Taryn's Blog

Sellers advice for the troubled East TN market

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:48:52 -0500

What is your best advice to sellers in East tN to sell their homes, when buyers are in short supply. What are the checklists of what a seller can do to attract those few buyers?

Feedblitz dilemma....

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:07:28 -0500

Hello All,

Does anyone use the autoresponder service in Feedblitz? I am finding the site hard to navigate. My client wants to know how she should set it up so she can send an attachment (PDF document) in her autoresponder, and can she actually add an attachment, or does she just add a link?
- And if a link must be added, where would it be posted?

I find there are too many menu choices and sort of got lost in this process :o) There are too many bells and whistles on Feedblitz and I feel it could be made more simplistic.

I am also not sure to select the option to use the blog itself as the autoresponder or to set up an auto responder...

Thanks all!

Solar sheets?

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:56:49 -0500

Hello All!

I am building a green/eco house, and someone told me about solar sheets that literally lay on top of the roof and are much, much lower in cost than traditional solar. Does anyone know about this and where to buy? There is a company called Konarka Technologies who sells them, but they won't be available for another year. I would like to know if any are available now.

Thanks!

Why I LOVE Being a Virtual Assistant

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:02:40 -0600

Being a Virtual Assistant has completely changed my life by empowering me to be the leader of my own business destiny, sharpen and hone my skills until they are finely polished, put to use the 25 years of Executive Assistant experience I have, but most importantly, I give people the gift of free time.

Example: John Doe is an overworked agent or broker who is letting emails and appointments slip by, he just can’t keep up. He almost forgot his wife’s birthday, and neglected to book a hotel room for their 25th anniversary trip. In steps the Virtual Assistant, who takes charge of his emails and calendar. She calls his colleagues to remind them of meetings. She searched online and came up with the perfect gift for this client’s wife, and found a great hotel for their vacation. John Doe enjoyed increased peace and efficiency in his life, without paying any employee related expenses to the VA. He had an extra few hours to spend with his kids, pick out nursery furniture with his wife who is expecting, or enjoy some golf.

Not to mention all the marketing and clerical work she assisted John with. Or the snappy new brochure she designed for his latest listing, or CMA she helped him to put together.

Knowing that I have had a part in this gift is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. This is why I am a Virtual Assistant.

Kingston Springs

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:56:19 -0600

Hello,

Does anyone on this forum know Kingston Springs very well? I would like to know a bit of preliminary information about the types and cost of housing that is available there. It is one of the many geographic areas we are looking at for relocation.

Thanks!

Seeking a house plan source for a cinder block (bricko or concrete) home

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:06:47 -0600

I have looked all over the internet and have found information on how to build one, but no plans. I need specific plans for my construction loan. I am trying to avoid hiring an architect for custom plans.

Thanks :-)

Need plans for cinder block (bricko or concrete) block home

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:00:53 -0600

I have searched and searched online, to no avail....Anyone know of anything?

Thanks!

Not an agent, but have a question!

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:30:17 -0600

Hello All,

Does anyone know the laws pertaining to attached, finished garages and if they are included in total square footage?

Mine is listed on my tax record but I am not sure if I can include it when I sell It is finished, with heat/air, flooring, painted walls, and baseboard molding.

It is included in auxilliary square feet on my tax record.

I moved to East TN from Nashville, where you could definitely include a finished garage in square footage. My agent here said no which is why I am double checking.

Thanks

Land Survey Question

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:16:23 -0500

If I buy land and have the right to have a survey as a contingency, what happens if the survey I pay for shows that the parcel of land is actually bigger than stated on the tax records?

Since I paid for the survey independently, does this information have to be shared with the seller? I am really not sure about this one and need some impartial advice.

thanks!

I get no printer dialog box in iCal ....

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:30:06 -0500

Hello All,

I am not able to print from iCal. I don't even get a printer dialog box to come up. I posted on the Apple forum, and I was told to clean out my iCal library/preferences .plist files. I did so, but still nothing. I also did a permissions reboot and disk utility. Still zilch :-(

Any ideas?

Attn: RE Developers and Investors

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 04:56:33 -0500

Good Morning Bloggers!

Yet another way to utilize a Virtual Assistant - add administrative services to a luxury amenities package at high end subdivisions.

It is amazing, but most luxury subdivisions offer a plethora of amenities such as fitness center, dry cleaning service, massage clinic, beauty salon, restaurant reservations. What? No administrative services? Why???

Many people who move into luxury subdivisions are either retired or semi-retired, and therefore have many personal and social commitments. They could surely use a Virtual Assistant. Or they work out of their home office without an assigned assistant. They too are the perfect candidate.

The third category is the young professional, possibly an entrepreneur, who needs frequent travel reservations, conference organization, bookkeeping, mail and contact management, RSVP service for business and professional engagements, and all around administrative services.

How cool would it be to offer this as a package to new residents, for a monthly fee? You as the developer could contract directly with the Virtual Assistant and thereby give your residents one more reason to buy from YOU, versus the other guy :-)

Check out my Wordpress blog for more articles on real estate, virtual assistantce, mac os x articles, and productivity articles.

Yes, a Virtual Assistant can make your day easier :-)

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:47:07 -0500

Here is an interesting article from Mr. Internet. The more technological the world becomes, and the more specialized Real Estate technology becomes, the more you need a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (sometimes called REVA or REPA).

Realtor Magazine Online Article

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:41:29 -0500

Mike Antoniak writes an interesting article about how Macs and Real Estate are slowly becoming more of "an item"! Check it out.

Did you ever want to be a reporter in the RE industry?

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:10:57 -0500

Calling all columnists for Mac RE Technology!

