For those of you who missed the memo IRL means "in real life". My own personal social media efforts began to really turn into business opportunities when I connected with many of those people in real face-to-face meetings. Now for many this process starts in reverse. Social media is a way to connect online with your real offline friends. As those networks grow though you start to discover people that you once knew and moved away and people close by that you don't know yet but want to meet.
Through Twitter I have become part of a wonderful organization, Net2NO (Net Squared New Orleans). In the last year that group has grown from about 40 people to over 300, caused the launch of several other groups, helped connect people that started businesses together, found people jobs, and even helped one organization get a $25,000 prize in business plan competition.
All of this woild never have happened without the connections made on Twitter and Facebook and THEN most importantly moving those offlne to the physical world.
If you are a Firefox or IE user and have the Google toolbar installed you can now use Sidewiki. It will eventually be built into to Google Chrome (the browser not the OS) but for now you are limited to IE and FF. This is a tool by Google that allows comments to made about any page on the internet. The upside to this is that you can now comment on pages where comments are not allowed (i.e. news articles, blogs with no comments or where comments are closed). The downside is that if they are being made on your site you have no control over them. No ability to edit or even block it from working on your page. You may want to monitor it in case you have a competitor, unhappy customer, or just a troll adding nasty comments.
If you want to see it, first make sure you have the toolbar installed. If you don't see the button download the newest toolbar and you should see it. You may have to answer a few questions about your privacy and then you will see the button. When you click on the button designated by the arrow your screen should look like the one below.
You can then enter a title and a comment on that page. If you have Google profile like mine (Chris Johnston's Google profile) the comments you make in Sidewiki will be displayed there. Who know if this will take off or not, but with Google behind it wouldn't vote against it. Whether you like it or not you need to be aware of it and monitor it to see what people are saying about your sites.
If you are a regular reader of Mortgage Advisor, you know I actually WON my ticket to Inman Connect from the Real Estate Tomato.
To Jim Cronin, and the Tomato Crew, thank you.
I say this even if Jim's blogging presentation at Inman was waaaaay over my head (Mike Mueller, you warned me! I was too damn headstong to believe you).
Luckily, Jim Cronin is good-looking enough that what he says does not need to be on my level. LOL
I got 3 glorious days away from the mortgage madness to hobnob in San Francisco with the elite "Who's Who" of the real estate, blogging, and technology world, not to mention the writers of Inman News.
As a blogger and real estate geek, who is challenged by technology on a daily basis, I played sponge last week instead of mortgage maker.
I soaked it all in and had a blast. It was intense. It was amazing. It was enlightening in a way that cannot be explained.
Besides getting hugged and shushed by Brad Andersohn as I crashed through the door of a workshop, here is what I took away from this amazing gathering of brilliant minds: Hang on tight because a revolution is happening out there in the real estate universe.
If information is a huge river, then what once slowly trickled has been unleashed as a wild raging torrent, thanks to social networking sites. Twitter and Facebook are re-shaping information streams. Forever.
Yes, you could drown if you don't pay attention to this one important thing:
We no longer control the information, the information controls us.
The FLOW has been reversed. The customers are controlling the flow of information via Twitter and social networking. They are making decisions using information from their friends, followers, and their online sphere of influence.
They are SHARING information and compiling information at breakneck speed. They will decide among themselves who will win and who will lose in this crazy game of real estate.
OLD SCHOOL: Future home buyers go to Google, put in some search words, somehow find your blog, which will point them to your website, then (maybe) they will try to find you on Facebook.
NEW AGE: Customers follow you on Twitter, and/or check you out on Facebook, then find your blog/website as a result. (the flow has been reversed)
Future home buyers will know more about YOU than they ever have before. What they know will determine who they choose as their agent.
It won't be because you call yourself an expert, because they don't care! It won't be because of your designations, or because of your picture plastered everywhere. It won't even be because Aunt Martha used you when she bought her house 5 years ago.
The age of a real estate agent thinking "ME, ME, ME...ITS ALL ABOUT ME" is all but dead. All that matters is what their other peeps think.
You need to be one of those peeps.
Future homebuyers do not need you to price homes, to find homes, or to research neighborhoods. They've already done that, and their world is exploding with new tools to help them (weakening the role of the listing agent, in my opinion).
They will soon go to a site that will reveal your statistics as an agent. They will take a virtual walk through the neighborhood. They will hold their phone up to the house and will be able to see complete public records, and MLS information.
What does this mean? The river no longer flows to the sea. It is rushing inland and will forever change the landscape of our industry.
