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I have always loved technology and always needed the newest tech toys when they first came out, except a GPS.
Garmin C330

I never really felt I needed one as I knew my way around my marketplace very well. I knew all the shortcuts and there really was no need for one as I had my trusty road atlas.

 Atlas maps

I had a customer a couple of weeks ago who wanted to view some homes in an area that I had not been in for quite a while. During our initial conversation my customer mentioned all he needed was the addresses as he had his GPS. No big deal I thought as for someone from out of state I guessed it would be quite handy. 

He and his wife arrive at my office and he grabs his GPS and we set it up in my car and off we go. He plugs the address to the first house in the GPS and  I can see the  GPS acquiring the satellite signal.

I back out of the office parking lot and it tells me how far to drive and when I come upon about .2 miles it prepares me to turn. How cool is this I'm thinking. It also told me all the streets to turn on and the best was when we arrived at our destination it told me we had arrived at our destination. We viewed a bunch of homes that day and that is where I fell in love with the GPS.

I know most of you probably own one and can relate. I decided that this was a must have as I am beginning to hate to drive at night and this would really help. I also know that when my customer had his, it was very easy to talk with them and not worry about flipping through paperwork or maps while conversing. That was the selling point, right there, it was a no-brainer.

I have had it a little over a week now and Monika just absolutely loves it. 

Today I had to meet Monika's clients at a house I had never been to so the GPS would come in handy and I wanted to test it's ability to see if my shortcuts were really shortcuts. Once it locks into the satellite it tells you what time you should arrive. So, of course, I had to try and beat it. It told me I would arrive at 9:50 AM for a 10:00 AM appointment, so, off I go. I plugged the GPS to take me the shortest route, because, when I took off down my street it had me heading in a different direction than I wanted to go. I was going to take the shortcut.

The minute I deviated from the original course it would tell me "re-calculating" and the time changed to 3 minutes longer than I had when I started, Not to be discouraged, I knew I could make up time by going my way. 

Sure enough, when I got to a point where I knew the GPS wanted me to go originally I had made up 2 minutes off the original 9:50 AM time of arrival. Two minutes may not seem like a lot but if you take a 30 day month you could save an hour to do something else you would really like to do.

All in all I love our GPS and I highly recommend you look into getting one. They come in all shapes and sizes and prices. This one is under $300.00 and well worth it. 

So, that is why I ask "are you smarter than your GPS? 

Jay and Monika

Jay and Monika McGillicuddy

Serving Southern New Hampshire and Rockingham County

New Hampshire Real Estate with Jay McGillicuddy 

NH Real Estate Blogs 

Prudential Verani Realty

Hampstead NH Real Estate

603-548-7685

 

86 Comments on Are You Smarter Than Your GPS ???

I'm sold...I'll never question Ms. GPS again as she proved me wrong in Danville the other day. I thought I knew that town better than she did...I was wrong!

06/30/2007 07:38 PM by Monika McGillicuddy~REALTOR®~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer (Prudential Verani Realty/Hampstead)

Jay, I've been using Google maps, but a gps system would be nice to have.  I just live two blocks from Garmin the world's largest producer of GPS systems.  Every time I drive by there, I think about how nice it would be to have one!

06/30/2007 07:39 PM by David L. Britt, MBA (The Heritage Real Estate Team)

You have arrived at your destination....................................

06/30/2007 07:47 PM by Brad Snyder (Sierra Vista Realty)

Hi Jay - I'm one without one of those toys, YET!  I've had clients who've had those and they are pretty cool, that's for sure.  What kind did you get and where did you get it?  If it's cool enough for you, I just might have to be a copy-cat and do the same.  I was out in the boondocks up in Maine today showing property, and I know the route I took per the map was a heck of a lot longer than other roads, if I had known them, would have taken me.

Bet you're taking it on the road with you in the morning, aren't ya??  ;-)

Ann

06/30/2007 07:58 PM by Portsmouth NH Real Estate ~ Ann Cummings (RE/MAX Coast to Coast - Portsmouth New Hampshire)

His AND hers, or sharing?

