Some of you may remember when I wrote the following about my Search Engine Optimization Project:
Aloha Folks, now that the website name has been changed (www.Hawaii-EstatesforLife.com) and the requested features (blog, newsletter and specials) have been added, we are now proceeding with the search engine optimization project on my website. As you may recall, I started this blog to share my experience with search engine optimization (at fairly great cost) and the guarantee of 60 leads from my website per month for 3 months. Well, we start today and we shall see what happens. While the website updates may not be fully functional (menu buttons still need to be added), you can access the site at http://www.hawaii-estatesforlife.com to see what I'm working with. The optimization is mostly behind the scenes, but I will let you know the stats as we go along. The guarantee is that if the campaign produces less han 60 leads in a given month then either I can choose to be reimbursed proportionately for the deficit leads or they will make them up in the following month. At this point, I will probably opt for the reimbursement because I want to see what these folks can do on a month to month basis before conntinuing. Now, we all know what we can do with 60 leads in a month! We would probably end up sharing them with some of our trusted colleagues since that is a pretty big school of fish to pursue. Of course, I will be contacting each and every one of these leads as soon as I get notification, but as things develop, we will see how many I can actually handle, especially if they come in as tailored to my preferred clientelle as has been indicated they will be. Wish me luck, folks! More later! Aloha, Bob
Well I must report that the project actually came to an abrupt end after 45 days of a paid up 90 day run. As you can see from the above post, I was promised 60 leads per month and I actually was receiving the promised lead volume for the 45 days (just over 90 leads for the month and a half), but then the provider pulled the plug on my leads and I have been unable to get any response from them since that time! If anyone has any knowledge of how I can contact IDX Direct, the provider, please let me know. In the meantime, I would suggest being cautious in dealing with this provider or any other provider of Search Engine Optimization. I am out a good deal of money here... and I am bitter!
With all the talk about a housing "bubble" with falling home sales and home values and now the subprime debacle, some of us may be losing sight of the abundant opportunities that this offers for realtors and buyers, alike. In fact these opportunities extend to seller, as well, as home prices have risen as much as 100% or more over the past 5 or 6 years and with most owners and investors leveraged to the max, profit when selling should be much more than 100%; could even be as much as 1000% in some cases, even with prices dropping a bit!
Take the case of a $10,000 investment in a $100,000 home in 2002. This home should have appreciated to as much as $200,000 in the five years since its purchase, with nearly tax-free payments and a home to live in over that time, or rental income to cover those payment if you are an investor. Now when you go to sell it, you will reap $190,000 profit (less the costs of the sale, perhaps $12,000 to $15,000) for a net profit of, perhaps, $175,000, which is over 1,700% on that $10,000 investment for today's seller! Certainly not something to cry over!
Of course, the real problem is for those who bought a year or two ago, at the height of the appreciation, with an adjustable rate mortgage and not enough increase in household income to carry the increase in mortgage payment. One does have to have some carrying ability at times to make real estate work as an investment, but one should know that going in.
Anyway, my point is that we should not lose heart with the onslaught of headlines and we should advise our clients likewise! The sky is not falling... just a few flakes of snow in the air!
Aloha,
Bob Farrell (RA) RSPS, TRC, MS, RECS. bob.farrell@hawaiimoves.com
http://www.WaikikiBob.com
According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the median price of homes and condos has continued to show little movement over the past year. While there have been minor fluctuations, the price of single family homes has risen only 2.3% over this time last year, while condo prices have done a bit better, rising 4.8% over the third quarter of 2006, according to figures published by the Honolulu Board of Realtors this past Monday. This puts the median price of a single family home here at $649,000, while condos are at $330,000 island wide.
Of course, individual areas of the island have done much better or much worse than the island as a whole. The highest priced neighborhood is Diamond Head, at $1,080,000, with Hawaii Kai close behind at $835,000 for single family homes. Condos in these exclusive areas are $469,000 and $520,000 respectively, when you can find one. The lowest priced homes can be found on the leeward coast, where single family homes stand at $387,000 and condos at $187,000 for median prices. In the metro area (Town) of Honolulu, single family homes cost $705,500 and $330,000, closer to the island average.
