Do you remember when the Jetsons met the Flintstones? Each felt as if they were in a different world in which they did not belong. The Flintstones had to adapt to the new technology of their surroundings, while the Jetsons had to adapt to living without technology. I think we can appreciate what they dealt with in our own world today.

Technology is booming and the way of the future, but the Green mentality is also taking over. How do we marry the two? Advertisements tell you that you can invest in remodeling your home to benefit both the environment and your pockets, but this poses a concern: Can you really save energy and the economy by living like the Flintstones with the demeanor of the Jetsons?

I believe you can do both. Here are some things that can be incorporated into your house to not only automate, but conserve energy as well:
• Home-automation systems today minimize manual labor while conserving at the same time. Have you ever forgotten to turn the lights out in a closet or bathroom? Install vacancy sensors and you won’t have to worry anymore. These sensors turn lights on and off automatically. They sense changes in heat, including body heat and know when a person enters or exits the room [1]. Stop worrying about remembering the lights; these lights think for themselves.
• How about heating and air conditioning? If you get hot, sensors turn up the air conditioning to let out large amounts of cool air and just the opposite if you get cold. With programmable thermostats, the temperature is automatically adjusted to the occupants comfort level and to the level that is the most efficient for the HVAC system [1].
• Motorized blinds automatically rise, lower, open and close. They too use sensors and can control the room temperature, thus minimizing the need for air conditioning [1].
• An integrated control panel can reduce clutter and help conserve energy at the same time. Put away all those remote controls and use just one. Saves time and energy.
• The iPhone now makes it possible for individuals to monitor a home’s energy consumption. Wow, Apple does it all don’t they? The visual display shows a graphic of the home and how much energy is expended in different rooms of the home and whether energy consumption is low, moderate, or high for that area. It even provides a close-up of the room you choose, telling individuals the amount of energy exerted and from which devices [1].
• In the bathroom, low-flush or dual-flush toilets work to minimize the amount of water used in the toilet.
• Homeowners can use recycled countertops, solar panels, and Energy-Star approved appliances. What a deal!

All of these items do just what they are created to do: They maximize lifestyle and sustainability.

This is not to say that in order to sell a home you have to completely renovate with all sustainable and automated products. That can get expensive in and of itself, but it is the small things that will make the difference.

Installing modern technologies, whether it is Energy-Star-approved appliances or radiant-heated floors, will give your home a distinct advantage over other homes in the market while simultaneously improving the environment.

The trick of today’s household technologies is to keep it modern yet not compromise one’s way of life. No one really wants to employ a wooly mammoth to spray them down in the shower like the Flintstones did, and, I do not think people are truly ready for a Rosie-the-robot-maid in every home either. Create a middle ground between being sustainable and technologically-advanced based on what is acceptable and desired in today’s society.

References:
[1] www.electronichouse.com
[2] www.trendir.com
[3] www.greenhomeguide.com
[4] mag.awn.com/.../goodman05_jetsonsFlintstone.jpg

Posted in Real Estate | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Does it seem like sometimes there are just too many websites you need to access online throughout your day? Many of us need to visit a dozen or so different websites to make online payments, check email, receive critical updates, access social networking, all of which require entering their own login information. If this sounds like your daily schedule, remembering various domain names and the occasional “password amnesia” can cause serious frustration and overload.

Pageonce.com, marketed as your “personal internet assistant,” provides a free service to their users which allows them the ability to access all of their various online accounts through one central login screen. Their service allows you to integrate directly with top national banks, cellular companies, utility companies, various email accounts, eBay accounts, social networking sites and many others.

I know firsthand that accessing so many different sites daily can get overwhelming at times, so I decided to setup a Pageonce.com account myself. I was initially skeptical about the service though, heavily concerned about security issues and the possibility that my accounts might be hacked through Pageonce.com. As it turns out, Pageonce.com only has access to your information as part of a “read only” online feed, which can not update or change your accounts. The Pageonce.com service and security is considered to be on par with military level security, certified with Verisign, Truste, and deemed "hacker safe" by McAfee. Another benefit of using a Pageonce.com account is that one can reduce exposure to and eliminate the possibility of “phishing” fraud, a method used to obtain login information of victims online by creating bogus login screens of popular websites.

Though it did take about an hour to setup and store all my usernames and passwords, I believe my preliminary hard work paid off. I can now view from one consolidated login screen and see my credit card balance(s), utility bill balance and next payment, DirecTV balance and next payment, cell phone balance and minutes left, Marriott Rewards balance, LinkedIn messages, Hotmail emails read/unread, Starbuck’s card balance, and a number of others. And even though my local utility company was originally not listed as a partner, I submitted a request to add them as a new partner. About a week later, I received an email notice stating that my utility company was added to my websites, illustrating the adaptability of Pageonce.com. As part of their commitment to user security and communication, Pageonce.com also sends email notices when a significant change is made to one of my accounts through their site.

