The 10 Hour VA

Check Your Website or Blog Against Your Competition...This Real Estate Virtual Assistant Tells You How!

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:33:17 -0500

OK...I know we like to say that there is enough business out there to go around, that we don't have to be in competition with one another...that's bull! LOL (I am one of the ones who says that, just so you know!) I have found a service where, for FREE, you can put in your website or blog URL as well as that of one or more of your competitors...and not only will it grade YOUR website, but it will pit your website up against your competition and show you how you measure up!

This service is called Website Grader and it is from Hubspot. I think this is great for real estate professionals because we are local...and there's always that "one big agent" in your area...and maybe you can't put up as many billboards or signs, run as many open houses as he/she does, etc...but you can work and work and work to beat their website grade - and that might just bring you closer to being a contender for their listings and buyers as well! Competition is a good thing! (I know, goes against all that I believe in...LOL...I want to live in a peaceful, harmonious world where we all love each other...during non-business hours anyway!)

All you need to do is enter your URL and then your competitor's URL(s) and then your email address. That's it. It will process and then spit out a report that tells you what can be done to improve your grade...most items are easy and you can do them yourself; however, I am a firm believer in doing what you know best and outsourcing the rest...so feel free to delegate any of this website improvement to your real estate virtual assistant or in-house assistant.

Let the competition begin!

NOTE: Feel free to email me with any questions on how to use this service, I am happy to help if I can! (The image that you see at the beginning of this post is my actual badge for my website grade...you can see it at the bottom of my home page on my website.)

BIO: I have successfully owned and operated a Real Estate Virtual Assistant business, specializing in Real Estate Support Services, since March of 2000. I have several accreditations and have received many client testimonials over the years. I have over 20 years of administrative experience, I am a licensed agent in California and I specialize in on-going, value-based services provided to real estate agents and brokers...long term relationships with my clients are my greatest success stories. I am a contributing author over at RealBlogging.com, you can read my articles that I have written, all directed towards real estate professionals, by clicking here. I am also a fairly active participant / contributor over on Active Rain...you can visit my profile page here.

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Real Estate Virtual Assistant Suggests Using an Editorial Calendar to Stay on Track With Blogging Efforts

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:28:46 -0500

I just wrote a post on my main website about this...it's a tad wordy...sorry about that, but I'm a fast typist and the words just flew out of my fingertips!

Calendaring options as well as idea info are discussed...please head on over to read it now and feel free to leave comments there as well. Thanks in advance!!!

Real Estate Virtual Assistant Suggests Using An Editorial Calendar to Stay On Track With Your Blogging Efforts

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It's Fall...and I'm Homesick! What's Fall Mean to YOU?!?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:10:41 -0500

Don't get me wrong, I love living here in Vista, CA (been living here since 1984 now!)...they don't call it the World's Climatic Wonderland for nothing afterall...but I really and truly get a tad bit homesick every year about this time...

And mothers know everything. No really, they do. My mom just sent this picture of a dirt road back home, Northern Vermont, to me on my iPhone. Isn't it pretty? Granted, I have tons more from previous years...and waxed leaves...the whole works that she sends me every year...some are artwork quality...this one was just out as she was driving around and thought of me.

So, since I'm sharing what fall means to me (the start of the holidays, the smells of pumpkin spice and cinnamon, beautiful fall leaves, crisp cool evenings...), I thought I would open up a post where everyone could post a picture...of what fall means to them...with a brief text description. Don't be shy...hijack my post. I would love to see any other northern US leave shots as well...I love landscapes. But any photo will do as long as it embodies what fall means to you.

OH...and THANKS, Mom!!! I needed that!

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WordTracker Announced a New eBook Today...At A Discount.

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:41:43 -0500

The book is titled: "Blogging for Business - 50 Steps to Building Traffic and Sales." and if you buy it before the 14th of October I believe, the price is discounted $10...down to $29...not bad for 163 pages of good stuff.

I wrote a more detailed post about the ebook on my actual website, I am trying to learn to divide my blogging time between both sites, so if you are interested...

Visit my Real Estate Virtual Assistant Website and Read My Blog Post With Details About This Book.

I will tell you this here though...my favorite feature of this ebook is all the way on page 160!

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Tipsy Tuesday - 5 Ways to Get More Readers to Your Blog / CC Martini (Feel Like A Kid Again!)

