real estate virtual assistants: Duh! It's National Sarcastics Awareness Month - 10/03/11 06:10 AM
As you may well be aware of (and totally supporting, might I add), it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart since I have unfortunately lost loved ones to it but am also happy to say I have loved ones who have survived as well.  That's why we need to continue supporting this cause.
However, not to take away from that, October has been chosen to honor another cause near and dear to my heart.  Duh!  It's National Sarcastics Awareness Month.  Although no "Patient 0" has been found, Sarcasm can … (7 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Free Keyword Cleaning Tool - 08/09/11 05:26 AM
It seems that there is never an end to cleaning.  Yes, even keywords need to be taken off the shelf and given a good dusting once in a while to keep your site relevant and ranking properly.  SEO Book has a free keyword cleaning tool that allows you to do just that. 
All you have to do is grab the keywords you wish to use on your real estate website (which you can do from a number of free sources on the internet) and the cleaning tool will strip away the bad keywords and phrases that won't help your site, take … (9 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: LOL Friday - Times Two - 07/08/11 04:59 AM
A married man was taking some time for himself, walking along the beach, when he found an old oil lamp.  To get a better look at its condition, he tried rubbing the sand off.  To his surprise, a genie popped out.  "I am the genie of the lamp," he said.  "To thank you for freeing me from my prison, I will grant you three wishes.  However, you must keep this in mind.  Whatever you wish for, your mother-in-law will receive twice as much."
"OK," said the man.  "I wish for one billion dollars."
"Wish granted," said the genie.  And a billion … (8 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Prime (Rib) Real Estate - 05/25/11 09:49 AM

Local birds decided to use our grill as their birdy mansion.  Needless to say, the hubby wasn't pleased with the result.  I, however, found it quite hilarious.  At least someone's getting use out of the thing!  I guess this is what you would call "prime (rib) real estate".
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
If you like this, take a gander at these:
Movie Review Monday: Bridesmaids
Motivational Monday: Three Sides of the Coin
Free Cuppa Joe at Starbucks
My Spring Garden
Community Day in … (7 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Free Cuppa Joe at Starbucks April 22, 2011 - 04/22/11 03:53 AM
Get your caffeine fix and celebrate Earth Day at the same time.  Starbucks is offering a free cuppa Joe or tea for all patrons who bring in their own travel mug, coffee or tea cup today, Friday, April 22, 2011.  If you don't have a travel mug, they are offering to sell you one of theirs at a 20% discount today only as well.  You can pick one up and then fill 'er up!  I'll be bringing mine in.  I'm just not sure if it's going to be coffee or black tea.  I just know that I'll need that caffeine fix … (6 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: 2011 Boise Flower and Garden Show - 03/23/11 07:15 AM
Spring is definitely in the air.  To celebrate, the 2011 Boise Flower and Garden Show comes to the Boise Center this weekend, March 25th through the 27th.  Get ideas for landscaping, gardens, decor, outdoor furnishings, decking and much more. 
Attend one of the gardening seminars, view special orchid and bonsai tree displays, oggle with envy at the professionally judged flower displays and even get the kids involved in gardening with the kids' craft areas.  But, it's not just about getting your hands dirty.  There will be plenty of local Idaho food available at the Specialty Foods Pavilion, a silent auction of … (1 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: How Social Media Affects Your Website Traffic - 03/21/11 11:00 AM
Social media sites are becoming the authority on word-of-mouth advertising.  This is so much so that even search engines have taken notice.  Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are becoming more valuable all the time in marketing your business.  Don't you want to know how much traffic your website is getting from your social media efforts?  Find out how social media affects your website traffic with Search Bliss' Social Network Backlink Checker.  It's quick, it's easy and it's quite informative.

Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
… (11 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Beware the Ides of March - 03/15/11 10:29 AM
Beware the Ides of March!  That would be today, dear folks.  But what does that mean?  That means it's the 15th day of March.  There are also "ides" of May, July and October that fall on the 15th of their respective months.  The ides were originally created to honor the Roman God of War, Mars.  However, people were warned to "Beware the Ides of March" when Julius Cesar was stabbed to death on March 15, 44BC (as immortalized in Shakespeare's classic play "Julius Cesar").  Shakespeare also gave us "et tu, Brute?" (even you, Brutus?), since it was he who lead the … (5 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Happy Pi Day! - 03/14/11 04:37 AM

Thursday may be the big Irish day of celebration, but, for math lovers, today is National Pi Day.  If you are unaware of the significance of pi, it is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter or 3.1415926...  Thus, March 14 is "Pi Day".  Take a moment to enjoy some pie on Pi Day, ya eggheads!
 
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
… (5 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: What's in a (Domain) Name? - 02/17/11 10:10 AM
You've decided to start a real estate website so you can get yourself noticed by a much broader audience than traffic around your town OR you've decided that you want to create a second website that gets even more specific by targeting a particular neighborhood or community, showing everyone what an expert you truly are in the area.  You want a flashy, snazzy URL to really catch the attention of those surfers of the internet.  You've got it!  How do you find out if it's taken or available?  Psychic Whois, that's who!