Unless you are out there giving the consumer what they really want, education, engagement, and a true homebuying experience, you could soon be washed up on the side of the river.
And left out to dry.
Written By Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker Based Out of the San Francisco Bay Area
This is the kind of thing I have been hoping for for years. The real test of its usefulness is the databases that the listings are pulled from. I'm not sure where Google is getting this data, but I would love to know. They certainly could afford to pay for API access to virtually all MLS systems but I think many will not allow it.
Another issue for agents is, what control do you as an agent have over what info is in that listing. If you can control what shows there keep this in mind: this information should be to help people determine if this home meets their search criteria, not to create a lead for you. If this takes off Google will be much more efficient at helping them find a list of homes than you ever will. Your job is to handle what Google can't, which is guiding them through the home sale/purchase process.
This is why we need an open MLS. A site that allows you to post your listing and do what you want with the feed. NO NAR involved. It would be just like Trulia or Zillow but without valuation or questions just listings. You could pay $10-15/month and list what you want, branded virtual tours. pics, etc.
On this post you wil read the conversation Morgan Carey had with Chris Niersbach concerning this policy.
If you don't know what I am talking about, then you need to read the following posts and get a grasp of this issue before us. Colleen and Joe Lane posted on it this week, and it was featured. But, only 45 comments??????
You need to go read this post and then come back so you have a grasp of the issue. Go ahead I will wait.
Folks this is a Critical Issue, the rule is outdated, and needs to be changed immediately. It in a nutshell prevents us from having our listings indexed by Google and other search engines yet allows the 3rd party vendors to take our data, sell it back to use in many cases and not allow us to promote our listings or any other listing through our IDX sites.
My goal when I list a home is to GET AS MUCH EXPOSURE FOR MY SELLERS AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
I don't care if I am a Keller Williams agent and my listing is on another site, I want it there. Consumers come to us through many portals, the more the merrier.
I want that house sold.
I want Google to index them.
Now my IDX site is framed so I don't get indexed per listings but I don't want 3rd party vendors, who don't belong to NAR and don't have to follow the rules have an unfair advantage. I certainly don't want Realtor.com to be able to do what we can't do which is index them according to how they choose, and not allow Realtors to do so.
Do you ?
Do you want Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow ranking higher than you in SERPS because of an old antiquated NAR, MLS rule created in 2005? Shouldn't we all have an equal advantage in the indexing of our data if we want it?
The MLS Forum will be held The MLS Forum will be next Thursday, May 14, 2009 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Regency Ballroom, Lower Level, Omni Shoreham Hotel.
Jay Thompson and Paula Henry have been asked to speak before the committee. If you are going to NAR Mid-Year attend this meeting. You can also contact Chris Niersbach at: cniersbach@realtors.org and express your views.
This comment is from Morgan's blog on his response to Mr. Niersbach at NAR.
The "NEW" arguement here seems to be that Google (a search engine) is being lumped in as a scraper site - and our contention is that Google is NOT a scraper site, rather a technology (just like a browser) with a significant user base with which the public access websites. Google simply tells the user where to go - they are not creating web pages of their own out of the data they index. I am sorry, but I just simply do not see how NAR could consider a search engine to fit under the same designation as a "scraper site"
Here is the defination of a Scraper Site from Wikipedia: A scraper site is a website that copies all of its content from other websites using web scraping.[1] No part of a scraper site is original.[citation needed] A search engine is not a scraper site:[citation needed] sites such as Yahoo and Google gather content from other websites and index it so that the index can be searched with keywords. Search engines then display snippets of the original site content in response to a user's search.
My favorite part of the discussion is from the Zebra, Daniel Rothamel, "the fact that REALTOR.com uses the same data that brokers use, from the same source (the MLS of the local association), but are not required to adhere to the same rules, is UNCONSCIONABLE. It is completely indefensible. The fact that our National Association controls the use of its data by its paying members, but not by a private company, is a disgrace."
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.
I think that this is the next thing on my checklist. The market isn't very big in New Orleans or the Mandeville/Covington area but I see it growing when the economy turns around.
Recently, NAR rolled out its' Green Designation. I have not had the pleasure to attend either of these designations training. But, 15 years of living green and off the grid does give me some stomping rights. I am looking at both websites right now and I am trying to discern which of the designations is more intensive and educational.
It looks like the NAR's Green Designation is more about raising the awareness of green issues in the Real Estate industry. Students will be taught about the basics of today's green generation. The class covers how sustainability impacts smart growth, new urbanism, and community development. Attendees are also instructed as to how NAR's Green Designation can attract green clients.Students are required to complete a 12 hr. core course and a six hour elective course. The designation can be earned on line through Realtor University.
