alex popovic: Happy Birthday to my fellow Marines, Semper Fi
- 11/10/13 10:33 AM
As I wrote in a couple prior posts, I spent almost 10 years in the Marine Corps, specifically in a "Force Reconnaissance" company. The above logo or "jack" as we called it (and one of my favorites) is synonymous with what has become known today as MARSOC, or Marine Special Operations Command, the precursor of this unit was Force Recon companies, there have been many variations of the "jack" and a lot of Marines who trained in an intensive 2 year pipe line of schools probably have a "jack" tattooed on them somewhere. There were 5 Force companies throughout the Marine … (0 comments)
alex popovic: The Marine Corps Birthday
- 11/07/13 10:55 PM
As I've mentioned before, I spent almost 10 years in the Marine Corps and was recalled after 9/11 to serve in OIF/OEF. The Marine Corps has a long history in our nations founding and continued growth. If you didn't know, the United States Marine Corps was founded on 10 Novemeber, 1775, as Continental Marines, in a place called Tun Tavern in Philidelphia. So every November 10th Marines around the world celebrate the Birthday with a traditional cake cutting ceremony whereby the first two pieces of the cake go to the oldest and youngest Marines in the room. All us former Marines generally … (0 comments)
alex popovic: Daylight Saving Time 2013: Gain an hour on Sunday
- 11/02/13 06:36 PM
Despite it happening twice a year, and despite a catchy saying to help you remember (Spring forward! Fall back!), the question on every reader’s mind today is the same: are the clocks changing this weekend The answer is yes. Some people have even gone so far to call Daylight savings a complete sham. Daylight savings was first thought up in the late 1700's and is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. The practice actually originated to accommodate agricultural workers, … (0 comments)
alex popovic: Why you need YouTube video for your real estate website
- 10/28/13 06:50 AM
Online videos have become more and more powerful with new SEO rules that Google has implemented over the years. I wrote about the power of Google's newest algorithm here. As REALTORS® we are constantly striving to market ourselves in order to build our client base. If a picture says a thousand words then imagine what a video does. Lets face it, potential clients in the real estate market generally look at pictures first and it's nice pictures that will get them to call you.
A video of the property gives them the perception that they're in the property touring it, without … (6 comments)
alex popovic: 9 elements of an ideal house, would you agree?
- 10/22/13 01:56 AM
I came across an excellent article that listed the 9 ideal elements of a house and what makes them so desirable, take a look and commnet on do you agree with these 9 elements or would you add and/or delete an item and if so why? The 9 items that make an ideal house were: Single level Nine-foot ceilings Southern Exposure Outdoor living spaces Maximized insulation Separate Master Bedroom Low-Maintanance exterior Great storage Ergonomic touches No house is perfect or without imperfections, I think that the 9 elements will change with geographic regions, peoples' personalities and ultimatley what 9 items … (3 comments)
Pumpkin patches, corn mazes and hayrides signify that fall is upon us and particularly Halloween. In Phoenix many corn mazes and hayrides are still open into November, and the latest craze is Zombie paintball. So what is the average price of pumpkins in October 2013? National average is .50 cents per pound or about $5 for a basketball sized pumpkin. Here are some fun Pumpkin facts Pumpkins are a fruit that originated in Central America The name "Pumpkin" comes from the Greek word "pepon" meaning a large melon. 90% of the pumpkin is made up of water The yellow-orange flowers that … (2 comments)
alex popovic: Halloween festivals, parties and events in Phoenix 2013
- 10/18/13 02:21 PM
Halloween is a great time of year in Phoenix, it signifies that our super hot summers are gone and fall is here. In this blog you'll find the shows, themes, community events, haunted houses and other activities that are halloween related. There are other ways to celebrate halloween too and they are listed below: Pick-a-Pumpkin, Harvest Festivals and Pumpkin Patch Farms Haunted Houses Halloween Parties at Local Resorts, Restaurants and Bars And there's even more listed in the link below from costumes to photo galleries and more Everything You Need to Know About Greater Phoenix Halloween Keen Halloween
Farmers Markets in Arizona have had a long history. But they've changed over the years and are now thriving throughout the city. Traditionally they were used to sell produce in economocially challenged areas, but over recent years with the advent of healthy living and resposnible harvesting and growing they've been a great way for small farmers to get their product and produce to consumers. So why do people go to farmers markets to obtain fresh produce, directly from the farm to obtain organic and pesticide-free produce to support local farmers to support the local economy On the following … (2 comments)
alex popovic: Housing markets rebounding back to normal in 52 metro areas
- 10/16/13 12:01 AM
A report released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) suggests that housing in 52 of the 350 metro areas around the country have returned to or are exceeding their pre-recessionary levels. I personally am skeptical of this claim, I would contend they're rising from their lowest levels but are no where at or exceeding the prices we saw in 2005-2006. The report uses a Leading Markets Index or LMI, and gave the entire nation a score of .85 which based on current permits, prices and employment data (and this is why I'm skeptical of the assertion that some levels … (0 comments)
alex popovic: How to generate 100 real estate leads per month
- 10/14/13 11:58 AM
Yesterday I attanded a webinar being hosted on active rain about a Realtor in Anchorage Alaska who is able to generate 100 leads per month, that number has now grown to 300. I decided to subscribe and see just how she was doing this or was it smoke and mirrors. Firstly let me start by saying the level of organization and professionalism once I signed up far exceeded my expectation and as a former CEO is the level of professionalism I expect. I received an auto generated email confirming the date and time and code to access the webinar. 1 hour before … (6 comments)