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:41:07 -0500

TIP:

5 Ways to Get More Readers to Your Blog

As a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, blogging, and how to make it more effective are one of the topics most often discussed with my clients. Here are 5 Ways to Get More Readers to Your Blog:

You've had this drilled into you since you were a little kid..."mind your Ps and Qs"...once you do have a reader visit your blog and leave a comment...if possible, reciprocate - find your way back to their blog, read some posts, comment...thank them for visiting your blog about XYZ (you can leave a link in your signature), and invite them back again.
Visit the competition...do a search to find out which the most popular blogs are on your topic of interest...visit them. Read and comment, again, make sure your url is in your signature. Don't hijack their blog...that's rude...but do contribute and let people who are reading that competing blog know that you are an intelligent source for info as well on this topic.
PING - Make sure that your blog is set up to inform / ping search engines and sites like Technorati when your blog has been updated. This definitely brings more visitors...make sure your subject lines of your blog posts include your keywords as often as possible.
When reading other people's blogs, if they happen to inspire you to write a post of your own...let them know. Use a trackback...it lets the original author know that you appreciated their content and may even result in a backlink back to your own blog...backlinks help the search engines decide how relevant your blog is.
Go where your target audience hangs out and participate! If you are a real estate agent, there are most likely neighborhood websites for your area, message boards, etc...you should be hanging out there and participating amongst your potential clients. Always have the link to your blog in your signature. Answer questions for your area on Trulia and Zillow or other sites...these are people directly looking for info on your area of expertise. And don't even think about forgetting Localism!!! You should get as many community posts for your area as possible. You are sharing your community and advertising yourself through your knowledge and insights...just remember to only post quality...if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right!!!

FAMOUS QUOTE:
“Only a man's character is the real criterion of worth.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt

TIPSY:

Cotton Candy Martini

With all the Fall Festivals and Fairs still going on, cotton candy is in abundance...and while we may feel silly walking around with a big ol' stick of the stuff (not me...I'm proud to be a Cotton Candy Fanatic!), we can make a fun and festive drink with it! Here's the recipe:

1 shot (oz) X-Rated Fusion
1 shot (oz) Kettle One Vodka
1 or 2 shots (to taste) of pure cranberry juice
1 bag cotton candy (preferrably pink for color consistency)
martini glasses
crushed ice

If you're serving this at a party, have all the martini glasses sitting out on a tray and fill them with cotton candy...it's a fun look when guests arrive. The recipe above makes one drink, so figure out how many guests you need to serve and make up a pitcher before they arrive. Store it in the fridge or in a carafe in a bucket of ice...you want it COLD. As they arrive, walk them to the tray of glasses, pour them a martini over the cotton candy and watch it melt...have a cool stirring stick available. It's fun...it's different...and it's yummy! (Note: If you want it sweeter, use cranberry juice cocktail instead of the pure cranberry juice...make a test batch before your party to make sure you are happy with the taste of the recipe.)

OK - please post comments and tell me what types of "Tips" you would like to see covered here in the future!!! (You can post other comments too of course...like after you try the Cotton Candy Martini!)

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My Contact Form is NOT For...

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:30:37 -0500

Hi, everyone...just a quick rant here this morning...I know I can't be the only one out there who has their contact form (which is meant for client and preclient contact) abused by spammers. So I thought this would be a fun blog to see how many dumb things people hijack our contact forms for. Here's mine:

Job Applications! - I am a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, not a staffing service, I am not going to hire you! If I do occasionally need to outsource some work, I will do so to other professionals who I have met via online networking and who I have come to trust their integrity and the value of their work...not to spammers who hijack my contact form!
Adult Product Sales - Yes...I have gotten those emails through my contact forms...'nuff said!
What's Your Contact Form Nightmare??? Let's add it here!

Thanks for letting me rant!

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Tipsy Tuesday - 3 Tips on How to Get Comments on Your Blog / 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Sweepstakes Winner

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:53:34 -0500

TIP:

3 Tips on How to Get Comments on Your Blog

As a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, I am often asked about how to improve blog performance and how to get the readers to be interactive. Well, here are three tips to get you moving in the right direction:

If you're just starting out and your blog looks as sparse as the wide open terrain on the moon, then perhaps it is time to enlist the help of those closest to you within your sphere of influence. Send out an email announcing your blog and ask them to visit it and post a comment or two. Ask them to suggest other topics they would like to read about on your blog as well...you can use those suggestions when you get that inevitable writer's block. (Note: you really need to make sure you have posted at least a few times so that they actually have something to comment on when you do this.) Also, if your blog isn't brand new, but you never formally announced it and you would like to use this method, it should work great for you as well.
Once you have used method #1 and have a few comments at least on your blog, then it's time to move on to your general contact list. Send them an email announcing a contest on your blog, ask them to go visit your blog to register and ask them to read at least one post that interests them and comment...that comment is their registration for the contest. Make sure to do a blog post to announce the contest winner on your blog!!!
Write about topics of interest to your target audience...and then tweet those posts out and make sure to hashmark (#) that topic of interest so that it is searchable. For instance if I were to tweet this post, I would start the post with hashtag #REVA (short for "real estate virtual assistant") and perhaps you would use the hashtag #realestate on your posts... Ask your colleagues to retweet your posts. Put your posts as your update status on LinkedIn and Facebook. Social media is your friend. USE IT!

