Teresa's Blog

Joining BloggersUnite -Nov - Prematurity Awareness Month®....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:01:00 -0600

Prematurity Awareness Month® bloggersunite Join the fight for preemies November 17th

this photo of my grandnephew taken over 3 years ago - is both sweet and heartbreaking....

as he fought to survive - he needed help to breathe, he needed help to eat because he he came too soon to do it on his own.

Over 20 years earlier, I was blessed to be along-side my sister in the delivery room when his mommy was born, so it was a special time as my niece prepared for her first-born.

But his premature birth meant he needed help simply to breathe as he fought to survive. My niece wasn't willing to leave the hospital. For weeks on end she ate, slept and showered there: continuing to love, hope and pray for a day when she could bring her son home.

Coming home for a preemie though can include special care, treatment and attention, sometimes lasting years.

Why has there been an increase in premature births? One of many questions awareness, education and research can help find answers to.

Every year, 20 million babies are born too soon, too small and very sick-half a million of them in the United States....the number has increased 31 percent since 1981. It can happen without warning and for no known reason…. BloggersUnite.com -

To find out what you can do to help "fight for preemies" visit bloggersunite for info and links to other resources.

The "preemie" I love is my inspiration for joining the "fight for preemies" as BloggersUnite November 17th.

How is he now? This recent clip of his first time bowling shows why he's a miracle to me! I'm so thankful for all the prayer, care and love that went into helping him fight to survive. In a word....Joy!

A "VIRTUAL" RE barcamp? Save the Date: Nov 17th....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:42:09 -0500

ReBlog Source RE Tech World Educating Real Estate Agents On How To Use Modern Technologies To Better Their Business Will Never Be The Same!
On November 17th, 2009 dozens of the most respected educators in the real estate industry converge to host the first of its kind, Virtual Real Estate BarCamp.

Virtual Real Estate BarCamp is a 1-Day Learning Extravaganza.
From 9am until 4pm PST, three concurrent webinar "rooms" will each host 9 different sessions, for a total of 27 different presentations.
There is something for everyone and everything for someone, and best of all, IT IS FREE and attendance is unlimited!

Click below to:
Register.
Learn more.
See who is coming.
Check out the Session Calendar.
Get sponsorship info.

Attendance is projected to be at least 1000 agents, nationwide.
Do not miss out on being part of this ground-breaking event.

Session topics include:

1.      Social Media Risk Management

2.      Flickr for Real Estate

3.      Developing Your Brand

4.      Online Advertising Secrets

5.      Facebook for Real Estate

6.      WordPress Training

7.      Daily Goal Tracking

8.      Starting a Real Estate Blog

...and much more, with new sessions being added every day.

And if that wasn\'t cool enough, individuals from around the country are volunteering to host In-Real-Life MeetUps for after the event.
Learn all day, and then meet to have a beer with local participants. This is going to be a blast!

We hope to see you there! Source RE Tech World

"Ready Brew" Open House Idea

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:19:31 -0500

My love for coffee is no secret so it’s exciting to have a snapshot of mine included with others on the new Starbucks VIA Ready Brew website. During the first weeks of its launch you can check out contests and prizes on StarbucksVia.com with categories including Home, Work and First Taste….

“Outside the Box” VIA comes packaged in single serving sized tubes with a taste compared to regular brew. This could be handy for your Real Estate Agent toolbox.

A thermos or pot of hot water, “VIA Ready Brew” and a little imagination could create a welcoming coffee counter at your next Open House with little effort or waste –

a dozen fit nicely in each espresso cup used for the examples below which are also handy "at home" btw:

October | Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:16:08 -0500

Reblog from Midori Miller -

"It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle). "
Via Florida Real Estate Trainer | Daytona Beach After School Training | Midori (CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty):
October | Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Please I encourage you to reblog this or even forward this post to your friends and loved ones.

This disease touches so many and changes lives forever..we can do the same but in a positive way!

Help Fight Breast Cancer...the reality is there is a good chance someone you love will be affected by this disease.

You never know...by following the instructions you might save a human life!

SPREAD THE WORD!