Only in America could this happen. Could you imagine what we as agents could do with this type of marketing budget? Price tag is six and a half times higher than the original $94 million contract Contractor CGI Federal built the site and demanded more money from the government as costs soared Only a handful of Americans have been able to sing up for the health insurance exchanges on Healthcare.gov Site is still issuing error messages when users try to sign The amount of cash that's been spent thus far exceeds Solyndra by 20%. I wrote about Health care and how … (0 comments)
alex popovic: Google plans to use your face for advertising I would update right now
- 10/12/13 01:01 PM
Google has just discovered its biggest advertising tool.....you! Google has announced, albeit very quietly last Friday, that it has changed its terms of service in what is being called "shared endorsements" and they involve all of us. According to Google it works like this: if you make a comment, follow a page or give something a + rating for something you've endorsed, Google can use it to promote that item and use your name and photo to do so. This has been tried before in the past, if you'll recall Facebook tried its epic failure "sponsored stories." They essentially tried … (3 comments)
alex popovic: What happens to a Days On Market listing when it's TOM by Alex Popovic
- 10/11/13 11:51 PM
If you have a listing that is Active/UCB for 6 days and then is Temporarily Off Market (TOM) for 40 days and then gets put back Active/UCB for 2 days = 8 DOM. The day count is paused for Days On Market (DOM) and will not accrue when your listing is placed in Temporarily Off Market (TOM) status. Think about this next time that you maybe trying to reset the DOM and your intention is to take the property off market for 90 days, you must cancel the listing or allow it to expire if this is the case. … (0 comments)
alex popovic: Obama care and how it will affect REALTORS® by Alex Popovic
- 10/10/13 07:07 AM
I just sat in on a class with about 30-40 other Realtor's and professionals associated with our industry. It was put on by a lady who works in the health industry named true choice benefits. The numbers she was going over and the dates with deadlines was honestly staggering, and will affect all of us agents, particularly because most of us are 1099's. How individuals will be affected 2014 and after Coverage must be guaranteed issue Essential benefits defined by each state with federal guidance No lifetime or annual dollar limits allowed on Essential Health Benefits Tobacco surcharge up to 50% Individuals must have health … (0 comments)
To say the last several years have been tumultuous for the real estate industry would be an understatment. The numbers though have been indicating that things may well be turning around and the signs all point to a recovering market. But will it last though? I'm going to have to say yes, primarily because foreclosures plummeted, however, the amount of distressed properties remains high. There were 48,000 foreclosures in August, down from 72,000 during the same time the proceeding year. We're beginning to see bad loans be worked through and out of the system. Rising home prices and … (2 comments)
alex popovic: 3 things that can get you in a lot of trouble in real estate
- 10/08/13 02:20 AM
Lets face it, when it comes to finding new clients, real estate agents are some of the most resourceful and successful people at marketing and prospecting. I recently heard a great quote by a friend, "we're the only profession that wakes up every morning and we're unemployed until we find the next client." Some tactics though can land a real estate agent in hot water and potentially get them in serious legal troubles. 1. The prize Some agents use giveaways or gifts such as iPads or iPods or other gadets. However, make sure you're not doing so in violation of … (0 comments)
alex popovic: Real Estate investors and how you can get a lot of listings with them
- 10/06/13 03:58 AM
I live in a great little community in central Phoenix, it was built in the 60's and they were the typical shag carpet, with wood paneling and the 60's decor, but they were built very well and each house, of about 25 total, has their own character. Over the last several years, investors have been totally gutting them and making them into state of the art beautiful homes selling in the $400,000+ range. As a realtor you can develop a lot of leads and repeat clients with real estate investors. Below you'll find some very simple things I did to develop … (0 comments)
alex popovic: Attacks against Real Estate Agents rising, 10 steps to keep you safe
- 10/04/13 12:36 AM
The number of attacks on real estate agents has been rising over the last several years, becoming more violent and deadly as well. In May of 2011, in West Des Moines, Iowa, 27 year old Ashley Okland was fatally shot in the head and chest while working at a model home. The crime remains unsolved. In 2003 major franchiser Re/Max, for whom I work for, established its own safety program, Safety Awareness for Every Realtor (SAFER), after the murder of a young sales associate in British Columbia. The program includes live sessions, online video streams, satellite broadcasts and DVD's, the company … (2 comments)
alex popovic: Google's newest algorithm, hummingbird, and 3 ways to stay ahead of it
- 10/02/13 04:12 AM
So I recently met a guy by the name of Mark Taylor, I'm sure he won't mind me using his name so Google's little spider can crawl over this blog and add it to his Google presence. Have you ever met a person where from the moment you met them you just got along and knew you were going to develop a long-term friendship? Well that's how it was for me when I met Mark. He's a genius when it comes to marketing and real estate SEO, to prove his point he created several listings 2 years ago and they're still 1, 2 … (3 comments)
alex popovic: Is the housing market out of the woods or is another bubble forming?
- 10/01/13 06:59 AM
The U.S. housing market is making gains when tradtional wisdom says it shouldn't be. How is this possible if other global economies face dire straits and markets fluctuate so volatily daily? I remember exactly where I was in Septmember 2008 when the economic market crashed. I can recall telling a friend of mine, who was vested heavily in the stock market and real estate, that this will be the equivelant of our 1930's "Great depression. I predicted then and have been proven right thus far that it would be 2017/2018 before we fully recovered. It's already been 5 years since … (1 comments)
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