FAMOUS QUOTE:
"Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work."
~William Arthur Ward

TIPSY:

2007 California Grenache Rosé

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest competition of American wines in the world and local (to me anyway) South Coast Winery of Temecula, CA takes the highest award, the Sweepstakes Award, in the Pink wine class for this 2007 California Grenache Rosé, retailing at approx. $14.00 / bottle. Click the above link to go to their site and try a bottle today...it's light and refreshing and a great way to say goodbye to these last warm days of Summer...ok, I know it's fall...but it still feels like summer outside here!

OK - please post comments and tell me what types of "Tips" you would like to see covered here in the future!!! (You can post other comments too of course...like after you try the Grenache Rosé!)

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Bought Myself A New Website...Based on WordPress...Theme Created By Fabulous Designer!

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:22:48 -0500

I am so excited...I have been waiting to unveil my new Real Estate Virtual Assistant site for quite some time now and I think that we finally have all the kinks out of it!!!

I belong to a list of fabulous web designers who frequently post their work for site checks prior to launching their clients' new sites...and I get to see a lot of designers' work that way. Lots of them are great, but few of them speak to me...but one designer has, I admired her work for years, her work can be blunt and honest or stylish and elegant...and somehow, sometimes it can be both. I have always done my own website design and even blog customizations...but i always swore that if I ever outsourced my website, that it would be to her. And I did. And I am so happy that I finally did it for myself.

Her name is Shelly Cole, her site is BrassBlogs.com, and she is insanely wonderful! She can take my "wants" into consideration without allowing my "wants" to ruin the integrity and beauty of her design...she is definitely a gifted artist and a great business woman. If anyone is looking for a custom WordPress theme, I highly recommend her...in case you haven't noticed ;-)

Sometimes you just have to buy yourself something that you've wanted for soooooo long, you know what I mean?

Please visit my NEW website now and let me know what you think! Thanks!

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Tipsy Tuesday - Sometimes You Just Have to Go Old School / Karl Strauss Amber Lager

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:42:21 -0500

TIP:

Sometimes you've just got to go old school. I was reading another blog post today about how even with all the technology around us, it is hard to get organized and stay on task...perhaps that article should have said "because of it"??? If you're like most of us, you have at your fingertips a computer with all sorts of software to help you stay organized, a PDA or smartphone, calendars, etc...but what good are they if you don't use them to stay on task?

I know that on my computer I have numerous programs that I can and do create To-Do lists with...I work well with them for a few days and then I figure it's just faster to get on with the work rather than keeping those programs updated...soon I have forgotten some important task that I had intended to accomplish. I now have my new iPhone as well...certainly can download numerous apps for To-Do lists on that as well. But I haven't. Because I know. Sometimes you've just got to go old school.

If I write my To-Do list down on a piece of paper, I get the satisfaction of crossing items off of it! I see it there staring me in the face as I am "twittering" away my time on Facebook ;-) Guilt is a powerful motivator. I can add to it and change it without having to click out of the program that I am working in when another item that I should add to it pops into my head...and most of all...for some darned reason...I actually use it!!!

So whether it's simply on a legal pad, a special notebook, an actual To-Do list form in your Dayrunner, etc...find something that you will enjoy keeping your To-Do list on...and To-Do it!!! And then your To-Do list can become your Ta-Da list!!! Create your list for the next day at the end of your work day, and then go over it first thing in the morning when you start working...add to it or change it as needed.

FAMOUS QUOTE: "Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge."
~Winston Churchill

TIPSY:

Karl Strauss Amber Lager

This is a really great lager...that just says "fall" to me. Now is the perfect time to enjoy one. It's a tad sweet (caramel)...but not sugary...if that makes any sense at all! This beer was the 2009 LA County Fair Gold Medal Winer. Read about it here.

Chill
Pop the top
Enjoy
'Nuff said.

OK - please post comments and tell me what types of "Tips" you would like to see covered here in the future!!! (You can post other comments too of course...like after you try the Karl Strauss Amber Lager!)

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iPhone It Is!!! I Bought It - Now What Can I Do With It?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:13:19 -0500

Hey...some of you will remember a recent post where I was debating which phone to get...my heart really wanted the iPhone, but I had to justify that my brain would be happy with it as well! LOL Well, today I bought it....so slick!

Now that I've got it and it's charging, I have a question for you...

What are your most favorite apps of all time? Give me the name and a brief description, please. I already put the Facebook, Twitterlator and the XM app on here...am planning on adding Color Splash next...what are your favorites? They can be for fun, business, social, etc...anything goes. Why don't I see an Active Rain app? <wink, wink>

Thanks!!!

