technology: Free IDX Search Tools (feedback request)
- 05/27/08 10:07 AM
We're reviewing the usability of a free generic version of our IDX search tools located at www.nwrealty.com/washington prior to official release later this week. Due to the increase of Buyers seeking owner terms we've included easy access to listings that offer "Lease/Purchase" and "Owner Financing" options. These are provided via buttons at the top right and how we should display results is where I would appreciate your input. Right now the results are limited to 200 listings which are currently sorted by list price (high to low). About half of the available listings are in excess of $1 million. Since few Buyers are interested in this high price … (0 comments)
technology: Warning - use shortcut keys with caution
- 09/14/07 10:55 AM
I've gotten in the habit of using shortcut keys whenever possible. Things like "Control + A" for selecting everything, "Control + C" to copy it in the clipboard and "Control + V" to paste the copied material into the application I'm currently working on. It didn't seem like it at first, but using these keys is much faster than using the mouse to reach up and select the function from the tool bar. These shortcut keys also work in AR's blog text editor. But I've gotten in trouble trying to use the Undo ("Control + Z") and the Redo ("Shift + Control … (3 comments)
technology: AR Spell Checker
- 09/03/07 09:07 AM
I have to chuckle almost every time that I use the spell checking utility here on ActiveRain's text editor. (the "abc" icon in the editor's tool bar) To start with; the program doesn't recognize "Activerain" ... suggesting the word be separated into "active rain" or hyphenated as "Active-Rain". Other words one may expect the spell checker to easily recognize are "Google" (top suggested correction is goggle) and sometimes (but not always) "Microsoft". The spell checker is extremely functional. It is very easy to make common corrections by just highlighting and clicking on the suggested replacement. Please comment with any other common words that that spell … (11 comments)
technology: SEO value from posting your listings to AR & Localism
- 08/26/07 11:46 AM
I just commented on Shane Taylor's "Why place listings in your blog?" acknowledging his statement that this is "relatively poor advertising". The real value of posting your listings on AR is the less tangible SEO value. Presuming that you're posting listings from around your core market area ... you probably couldn't buy better back-links to your site. When search engines follow a link from your listing on AR/Localism to your site it will be judged extremely relevant. Over time, this will influence your site's ranking in search engines. … (31 comments)
technology: Google Webmaster Tools (Part 3c)
- 08/17/07 05:00 AM
Following up on Part 1, Part 2, Part 3a and Part3b Finishing up on the Page Analysis section of Google's Webmaster Tools. The thrid part of the "Page Analysis" is a priority breakdown of keywords that Google sees in external links to your site (from part 3a). Your content was broken down in Part 3b. I'm still using our site at http://www.nwrealty.com/ as the working example. And ... again closing here to keep entries easy to follow. 1. real 2. estate 3. seattle 4. county 5. washington 6. for 7. hennepin 8. minnesota 9. search 10. arizona 11. maricopa 12. minneapolis 13. scottsdale 14. sale 15. homes … (6 comments)
technology: Google Webmaster Tools (Part 3b)
- 08/17/07 04:44 AM
Following up on Part 1, Part 2 and Part3a Ok ... more on Google's Webmaster Tools and how Google builds a picture of your website. The second part of the "Page Analysis" is a priority breakdown of keywords that Google sees in your content. Again I'm using our site at http://www.nwrealty.com/ as the working example. And ... closing here to keep entries short and sweet. 1. estate 2. county 3. nwrealty 4. homes 5. washington 6. mortgage 7. nwmls 8. property 9. rent 10. new 11. regarding 12. search 13. house 14. apartments 15. exchange 16. tax 17. consult 18. financial 19. warranty 20. seattle … (3 comments)
technology: Anyone attending "Search Engine Strategies 2007"
- 08/17/07 03:58 AM
One of my disappointments this year is not being able to attend the Search Engine Strategies 2007 event next week in San Jose. There are keynote speakers from Google and Ask.com and other Silicon Valley gurus that I would love to hear. So if you're attending, please share the juicy tidbits of what you learn either in your blog or comments to this one. … (6 comments)
technology: Web Saavy 101 - IPv6