Now, mosey over the Ecobroker.com . Eco Broker is the first and the largest green real estate training system in the world. The Eco broker course offers in depth training for three subjects: environment, energy, and the green market. In some states Eco broker classes will qualify for CE credits. The Eco Broker course gives a full 18 hrs. of green instruction.
When I decide to designate my green status I plan to use the Eco Broker program. I love the website and all the green knowledge it contains. The professional Eco-Broker's directory is also a nice little perk for the Realtor and a gleaming star for the consumer. I also like the fact that the Eco-Broker program continues to provide its' members with the latest updates on new trends and technologies related to the green industry.
Since most people already consider crawl spaces to be “BIG BLACK HOLES,” it will probably surprise most of my readers (considering my reputation for loving the “adventure” of crawl spaces) that the thing that gets me the most “unglued” in there is:holes.
Especially the big black bottomless type.
For me, there is nothing more un-nerving than to be feeling my way across the plastic ground cover and feel “NOTHING” under the plastic.
Water under the plastic----feeling like a giant waterbed-----is not uncommon and that is fairly simple to deal with.You either back up and leave----or you go around it.
It is those holes you come upon that seem like “Black Holes” in your crawl-space-universe----until you peer over the edge with your flashlight and discover snarling vermin, the ground only inches away or water 20 feet down.The water-20-feet-down type holes----as in abandoned wells---CAN FREAK YOU OUT!!! Yup!
Other types of holes are: abandoned septic tanks with collapsed covers; abandoned cisterns full of junk automobile parts, water, and rat carcasses; abandoned basements full of old water heaters and bug infested furniture; and, holes created where stumps have rotted away.
I just love that feeling of adrenalin as I visualize being swallowed up by any one of these versions of holes.
Another type of hole is where with every knee placement-----with every hand placement-----the ground underneath collapses 2-3 inches.This happens when the top layer of dirt is riddled with rat tunnels.These kinds of holes you get used to, but they can FREAK YOU OUT at first----but not as much as the ones you think might be “bottomless.”I am just grateful when the rat tunnels are covered with plastic to minimize the mold and asbestos-laden dust that would otherwise billow up around you.
The following picture was from a crawl space at a recent inspection.
Even when you can see them ahead of time, they can still be unnerving, because you still don’t know how deep they are and you don’t know if it is hollow under where you are laying----but just hasn’t collapsed yet!
Fortunately this one was only good for a small adrenalin rush.
I know that there really is no such thing as a bottomless pit, but it really doesn’t have to be very deep to represent a difficult scenario for the “Search and Rescue” crew------assuming of course you remembered to fall into the hole with your cell phone.
I think my worse nightmare would be falling though the cover of an old hidden septic tank full of raw sewage, drowning my cell phone, if not myself.
This IS the REAL reason they pay us the big bucks.
Charles Buell
Click on the Rose to check out:AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
DeCroe, is my "etherial" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.
I think that this recession has presented a golden opportunity for real estate investors. There were many millionaires created during the recession in the early 80's and I believe there will be many more created in this one. Now, I'm not saying it is right for everyone or that this is something YOU should pursue but, I am saying that in certain cases it can be a goldmine.
There are several things you need to consider first:
Do you know your local market - If you are an agent but not very well-versed in investment property hire an agent who is or learn what you need to know BEFORE buying. Pickup a copy of The Millionaire Real Estate Investor and read through it two or three times BEFORE BUYING.
Do you want to buy and hold or fix and flip - Personally I would hold off if you are a 'flipper. The resale market in many areas is soft and if you are wrong on renovation cost it could kill you when you try to get out. If you want to buy and hold then you are looking at rental property (I'm not going to consider raw land appreciation because IMHO that is speculation, not investing).
Learn about investing- I know this is really pint one again but it is that important. You need to learn about local rental rates, laws that apply to being a landlord, how to structure a lease, what you can and can't say when screening tenants, etc.. I also would advise that for the first two or three properties that you purchase that you DO NOT hire a management company. Do it yourself so you are familiar with what the management company does for you and why they really earn their fee. You DID NOTICE that I said you first two or three, right! You will never get rich with just a few properties. My personal goal is 500 units in 3 or 4 large apartment buildings.