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VA Financing...is it going through right now?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:26:46 -0500

Are potential home buyers with VA financing being passed over in favor of other financing methods right now? If so, why? Also...how hard is it to actually get approved for VA financing right now?

I have friends that really want to buy a home now, they want to go with VA financing. Their only debt is an auto loan of about $260/month, they gross about $5000 per month...and their credit score is between 710-720.

How's it looking for them? They have heard...from who I'm not sure...that VA financing is really hard to buy a home with right now...so I thought I would look for some expert advice for them. Thanks!

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Tipsy Tuesday - Save $ Where You Can & Spend To Make More / Watermelon Spa Tonic

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:58:30 -0500

TIP:

Sometimes you just have to cut back. If you are like tons of real estate professionals out there...you need to be very careful with your bank account right now! There are several ways to do this:

Check your cell phone bill - Seriously. Once most people get their cell service set up they never go back and monitor their usage. Call your cell phone company and have them audit your last 3 months of usage and see if there is a plan that can save you money based on how you actually use your cell. We're all different and it is definitely not "one size fits all"!
Make a List of Recurring Monthly Charges that hit your bank account and credit cards each month. Go through them and check to make sure they are all services you actually still need and want to use. If not...start cancelling them out. Even just getting rid of one of them is a step in the right direction.
Client Appreciation - save it for the ones that show you the $ love! I don't mean to sound harsh, but if they haven't closed any business with you within the last 6 months (these are your hot clients), then stop sending them those Starbuck's Cards or other gifts! The holidays are around the corner and you need to save that cash. Instead, for the "cooler" clients, simply add them to your direct mail and email newsletter lists. They will still be reminded of you, and if you provide them with valuable information, they will be just as likely to do business with you as they would if you bought them a coffee once a month. The same thing goes for taking out clients to show property and buying them lunch...it's not necessary and it's a budget and time zapper. Instead, stock your car with a cooler of water bottles and some granola bars and cracker packages for those times when you seriously feel the need to boost your clients' energy levels to get through looking at those last few homes before you break and go your separate ways for the day.
Spend Money...to make more! - there are some things out there that it really is not worth your time to do...and it's worth it to pay for the services of someone else to do those things. You already know that I am going to suggest that you work with a real estate virtual assistant to handle the administrative tasks for your business, but there are other things too...like website design and transaction coordinators. Seriously...this is not your area of expertise...don't do it. A great web design that is interesting to visitors, and still functions well with the search engines, is worth its weight for sure. And Transaction Coordinators handle the same time consuming tasks of keeping up to date and making sure that all the files are as they need to be all the time...it's there business...so let them do it...and it frees you up to go do more deals and make more money! Your real estate virtual assistant may or may not do web design and / or Transaction Coordination...if they do, great, if not...hire separate people for separate jobs...sometimes it works out better that way any how! Other services that should be outsourced for best results are graphic design, photography (usually just for high end), staging, etc...

FAMOUS QUOTE: "A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it."
~ Bob Hope

TIPSY:

Watermelon Spa Tonic...I found this recipe in a magazine somewhere and mixed it up just a bit. I am not a fan of gin at all...but after the second sip of this, and the gin shock had worn off...I quite liked it. I think I might swap out the gin for Kettle One Vodka next time.

Cube seedless watermelon (need 6 cups - which was about 1/2 of a fairly large seedless watermelon)
1 large English Cucumber (peeled and chopped into 1" cubes)
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 c. packed fresh mint leaves
2 1/2 c. chilled Tonic Water
1 1/4 c. Gin
watermelon slices and mint leaves for garnish

Put the first 4 ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth and as liquidy as possible. Then either strain into very tight weaved sieve or through cheesecloth. You should get at least 2 1/2 cups of smooth liquid out of this. Stir in last two ingredients and poor into tall glass filed with ice. Enjoy!

OK - please post comments and tell me what types of "Tips" you would like to see covered here in the future!!! (You can post other comments too of course...like after you try the Watermelon Spa Tonic!)

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Gmail - How to Create Canned Responses and HTML Email Stationery

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:25:30 -0500

Hello again, everyone. I am back today with my 3rd video tutorial in my Gmail series that I have uploaded to YouTube. This one teaches us how to create canned responses in text based email messages as well as how to create pretty html stationery, which could also be used as canned responses for certain things, or just for your basic everyday messages...your options are pretty limitless once you learn the basics.

Note: To do this, you will need to remember three keystroke commands. I say them in the video, but want to type them out so you can see them visually as well.

Select All: Ctrl + A (PC) or Command + A (MAC)
Copy: Ctrl + C (PC) or Command + C (MAC)
Paste: Ctrl + V (PC) or Command + V (MAC)

The embedded video is fairly small...and since you need to read what's on my screen, it might be easier for you to click through and watch it directly at YouTube.

Subscribe to my Tutorial Channel on YouTube®!