Anyone who is willing to blog about "the buzz" on any Mac OS X enabled software for the RE Industry, and post the story in our Mac RE Assistant and RE Professional group, will be added to the links on my RE Assistant website: www.realtorsvirtualoffice.com

I will also have a link to your story on my Virtual Assistant blog

I am hearing more and more these days about Macs and RE, so that can only mean the coming months and years should abound with technology that makes working in the RE field less PC dependent.

To your abundant success!

Taryn

Calling all columnists for Mac RE Technology!

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:03:40 -0500

Anyone who is willing to blog about "the buzz" on any Mac OS X enabled software for the RE Industry, and post the story in this group, will be added to the links on my RE Assistant website: www.realtorsvirtualoffice.com

I will also have a link to your story on my Virtual Assistant blog

I am hearing more and more these days about Macs and RE, so that can only mean the coming months and years should abound with technology that makes working in the RE field less PC dependent.

To your abundant success!

Taryn

Help on .pptx files

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:33:08 -0500

Hello!

Is there a way to launch .pptx files in the Mac version of Powerpoint? This is the new format for Microsoft Office documents. It is a combination of XML architecture and ZIP compression for size reduction.

Thanks :-)

Realty Juggler

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 07:27:03 -0500

I just read about this software which works on Macs, and is for RE Professional's:

http://www.realtyjuggler.com/

Leopard

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:35:03 -0500

Hi All!

How many of you will be switching to Leopard on the day it is out versus how many of you will wait a while? As for me, I am ready!!! Bye bye tiger, hello Leopard!

Forever a Macaddict,

Taryn

Mac RE Assistant's and potential clients, welcome!

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:33:14 -0500

Please join up! In the coming months, I hope we can all network and discuss any real estate oriented software that is Mac oriented or what adaptations you have made on the PC platform to be able to use your Mac.

To Your Success Always!

Taryn

How to add value to your business by using a Real Estate VA

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:02:51 -0500

The importance of keeping in touch, reaching out, letting a client know you are thinking of them. How important is that? Major league important!

But you are a busy real estate professional. How do you leave time for all the little nuances of human relationships when you are trying to survive, getting leads, getting listings, closings, etc.

The answer may be to make an investment in a skilled Virtual Assistant. She/he will never let you forget a past/present client birthday, anniversary, promotion, etc. The VA will take care of your holiday cards, drip email campaign, postcards, marketing, leads management. She/he will call on your expired listings and perform so many clerical and administrative duties that you will wonder why you took all this on yourself.

Most importantly, the VA will help you keep close ties with those past and present clients who have earned you a commission. Every one of them has a sister, cousin, friend, etc, who may be a potential customer of yours one day.

While your Virtual Assistant is doing all your busy work, you can be out networking, drumming up business, or sometimes just enjoying some time with the family or playing some golf.

You are in the service business and so are we. It's a domino effect of how ventures prosper, one person helping the other down the line.

To Your Astounding Success!

Taryn Merrick

New Virtual Assistant Group for Mac Users

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:23:39 -0500

Hello!

If there are any Virtual Assistants who utilize Macs in serving their REP's, please join my new group: Mac RE Virtual Assistants

We can share information about the various software we use to serve our RE Professionals. General Mac questions are fine too!

Taryn

Welcome Mac Real Estate Assistants!

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:31:54 -0500

This group is for all Real Estate Assistant's (Virtual and onsite) who utilize the Mac platform in servicing their REPs. Join us and share what software and technologies you use!

Real Estate Professionals, this is also your group if you utilize the Mac platform and are interested in finding a qualified VA.

Welcome Mac Real Estate Assistants!

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:28:26 -0500

This group is for all Real Estate Assistant's (Virtual and onsite) who utilize the Mac platform in servicing their REPs. Join us and share what software and technologies you use!

Real Estate Professionals, this is also your group if you utilize the Mac platform and are interested in finding a qualified VA.

If You Have Clients Who Own Luxury RV's or Motorcoaches

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:52:24 -0500

Own an RV or luxury motorcoach?

A Virtual Assistant is perfect for you!

Are you retired, semi-retired, or just travel a lot? Have you recently purchased an RV or a luxury motorcoach? Did you know you can be as efficient and organized as when you are home, whilst you are on the road? A Virtual Business Professional like Taryn Merrick can:

Receive, sort and respond to your forwarded postal mail
Receive, sort and respond to your email
Receive and respond to your voice mail
Administer and manage any new construction punch lists
Transmit new posts to your Blog or MySpace
Make restaurant reservations while you are on the road
Get driving directions and email to you
Research sightseeing venues and places of interest and either call, email, mail, IM or fax the results to you
Assist you in getting set up for satellite internet service while you are on the road
Make repair and/or maintenance calls for you, so your RV or luxury motorcoach stays in tip top condition
Organize e-meetings, online conferences, tele-seminars or conference calls for you
Perform any of the virtual services (and more) listed here
Generally speaking, a VA can keep your personal and business life in an optimum state of organization while you travel!

How I First Started as a Virtual Assistant

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:58:45 -0500

Would you believe HGTV is responsible for me starting my Virtual Assistant Business?

I had watched a show they aired 3 1/2 years ago about luxury RV's and the people who can afford them. I thought how awesome it would be to work from my own office, on my own terms, and assist people like this with mail, email, voicemail, reservations, personal tasks, etc, as well as be a link between their travel and their business or office.

From that day, this dream quickly became a reality. Here I am 3 1/2 years later, with a loyal clientele, a portfolio of varied services, from Real Estate Assistance to Business Management to Personal Assistance and Concierge services.

I can't imagine doing anything else!

Thanks HGTV!!!