06/30/2007 07:59 PM by Portsmouth NH Real Estate ~ Ann Cummings (RE/MAX Coast to Coast - Portsmouth New Hampshire)

Jay, sometimes I'm smarter than my GPS.  Most of the time it's smarter than I am. Sometimes the mapping information programmed to its satellite is erroneous - particularly for things like one-way streets in the city.  It will want me to take a turn onto the wrong direction of a 1-way street.  The route would make sense as the crow flies, but I can't turn that way! 

In any case, I still think it's the best investment I've made this year, by far!

06/30/2007 07:59 PM by Brian Schulman - Your Lancaster County, PA Real Estate Professional (Coldwell Banker Select Professionals)

Jay,

Did you research them, and if so, would you share your findngs? I'm like you were, and yet, if I do get one, would like to buy just one, and not make a mistake on the first...

06/30/2007 08:10 PM by Patrick Harfst, CRS (Realty Executives)

Monika, Walker Lane in Fremont is not the same as Walker Road in Danville, that is why the GPS said recalculating when you went to Danville. I am glad you made to your appointment. LOL

Dave, I have google maps on my treo but the GPS is by far a much better solution. You should stop in and see if they'll let you try one. LOL

Brad, cracks me up everytime.

Ann, It's the Garmin C330 which is being discontinued by Garmin. (Always happens to me after I buy). If I were to buy again I would look at the Garmin Nuvi 350. I paid roughly $285 at Walmart. If you order and have it delivered to the store you can get it at about 265. Circuit City had it on sale for 249.00 but I missed it by a day. They wouldn't honor the sales price. We just have the one and share if needed.

Brian, I heard it can take you down one way streets the wrong way. It's pretty slick and I did find out that the shortest is not necessarily the fastest.

06/30/2007 08:11 PM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

Patrick, I chose this one for the cost but I didn't really need all the bells and whistles so to speak. They have Blue tooth capabilities now and many others. I went to Cnet.com and looked at many reviews on line.

A friend of ours just picked up the Garmin Nuvi 660 and spent 639.00 for it. The Garmn Nuvi 350 is about $399.00

Tom Tom is another good buy as well.

Best of luck in your reasearch.

06/30/2007 08:20 PM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

I prefer my Mapsco and writing out all the directions from house to house.  That also prevents flipping through maps as I'm driving, but also allows me to go whatever way I want to go in order to not backtrack.  My husband has a GPS and it annoys me.  Plus, with all the new construction going on in the area, I would have to get updated software how often to keep it updated?  I'm not sold... but I also just got my first "smart phone" last week, so I'm learning that and all its features.

06/30/2007 08:46 PM by Donna Harris, ASP (Re/Max HiNet)

I experienced GPS with clients last weekend.  It is on the must have list.

06/30/2007 08:53 PM by Ava Lugg "Selling Real Estate in Snellville, Grayson and Loganville" (Bridgewell Realty Inc.)

Yes, I am smarter than my GPS.  A few times it tried to make me turn onto a road that wasn't there. 

06/30/2007 08:55 PM by Tim Maitski "Secret Agent Guy" (HomeAtlanta.com)

Donna, Smartphones are great I like my Treo 650. I thought the voice would annoy but after a week I find it's not so bad. I can turn the volume down and just look at the map.

Ava, you'll love it.

Tim, That would be a little tricky, I used to live in Stone Mountain and I guess the Atlanta area is still expanding. No wwe have to see if we are smarter than a fifth grader, What's next?

06/30/2007 09:10 PM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

Jay - why do men like gadgets so much?  Rick as a portable GPS for the boat with all his fishing spots marked and another one that's fixed on the boat (I guess the portable one is in case he's not on his own boat).  The only side to those "street GPS" systems is that they may take you through a route that makes absolutely no sense.  I've proven it with my dad's and we laugh. 

Enjoy your little toy!