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Tipsy Tuesday - Plan for Creating the Perfect Post / Mai Tai My Way

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:33:49 -0500

TIP:

Some people can just write a world class blog post, feature worthy - if you're talking about your AR blog, by just sitting down at the keyboard and typing up the first thing that pops into their head. That's not how "professional" blog posts should be written; however, it is how ideas for future posts can be generated (have your real estate virtual assistant keep a spreadsheet for you of possible blogging topics). Once you've picked a topic...and you're sure that it's worthy...then it requires a little planning to turn it into the perfect post!

Pick Your Topic - Will it appeal to your target audience? Will it draw them in and inspire them to comment and keep the conversation going? Will it teach them something? Will it motivate them? Will it connect with them on a personal level? Or will it make them say, "So what?"
Make a very brief list or outline of what you want to cover in the post...
Research - Gather all of your data, site your references that you gathered it from, have your info or thoughts organized and ready to roll.
Spice it up - text is old, it's boring...a picture...well, you know what that's worth! Don't go over-board with crazy fonts and 50 colors, but a well defined headline, a little color thrown in and a photo or video will really add perceived value to your readers.
What do you want your readers to do after reading your post? What is your "call to action"? Do you want them to post comments telling you how they feel about what you wrote, or to share a similar experience to the one that you wrote about, to go to your website and enter a contest, etc...??? Whatever it is that you want your post to accomplish...you have to call them to it!

Writing a good blog post is going to take some time...it's not a quick 5 minutes to fame...if it's worth writing, then it should be worth writing well. Take some time, think it through, visualize how you want it to turn out...and when you're comfortable with it in your head...start typing!

TIPSY:

Mai Tai My Way...I love mai tais...such the typical "girl" drink, I know...but I've never gotten sick off of them...even after occasionally making an evening of it!

Take a tall glass, fill it with ice.
1 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. amaretto
1/4 oz. grenadine
equal parts orange juice & pineapple juice
1 oz. dark rum
maraschino cherries for garnish

I add all the alcohol to the ice-filled glass, then at the same time pour in the orange and pineapple juices (one in each hand to get equal amounts - or do 1/4 cup of each - adjust to taste). Serve shaken, then add the cherries to the top - you can also add an orange or pineapple slice if you like! I usually use Myers rum, but whatever you prefer is fine. Enjoy!

OK - so here's my call to action to you...post comments and tell me what types of "Tips" you would like to see covered here in the future!!! (You can post other comments too of course...like after you try the Mai Tai!)

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Gmail - How To Embed Images into Your Email Without Having to Attach Them as Separate Files

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:54:44 -0500

Hi, everyone. I am back today with my 2nd ever video tutorial that I have uploaded to YouTube. This one teaches us how to embed images into a Gmail message so that we can actually send out attractive html messages, rather than simply attaching separate text files and hoping our recipients can guess where we intended for them to show up! LOL

Note: To do this, you will need to know three keystroke commands. I say them in the video, but want to type them out so you can see them visually as well.

Select All: Ctrl + A (PC) or Command + A (MAC)
Copy: Ctrl + C (PC) or Command + C (MAC)
Paste: Ctrl + V (PC) or Command + V (MAC)

The embedded video is really small...and since you need to read what's on my screen, it might be better to just go and watch it directly at YouTube.

Subscribe to my Tutorial Channel on YouTube®!

GeteRealtyDomains.com - Your One Stop Real Estate Domain Name Registration and Hosting Service...lots of extras...one LOW price!

Gmail Signature Tutorial - My First YouTube Video

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:59:02 -0500

I get asked all the time how to do certain things, so I've decided to start making very simple video tutorials as these things come up. Here's my first one, it's on how to create an automatically inserted signature in Gmail. There are some promising Add Ons for FireFox out there that will allow you to create multiple html signatures for each account that you have working within your Gmail account; however, the ones I have played with still seem to have some bugs that they need to get worked out. For instance, Blank Canvas Gmail Signatures looks great and may work nicely for a bit and then it will just disappear on you and you can't seem to get it back...even by logging out and back into Gmail. Who has time for that? So until they perfect the fancy, I will stick with old reliable here. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to comment with any questions you may have!

The embedded video is really small...and since you need to read what's on my screen, it might be better to just go and watch it directly at YouTube.

Subscribe to my Tutorial Channel on YouTube®!

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Can I ask for your help with my marketing keywords?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:53:34 -0500

Hi, I am a real estate virtual assistant who specializes in real estate support services...you can see a list of the types of things I do for real estate agents and brokers here (scroll down for list).

I am ranked well on the search engines for keywords that I think people would type in when looking for me, but I KNOW what I call myself (real estate virtual assistant) - but that doesn't mean that potential clients who need me would necessarily know what I call myself and type that into the search engines. Could you please take 3 minutes out of your day and answer my brief 5 question survey from YOUR point of view, to help me better target my marketing efforts? I would really appreciate it!