- 08/17/07 03:48 AM
If they haven't already, your ISP vendor will soon announce their conformance with Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). For non-techies, an IP address is a unique number assigned to each device connected to the internet ... like computers and cell phones. Our domain names (url) are just aliases for our IP addresses. So you are asking "What is so important about IPv6?" Demands for IP addresses has increased (globally) to the point where availability of addresses in the current block of addresses is running out. So in the near future, the next generation of IP addresses will come into use and increase the number of available addresses from about … (4 comments)
technology: Big Screen Monitors
- 07/30/07 06:20 AM
Last Christmas, Santa left me with a nice big LCD monitor for Christmas and we have thoroughly enjoyed it ever since. While shopping and considering how big we should buy the sales people would always respond that we needed at least a 60" screen since our sofa seating is 14 feet away from the monitor. "I don't think so Scooter! Those are more than I want to spend!" For some reason, they didn't know how to explain why we needed such a big screen. Besides, smaller screens work just as well and the one we bought does a great job. On several occasions we've had guest over … (5 comments)
technology: Ad-Aware Antispy Software
- 07/30/07 05:54 AM
I haven't run a spy ware scan in almost three months so this morning I fired up my local installation of Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE. Since it has been so long, of course I was prompted to update the detection software with new spy ware definitions ... only to receive notice that Ad-Aware SE will not be supported after December 31st of this year. Well, I'm not ready to retire this old PIII dinosaur computer just yet and I don't want to clog it up with the bulky programs written to run on Windows Vista. So I passed on their prompt to purchase their … (6 comments)
technology: Aint I Just A Hansome Lad!
- 07/02/07 03:55 PM
Rather - "Wasn't I handsome?" Time to take a dose of my own medicine. My profile photo is at least ten years old and while I have definitely aged well, I don't look like that guy anymore. It is a very common occurrence that I have to (gently) point out to my customers "this photo is a little out of date" and I have to ask "do you really want to use this one?" Mmmm - how 'bout that humble pie! I can't really encourage agents to use current photos when I don't set the proper example myself. In my early days as a REALTOR, a … (4 comments)
technology: What's activerain done for you? How has it helped?
- 07/02/07 03:16 PM
I've seen these questions frequently while browsing activerain and the answer is obvious! The process of creating your profile is a fundamental requirement of personal promotion that most agents shy away from as if it smells like day old fish. Not a week goes by that I ask an agent "What are you doing to promote yourself?" and I'm met with a blank stare or a deafening silence over the phone. You would think this is a "no brainer" but an unfortunate observation is that many many agents just don't have a clue. My complements to ActiveRain and its membership! This is the largest … (6 comments)
technology: Behind Schedule ...
- 07/02/07 02:28 PM
My first blog post and as the title states, I'm behind schedule. You see, I've had a nice shiny new Dell server powered up since Christmas and the first priority was the installation of dedicated blogging software for our company. So it is six months later and I've finally begun making progress towards that goal. So why would I want my own blogging server when I can get one for free? Well ... for the same reason activerain has created this blogging community. You see, search engines eat up web pages formatted as blogs and ActiveRain is the perfect example of how blogging communities … (7 comments)
Keeping the fingers of Buyers, Sellers and REALTORS on the Pulse of Puget Sound Real Estate and their eyes on the little details of the big picture in Washington.
We're reviewing the usability of a free generic version of our IDX search tools located at www.nwrealty.com/washington prior to official release later this week. Due to the increase of Buyers seeking owner terms we've included easy access to listings that offer "Lease/Purchase" and "Owner Financing" options. These are provided via buttons at the top right and how we should display results is where I would appreciate your input.;)
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