Bill's Blog

Bill's Blog http://activerain.com/blogs/billjohnson en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340683/our-congress-at-work-its-time-for-some-real-change- Our Congress At Work ? Its Time for some REAL change ! <p>Should we buy them larger screen computers - or - a ticket home, permanently?<br /> <br /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/2/3/5/6/ar125841150365327.jpg" height="329" alt="" width="588" /></p> <p>Nothing else need be said.  This is one of their THREE DAY WORK WEEKS that we all pay for.  I am ready to start from the beginning by voting out all elected officials and not letting any of them stay in office for more than two terms.  No more lifelong healthcare, retirement, voting in their own pay raises, taking perks on our taxes, etc.</p> <p>House Minority Leader  Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far  right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert,  D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a  new budget. (AP)</p> <p>The guy sitting in the row in front of these two...  he's on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.</p> <p>These are the folks that can't get the budget out by Oct. 1,  Seriously!!!<br />So, weve got a 30 day budget extension. Well, guess what, 30 days from now we will be in the same boat. I guess this makes it easy for the news reporters as all they have to do is recycle the same headlines from this week and from 2 years ago. And these yo-yos will still be playing SOLITAIRE!!!<br />I'm all for voting ALL out and start with a clean slate! Max terms and no life time benefits!!!<br /> <br />KEEP THIS GOING, DON'T LET IT STOP WITH YOU!!!</p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:46:51 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1340683/our-congress-at-work-its-time-for-some-real-change- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1330565/congressional-reform-act-of-2009 Congressional Reform Act of 2009 <p>This is for conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends.  The proposal is to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2009." It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. </p> <p>I know many of you will say, "this is impossible."  Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us. </p> <p>We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House.  These people will become American heroes..  Please add any ideas on how to get this done.</p> <p>***********************************<br />Congressional Reform Act</p> <p>of 2009</p> <p><br />1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.</p> <p>A. Two Six-year Senate terms<br />B. Six Two-year House terms<br />C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms</p> <p>        Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p>2.  No Tenure / No Pension:</p> <p>    A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. </p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p>3.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:<br />    All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately.  All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.</p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p>4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans..</p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p>5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.</p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned  citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p><br />6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.</p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p>7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.</p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.</p> <p>8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/10. </p> <p>    The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.</p> <p>    Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work. <br /> <br /> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:25:06 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1330565/congressional-reform-act-of-2009 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1326817/watch-this-video-what-would-you-have-done- Watch this Video..... What would you have done? What would you have done if they had interviewed you? <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gk5aRIz17fk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gk5aRIz17fk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:08:36 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1326817/watch-this-video-what-would-you-have-done- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1316491/justice-well-served- Justice Well Served ! <p>Cleveland, OH (AP) - A seven-year old boy was at the center of a Cuyahoga County courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him..  The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible.  <br /> </p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/9/8/4/0/ar125720718604891.jpg" height="350" alt="" width="233" /><br /> <br />The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her.  When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him.<br /> <br />After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.<br /> <br />After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Cleveland Browns, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.</p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:14:46 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1316491/justice-well-served- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1304995/your-bank-may-soon-punish-you-for-having-good-credit- Your Bank May Soon Punish You For Having GOOD CREDIT !!!! <p>It used to be that only BAD credit card customers got ripped off when it came to credit cards,  and now the credit card companies seem to want to RIP people off regardless of your credit.</p> <p>I just saw this news article that says that some banks like Bank of America may soon be charging annual fees to its Credit Card holders who have good credit, and pay their bills on time...  