06/30/2007 09:11 PM by Rick & Ines - Miami Shores Real Estate (Majestic Properties)

Well Jay you might just have talked me into considering getting one, but I have to get over the feeling that it might be possible for a Red Sox Fan to actually have a good suggestion.  That is going to be tough for me to admit :)

06/30/2007 09:15 PM by George Souto (McCue Mortgage Co.)

Ines, Guy's just like to have toys. I am sure you have heard the saying, " he who has the most toys when they die wins."

George, don't think of it as a Red Sox fan having a good suggestion but a fellow Acive Rainer. That way you can justify the buy. LOL

Sox are down to their last out down 5-4 to the Rangers, We were up 4-0 when I turned the channel then forgot to turn back and look what happened.

2-2 to Manny, Manny grounds out to lose the game,

06/30/2007 09:25 PM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

Ines...I was a big hold out on buying one and I am the type that can not find my way of of a paper bag! I must say I love it! You still need to use some common sense...I won't leave my map book behind just yet.

07/01/2007 06:01 AM by Monika McGillicuddy~REALTOR®~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer (Prudential Verani Realty/Hampstead)

Jay - maybe I'll get me one.  Still using my old cell phone, so I'm not with the program on that one YET. ;-)

Loved George's comment, and perhaps your reply back to him will help him see it from a different perspective......  ;-)

Ann

07/01/2007 07:34 AM by Portsmouth NH Real Estate ~ Ann Cummings (RE/MAX Coast to Coast - Portsmouth New Hampshire)

You know Jay ... GPS it meant to tell you how to get somewhere that you don't already know how to get to. i suppose that if you really know an area, you WOULD be smarter than the GPS. itell you what, though - a GPS would be a blessing with all the trips to Denver and the mountains that I make!

Here is a little something GPS related for you.

07/01/2007 08:20 AM by Mariana Wagner ~ Colorado Springs REALTOR® (Wagner iTeam -Keller Williams Clients' Choice)

Love my GPS!!  When I bought my new car it was a standard feature that I thought I would never use, WRONG!  Would never go without one again.

07/01/2007 08:53 AM by Carolyn A. Rzaca, GRI, BROKER (EliteOne Fine Properties, LLC)

I could use one of these for sure....

Where the heck am I anyway:-)?

07/01/2007 09:00 AM by Jason Sardi, Pennsylvania Mortgage Broker (First Choice Equity Group Inc.)

Thanks for this--funny and informative.   One of my sons--who could get lost driving around the block--just bought one and LOVES it. 

07/01/2007 09:22 AM by Kat DeLong, REALTOR (WINDERMERE FINE PROPERTIES/LAKE ARROWHEAD)

I adore my GPS. Especially since I sometimes end up driving around new subdivisions in the middle of nowhere. The problem I have with directions in Sacramento is there are no boundaries, per se, that mark east, north, west or south. Smog blurs the Sierra. I can't sense which way to the ocean. Using GPS beats tracking down & blocking a USPS truck, which I've been known to do, and begging for directions. Well, except for the part where it often tells me to turn left on a two-way street without a light.

07/01/2007 09:36 AM by Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento Real Estate Broker (Lyon Real Estate)

Jay,

You should sell GPS, my hubby has one and loves it! I get lost in my own backyard, now I want one too! :)

07/01/2007 09:41 AM by Suzanne Sands-Somerset, MA Real Estate (Century 21 Associates Realty)

Yes, sometimes I am smarter than my GPS, especially when I am "entering unverified areas". Hmm, this subdivision has been here for 10 years, but the computer says the roads are not verified and cannot find the house. Oh, you want me to turn there? Well, if I turned there, I would be heading onto a dirt road because a new road was built a 1/8 of a mile down from here and is a more "direct route".  Yes, I hear your pretty voice Ms. Direction Voice Lady, but if my husband listens to you, it will make us late to our appointment, taking us down the wrong road, and I will have to hear my husband's rant how you "used him and misled him"....but it will really be my fault you were wrong because I didn't know the area by heart since I AM a real estate agent. :)

07/01/2007 09:41 AM by Jennifer Kirby, the Luxury Agent (Exit Realty Eden Prairie)

Jay,

This bit of technology is a must for me..- the GPS in my car. With everything else I'm keeping track of, I don't have to be concerned about maps or getting directions - I punch in the address and go. I drive a GPS that happens to have a car attached. It is such a pleasure when you just hit ' previous destination' and can keep going from wherever you might be. No matter where you are...my favorite..  the "HOME" icon.  What pleasure and security...just like a homing pigeon!