With Psychic Whois, all you have to do … (3 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Dr Seuss Storytime at Target - 02/15/11 03:23 AM
Target is one of my absolute favorite stores.  They are always clean, the staff is friendly and they have just what I'm looking for and more at very reasonable prices.  On February 26, 2011 from 9am to 11am, Targets across the country will be hosting Dr. Seuss Storytime, a free event to encourage children to get out from in front of the television sets, computer screens and handheld entertainment devices to read a good book.  As a lover of books and someone who built up my child's library while he was still in my womb, this is something I can definitely … (2 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: To Be Fair, You're Only Paying For... - 02/10/11 02:38 PM
"To be fair, you're only paying for regular service."  Yes, that was the explanation I received from my internet provider when I went through an entire week of constant internet interruptions.  Not, "We're so sorry, Mrs. Chavez.  We'll get right on that."  No, I got the "To be fair, you're only paying for..." excuse.  It turns out that the $150 modem I bought just a few months ago because it would handle the web streaming and mutliple open windows I work in was too high-fallutin' for the cable company's service (which is the fastest internet connection they have).  I also kept … (13 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Silly Laws in Idaho - 02/09/11 01:51 PM
I was reading about America's Silliest Taxes today and wondered what kind of silly laws are on the books in Idaho.  Well, I found some really silly stuff.  Like:
Residents of Boise are not allowed to fish off a giraffe's back.  A horse, a cow, a lion, tiger or bear (oh my) is fine.  Just don't get caught fishing off a giraffe's back.  Maybe it's OK to fish off their front.  Hmmm... In Coeur d'Alene, an officer must either honk or flash his lights and wait three minutes before approaching a car in which he believes people are engaging in sex.  … (10 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Family Game Night in Boise - 02/08/11 04:41 PM
Oh my gosh!  I love playing board games with the family...especially TRIVIA!!!  So, how excited was I when I saw that there is a Family Game Night in Boise coming up this Friday, February 11th.  And it's FREE!  Beginning at 6:30pm, the Ada Community Library (10664 W Victory Road, Boise, ID) will be holding a screening of Despicable Me (totally funny...I have it on DVD).  Afterwards, there will be games and grub for everyone.  I am just going to have to make an appearance here, I think.
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistance - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There … (4 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Craigslist Scam - 02/07/11 07:35 AM
Craigslist is a VERY popular place to look for anything from jobs to housing to garage sales.  Because of this, it is also a huge place for scammers to try to get information from you.  Here is a Craigslist scam that I have come across several times over the last week that I felt needed to be shared with other real estate professionals.
"Your listing has been flagged/deleted"This is one that I am seeing over and over again recently from my Realtor® clients.  Of course, I get a frantic email about how they absolutely need to have their listings live and … (6 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Fun Holidays for February 6 through 13, 2011 - 02/06/11 03:25 PM
Here are the fun holidays for February 6 through 13, 2011:
February 6, 2011Super Bowl XLV - Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers.  They obviously wanted it worse than the Steelers.
February 7, 2011Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day - That does read ALL your fingers, not just one.
February 8, 2011Laugh and Get Rich Day - Wouldn't it be nice if it were just that easy?
February 9, 2011National Stop Bullying Day
February 10, 2011Umbrella Day - It's supposed to be cloudy here, but I don't see rain in the forecast.
February 11, 2011Be Electrific DaySatisfied Staying Single … (6 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Saggy Drawers - 02/02/11 03:50 PM
I found this place not long after moving into the area.  Of course, I just HAD to go in to see what they offered at a place called "Saggy Drawers".  No, it's not an old folks home or a day care.  It's a second hand furniture shop.  Very cute!

 
Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!
If you like this, take a gander at these:
Fun February Holidays
Thank you, Connie Harvey
Check Your Keyword Density
The Importance of About Me Pages
Check the Age … (8 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Fun February Holidays - 02/01/11 12:03 PM
February may be the shortest month of the year, but there isn't any shortage of fun February holidays.  In addition to National Black History Month, there are some really fun holidays.  Take a look:
Bake for Family Fun MonthCanned Food MonthCreative Romance Month - Oo, la la!Fabulous Florida Strawberry MonthGreat American Pie Month - What pie's your favorite?International Boost Self-Esteem Month - Repeat after me: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone-it, people like me!"International Expect Success Month - You really should work towards this one every monthLibrary Lovers’ MonthNational Cherry MonthNational Grapefruit MonthNational Mend a Broken Heart MonthNational Time … (3 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Check the Age of a Website - 01/28/11 10:42 AM
Websites who have been around a while have a slightly higher advantage when it comes to ranking by the search engines.  The age of a site lends weight because it is considered to have more longevity than a site that was just created.  If you're interested in checking the age of one of your rival's websites and compare it to yours, use the Domain Age Tool at WebConfs.com.  All you need to do is plug in the URLs you want to check out and click submit.  You will get the age of the websites in years and months. 
Heather Chavez, … (3 comments)

real estate virtual assistants: Northern Lights Cinema Grill - 01/27/11 03:46 AM
I am a MAJOR movie hound.  I love comedies, dramas, horror (my favorite), independent films, big budget action flicks, those little foreign numbers, musicals...you name it, I will probably watch it.  I've even watched bad movies hoping they'll get better (Hey, 'Howard the Duck' actually wasn't that bad).  So, imagine my delight when I found Northern Lights Cinema Grill in Nampa, ID.
The owner of this wonderful two-theater cinema tore out every other row of seats and added a table in their place.  They don't show first-run movies.  If you're willing to wait and you still want that "movie theater feel", … (4 comments)