Can you get financing and do you have deep pockets if the market doesn't come back right way - I would advise that you buy with a significant down payment of 15 - 20%. If you don't have it then wait until you do. ****DO NOT BUY AND EXPECT APPRECIATION RIGHT AWAY**** Okay did you get that. If not go back and read it again. No really, I'll wait........OK, got it. This is about cash flow. Buy it right, below market with an equity investment, and make sure it generates cash flow from day one. You need the deep pockets in case you read the market wrong and rents get push downward and your at a loss or you DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME AND BOUGHT IT EXPECTING APPRECIATION!
Realize that with rental property people do move out and you will have vacancies from time to time. Now Robert Kiyosaki the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad (pickup a copy and read it also) advises buying single family homes for your first purchase. I dont'. I think 2, 3, or 4-plexes are better. If a single family home is vacant it is 100% vacant. If you lose one tenant in the multi-unit it is only a percentage of the total and you have at least some cash flow. Ultimately it is your decision but my preference would be for multi-family.
This list is by no means exhaustive but it some things to consider if you are going to invest in Real Estate. I would do a part 2 on the benefits of investing later.
*For full disclosure if you click on the links to the books mentioned and purchase them from Amazon I make a few cents off the purchase. I recommend these book because I have read them and believe in what that say not because a make $0.20 or $0.30 from your purchase.
Are you an entrepreneur looking to found a startup? Have you been depressed by the price of real estate and startup cost in cities like Boston, Raleigh, and in the Silicon Valley? Why not consider New Orleans?
I know, your first thought is 'New Orleans, the place I went to for Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest? What do they know about startups?' It turns out quite a lot.
We have many, many startups in the are right now. Here is just a sample taken from the wiki of my friend Chris Schultz of Voodoo Ventures.
Robbie Vitrano announced Trumpet Ventures, a new arm of the Trumpet Group working with startups providing capital and access to Trumpet's brand studio services. Out of Trumpet ventures comes Dukky, a company does for mailhouse direct marketing what Adwords did for online advertising. Trumpet Ventures is also working with KODA, a new talent community connecting Gen Y'ers to companies in a open, transparent way.
Nic Perkins announced that he has closed $7.75 series B round for the Receiveables Exchange. The Exchange is providing much needed liquidity during the recession to participant companies.
Chris Schultz, Will Donaldson & Barre Tanguis will open the Launch Pad, an incubator & co-working space in Brian Gibb's Tech Quarter building on May 1st. Renovation is starting soon, and we are focused on building the community of startups & free-agents who will thrive and grow together.
Kyle Berner has secured orders for Feelgoodz in Whole Foods across the country and is planning a road trip this summer to showcase the brand and spur community involvement.
Naked Pizzasubmitted to Mark Cuban's stimulus package and successfully secured funding from Cuban. They plan to franchise the pizza to 1000 stores across the country.
Tim Williamson and Idea Village hosted the IDEACorps week in New Orleans with MBA students from six top national universities working with local entreprenuers.
Ben Reece and Reid Stone have Deltree on a roll with work being done for Idea Village, GNO Inc, as well as several confidential very high profile clients. Ben was invited to showcase 50 People 1 Question at a film festival in Italy and will film another installment while there.
Tom Fischman has been brought on board by VCE Capital and Richard Montgomery to lead Body Evolution, a new company being funded by VCE to commercialize body image distortion software created at LSU.
Christopher Boudy, Sr. has interwoven his love for technology into different other ventures that he is invovled in. Working with CBX WebDesigns to provide affordable web development services to local New Orleans start-ups and non-profits. Partnering with SENO as their Technology Committee Chair to push more social change throughout the city. Also bringing technology into the catholic church with Technology In Youth Ministry.
Jeff Madison at Cool Hand Nuke has moved into private beta and projects a move into full public beta April '09. During this time you can read the Cool Hand Nuke blog with tips for job seekers, site updates and industry news. Cool Hand Nuke is a Web 2.0 virtual community and job engine for the engaged nuclear professional.
Eric Morgan & Damien LaManna of Morgan and Company recently launched Zymeaux - Local Grown Mobile Marketing. The New Orleans based tech-startup aims to help small businesses and local retailers in the region by leveraging one of the fastest-growing and cost-effective communications tools available - SMS based mobile messaging.
Net2NO led a delegation of Digital Media professionals and Social Entrepreneurs to the SXSW Interactive Conference in Austin, TX. The wildly successful outreach effort, sponsored in part by GNO Inc., The DDD, and the City of New Orleans, put our region's thriving tech startup community on display and encouraged potential new businesses to take a look at the incentives our region has to offer.
Zach Kupperman and the PolicyPitch team are developing new features for Policypitch.com. New features include legislative tracking in all 50 states, tools to collaborate with likeminded citizens, and the ability to pitch new public policy proposals directly to your elected officials. Policypitch is also a finalist in the Tulane Business Plan Competition on April 17, 2009.