No, I am not smarter than the gps, it also makes an occasional "unnecessary" turn . It has been known to ..uh... tell me " Make a legal U turn" !

When I am sure of the route, know the shortcut,  don't need to use it... But with traffic, road construction, talking on the phone...hands free of course, and all the other distractions that we encounter as busy professionals, it is one piece of technology that I never want to be without!

And I always beat the GPS's time...

07/01/2007 09:54 AM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

Im my part of New Jersey, it is almost impossible to get bye without my GPS,  The road system is to complex and there is way way to much traffic to try to just feel your way through or look down at a map.

07/01/2007 10:04 AM by New Jersey Real Estate James Boyer Morris, Essex & Union County NJ Realtor (RE/MAX Properties Unlimited, Real Estate)

good post! I love my GPS system, what i have always wondered is if someone is going to integrate real estate listings in to the GPS system - like integrate MLS with the GPS system - that would be quite handy too!

 

07/01/2007 10:12 AM by Real Estate Flyers (Guru Real Estate Flyers)

# 1 - if that is the Tom Tom, be forewarned.  I have been through 4 of them since 2003.  Out of nowhere the screens go black and die.  Although maps are better on Tom Tom, Garmin's product is more reliable.

# 2 - Tom Tom is infamous for overstating the estimate time of arrival.  There is usually a 20% time cushion.  Garmin is not.  I rarely make the time they estimate.  I will blame it on metro atlanta traffic.

# 3 - I tested my "Garmin Shortcut" the other day.  My husband took my shortcut, I took Garmins.  My husband beat me by 5 minutes

I still swear by them, however you can rule out any new or newer construction.  it just won't be in there!

07/01/2007 10:23 AM by Jennifer Walker-Derby, Realtor Extraordinaire (Re/Max Westside)

Jay...

I would be good to go if I could convince Blog Boy (Broker Bryant) that...NO...He is not smarter than a GPS :)

TLW...ROAR!

07/01/2007 10:31 AM by "The Lovely Wife"...Broker Bryant's Wife... (Co-Owner Tutas Towne Realty, Inc.)

Jay:

When I leased my new car just before leaving Boston I made sure I had GPS. Going to a brand new area in California was sure to be a challenge. I cannot say enough about it - it has been a godsend to help me learn my way around. I love how it will reset if I start to take a road I know will be shorter, but I do have to remember to set it so it will not use the freeway if I want to avoid the traffic, since it tends to always take me that route - and that is NOT always the best.

I can program it in 10 languages if I want to practice my French or Italian. It will help me find local points of interest and tourist attractions, the nearest grocery store, a nearby gas station, and much more. The only issue is that very new subdivisions are not included in the mapping so not all streets will work. I will never have a car without it.

Jeff

07/01/2007 11:15 AM by Jeff Dowler ~ Carlsbad Real Estate (RE/MAX Associates)

GPS is good and bad.  you notice the bad when you know where you are going and know the best way, but good when embarking on a new adventure!  I have a 2001 Acura MDX with it, and the old 2001 data is still great, though when going to meet clients in new developments, often times the new road aren't there.  But, sometimes they aren't on Mapquest either!

07/01/2007 12:45 PM by Jonathan Vetter (Mercury Lending)

My GArmin has saved my tail a few times especially since I moved to another market (Northern Colorado via Southern California). It has not only saved me a ton a grief but time as well. Learning to use these things takes a collective hour or so. I just bought a new Acura with a navigation system, WHEW what a great system, voice commands, touch screen and the voice from the system mutes any other audio while 'speaking'. GPS is a must have for every Realtor, regardless of how well they know the territory.

