it is a boom or a bust for the Association remains to be seen.  It does look like powerful stuff based on the presentation and I can't wait to get my hands on it to take it for a tour.

Now that the webinar is available to all via realtor.org, I'm hoping to see some more comments and discussion about the implications of what NAR is doing with such a behemoth of a site.  It will be interesting to watch to say the least.

Watch the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) Webinar now.

My friend Luke hanging out with "Das Schnitzel" at Wurstfest 2009.

No, I didn't fly to Germany this weekend.

I've spent a lot of time in Germany in the course of my life.  I was there before the Wall came down and have spent months at a time roaming from town to town while I was still a musician.  I actually had designs on being a German teacher at one point in my life.  I still speak and understand some of the language - enough to get me where I need to go.

I have a certain love for all things German.  I guess it just rubbed off on me during my time over there.  Some cities are so familiar to me I can point you in the right direction of my favorite restaurants, hotels, and venues.  My love for all things German especially extends to two things: beer and sausage (or Wurst as they are called in German).

Wurstfest 2009 - New Braunfels, Texas

I didn't realize how much German influence there was in this part of the country until I moved here.  New Braunfels, Texas is the home of Wurstfest, "A Salute To Sausage," billed as Oktoberfest - Texas Style.  With tons of different vendors selling all sorts of different sausage, beers from Späten to Warsteiner (as well as local German-inspired favorite, Shiner), gifts (steins, lederhosen, hats, and more), and a typical round up of small town festival foods.  Music continues throughout the day and night in several locations throughout the Landa Park grounds.  No matter what, you'll have a good time.

This year seemed very packed compared to previous years I've gone and I wonder if the festival isn't growing too much for the size of it's location.  Located along the banks of the Comal River in Landa Park, the Wustfest grounds may need expanding once again if attendance continues to climb.  Started in 1961 (1967 was the first year it was held in Landa Park at the Wursthalle), the festival continues to attract people from around the world as well as locals and nearby residents.  You can see the pride on people's faces as they walk through the festival grounds.  It's a Texas thing that's deeply rooted in the beer halls of München (Munich).

Next year, come on down.  Trink ein bisschen Bier and viel Spass machen.  (Drink a little beer and have a lot of fun.)  Wilkommen.  We're glad you came.

The Realtors® Property Resource is coming.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let's get you up to speed first.  Check out these articles (and the articles they reference) for some great information about the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) and what it potentially means to your business.  You might want to grab a few extra cups of coffee before you click - this is pretty heavy stuff and the analysis and information might require some serious caffeine.

Breaking News: NAR/RPR + Cyberhomes = written by Jim Duncan

The Coming Civil War in Real Estate: The RPR Saga Begins written by Rob Hahn

Feeling up to speed now?

(You're not alone if you feel a bit bombarded with a lot of information in one go.  The RPR is big stuff and until it's fully released to be toyed with, I think I'll wait to truly pass judgment on it.)

RPR and your referral network.

We all strive to build a healthy referral network of Realtors® across the country.  We make friends, comment on their blogs, chat with them about the latest issues...much like our clients getting to know us, we want these agents to trust us enough with their clients who are moving to our market areas.

Referrals are big business.  There is a reason ActiveRain has a referral network link on "Your Home."  I've seen referral fees swing from free to 50% (several ActiveRain referrals that I've seen come through the wire have been at 50% - no thanks).  From what I've seen the typical amount is closer to 20-30% for a referring agent.

So how does the Realtor® Property Resource affect referrals?

It's just a theory of mine, but let's look at an example.  I used to live in Philadelphia, PA.  Since coming to ActiveRain, I've become friends with the Somers Team, Christopher and Stephanie, in Philadelphia.  We often comment on each others blogs (they better comment on this one!) and I love talking to them because a) they're smart Realtors® and b) they remind me of my former home and the places I used to go in the city.  I would gladly refer business to the two of them if a client in San Antonio wanted to move to Philadelphia.  I would feel safe in knowing they'd do the best for my clients.  That's what referrals are built on.

Let's say I have a San Antonio-based client that wants to move to Philadelphia.  "Great," I tell them, "I'm from there and know some excellent agents that work in that specific neighborhood.  Let me give them a call and have you speak with them."  The connection is made and my client loves Christopher and Stephanie.  We've got a referral on our hands.  I speak with Chris and he agrees to pay me 25% when my client closes their transaction.  We sign a referral agreement and everything works out wonderfully.  The Somers search their local MLS for properties matching my client's needs, negotiate the contract, and handle the closing.  I get a check for 25% from Chris and everyone is happy, including my client who received excellent care from The Somers Team.