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Midori Miller is licensed in the State of Florida, BK645709 and currently hangs her real estate license with CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty. Midori is also a real estate trainer and an ActiveRain Ambassador and specializes in short sales for Daytona Beach real estate sellers. If you are in the market to buy or sell real estate in Daytona Beach, Florida..please contact us!

when the phone rings....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:05:48 -0500

When the phone rings and someone says….I found you on the internet – as a Real Estate Agent: the first thing that comes to my mind is someone's considering buying or selling a home. Other calls come from people and companies selling their services or wares but Monday I had a precious first –

The phone rang – I answered and a voice on the other end said, “Hi this is Jose. You’re on the Internet?” he asked. “Yes Jose”….I said (as a background conversation sparked up in Spanish between Jose and a woman on his end of the line. Then Jose returned to the phone conversation and said….“I’ll call you back.”

A few minutes later the phone rang (same caller id #). I answered and heard, “Hi this is Jose again”….I greeted him and asked what area they live and if they were looking for a home. Jose said they weren’t looking for a home adding in a sincerely matter-of-fact tone….”I want you to make me famous” (pause) - that was me  as he explained that he sings and someone told him the day before he should find an “Agent”  Well There You Go!

After a brief conversation about Talent Agents, I wished Jose my best without even asking for a few bars, dang! Oh but I do have his #

So if someone you know is in the market for a singer….or casting for singers in the Seattle/Tacoma area in the near future….I’d be happy to relay the info to Jose – Love Life! J

JONES "in" for marketing?

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:55:28 -0500

LOOKING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE way to say thanks for your biz, welcome home, congratulations or other exceptional message?

JONES SODA makes it easy at “my.jones” online where you can create your own remarkable customized 12 pack case (or more) of Jones Soda by uploading a photo for the label and a personalized message for the back.

Imagine customizing for a…

JONES SODA OPEN HOUSE DRINK BAR

Front Label & Back Quote Possibilities

Your Photo, Logo or Identifying Picture on the Label

Your Name, Phone, Biz, or Tagline on The Back

Choose a Flavor | Color to Compliment the Décor | Theme

JONES SODA HOUSE WARMING, CLOSING, OR THANK YOU GIFT PACK Other Label Possibilities:

Photo of The New Home

New Homeowners

Local Park, Landmark, or Neighborhood Attraction

Sold Sign, Property View

Doorway, Welcome Mat or ____ fill in the blank

Love to see what you come up with!

NAHB's Q & A - on that 8,000 first time home buyer tax credit....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:17:01 -0500

NAHB's (National Association of Home Builders) Chief Tax Economist answers important questions relevant to the first time home-buyers 8,000. Federal Housing Tax Credit in an informative presentation on NAHB TV. The clip can be viewed below or from NAHB TV on YouTube.

They ask and answer questions I hadn’t yet considered so it might be of interest to you or your FTHB clients. “Federal Housing Tax Credit explained” video offers some insight into specific circumstances that effect how or if a buyer qualifies for the credit. The embed code for this clip is available on YouTube if you want to include on your blog or website.

Fremont Fair in Seattle's "Center of the Universe"....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:10:01 -0500

Fremont Fair

An annual event in Seattle’s “FUN”ky “Center of the Universe” community, featuring a parade, eats, drinks, art, music, entertainment, vendors, shopping and more is scheduled for June 20th -21st 2009 –

For details and more information visit Fremont Fair online. A Solid Ground Production & Benefit Event.

2009 Fremont Fair Flyer

Website: Fremont Fair

Bloggers posting for a cause - Earth Day, April 22, 2009 - you in?

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:31:02 -0500

Sharing a bloggers "Call to Action" as “Earth Day” 2009 fast approaches. One way to help raise awareness and focus toward environmental issues is to blog about them.

Is there any place better to get the word out to active bloggers knowledgeable about issues related to living green than ActiveRain? Efficient building design, landscape, energy audits and other green-home topics are just a few possible post ideas.

If you’re interested in joining BloggersUnite for this Earth Day April 22, 2009 event; inspiration, more information, registration and badges are available online. (285 joined this event as of this post) -

This short video below provides some excellent background on Earth Day.

Earth Day Video

Need a "Super Screenshot"? Check this out....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:37:46 -0500


Super Screenshot (by Contact Sheet).