It seems that they "aren't making enough money" off of those people who don't carry a balance, so they want to start charging you MORE money, even though the already charge the merchant around 2-3% for every transaction, and then turn around and charge you all sorts of transaction fees such as cash advance fees, and APRs starting at around 13%, and can go as high as 30% or more in some cases....</p> <p>Just a heads up....  If your bank does this to you, I would suggest you cancel your card immediately, and find another credit card company that will be satisfied with making their money the old fashioned way, "By Earning It".....</p> <p>http://wcbstv.com/consumer/credit.card.fees.2.1272124.html</p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:32:11 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1304995/your-bank-may-soon-punish-you-for-having-good-credit- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1297794/need-to-buy-a-vacuum-cleaner-don-t-get-bitten-by-the-shark- Need to buy a Vacuum Cleaner? Don't Get Bitten by the Shark ! <p>I normally could care less about vacuum cleaners, but thought I'd pass this along, in hopes of helping anyone out that might need to get a new one too.</p> <p>Our family's vacuum cleaner has been getting a little long in the tooth, and we needed to get a new one...   We kept on seeing those infomercials for the "Shark Navigator" vacuum cleaner, and if you watch any amount of TV you've probably at least seen their commercials as you surf through the channels...</p> <p>Their commercials are pretty compelling.  A beautiful lady showing show great it works, how easy it is to use, and how it is supposed to do great when they stack it up against some of the better known vacuum cleaners out there.</p> <p>We were almost convinced enough to order it over the phone just from seeing it on TV, but I wanted to do some research first.  I did a few google searches on on it and found some reviews, and strangely enough they ALL sounded good...   That was a red flag for me right there...</p> <p>We found out that Bed Bath and Beyond carries them, so we went into our nearest store here in the Seattle area.</p> <p>They had several machines there, and you could actually try them out on a few test carpet mats....</p> <p>The mats had lots of stuff on them, so I think they must rotate them from the front door where people come in so they have a steady supply of dirty carpets to test their vacuums with...</p> <p>I plugged in the Shark Navigator, and gave it a try.  They claim it is lightweight and easy to use, but I found that it weighs in at over 20 lbs, and it is definitely not easy to use, even though I'm over 6 feet tall and in pretty good shape.  My wife tried it, and said "I definitely don't want to lug that thing around, its waay too heavy!"</p> <p>We tried running the Shark Navigator over the dirty carpets, and amazingly it just barely picked stuff up, and I found it to be almost useless....     We pulled out the suction hose attachment, and found that the suction it put out was almost nothing !    It was a complete joke....   I am so glad I tried this out before buying it, but I am not sure if this unit was just in bad condition, or if that is how they normally work.</p> <p>We ended up going with the more expensive Dyson Ball Vacuum.  We got the Blueprint model, which was about 200.00 more than the Shark Navigator.   It is a LOT lighter, and weighs only 13 lbs.  It is also a LOT easier to move around, especially with the ball system that pivots the cleaner around and under things where you need to maneuver it.  It also has great power, a 5 year warranty, and it seemed to pick up lots of things the Shark Navigator couldn't.</p> <p>In my opinion, you definitely get what you pay for when comparing the two vacuums here.</p> <p>I'd just like to know if anyone here actually has one of these Shark Navigators, and how it works for you?   Did I just happen to find a bad demo model, or are they really that bad?   It was definitely an eye opening experience for us, and we're not going to trust anything we see on TV anymore unless we try it out ourselves first...</p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:19:50 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1297794/need-to-buy-a-vacuum-cleaner-don-t-get-bitten-by-the-shark- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1288288/update-on-cat-in-need-seattle-area Update on Cat in Need, Seattle Area <p>I have more info on the cat, and a photo.  Apparently this cat is living in an empty house, as their owners were forced to move out and could not take her with them.....</p> <p>Hi Bill,<br /> <br />Thank you for helping me find a home for this poor lonely cat, attached you will find a picture of her.  Her name is Ashley, she is 10 years old, she is very loving and likes to sit in your lap.  She is litter trained and fixed, I don't know the breed.<br /> <br />Could you please forward this to the person that might be interested, thank you so much for your help.<br /> </p> <p>If anyone out there knows someone that might be able to provide a good home for this cat, please let me know....   Thanks</p> <p> </p> <p> <img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/8/0/7/2/ar125570853627082.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="400" /></p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:57:30 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1288288/update-on-cat-in-need-seattle-area http://activerain.com/blogsview/1274689/need-a-good-printing-company- Need a good printing company? <p>Hi all,</p> <p>Just thought I'd pass along a great company that did some flyers for me...</p> <p>ColorPrintingWholesale is their name, and website is:</p> <p><a href="http://www.colorprintingwholesale.com/">http://www.colorprintingwholesale.com/</a></p> <p>They do offset or digital printing, with great quality, and also at an affordable price...</p> <p>I couldn't be happier with the flyers they made for me...  I highly recommend them.</p> <p>I chose their 7 day turn around, and actually got my order delivered to me in about 4 days....   