If you are interested in looking at individual home prices throughout Oahu (Honolulu), take a look on my website, www.Hawaii-EstatesforLife.com for more details. You can reach me by phone at (808) 672-0100.
How about RE Classes aboard a cruise along the West Coast of Mexico?
Have any of you thought about taking classes to improve your standing as a Realtor? Well, classes can be boooooring, as you know. But how about taking those classes aboard a cruise down the west coast of Mexico? With stops in Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan? Seems like just the ticket to me, and I am going! Why not join me on the cruise and share some fun times while we learn more about real estate in Latin America?
There will be many course opportunities, including these, "Financial Analysis for Commercial Investment Real Estate" and "Lease versus Own".
Aloha Folks, now that the website name has been changed (www.Hawaii-EstatesforLife.com) and the requested features (blog, newsletter and specials) have been added, we are now proceeding with the search engine optimization project on my website. As you may recall, I started this blog to share my experience with search engine optimization (at fairly great cost) and the guarantee of 60 leads from my website per month for 3 months. Well, we start today and we shall see what happens.
While the website updates may not be fully functional (menu buttons still need to be added), you can access the site at http://www.hawaii-estatesforlife.com to see what I'm working with. The optimization is mostly behind the scenes, but I will let you know the stats as we go along. The guarantee is that if the campaign produces less han 60 leads in a given month then either I can choose to be reimbursed proportionately for the deficit leads or they will make them up in the following month. At this point, I will probably opt for the reimbursement because I want to see what these folks can do on a month to month basis before conntinuing.
Now, we all know what we can do with 60 leads in a month! We would probably end up sharing them with some of our trusted colleagues since that is a pretty big school of fish to pursue. Of course, I will be contacting each and every one of these leads as soon as I get notification, but as things develop, we will see how many I can actually handle, especially if they come in as tailored to my preferred clientelle as has been indicated they will be.
Wish me luck, folks! More later!
Aloha,
Bob
I am proceeding with search engine optimization of my website, with the website now changed to http://www.WaikikiBob.com to avoid any fallout from the NAR copyright regarding the word "Realtor." I thought long and hard about this, but in the end I can only agree that if I proceeded with www.YourWaikikiRealtor.com and the NAR decided to enforce their copyright of the word, Realtor, I would lose all the time, effort and money I had put into this site when I then changed the name. So, to avoid this, I will use the new name, http://www.WaikikiBob.com instead.
I am proceeding with search engine optimization of my website, with the website now changed to http://www.WaikikiBob.com to avoid any fallout from the NAR copyright regarding the word "Realtor." I thought long and hard about this, but in the end I can only agree that if I proceeded with www.YourWaikikiRealtor.com and the NAR decided to enforce their copyright of the word, Realtor, I would lose all the time, effort and money I had put into this site when I then changed the name. So, to avoid this, I will use the new name, http://www.WaikikiBob.com instead.
However, if you are looking for my site at this time, it remains http://www.YourWaikikiRealtor.com. More on this later!
Okay, I bit the bullet and am about to take the plunge into Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I am working with a well-known company that is currently hosting my website, http://www.YourWaikikiRealtor.com, and the price is not insignificant, but the rewards promised (and guaranteed, I might add) seem really great! If you have an interest in empowering your own website and an interest in SEO, I suggest you follow along and see how my site fares in this, one of the newest and (I'm told) one of the more worthwhile tracks toward expanding one's real estate business. Oh, and by the way, I am also adding blogging to my website so you can also go there to follow my progress.
Okay, you have all been waiting for a new project in Waikiki, well the Allure project is the latest venture in this historic and tried and true resort community. With floorplans from 833 to 1,216 s/f, this is not your usual island condo! These are resort homes and condos any family would be happy to stay in for a month or more! This is a new development in Waikiki where history blends with the contemporary! Drop me an e-mail at bob@yourwaikikirealtor.com for more information on this fabulous new development in Waikiki before it has sold out! Or visit my website, http://www.YourWaikikiRealtor.com for other opportunities in this fabulous world class resort area!
Your Waikiki Realtor, Bob Farrell (RA) RSPS, MS, RECS
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.
;)
;)