While still in beta testing, the consolidated website account access from Pageonce.com is a fantastic concept and definitely worth giving a try.

Posted in Gadgets News Real Estate Technology Web 2.0 | 0 Comments » | Share This!

These were interesting comments from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. With an FDIC housing conference last week, he shared blunt, tough-love comments about the home foreclosure crisis.

Does Time = Money? Well, it is a bit more complicated than that. Alison Rogers sheds more light on the subject. Her article is called, "Time is money...sometimes."

Would you like to move to one of the best places to live in this fine country of ours? Check out CNNMoney's 100 Best Places to Live.

Posted in News Real Estate | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Below are a few of the headlines I have culled from the various and sundry sites relating to real estate for the week of July 7, 2008, after the fourth of July weekend:

Would you like to buy a house for as little as $1,800? Yes, that is the entire asking price!

The Starbucks Effect. Would you like a house with that latte?

Can You Rely On Your Home Equity Line of Credit? Check this out!

Are there still buyers for condos in S Florida? Absolutely!

Posted in Real Estate | 0 Comments » | Share This!

I want to thank the Future of Real Estate Marketing blog for giving us good info on these social networking sites.

Most know by now that Web 2.0 is not going away and it is here to stay. We humans are naturally social, and so even with the advent of theInternet where we can cloister ourselves away and order everything we need to live online, we still want that interaction with other humans. We want to feel the human touch.

Enter online communities.

According to Wikipedia, "a virtual community, e-community or online community is a group of people that primarily interact via communication media such as letters, telephone, email or Usenet rather than face to face, for social, professional, educational or other purposes."

Online communities have been around since the late 1980s (BBS anyone?), but they have proliferated in the last five years, and more continue to pop up on the horizon with the advent of the latest ideas and technologies.

Below are a few of the most popular communities online:

* Linkedin.com - This is a professional social networking site that is gaining ground fast. According to their website, "Linkedin is an online network of more than 20 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries."
o How can I use this in my business? Contacts, baby!
* Ning.com - This is a do-it-yourself social networking site. According to their website, "Our passion is putting new social networks in the hands of anyone with a good idea. With Ning, your social network can be anything and for anyone."
o Again with the contacts, but you can also be known as that genius on the specific topic of townhouses in Hoboken, NJ. Or wherever else.
* Facebook.com - Facebook seems to be the slightly grown-up version of myspace.com. According to the Facebook website, "Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves."
o Making contacts is key to any business, isn't it? Just slap up your information, make some friends, and you just might sell property for someone you meet through the site.
* Squidoo.com - This is a bit different from the above three site. According to their website, Squidoo is a site "...designed to make it easy for anyone, for free, to set up a single page on a topic he or she knows or cares a lot about. Advertising revenue is shared with these content creators, and some of it is given to charity."
o Become the expert writer-slash-real estate guru when people begin to discover your squidoo page.

Why bother with online communities at all? We are all busy, so what is the importance of these sites? One word: eyeballs. Millions upon millions of people all over the world reside within these sites. They spend lots of time in them. If you had the chance to reach out and touch that many people, would you take the opportunity?

Posted in Marketing Real Estate SEM SEO | 0 Comments » | Share This!

My guess is that you’ve heard about the new iPhone release – twice as fast and half the price.

But the aspect that I’m just as interested in is the built-in GPS. As mobile devices like the iPhone and Dash become more sophisticated, the possibilities for agents and home shoppers get pretty exciting.

For example, how nice would it be to drive through a neighborhood, stop your car, click the “show-me-homes- that-match-my-preferences-near-where-I-am” button and magically see a map with listings pinned.

Then maybe you could press the “speak-the-driving-directions-to-me” button, and have a voice-automated tour of the homes on your list.

When you got within reach of your home’s wireless network, you could click the “print-my-favorites” button.

It’s just a matter of time.

Posted in Gadgets Real Estate Technology | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Is your email inbox more of a dumping ground for the long list of tasks that seem to continuously grow? Have you even tried to find that specific email regarding the issue you know was resolved, but seems to have popped up again? Are you constantly digging through emails from your colleagues to find a signature with their phone numbers on it? I have to share my favorite organizational tool with you, and it is FREE!