* As a side note I would like to add that I have a specific policy of who I send referrals to and how much I would ask as a referral fee.  All the numbers in this article are just there for arguments sake.  I would work out any arrangements personally between myself and The Somers Team and this is no way implies that I feel Chris owes me 25% of anything.

So there are three basic (overly-simplified for the sake of this example) steps to what Christopher and Stephanie did for my client:

• Find them a list of properties via their MLS
• Make an offer on a home and negotiate the contract
• Take the contract through to a successful closing

But wait...thanks to the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) I can eliminate one of these three.  With my client still in San Antonio, we can begin compiling a list of homes that they would like to see.  Chris doesn't need to search his MLS for my client.  In addition, I can provide my client with all sorts of data on the Philadelphia market and more specifically the neighborhood they are interested in.  My client comes to Chris well informed and ready to make an offer.

In the past, we were paid referrals almost as a "thank you" more than anything else.  We didn't do a ton of work to get that referral fee, just picked up the phone and called on one of our trusted friends (you do know the people you're sending referrals to I would hope).  Now, with the Realtors® Property Resource, we can do some of the work before we even pick up the phone to speak with the local agent we're going to refer to.

So, following that logic, if I did little in the past and got paid 25% from Christopher and Stephanie, now that I've done part of the work for them, can't I then command a larger percentage referral fee?  Perhaps I should charge them 40% from now on.  Maybe even 50%.

Of course, I don't agree to that logic, but I bet plenty will.  The "if I'm doing the work, I deserve a bigger cut" mentality will appear in no time after RPR is launched.  We're all looking for ways to make more money, so why not right here under our noses?

My thinking follows more along the lines of yes, I will do research for my soon to be out of state client.  Yes, I will pull properties  from the Realtors® Property Resource for them to get a better understanding of their new local neighborhoods.  Yes, I will refer that client to someone who I have built a trusting relationship with.  No, I will not ask for a larger referral fee than I would have in the first place.  Sure, I've done some more work than I used to, but the fact remains that the agent I referred the business to is a local expert and I am not.

I value the abilities of the Realtors® I refer to and asking them for a higher referral fee just because I ran some property searches (admit it, searching for property is pretty easy - it's getting down to the right house for the client that takes a bit more work) seems like a ridiculous idea.  I won't let greed rule the day when it comes to the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR), but will use it to help clients be prepared for their possible move to a new location.

Stay tuned for more news on the Realtors® Property Resource as it becomes available.  I am chomping at the bit to get my hands on it and mess around with it.  Hear that NAR?  I'm ready for some demo time.

photo courtesy of Shot_by_Cam

photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks

I woke up early...again.

I sat at my computer, checking emails and reading blogs as I usually do while the coffee working its magic.  Once I was fully awake, I began to ponder what I would write today.  Blogging for me is an all day affair - I don't have just one blog to write for, so I tend to write several different posts a day.  As I considered this, I thought about how I write and what time it is when I write it.  I had never thought about it much, but it seemed to me that a pattern emerged.

Early Morning - These posts tend to be very introspective and questioning.  For some reason my brain is great at pondering in the morning.  Questioning, provoking, and idea making seem to be the rule of thumb for these pre-dawn hours.

Morning - Once I've arrived at work, my thoughts usually turn to real estate and what issues surround me.  These tend to be the "how-to" posts for consumers.  Dissection of the details of a real estate transaction and advice for San Antonio buyers and sellers.

Afternoon - If I'm doing any sort of video post, this is usually the time to do it.  The office is quiet and I can be left alone to speak freely in my office without people knocking on my door wondering why I'm talking to myself.  This is when I also do photo and video set up for later posts, such as my San Antonio neighborhood coverage.  I find this to be my geekiest hour - where I install and test new plugins, toy with video and photo editing, try out new tech toys and websites...that sort of thing.

Mid-Afternoon - Typically at this point, I'm more involved in other aspects of the business, but I do sometimes still find time to blog (especially if I did the other things during the morning hours).  These blogs tend to be a mix of just about everything, but do seem concentrated on localized information.  A lot of that has to do with the fact that I've been out and about and saw a neighborhood I liked, visited a new business I want to talk about, or just finished up a listing set-up.

Evening - Another time to question, theorize, and dream.  Evenings also tend to be a great time to wrap up everything I started during the day, but didn't get posted.  It's also when I'm most active in social media, so my thoughts tend to be geared towards the community I've been speaking with.  I also watch the news at night, so this is a great time to post thoughts on current events, especially national news as it relates to real estate.

Do you have a time schedule?

Do you find some posts are easier to write at certain times than others?  One thing I've tried to do occasionally is to mix it up.  Write that tech blog before the sun comes up, follow up your days activities with a real estate post referencing what you experienced today.  Try something new.  You might find a new voice as you do it as different times of day reflect different aspects of our personalities.  No matter what you do, don't stay rigid and on course.  Blogging is an exercise in fluidity.  If you can't bend here, you're not going to bend out there.  The only thing you shouldn't change is your consistency.

photo courtesy of stev.ie

My commenting isn't nearly what it used to be.