07/01/2007 12:57 PM by Doug Lindstrom (ReMax Alliance)

I love my GPS, especially for going home from some cdevelopment when I am beat after an inspection. It has on a couple occasions been off. Once I almost started inspecting the wrong house, until I looked at the address. Usually it parks me right in the driveway.

07/01/2007 01:34 PM by Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector (King of the House Home Inspection)

Jay, I've had a GPS system for about 6 months now and don't know how I ever got by without it. Sometimes I am smarter than the system and know a better route, but I usually only use the system when I'm less confident in my knowledge of the area. It's saved me tons of time and embarassment of showing up late in an area where I would have otherwised missed a turn. The great part is when I have a client I'm showing several homes to and I map out 8-10 addresses at once. It guides me from one house to the next almost flawlessly. Glad to hear you're enjoying yours. Fun post!

07/01/2007 01:47 PM by Ryan Hukill - Edmond Realtor® (Hukill Group - Paradigm Realty)

Jay-You just convinced me to get one.  Tonya often asks me "How did you find your way around a desert and you cant find your way around a populated island?"  My mission for next week is to have a GPS by Friday!  Aloha and thanks foro the info.

07/01/2007 02:33 PM by 1SG (Ret) David J. Kucic Hawaii Relocation/VA Expert (Tropic Lightning Real Estate)

This just reminds me of the joke about men asking for directions. But now I guess you don't have to ; )

Anyone have an opinion on how these work in rural areas? I'm talking way, way, way out - no convenience stores for directions and soda.

07/01/2007 03:07 PM by Dena Stevens ~ Ecobroker ~So. Colorado Realtor (Colorado Western Real Estate)

Jay, excellent post!  I have to warn people that the installed versions of GPS coming in many cars are CD based and not satellite driven.  New streets don't come up at all.  Actually, streets put in three years ago aren't coming up and the dealership swears there isn't a newer version.

07/01/2007 03:43 PM by Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Bryan College Station)

Jay - you'll never guess what I was doing before seeing this post - researching GPS's - I had a relo client here the last 3 days did several hundred miles - I was doing me old fashioned Google maps way and killed oh so many trees (not GREEN at all :-)) She had a Garmin Nuvi 660 and it was awesome. At the end of 3 days I told her that I am always interested in learning how I could do a better job and was there anything I could have done to make her trip better....she just smiled and said get a GPS - we laughed as we'd been discussing my need for one and I even got a great video testimonial out of her on our services - but I'm sold.

I tried a cheap one and found many of the newer streets not in there - that's no good in real estate - everyone wants to go to the new neighborhoods.

Timely post for me - thanks for sharing - and no I'm not smarter than a GPS I learned :-)       

07/01/2007 03:52 PM by Clearwater Real Estate Pinellas County Condos & Homes for Sale- Cyndee Haydon (Charles Rutenberg Realty)

Jay, enjoyed reading your blog.  I expect your will use your extra hour each month playing golf....  I have yet to get one myself, but desperately need one.  I have been waiting for the prices to drop.  I did not want to pay $500 for the one I wanted, I think now the price has come down.

07/01/2007 04:06 PM by Antoinette Murphy, GRI (RE/MAX Atlantic)

Chris, my factory-installed GPS had the original data DVD when I bought the vehicle, but I upgraded to the newer disk and now have most newer streets. However, as fast as land is being developed around here, it will be outdated again within a year. I'm seeing big benefits from the portable GPS units that can be plugged into the laptop and download new maps. Things are just changing too quickly. The approximate $500 investment for a good system is WELL worth it and far below the cost of the factory-optioned GPS systems. Any agent who hasn't invested the money yet needs to know it's money WELL SPENT!