Take the really, really quick survey now...

Thank you!

All the best~

Christine Wade - Realtor.com Certified®, PREVA, CRESS™, EthicsChecked™
eRealty Network, LLC
Direct: 760.390.1641 / Fax: 888-582-1087
http://www.eRealtyAssistance.com
mailto:CEO@eRealtyNetwork.org

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Can I ask for your help with my marketing keywords?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:04:30 -0500

Take the really, really quick survey now...

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Follow-Up Friday #1 -- Domain Names

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:04:26 -0500

How many domain names do you have? If you're like most of us, you have quite a few to keep track of and make sure no expiration dates fall through the tracks...which can occur when you change companies and thus email addresses, just for one example. You should have a list, whether electronic or paper, of all your domain names, their expirations dates and user id and password info (and management URL) for each one.

I try to keep all my domains through one central service for easy administration. I am a huge fan of GoDaddy based services and have even become a reseller for them.

I set up reminders in my computer calendar of when my domains are set to expire and deal with them a week early.

Did you know that you have about 40 days to renew your domain names after the expiration date at the regular price, then they go into what is called a "redemption" period that lasts for about another 30-35 days where you can redeem your domains for an additional $100 or so plus the original registration fee? It pays to stay on top of these things. After about 70-75 days, your domain will most likely be released back out to the public. Don't let that happen because then anyone can "steal" your domain name.

Follow - Up on your Real Estate Domain Names today!

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - alive and well and living in St. George, Utah?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:50:50 -0500

I live in Southern California, so the story doesn't really touch where I live, but I love the story...and this is a great article. Thanks for sharing it with us, Erika - it's definitely worthy of a re-blog!

Via Erika Rogers (St. George GMAC St. George Utah):

Most likely not...but this great article, written by Susan Spano for the Los Angeles Times, with its narrative qualities sure makes you feel like you are right there, back in history as Butch and his gang traveled through Utah's Red Canyon which was their home.

Susan specifically mentions St. George in her article as Butch's father was apparently sent by mormon church leaders to grow cotton here in Civil War time.

If you love old western style American history as much as I do, this article is a great read and there are some gorgeous red rock photos of our area in it as well.

The Old West lives on, click here to read Susan's whole article.

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Marley & Me - Released on DVD Today...DO NOT WATCH IT!!!

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:32:37 -0500

OK - we lost our black lab about 3 years ago...this was the most amazing dog...his name was Jake... you know, after that country song..."If I should die before I wake, feed Jake"...do you know it??? Well, years before the kids were born, this puppy literally came into the housing complex that my husband and I were renting our first home together in before we even got married. He knocked at the door - ok, he probably pawed at the door...but still, it sounded like a knock. My then boyfriend or fiancee...don't really remember...was taking a nap on the weekend in our bedroom. I picked up the puppy, took him in and put him in the bed with my honey and told him that he had knocked at the door and I had to let him in. He finished the nap with my husband and when they got up we said that as long as he got along with our young Rottweiler that we would keep him...so that the Rott would have a friend when we were at work all day. They got along great...and that was the start of our time together.

Don't get me wrong - that lab wasn't all love and kisses...he was a terrible instigator! Where as our Rott knew the rules of the house, the lab bent them until they broke! He even escaped a couple of times, taking our Rott with him and it cost us over $300 each time to get them back from the pound. Please understand, it's not like we were bad pet owners, we had a solid wood fence at least 6 or 7 feet high all around their yard. But that lab had wanderlust...and every once in awhile he just had to escape...so much so that he would actually hurt himself trying to wedge himself through holes in fences that were really only small enough for a cat at the most.

Somewhere along the way, we had two kids...and after our dogs' second trip to the pound and the tongue lashing they got when they got home...they never left again. Our Rottweiler made it until he was over 12 years old. And it was quick, thankfully, because he was my first baby. It killed me. Truthfully, until my Rott passed away, I had always thought of my lab as the trouble making, pain in the butt child that we just kept to keep the "chosen one" happy. Then, once my Rott was gone, the lab's true heart shone through. He was so heartbroken at his friend being gone that he could not, would not stay in his yard...he would really shred his skin trying to squeeze out through the fences so that he could come lay on the front porch. That's all he wanted was to be on the front porch - he missed his buddy too much to stay in the back yard. This isn't a rural neighborhood...you can't just let your dogs run wild like we could growing up in Vermont or somewhere. So, after careful observation, and realizing that he would bark at anyone who came near the fence - but he would not charge them...I went to all the neighbors and told them that my dog was heartbroken over losing my Rott...and introduced them to Jake. I told them that I was sure that 98% of the time he would stay on the front porch, since he was already an older dog himself (11 yrs. or so), but that occasionally he might come for a visit. He became the neighborhood dog. The neighbors didn't just fake it to be polite, they all loved it. Daily he would go visit each of them for just a minute or so, and then he would come back to his porch. Everytime we would come through our front gate, he would be there to greet us with his tail wagging. He was even the first person that my neighbor, Diane, said "Happy New Year!" to one year.