I've slowed down on commenting a lot.  I hit the blogs I subscribe to just about everyday and usually take a peak at the Featured Posts once or twice a day.  I even scroll through the blog list to see what's been written by those I may not know.  I do a lot of reading.  Commenting, is a different story.

Why you might ask?

Well, the first (and obvious) reason is that I'm busier than I once was.  I've got a lot more going on.  Not just in terms of actual business, but also in my blogging and social media efforts, my prospecting, and my education.  Time isn't growing alongside my business and my business plans.  We all face that.

But there's a bigger (more exciting) underlying reason.  You.  Lately, I've noticed a shift, especially under some of my favorite bloggers.  A shift that has been there for some time, but seems to have grown.  I don't know if it's the influx of new members, the excellent blogs by the ActiveRain team on "how to," or just something that happened by itself.

I see more and more localized content lately.  Content that the consumer wants, but doesn't necessarily pertain to me and what I'm doing.  More posts about local events, businesses, and lifestyles.  More posts about neighborhoods and communities.  More info about places I don't live or work.  I still read many of these posts, as I enjoy learning about your market and what's happening in your neck of the woods (I've traveled the U.S. extensively, so many of these places I'm familiar with).  Regardless of my feelings on it - I'm seeing more of it.

And this is not a bad thing.

And I love not having much to say about your favorite coffee shop and that new gated community down the road.  I'd rather never make comments if it means we're providing the consumer with what they want.  This is the goal of ActiveRain and should be every real estate bloggers goal.

So do me a favor, help me keep my mouth zipped shut and keep writing local content.

Please note, as of this recording, the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit extension has not been passed.  This video and post is based on the presumption that the tax credit has been extended for the purpose of the ideas expressed in the video and the conversation it seeks to create.

What if the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is extended to April 30th?

It all started with a conversation with Jay Thompson the other day during the rash of tweets claiming the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit had been extended.  If you read my blog regularly, you know my thoughts on that.  I had called Jay because I needed a sympathetic ear for a few minutes to rant about how I felt as I saw all that misinformation.

Let's put that aside for a moment.  Let's pretend the tax credit as you read this is passed and extended (it may be if you read this late enough in the week - that remains to be seen).  Assuming it is now extended to April 30th, I got to thinking about the impact of it through the winter months.  When they originally announced the new $8,000 tax credit (as opposed to the old re-payable $7,500 tax credit), it took quite some time for it really to have much an affect.  In fact, it wasn't until the summer months that you really started to hear agents saying how great it was.  Up until then, it seemed we were all telling people how great it was, but we weren't seeing the business because of it.

So what do you think?

I'm curious to hear from as many different markets as possible.  You're the local market expert and probably have a better feel for the pulse than any economist.  I want to hear about how it will affect your market.  I want your thoughts; not quotes from the government, NAR, or the economists on TV.  I think it could be very interesting to hear what people are seeing in their part of the world.

image courtesy of Twitter, croncast, and rerockstar

I'm not great at quick thoughts.

I was having a discussion today with Doug Lazovick, Jeff Turner, and Kris Smith about Kris' (@croncast) useful tool, CMP.ly which I've written about previously, "A quick and easy way to satisfy new FTC disclosure requirements on your blog - CMP.ly" when a thought that had been in the back of my head for some time came to the surface.

In the comment above, you can see Kris quotes "http://cmp.ly/4" at the end of his Tweet.  This particular disclosure (CMP.ly Disclosure 4), states:

Employee/shareholder/business relationship

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION

I have a direct relationship with a brand, topic or product that is mentioned herein.

As Kris is one of the founders of CMP.ly, it makes sense that he would disclose this when discussing it on blogs.  That's the whole point of his site and why you should be using it in light of the FTC advocated fines for non-disclosure.

How about Twitter?

This had popped into my mind right after the FTC fines were announced.  What about Twitter?  It is often called a "micro-blogging" platform, so does it fall under those rules.  Do we need to tag a URL (like the CMP.ly URL) at the end of every tweet about a product or service?  What if I was comped a free lunch at Brasserie Pavil since they know I am a big fan of theirs (both for their restaurant and what they do on Twitter in a marketing sense).  I love the free lunch and immediate tweeted "Just had the best service and food @BrasseriePavil"...would I be responsible to disclose my lunch's gratis status?  I obviously should, in the interest of transparency, but what if the FTC saw that tweet and thought I was trying to get around the system.  Would a tweet warrant a fine?

Just thinking out loud...

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0