07/01/2007 04:34 PM by Ryan Hukill - Edmond Realtor® (Hukill Group - Paradigm Realty)

GPS is the way forward, a funny tale I have, I got lost out in one of these crazy neighborhoods that actually have 6 neighborhoods running into each other, when my client who were in their own car but were from out of town said follow us.  Needless to say I bought a GPS the next day. :-)

Tina Abraham

www.tinaabraham.com

07/01/2007 05:27 PM by Tina Abraham Broker, SRS, Realtor Wilmington North Carolina Real Estate (Keller WilliamsWrightsville Beach Wilmington, North Carolina)

My listing partner Belinda has one! She uses the British voice (very calming) and his name is Thomas. I have to admit they have gotten very affordable too! Great read my friend!

07/01/2007 06:26 PM by Carole Cohen Realtor®, ePRO (Howard Hanna Cleveland City Office)

Oh Carole, you got my imagination going now!

07/01/2007 06:32 PM by Dena Stevens ~ Ecobroker ~So. Colorado Realtor (Colorado Western Real Estate)

Jay, the GPS is truly great, unless it is a new neighborhood and it does not recognize the street or the city, county or state highway engineers decide to change where the exit is located or block an access street to change a traffic pattern.  I have missed a few exits because they were on the other side of the highway 3 lanes away from where I was prepared to turn.  Overall they are great.  I love the tech stuff two, and I always am amazed when I buy a new something for my business and it works better than expected.  Nice post. 

07/01/2007 07:11 PM by Gary White~ Grand Rapids Real Estate, FlexIt Realty, a call or click away! (Flexit Realty~Serving West Michigan)

Dena LOL!!!  I talk to 'Thomas' when I am in the car :-)

07/01/2007 07:16 PM by Carole Cohen Realtor®, ePRO (Howard Hanna Cleveland City Office)

Hey Jay,

Bob loves our GPS but as for me - I need to stand in the map to know where I have to go and I need to plan that out way in advance! :)  So I guess the answer is for us - Yeah the GPS is smarter.  Oh, yes, we've had one for quite some time now!

07/01/2007 08:21 PM by Pascack Valley Real Estate>> Lisa and Robert Hammerstein (Coldwell Banker)

Jay,

I am so thankful that I came across your post because I have been wanting to get one of these and did not know which was best.  A trusted referral is always the best way to find out about a product, so THANKS!

VAL

07/01/2007 08:37 PM by Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island)

For those of you with GPS enabled cell phones you might want to see what services your cellular provider has available.  I have Telenav on my Blackberry thru Nextel and have been using for over 18 months.  I pay a monthly service fee of about $8 but did not have to buy any extra equipment (the $300 for a GPS).  It works great plus Telenav continues to update the database so I don't have to go buy updates every couple of years.

I know there are other service providers for GPS enabled phones but you might want to check out www.telenav.com.

Bruce

07/01/2007 09:03 PM by Bruce & Justine Bright (Keller Williams Realty)

Sometimes....

It's like my best friend at times. and other times, I can't stand it.... Today for example.... it was telling me to take a route that I knew was longer distance to destination was 12 miles... I took my way after it tried getting me to do a u-turn about a mile into the trip, it recalsulated distance to destination was now 8 miles... if you don't know where you're going ( that's me most of the time) then you'll love Mr.GPs.... but sometimes...you have to be smarter... Like I was today

 

07/01/2007 09:19 PM by Nattalie Cornwall (Metrobrokers/GMAC Real Estate)

I am definately a member of this club.  One of my very first blogs on AR was about being directionally challenged.  Now I can get anywhere -- if I have a short cut -- my gps just recalculates -- sometime it gets the names of the streets mixed up -- but I love it -- even with its flaws.

07/01/2007 10:41 PM by Joan Whitebook, ABR, e-Pro, CEBA (Buyer's Option Realty Services)

standard equipment for now on in my cars

07/01/2007 10:42 PM by Dave Sulvetta - Camden County NJ Realtor (Century 21 Hearst)

I have the one Lexus installs and have to talk to a small speaker, about an inch square thats placed under the front left  window  on the dash  and there isn't a map. I just click on a button. It also doesn't "scream at me when I make a wrong turn!

 I love it and couldn't be without it as I am directionally challenged!