About a year before we knew we were going to lose him, we got a Rottweiler / Boxer mix (Rider). He's the newest love of my life. I had hoped that by getting him early enough, Jake would teach him how to be a trustworthy neighborhood dog...but that didn't happen. Rider has only one interest in life and that is to guard me and the children...so he's not suitable as a neighborhood embassador. Finally, it happened. I got a call on my cell phone at 6am or so from one of my neighbors, telling me that Jake was having a seizure in their driveway...it was like he was trying to see if anyone was awake to say good-bye to. It was horrible. I made my husband get up and load him in the truck and take him to the vet before my son (who had deemed Jake as HIS dog) got up for school...my poor husband was so upset. Jake never came home, the vet said that a brain tumor had caused the seizure and he had probably had it for quite a long time.

His death and absence affected the whole neighborhood, but of course mostly our family, more than I ever thought it would. We missed him so much, someone we had taken for granted, he was always there...no matter what your mood, he was always there - happy to see you with a tail wagging and excited eyes.

My Rider dog will be 3 years old this summer, and Jake has been gone for 2 years. My son has never gotten over it. He loves the other dog, but the sight of a lab, any color, not just black, makes him so sad. We all wanted to see the movie Marley & Me when it came out on Christmas day this year, but it was sold out...and we're stubborn. If we couldn't see it on Christmas well we would just wait until it came out on DVD...that was today. It's rated PG. There is one scene in there that isn't bad - but I wouldn't want to explain it to my kids...but I had rented it tonight with the intent that hubby and I would watch it tonight and then since I have to drive on a LONG field trip for the kids tomorrow, that they could all watch it in the car on the way, NO WAY!!! That movie had me bawling for the last 1/2 hour! My kids will never see that movie on my watch! It's a great movie...and if I wasn't me...I would have loved it.

My son's 9th birthday is next week and I was really thinking of getting him another lab for his birthday - and also a friend for my Rider dog. But how sad would it be if everytime we looked at this dog we were sad and thinking of Jake? Or worse...we expected him to live up to a legend that just can't ever be again?

Well, now that I have had my personal melt down / rant...it really is a good movie...if you have a strong heart, I suggest you watch it...if not, save yourself and avoid it at all costs!

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Rent My Husband! (WHAT?!?)

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:32:36 -0500

I was driving through Vista, CA early this evening on my way home from Target when I saw this sign:

I was so intrigued that I had to get up closer to read the fine print...because I was seriously considering renting the husband...when alas, I discovered that it was only a handyman service sign. You've got to love the tag line, "One call fixes it all!" LOL

OK, so my question is this...they had plenty of time to start this business, get the very cool sign made up...but yet they're still driving around on Arizona plates? That's ok...the sign gave me such a good chuckle that I had to have my daughter snatch a photo with her cell camera.

Maybe they'll get some business from it...because it really is a cool sign! I still may rent her husband myself, I've got some trim work in my house that still needs doing and my poor husband is too busy building a chicken house for our daughter, among a gazillion other things, to get to it...maybe her husband can take care of it!?!

Maybe there's a marketing lesson to be learned here???

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Commenting Etiquette - Yeah, I'm With You on That, But What About "Replying to Comments" Etiquette?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:17:43 -0500

According to Dictionary.com, one of the definitions of the word "etiquette" is: conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.

Just this last week, there was a post on commenting etiquette by Nelya Calev, her points were sound and I agreed with what she had to say on the subject.

But here's my question...I know we all have limited time to devote to Active Rain, and I certainly don't want to put any restrictions on anyone's time...but I have noticed quite frequently lately that some of the featured blog posts (congrats to all of you!) have been seriously lacking in the authors' replies back to comments. Now, I don't feel that every comment out there deserves a reply within 20 minutes or even 24 hours...we all know there are those out there who just plop down the same 10 word comments just to get their points in for the day, without actually contributing anything to the conversation.

With all that said, I do think that it's common courtesy that if I do take time out of my day to write a genuine, original comment on your blog post - featured or not - that I deserve a reply...think of it as a Thank You Note! Thank you notes make people feel happy and appreciated and like it was worth taking the time out of their busy day to think about you...even for just a few seconds.

I try to respond to all comments on my blogs (not just AR, but all my blogs) within 24 hours...but sometimes it takes up to 72 if I'm out of town or whatever, but they will receive a reply if they leave me a genuine comment on my blog...and usually for the cookie cutter commenters as well ;-)

How do you all feel on this topic?