To capture an image of a website “Super Screenshot” is a handy tool. No registration or software to download and so many possibilities!

It’s almost as easy as typing the URL into the search bar and clicking “go”. Once the Super Screenshot appears, you can change the size, file type or refresh with a click of your mouse.
- right click to save

one Idea for the road though you’ll likely come up with plenty of your own:

Create a gallery for your blog/post or website and link each image to details or more online info - i.e.

·          Listing Agents Gallery of Homes –

·          An Artists Gallery -

·          Business Gallery of Associates –

·          A Stagers Mini Portfolio –

Ready to give it a shot? Super Screenshot!

Marketing Real Estate with RealBird

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:07:14 -0500


Real Estate Marketing with RealBird

Real Bird’s initial release of a custom search engine "Search The Real Estate Web" recently got better. A co-branded version for agents is made available as a free service from Real Bird. For details visit the RealBird Blog on the Active Rain Real Estate Network

Visit this link for a live sampling of my co-branded search site provided through RealBird (screenshot below).

Just one of the many useful tools RealBird offers Real Estate Agents including online listing resources, single property sites, widgets, mapping and more.

Offer Your Readers a Seat - & - Feed Them (cute new RSS icons from Smashing Magazine))

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:09:23 -0500
Now you can offer your readers a seat to get fed

Smashing Magazine released another creative icon set that's great for bloggers - my favorites from this collection are the cozy and colorful RSS feed icons in four colors - with that "welcome home" feel -

Download this freebie set at: Smashing Magazine

What Beautiful "Tweeple"! Artful & Fun"twitter mosaic" love it!

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:55:41 -0500

More twitter business: for your twitter business - FREE

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:50:49 -0600

Thanks to Mike Mueller of areweconnected.com and host of the popular “Mike’s Minute” here on Active Rain, I learned about “tweeple pages” a useful twitter tool. Visit Mike’s Minute to learn more about the great features of “tweeple pages”.

Another one of my new favorites: “twitter mosaic” from sxoop.com to creates an awesome mosaic of your twitter friends or followers along with code that can be pasted into your website or blog using your twitter id. Below is what “twitter mosaic” generated with my twitter info. (note: it’s an edited version due to code overload in part because of the link feature described below)

Not only does it arrange your favorite twitter faces beautifully, the mosaic links each to their twitter page. To test the link feature click in the example below.

I love this!

Get your twitter mosaic here.

I previously posted on Active Rain about adding your name to the Tweeter Real Estate Directory on justtweetit.com.

Sharing Twibs.com another directory for business on twitter not specific to the real estate industry but it includes over 5,000 business listings and counting including ESPN, CitySearch, facebook, LinkedIn, Mashable, Technorati, Yahoo Real Estate and others*.

It’s free and simple - once registered you’ll receive an@ message on twitter from twibs.com with a link to manage your listing. There’s a spot for your bio and up to 5 website/blog links in addition to your twitter, LinkedIn, flickr and facebook profile links – what’s not to love about free advertisement?

To add your business visit twibs.com where you can also try their well-organized search options that allowed me to quickly find * Starbucks, MTV, TV Guide, H & R Block, Whole Foods, MS Windows, Amazon and numerous other recognizable people, entities and brands already taking advantage of twibs.com directory.

First time homebuyer credit repayment details worth checking out

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:41:27 -0600

Valuable First time homebuyer Credit Repayment Information

Just visited H&R Block online to review a summary of the new stimulus package. It appears first time homebuyers who qualify for the credit may also have repayment waived after 36 months if they meet other criteria including: the home is still their primary residence and has not been sold. Refer to the stimulus package for details but on first glance, this could be incentive for those who qualify. H&R Block Link –

Go ahead....it's free to Embed

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:53:47 -0600

With Embedit.in you can insert files into your website or blog that otherwise might require opening a separate program, website or window to access.

Example Below - A PDF document (newsletter) uploaded using embedit.in online which generated code that was copied and pasted into a new blog post under the html tab. The result is direct access to the newsletter content without the necessity to open another window or program. Upload files from a URL or your pc.