07/01/2007 11:37 PM by Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary)

We love the Onstar in our vehicle ~ same reasons. It is handy, helps us figure out where we need to go, and in case we need something for an emergency, it's only a button away.

07/02/2007 01:40 AM by Bob & Carolin Benjamin - E Phoenix Arizona Real Estate (The Benjamin Team - Keller Williams Integrity First Realty )

Thanks Jay, been looking into this for quite some time, thanks to your post, I'll be picking one up this next week.  I spend alot of time on the road and don't want to spend ot being lost!  Great info, thanks for sharing!

07/02/2007 02:20 AM by Brad Andersohn ~ Community Builder (ActiveRain)

No computer can substitute for actual knowledge of the streets and town you live in.  In my previous car, I had a Pioneer AVIC-N2 which was awesome!  I decided I could not live without a nav unit in any future vehicle and now have a 2007 Acura TL Type-S with Nav.  It's so handy.  My favorite thing to do is see by how much can I beat it's Zestimate . . . er . . .wrong post . . estimate for what time I will arrive.  On a recent trip from Puyallup (south of Seattle) to Portland, I beat the estimate by nearly 15 minutes.  I may not necessarily have been obeying all posted speed limits, but 15 minutes is 15 minutes!

07/02/2007 02:56 AM by John Hurlbut (John L. Scott - Puyallup)

Well that does it!  I've riding the fence on this one for a while, but now I am going to buy.

07/02/2007 05:37 AM by Sybil Holcomb (Re/Max Westside)

NO!

07/02/2007 06:20 AM by Real Estate Chapel Hill Raleigh Durham Jackie Lynaugh, NC Broker/Owner (YoureHomes.com REALTY Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham NC)

I love my Garmin, and have found that the best use of it is finding the quickest way from one neighborhood to another, if you're changing gears midstream.  Even though I know my market better than the average bear, with new construction and buyers in the car all day, it's a blessing. =)

07/02/2007 08:18 AM by Leigh Brown Charlotte NC Broker/Owner (RE/MAX Signature Properties)

Oh my god, I never expected this to get a gold star. "Thank You".

We left yesterday morning for the 4th of July holiday to one of our favorite getaways, "Boothbay, Maine" check out the link to see why we love it up here.

We have limited access to the web so I apologize for not answering everyone individually.

Thank you all for commenting and I'll try and visit all your posts when we get back next week.

Thanks again, Jay

07/02/2007 08:56 AM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

I love gadgets, but thought a GPS was "over-the-top" in terms of expense.  I mean, why not just use MapQuest.  Well...I got burned a couple of times and invest in a Garmin Nuvi 350.  Wow...am I ever impressed.  It has already saved me a couple times...I love it.

Like some of the others have said, sometimes, though it thinks it knows the best route, and I feel my way is better..at least to get me close...

I bought mine off eBay...no regrets.

07/02/2007 09:04 AM by Brian Miller - Real Estate Entropy (Weichert, Realtors)

I should probably get myself one of those. I still don't know every road here. I just think it would be annoying to listen to....lol!

07/02/2007 09:46 AM by Christy Powers - Pooler, Savannah Real Estate Agent (Keller Williams Coastal Area Partners)

Christy, most systems have the option of turning off the audible voice, however, I bet you'd get used to it in no time. The benefit of not being late to an appointment because of a wrong turn far outweighs the inconvenience of "the voice."

07/02/2007 10:12 AM by Ryan Hukill - Edmond Realtor® (Hukill Group - Paradigm Realty)

I love when I hear "you have reached your destination"!

I was thinking of getting one in the next phone I get.

07/02/2007 10:24 AM by Rosemary Brooks -Mother & Daughter (866)-750-8282 (Family Realty Group - 866-750-8282)

I travel a lot, so having a GPS in my car is a must. Everytime I rent a car at the airport, my Never Lost is a must. I find it saves me time and makes my visit much more efficient and safe.