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Ethics...Where Do They Come From?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:50:15 -0500

Being real estate professionals, the word "Ethics" is tossed around continuously. We're supposed to be ethical, we're supposed to put our clients' interests first...but WHERE do we learn that? From a class that we're forced to take in order to get our license? Ummm...I don't think so.

I believe if you are a not-so-ethical person by nature, you can fake it and learn to behave "above board" enough to keep your backside out of a sling in your real estate career...that's where the class could perhaps come into play.

I also believe that a truly ethical person is trained...by environment and upbringing. Either you have a great ethical family that you were raised by, or you have the exact opposite and it appauled you so much that you vow not to be that way yourself.

I had the opportunity last week to learn just exactly how much of an impact my actions (even when I think he is oblivious to them) truly has on my almost 9 year old son - and I'm sure on my 10 1/2 yr. old daughter as well. We were driving through Arby's in the nearby town of Escondido to get milk shakes as a treat on the last day of school before Spring Break, and I noticed a girl in the parking lot holding a sign that said "homeless and pregnant". There was a long line at the drive-thru, which gave me plenty of time to argue with myself. "She doesn't look pregnant." "How do I know if I give her money she's not going to buy drugs or alcohol with it?" The list of negative comments going through my head was long to be sure... So I told myself to shut up. I thought, "What if, God forbid, somehow my daughter someday could find herself pregnant, alone and homeless...what would I hope people would do for her?"

So, I requested a $25 gift card at the drive-thru. No money...can't be used for drugs or alcohol...but it could be used to feed a hungry person...pregnant or not. It wasn't a lot. But I did tear up a bit as I handed it to her, she said, "God bless you." I said, "Take care of yourself." Every instinct in me wanted to invite her into my car and take her to the nearest women's shelter. But...I had my two young children in the car with me...and I wasn't prepared to take any chances with their safety just in case. I thought the kids were playing their video games in the back of the car during this whole thing...didn't think they even had a clue, because normally they would have commented or asked questions...there was nothing said.

Life got busy when we got home, my husband and son had plans, my daughter and I were working on a project...life didn't slow down until the next day when I finally had a quiet moment with my husband. He said, "Hey, what happened yesterday with the homeless gal?" I was shocked! My son had apparently asked him when they were alone "what would happen if a lady was going to be a mommy and didn't have anywhere to live?" This became a "manly" talk between my two favorite boys, and the outcome was my son learned both a verbal and a non-verbal lesson about doing your best by others. I was so proud of him for picking up on it...

So the point I am trying to make...is that ethics are learned...either through osmosis or official training. The parents teach the children, vocally and by example...similarly, the same should hold true of the broker teaching the agent, etc...

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Only 7 Posts Per Member of Active Rain? Seriously?!?

Christine Wade (N. San Diego Cty. RE Agent & Real Estate Virtual Assistant) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:20:00 -0500

There was a blog post made today by Michael Thornton called, You've Come A Long Way Baby, which was very cool and showed us the original posts made on Active Rain and how to see who our newest members are, but it also told us that we were close to our 1 millionth post with an approximate 140,000 members. The very first comment on this post was by Penny Hull - who "did the math" - and informed us that that was only an average of 7 posts per member. WHAT? How is that even possible?

I joined Active Rain on 6/12/2008, and did not post for the first two months...guess the kids getting out of school really threw me for a loop or something...but I have (as of this post) 70 posts on Active Rain in under a year, which I though was kind of slacking on my part, but at least that's more than a post per week. It is hard for me to write intelligent original posts sometimes...there are days when just nothing comes to me...but then I go back and look at my note on my desktop about blogging ideas or something will come into my email inbox that sparks my thought processes, or as was brought up here on AR this last week in a blog post by Diane Rice, a comment that I post on someone else's blog will inspire my own blog post. So, I figured that perhaps that's the reason why there are so few posts per member of Active Rain...maybe it's hard for them to come up with original post ideas as well.

So, I did a little research into the last few posts that have given out ideas. Here they are:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/52419/Top-10Business-GeneratingThings-to-Post-on-Your-Blog
Apparently Sue Argue suggested this site (can't find the post that she suggested it in though?): http://www.famousagents.com/content-ideas/
http://activerain.com/blogsview/182652/Need-a-subject-for-a-blog-post
http://realestatetomato.typepad.com/the_real_estate_tomato/2007/07/food-for-fodder.html
http://www.rsspieces.com/a-yearrs-worth-of-real-estate-blog-ideas

Those were all found just by using the search feature quickly. And if they don't suit your needs, do your own search...search by season or general topic, etc...

Let's get those numbers up people...the only way to win the game is to play...and the only sure way to lose the game is to take yourself out of it by not participating. Participate in your membership at Active Rain!

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