Viewer features include zooming, full screen and the ability to drag a page within the viewer.

This online utility from increo is available at embedit.in.

Seattle's out to get Invaders!

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:09:48 -0600

Seattle green city partnership

To help maintain and restore the habitat of Seattle’s forested parkland the Seattle green partnership is working to Identify and remove invasive plants and replace them with other native species through active support of volunteers and businesses.

Homeowners – If you’re inspired to adapt the idea in your own landscape design there are resources online to assist you.

Weekly Events – Are you ready to help get the invaders out of your community? Check where Seattle area volunteers plan to be by visiting an online event schedule.

Green Seattle Partnership video below:

Happy Valentine's Day - to All of you! My Traditions! Do You Know How Valentine's Day Began?

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:08:08 -0600

I can't think of a more fitting person to share a Happy Valentine's Greeting here on the Rain than Teri Ellis the "Lady in Red" - enjoy her blog and be sure to visit marti garaughty @"The Art of Marketing You" for February's " Link Love" Challenge. May Love and Chocolate Be Yours!
Via Mesa, Arizona Real Estate *** Teri Ellis, Broker, ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO,MRE (Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC):
I think I'm the queen of trivia....really, I like some of the fun stuff that either we don't know or forgot. Traditions I have carried on through the years include:

When my children were little, on Valentine's Day, by their dinner plate would be a heart (probably See's Candy) with chocolate.

I would also make sure they each - as well as hubby - would have a red "something." Usually for the guys it was a shirt, and for my daughter, a dress. My daughter continues this trend with her children. Fun memories for her and for me.

Now, as a grandma, they usually receive a Valentine Card from us with some money...they like that part.

Tonight, my husband and I will go to a Valentine's Dance - wearing RED!!!

What are some of your traditions?

Wikipedia reports the following about Valentine's Day.....

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is an occasion celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[1] The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.^[2]

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.^[3]

Mesa, Arizona Real Estate. Call me at: 480.216-3334 for information on purchasing or selling a home in Mesa, Arizona or surrounding towns. OR email me: Teri@TeriEllis.com. Feel free to visit one of my websites: HomesAzRE.com, MoveToMesaAz.com or MoveToSunnyAz.com. Or stop by my blogs at: MesaAzRealEstateVoice; or Phoenix Valley Real Estate Blog

Zillow's been talking about me

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:35:55 -0600

Reblogging Chuck Wiiman's post "Zillow's been talking about me" - if you're interested in seeing what they're saying.... this post is for you.
Via Chuck Willman, Arizona Realtor® 480.292.0600 (Gentry Realty):
My neighbor approached me the other day and remarked, "Did you notice what zillow said about us?"

I wasn't aware he was on speaking terms with Zillow... or that my name had somehow been brought up in conversation... so I played along, "No... what's Zillow been saying?"

"Zillow says your house is worth $41k less ever since the bank accepted the offer on that corner house. They say my house is worth $38k less."

OK.

I don't really have a bone to pick with Zillow... but my neighbor is not too happy with them right now.

Knowing I'm an agent, my neighbor wanted my opinion. These are the things I shared:

It's difficult to know exactly what any home is worth right now. In some neighborhoods there are so many bank owned properties that the "new retail" value is the price of the latest sold property... even if it's bank owned.

Zillow provides an approximation of value. They aren't as accurate as a licensed appraiser who will be able to take into account all factors. Sometimes their figures are high... sometimes they are low. Often they won't have some essential information, such as how many beds and baths a home has. However, they are a pretty good gage for a "ball park" figure. They aren't pulling prices out of thin air... they have a methodology and a formula- but a consumer will want "someone in the business" to give them richer information to help judge values.

The values are never written in stone. They change each day... especially as new data arrives. Every sale changes the comparisons.

Has Zillow been talking about you? What do you have to say about them?

-------

Chuck Willman is an Arizona based real estate agent. www.AZvest.com

Seattle Home Show 2009

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:53:00 -0600

February 14th -22nd 2009
Seattle Home Show – begins this week-end and runs through February 22nd at Qwest Field Event Center in Seattle. Visit the Seattle Home Show online for show times and details, to purchase tickets or get recipes which include: Halibut, Corn and Smoked Salmon Chowder from Anthony’s restaurant Chefs Tony Ring and Pat Donahue.