07/02/2007 05:50 PM by The Mortgage Cicerone

I spent about a year in the late 1990's as a road warrior for the Geneva Companies, then out of Irvine, CA.  We were a mergers and acquisitions consulting firm and I traveled all over the Eastern half of the United States to towns of all sizes that I had never seen before.  Hertz was just beginning to equip their fleet with their Neverlost GPS System and I became a fan of the technology.  I was able to maintain an on-time schedule that would not have been possible without the electronic navigator at my beck and call.  I cannot now imagine being without the technology and I specify the factory installed model on all new cars that I acquire.  I still use Microsoft's Streets and Maps software on my office computer and laptop for planning, but I certainly recommend the GPS technology for use in the vehicle.  

Jay - I concur with Brad's observation - You have arrived.  Welcome home. 

07/02/2007 09:24 PM by Ted Baker (Carmody and Associates LLC)

I got one for Christmas and love it , love it. I even thought it would be such a great product to buy 10 of and loan to Buyers .  If I could add a custom signal in there to assure I would get it back,lol . Then I thought why not 100 and rent them out at 4 or 5 Dollars a day ( special rates for multiple days)plus a smart little deposit in case it is lost or driven over by REALTORS that would leave it on top of their car while they look for their keys,lol. I would insure them against loss and that would cover the insurance premium. Then I thought why not a 1000 and go into the GPS Leasing Business , set up a rental office and drivers to drop them off, making them available to anyone. At the end of each year, sell off the older ones and take the loss. That's how much I love my GPS. I am still thinking on this idea.

07/03/2007 02:03 AM by San Diego Real Estate Voice authored by William Johnson GRI CRS e-PRO (RE/MAX Associates)

I just purchased a magellan gps and I LOVE it!! It is the best thing since the wheel......especially for Realtors!!

07/03/2007 07:09 PM by Dominic Naidoo - Luxury Real Estate Expert (Westside Properties)

Thank you everyone for commenting and I have tried to visit everyone's blog here on AR and comment if I didn't already respond to your comment here,

Thanks again, Jay 

07/07/2007 08:53 PM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

I often don't follow my GPS' advice when in familiar territory.  However, my GPS is priceless when showing property with clients.  My GPS allows me to concentrate on talking with my clients instead of fumbling around with maps, paperwork or directions.

07/10/2007 01:40 AM by Evan T. Little - EcoBroker® (Volkl Investments Inc.)

Jay-I did what I said and ordered the Garmin Nuvi 350 last week!  The best deal I could find was $369 on line through Wal-Mart with another $18  for overnight shipping and $18 in taxes.  Overnight shipping to Hawaii????  I ordered it on July 2nd, it was shipped on July 5th and it arrived on July 9th.  I love it.  I gave my son the mission of figuring it out and taking it for a test run.  He came back home and educated me.  It is very easy to use and very funny to listen to the voice inside the box pronounce the names of some of the streets.  I will turn it on today to see if it can pronounce "Kaahumanu, Kalanianaole and Kamehameha."  Thanks for sharing because this post is what finally got me into ordering one.

 

07/10/2007 11:35 AM by 1SG (Ret) David J. Kucic Hawaii Relocation/VA Expert (Tropic Lightning Real Estate)

Evan, I know exactly what you mean. That was one of the key factors for my decision.

Dave, Give us an update if you've had to use it. Hope you still like it. Good price too. No sales tax here in NH but we also don't have as nice a climate as you, either.

07/12/2007 11:00 PM by Jay McGillicuddy~Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

Jay-I love it!  Even though I have not had to use it just yet, that doesnt mean I dont turn it on.  I have found it very helpful to learn the names of the streets in Hawaii that are unmarked and dont have any signs.  One of the coolest toys I have!  My neighbor saw mine and went out and bought one the next day but of course, he had to outdo me and got the Garmin Mega something or another.  He needed the bluetooth technology with his.  Thanks again for introducing me to it.

07/13/2007 02:48 PM by 1SG (Ret) David J. Kucic Hawaii Relocation/VA Expert (Tropic Lightning Real Estate)