They do offer overnight service too, but I didn't need it that fast... Its nice to know they offer it though....</p> <p>A local company quoted me over 1,000 dollars for 2,000 flyers, but ColorPrintingWholesale did it for less than 200.00...  </p> <p>Definitely worth your time to check them out if you're in need of printing jobs, small or large...</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:11:40 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1274689/need-a-good-printing-company- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1274639/making-your-commute-a-lot-more-interesting-introducing-a-new-flying-car- Making your commute a lot more interesting, introducing a new flying Car! <p>Here is the new flying car, called the Transition. Land at an airport, fold up the wings and drive to work or home....   Very cool!</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/1/3/2/4/ar125496463642312.jpg" height="390" alt="" width="566" /></p> <p>It will go up to 725 kms, at a speed of 115 km per hour...</p> <p>Vehicle top speed on the ground is 185 km/hour, range is 724 km on highways <br />It runs on gasoline, and the price is around $200,000.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/8/7/2/3/ar125496466632787.jpg" height="480" alt="" width="640" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/7/1/8/1/ar125496467218173.jpg" height="480" alt="" width="640" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/6/0/3/ar125496469530608.jpg" height="457" alt="" width="640" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/2/6/5/ar125496472456219.jpg" height="480" alt="" width="640" /></p> <p>Learn more about this amazing new vehicle here:  <a href="http://www.terrafugia.com/index.html">http://www.terrafugia.com/index.html</a></p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:27:53 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1274639/making-your-commute-a-lot-more-interesting-introducing-a-new-flying-car- http://activerain.com/blogsview/1272480/another-great-file-sending-service Another Great File Sending Service <p>This week I found another great file sending service, that has a free option that might be of interest if you ever have to send large files....  Its called Mediafire.com</p> <p>You can send up to 100MB files for free, with unlimited storage....</p> <p>Their paid service allows up to 10 GB files, with unlimited storage for 6.97/month....</p> <p>Here's their site:</p> <p><a href="http://www.mediafire.com">http://www.mediafire.com</a></p> <p>While I haven't used the service myself, at the prices they are offering it might give Sendspace.com some competition....</p> <p> If you do try it, please let me know how it works...  Thanks</p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:31:53 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1272480/another-great-file-sending-service http://activerain.com/blogsview/1265133/video-vs-photography-for-real-estate Video vs. Photography for Real Estate <p>I've seen a few blogs recently talking about video for real estate.  I may be biased, but I've actually shot several homes in my <a href="http://ThePhotoTour.com" target="_blank">Seattle Real Estate Photography</a> business that have also been shot with video tours done by other video providers....   In side by side comparison after comparison, the video tours always made the homes look darker than my photography did, and could not show the size as well as my wide angle lens could....     I really believe the video tours didn't do as good of a job to show the size of the rooms, and gave them a less favorable impression.</p> <p>With my full screen slideshow tours that add panning effects, you actually get the effect of a video with a high resolution photo, so you get the best of both worlds, and a much higher quality image that is properly lit, and developed & sharpened to make the home truly "shine".    To get a well made video production, you need to have proper lighting and technique, that can't be done without spending a lot of money, and hiring a video production company....  </p> <p>I'm not knocking video, and I think it can be a good addition at times, but the key to your marketing here is getting people interested enough to want to come and see the house...    So, I feel that professional photography along with slideshow tours with video-like panning effects give you the most bang for your buck...   You can use the photos for your flyers, the mls, and if you hire me you also get a great slideshow tour as an added bonus to really get them interested, and sell the home!    Here is an example of how my slideshows work, with several assorted views from various homes and properties:  <a href="http://www.thephototour.us/slideshow.aspx?s=0&cname=www.thephototour.us&a_id=4316492&s_id=4713452" target="_blank">Click For Slideshow</a></p> <p>  In my opinion, the video tours you can produce on your own just don't project the professional image you really need....   People hire Real Estate professionals to sell the homes properly, and real estate professionals should hire professional real estate photographers to photograph them.  Video can be a good supplement, but you still can't make flyers with them......  You need to have good photography as the backbone of your real estate marketing, and I don't think that will change.....    :)</p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:39:05 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1265133/video-vs-photography-for-real-estate http://activerain.com/blogsview/1262219/great-file-sending-service Great File Sending Service <p>If you ever need to send files to any of your clients, (especially large ones up to 1.5 GBs), I just thought I'd pass on the best value I've found anywhere....</p> <p>Its called Sendspace.com and the url is:   <a href="http://www.Sendspace.com">http://www.Sendspace.com</a></p> <p>I'm constantly using it for my <a href="http://ThePhotoTour.com" target="_blank">Seattle Real Estate Photography</a> business to send photos and other files to clients.