There will be furnished and landscaped model homes at IDEA STREET™, home decorating, building and product displays, seminars, living green ideas.... and a wine tasting section.

Sponsors of the Show are the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Master Builder Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

image created at http://www.wordle.net/ Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States

Ready to Bloom....Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:08:21 -0600

Seattle - Colorful displays and ideas planted throughout the 2009 Northwest Flower & Garden Show are ready to bloom February 18th -22nd at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center.

Gardeners are in for a treat at “Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places.” the theme of this years show featuring container, organic and edible gardening, shopping, information, tools and seminars in addition to showy displays and family friendly activities.

Discover ways to bring your porch or deck alive with plantings or enhance your homes curb appeal. From lawns to patio gardens, green living to sustainable designs, everything from vegetables to orchids are on the calendar at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show.

Digital Media -....and almost scary search engine capabilites

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:25:02 -0600

Digital media is all-the-buzz with much being written about how even the presidential campaign used social networking to connect with voters. Marketing guru Marti Garaughty touched on the subject in his recent “The Art of Marketing You” group post on the Active Rain network;

“We could all learn a few lessons from his online marketing strategies. Check it out, grab a free copy over at Edelman, Digital Public Affairs….”

- marti garaughty –

I think Marti’s post as well as the article he makes available to download are excellent reads and have no question that the face of business marketing includes at least an element of social media; the likes of twitter and facebook to remain competitive.

If you’ve been on the sidelines wondering how people and business are using networking sites to put themselves and brands “center stage” - live examples could be the best way to find that answer. Providing links (below) to 3 search engines that specifically focus on sifting through internet social circles including blogs and microblogs that may help simplify such a quest.

You can try typing a business or your own name into the search bar and generate results that are incredibly fast. It’s almost scary to see their capabilities in action and reflects just how easy it really is to “follow” online. One consideration when you or your business is out there, they really are – out there.

Three social media search engines (alphabetically):

JungZilla.com

socialmention

twingy

image created at http://www.wordle.net

UPDATED: You Embed Tube - Create an attractive video presentation.

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:13:22 -0600

If you want to try out a video presentation from YouEmbedTube –

Click Here or the title on the player “YouEmbedTube” should direct you to the site - Instructions may be a bit vague so hopefully this will help:

If you have a YouTube channel – you can type your channel name under:

#1. Tags – and proceed to

#2 Quantity – select the number of video to show in the wheel from the drop down list and then….

Click on “Preview” which should generate the images.

The page may take a few minutes to load while it searches for the channel or video but once you see the images….

Click where it says “Get the code right now!” (right side of the images) – this should generate the html code (where the images were)

copy the code below the line . “Direct HTML” to your pc clipboard – to paste into your post. There is alternate java script provided as well but don’t think it will work on AR?

If you don’t have a video channel on YouTube – you can type in key words to identify video you want to display. This might take a visit to YouTube to make some selections.

The example below was generated simply by typing Active Rain – into #1 then selecting 8 from the drop down list under #2, then clicking on “Preview” – TA!DA! The presentation below is what was auto generated. I hope this helps to create something fun.

Are You in the Tweeter Real Estate Directory?

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:04:12 -0600

If you’re in Real Estate and using Twitter….how about adding your name to the Tweeter Real Estate Directory?

There are other Tweeter Directory categories at justtweetit.com as well that might help people find and connect with you online.

sweet tweets! J

p.s. cool microblog and blog search engine….“twingly”

image created at http://www.wordle.net

January 2009 - sharing a post on...."The Law of Attraction"....

Teresa Berry (Dream Home Real Estate Inc) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:54:23 -0600

Recently a member of Sta.rt.up.biz (a small business social network) blogged about “The Law of Attraction” and while it was the title that captured my attention….it was the content that made me want to pass it along to anyone here at the Rain interested in a little New Years refresher on the topic - I’ve included a link to the article posted by Sandy Gray at Sta.rtup.biz below. May 2009 be a blessed year for you and yours!

“Attracting Unlimited Customers Using The Law of Attraction”

Posted by Sandy Gray