Myfirstpaycheck CEO Austin Lavin has been hired to run NOLA YURP's new startup WorkNOLA.com. WorkNOLA, currently in private beta, is a job connection platform for creatives and entrepreneurs in New Orleans.
Don Kelly Productions launched the first ever totally "green" music festival in Louisiana - project30-90. The festival will take place in New Orleans on 9/5/09 and will feature solar and wind turbine powered staging & lighting and a full slate of environmentally conscious initiatives. Artist lineup and location will be announced on April 22 - Earth Day. www.project3090.com
Katie Del Guercio will be managing business development in New Orleans for an internet start-up called KODA, which was co-founded by Tulane grads Jeff Berger and Tony York. KODA is a shared space that connects people to opportunities through a transparent approach to hiring. KODA's platform facilitates holistic connections based on talent, personality and corporate culture. The Beta site will launch in the Bay Area and New Orleans markets this fall. KODA is collaborating with Robbie Vitrano's team at the Trumpet Group.
NOLA Brewing, a local post-Katrina start-up, launched two beers (NOLA Blonde and NOLA Brown) in New Orleans this month bringing craft brewing back to New Orleans, a city rich with brewing history.
Tiffany Starnes of Fabre Smith & Coco will be speaking at WordCamp Nola on social media and how it can be utilized in business practices to elevate your brand and create buzz.
This is by no means a complete list. I think you can see that we have a thriving startup community here in New Orleans. I think when you combine this with real estate prices far below typical startup cities and a cost of living to match we provide a viable alternative for your business. When you add the fact that your already here at Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest time I think you'll see that its no contest.
If you have any questions about finding a space for your company or a home for yourself when you move here please feel free to call me. My number is (504)208-1766 and its also on the right near the top of the page. You can also email me at chris [AT] thejohnstonteam [dot] net
For those of you that are iPhone users, I'm sure that you know that yesterday Apple released some info about the upcoming iPhone OS version 3.0.
There are many new features and you can watch the video over on the Apple site and get great reviews all over the web. My favorite is Ryan Block's at GDGT.com. The two things that I think are important for Realtors are:
1. Apple will now allow developers to access bluetooth to communicate with external devices
2. Turn by Turn directions
The first one has been what has kept Supra from being able to develop an application similar to the one on the Blackberry. I have spoken to (name withheld) at Supra and they have assured me that the app was being developed and wold be released pending Apple allowing this functionality. The iPhone 3.0 release will not be out until summer (hopefully June and not August) so I expect this app to follow shortly.
The second option is great for those of us who do not have navigation installed in our vehicles. Since the economy is not getting better quickly I'm not buying a car anytime soon. Garmin and TomTom have been developing proof of concept applications for the iPhone so I can assume they will be releasing apps this summer also. The one caveat here is, because of licensing issues these applications will have to provide their own maps. An entire map of the US stored locally could take up 750MB - 1GB of space. I have an 8GB version so this takes up as much as 12.5% of my storage.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
If you are a regular reader of Mortgage Advisor, you know I actually WON my ticket to 
The FLOW has been reversed. The customers are controlling the flow of information via Twitter and social networking. They are making decisions using information from their friends, followers, and their online sphere of influence.
Future homebuyers do not need you to price homes, to find homes, or to research neighborhoods. They've already done that, and their world is exploding with new tools to help them (weakening the role of the listing agent, in my opinion).
Is Google a Scraper site?
The issue began on 
I don't care if I am a Keller Williams agent and my listing is on another site, I want it there. Consumers come to us through many portals, the more the merrier.
My favorite part of the discussion is from the 
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
industry. Students will be taught about the basics of today's green generation. The class covers how sustainability impacts smart growth, new urbanism, and community development. Attendees are also instructed as to how NAR's Green Designation can attract green clients.
the green knowledge it contains. The professional Eco-Broker's directory is also a nice little perk for the Realtor and a gleaming star for the consumer. I also like the fact that the Eco-Broker program continues to provide its' members with the latest updates on new trends and technologies related to the green industry.
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
and read through it two or three times BEFORE BUYING.
(pickup a copy and read it also) advises buying single family homes for your first purchase. I dont'. I think 2, 3, or 4-plexes are better. If a single family home is vacant it is 100% vacant. If you lose one tenant in the multi-unit it is only a percentage of the total and you have at least some cash flow. Ultimately it is your decision but my preference would be for multi-family.
;)
;)