</p> <p>They allow you to store up to 500 GBs of files, that can be sent to your clients via a download link, so you won't have to worry about large file attachments that many email providers can't handle....   If you're not sending tons of files, but would still like an affordable but reliable service, their 5GB storage option costs as little as 6.33 per month if you go with a 1 year subscription....    They even give you a way to embed a dropbox onto your website, that you can customize with your own logos, etc....    </p> <p>Once you've uploaded your file, it generates a link for you to copy and paste into an email, just like this: (A slideshow file) http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/rgrgo0</p> <p>I've been using their service for well over a year now, and have never had a problem with it....</p> <p>Happy file sending!</p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:59:10 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1262219/great-file-sending-service http://activerain.com/blogsview/1248796/sometimes-less-is-more Sometimes, Less is More <p> As a Professional Real Estate Photographer, I usually don't mind when my customers want a lot of photos, (especially when I happen to charge by the photo), but one thing I've noticed lately is that in many cases you really don't want to shoot more than about 7-10 photos for the typical 3-4 bedroom home anyways, unless there are added or unusual features that really deserve additional attention.  Initial Real Estate home buyer searches are now conducted almost exclusively on the internet, with various sources quoting 80-90% of all buyers using the internet to further narrow down their search, so having good photos is more crucial now than ever, especially in this "buyers market". </p> <p>With so many choices now, and buyers scouring through hundreds and hundreds of listings before they hit the streets, it is vital to have the first main photo GRAB their attention, but you don't necessarily want to show them too many photos since the goal here is not to show them everything in the home, but to show them enough of the highlights and the overall quality of the home to get them interested enough to come out and view the home in person.    Sometimes, Less is MORE.  Tons of photos could actually eliminate your home from their list of homes to see in person, especially if they don't look good. </p> <p>In this difficult real estate market we're experiencing now, I recently had a husband & wife agent team hire me to take just 9 photos of a 3 bedroom home in the South Seattle area.  This home was sold in only 8 days, "Sight Unseen" by the buyers simply because they loved the photos & full screen online slide show tour, which showed them enough of the home to want to really want to buy it.  It wasn't an expensive home either, and the list price was only 239,000.  In this market, that is almost unheard of, which is a great testimonial as to the importance and value that hiring a professional photographer can make to your business.  In most cases Professional photography more than pays for itself, it can actually bring you more business, not only on the listing side, but also on the buying side too.  I have clients who have told me that they've gotten more than a few buyer leads from their listings I shot for them. When your marketing materials such as photos, flyers and postcards look professional, you will project a more professional image, and in many cases more buyers will want to work with you since they may tend to feel that you're successful, if your marketing looks good.   Success attracts more success!</p> <p>I know from experience when I was looking for my first home, I got quickly bored with looking at homes where they went "picture happy", and shot every nook and cranny of the home, especially if the agents shot the photos themselves, where in most cases they didn't look very good....  I usually moved on to the next one and eliminated it from my home search, and personally viewed the homes that stood out with great photos....   Not to say that an agent can't get good photos themselves, (some do) but the vast majority really can't because most of them don't have the equipment and/or training to properly do it.  Just having a good camera won't cut it either, because it is the developing and editing that makes the difference, along with proper lighting and shooting technique that the owner's manual simply can't teach you.   Most point in shoot cameras are great for snapshots of friends, but they don't have the resolution or a wide enough angle to properly do the job. </p> <p>  The really successful agents out there really don't have the time to properly take & develop their own photos either, which is why they usually hire a professional photographer that knows how to properly shoot, Edit & develop the photos to make them really stand out.  A typical 15 photo home shoot normally takes me 3-5 hours to properly develop and edit the photos, and that doesn't include travel time, or shoot time at the home.  That puts 6-8 hours per photoshoot out of your day if you want to do it yourself, and to truly do it right.  You'll also need to invest in all of the equipment, and learn how to use it through training & photography education.  If you're at that point, you really need to decide whether you want to be a professional photographer, or a professional real estate agent, because you really can't do both...   There simply aren't enough hours in the day. </p> <p>If you're listing 10-15 homes per year, and are shooting & editing your own photos, and if you're doing it right & getting pictures that really stand out & look professional, you're spending a minimum of 60-120 hours per year on the photography alone, which could be better spent handling your real estate transactions, networking or marketing yourself for new business, or simply having more time for yourself and family.  What could you do with an extra 2 or 3 weeks of time?    If you're in the top 1% of agents, you're listing 40+ homes per year, and that would put you at over 320 hours per year spent editing photos, which goes without saying why the most successful agents don't take their own photos.   </p> <p>If you're still taking your own photos, and they're coming out dark and off color, and don't make the homes look good you should probably hire the services of a professional photographer in your area.   You don't necessarily need to spend a lot of money either, if you have the main areas and highlights of the home photographed, and utilize a good presentation online it can often cost much less than you would think, especially if you stick to the "Less is More" theory.  Remember, the goal of your photos is to "get them in the door".</p> <p>Not only will you look more professional as an agent, but you will undoubtedly attract more clients as well.</p> <p>About me:</p> <p>Since 2005, I've specialized in Real Estate Photography in the Seattle area, and typically cover the Greater Metro Area as far north as Everett, as far South as Tacoma, and as far East as North Bend.   I'm also willing to travel too.   If you're in Western Washington and in need of good listing photography, and would also like to free up more of your time instead of trying to do it all yourself, please visit my website at ThePhotoTour.com to see some examples of my work.  Thanks for your time.   Bill Johnson</p> <p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:16:03 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1248796/sometimes-less-is-more http://activerain.com/blogsview/271279/success-in-the-competitive-washington-real-estate-market- Success in the Competitive Washington Real Estate Market <p>With the Real Estate market starting to slow down here in Western Washington, agents are finding that they truly need to market their homes better than ever before, in order to get results for their clients.</p><p>"If they can't see it, they won't buy it".</p><p>Real Estate photography & online tours are one of the best ways to not only increase the chances of getting a new listing, (since most agents don't incorporate professional photography into their listing presentations) but it is also quite vital to attract the attention necessary to get people in the door & see the home in the first place.</p><p>Professional Photography is a full time job, and successful agents simply don't have the time to try and take their own pictures if they truly want to stay on top of their business, and still have time to balance a personal life into the mix.</p><p>Hiring a professional Real Estate photographer can truly make a huge difference in the number of showings, the number of hits on your listings, the final sales price, and the overall time on the market.</p><p>It also frees up your time, since you won't have to worry about all of the added work involved.</p><p>You could have the most beautiful home in the world, priced right, and in a great location but if your photos look like you snapped them yourself, chances are they won't get the results you need.</p><p>For most agents, even if they spend a lot of money on a camera and other equipment it won't usually result in quality photos, in most cases since the equipment is only one part of the process.  </p><p>Just as a Real Estate agent is most qualified to properly market and sell a home since they know the market and the area they sell in, a Professional Real Estate Photographer is the most qualified to photograph homes and make them look their best, using the right equipment, techniques, software, and training to make real estate photos "pop" with vibrant colors, contrast, sharpness, editing, and details.  </p><p>As a full time Real Estate photographer, I spend literally hours upon hours after each photoshoot in order to develop my photos, and get them to look better than is possible with your standard point and shoot camera.</p><p>While the equipment surely can help get better results,  there is no substitute for experience, training, and the results they bring.</p><p>While photography is a vital part of a successful real estate campaign, there are also numerous other elements necessary to get the best results, and they include proper home maintenance, making necessary repairs, cleaning, landscaping, painting, and home staging.   The best agents go through and make recommendations to the sellers to get the home in the best shape possible, and this often requires de-cluttering the house, removing some furntiture if necessary, and bringing in a home stager to properly stage the home, and in many cases the stagers will bring in their own furniture to give the home a fresh new look.</p><p>I've seen agents quadruple their business in a matter of months, simply by going through the steps to bring a home up to the best possible condition, staging it properly, and using professional photography .  </p><p>Once its looking its best, thats where professional photography comes in.</p><p>You need an online tour to show off the quality of the home, and give the viewer a reason to want to come and see it in person.  The MLS sized photos are small, and my online tours show of your home in full screen slideshows, or with flash slideshows that are about 2-3 times larger than your typical mls sized photo.</p><p>I work hard to make your photos look their best, and I have numerous references available upon request. </p><p>If the photos look dark, out of focus or are not properly taken they'll tend to make viewers quickly move on to the next house, and poor photography can hurt the homes' marketability quite a bit.</p><p>If you'd like to learn more about succesful real esate marketing, feel free to visit my website, at <a href="http://www.thephototour.com">http://www.thephototour.com</a></p><p> </p><p>Thanks for your time,</p><p> </p><p>Bill Johnson</p><p>Photographer, ThePhototour.com</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> Bill Johnson (ThePhotoTour.com) Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:08:59 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/271279/success-in-the-competitive-washington-real-estate-market-