This savior of my Outlook Inbox is Xobni! Funny name for a great tool (it is inbox spelled backwards) but it truly works! Some of the features are:

--Easy to navigate, right side tool bar that instantly shows connections between you, the highlighted sender and the people you both communicate with
--Document/attachment history from each contact
--Email conversation “threads”
--Super fast email search through all of your Outlook
--Easy and quick appointment scheduling
--Automatic phone number extraction for each contact
--Editable contact profiles

One feature I love is that you can search by people—and it will search your entire Outlook, not just one folder! This free product has really made my email much easier to use. Honestly, after using Xobni for the last 3 weeks, I don’t think I can go back to not having it!

To download your own free Outlook inbox miracle, visit the Xobni website:

Posted in Gadgets Real Estate Technology Web 2.0 | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Have you ever been out and about and you think of things you need to do, people you need to follow up with or something you just don’t want to forget? Then you realize you have nothing to write on or you write it down, but misplace the paper you wrote it on.

No longer. I've discovered Jott, a very handy free service you can sign up for online. Jott allows its users to easily send emails and text messages, set reminders, organize lists, and much more, and here is the kicker, all by voice commands!

As described on their website, you can use Jott in the following ways:

--Stuck in traffic? Email your boss and let her know you're going to be late.
--Running errands and need to multi-task? Text message your brother with your voice and ask him to bring the salad for tomorrow's dinner party.
--On your way out the door and forgot something? Email your co-workers to have them send their quarterly reports for your presentation.
--Set reminders for your dad's birthday
--Add a reminder to your to-do list from Jott.com
--Create reminders for doctor appointments
--Use the reminder function to stay on top of all your meetings at work
--Add home projects to your to-do-list
--Jott yourself TV shows to record
--Set a reminder to remember to pick up the birthday cake
--Create appointments on your 30 Boxes™ or Google™ calendar
So next time you need to remember something important or remind yourself of something, be sure you’ve signed up with Jott!

After all, their motto is “Life is busy. Talk to Jott. Get Simple Back™.”

Posted in Gadgets Real Estate | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Beware and be careful!

Ah yes Baja California or “Under” California as it’s known, is a gorgeous strip of land stretching 700 miles from Tijuana, Mexico to Cabo San Lucas with golden beaches, five star resorts, golf courses, world-class fishing and of course affordable beach front real estate. It’s easy to get sucked into the vapors of owning land on this pristine peninsula so please do your homework.

Many investors who have not done their due diligence will be paying the price much like many of us who have purchased real estate the past four years in the United States. The recent downturn in the national U.S. real estate market accompanied by a real estate boom in Baja California leads me to believe that we are jumping in with both feet again before testing the international waters.

U.S. lenders entered the Mexican market a few years ago resulting in a burst of real estate investment coupled with an influx of buyers who used their home equity in their primary residences to secure property in Mexico. What a great time to invest, right? Not exactly. Many factors like vanishing home equity, dropping home prices and the disappearance of the U.S. sub-prime market have led to many key U.S. banks and lenders to exit the Baja real estate market.

Also, keep in mind that Baja is one of Mexico’s “Prohibited Zones” meaning foreign investors are not allowed from owning property titles in these areas.

However, there are still ways to purchase property legally there. Below is a link to more detailed information that explains foreign ownership, specifically with regard to Baja, California.

Foreign Ownership in Baja, California

Good luck!

Posted in Marketing Real Estate | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Homes.com has added another new partner to their expanding listing exposure network.

Hotpads.com, a valuable, free property listing resource of 2 million homes for sale most recently recognized for strides in heat mapping & foreclosure trend analysis, is the latest site to receive a property listing feed from Homes.com.

Through this partnership, Homes.com clients can choose to export their hand-entered listings directly to Hotpads. This addition to the partner network was recently announced by both Homes.com & Hotpads.com to their respective clients and is an exciting new option for Homes.com agents and brokers.

Hotpads.com joins Zillow, Vast, Google Base, Oodle.com, HarmonHomes.com, Trulia, Propbot.com, Yahoo Real Estate and Bargain Network as the latest choice for property distribution for Homes.com customers.

Stay tuned for even more export partners coming on board!

Posted in News Real Estate | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Where will you be this week?

Thousands of real estate agents & brokers will be heading to Washington, DC May 14-16, to join in the 2008 National Association of Realtors Mid-Year Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

As the National Association of Realtors celebrates its 100th birthday celebration during this year’s expo, the agenda promises to be the best yet.

Homes.com is exhibiting as part of the Dominion Pavilion, Booth #320, along with eNeighborhoods, Advanced Access and #1Expert.

All agents & brokers are welcome to stop by and register for your chance to win a FREE iPod, and various show specials.

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Marketing NAR Real Estate Technology | 0 Comments » | Share This!

Going green, becoming eco-friendly and conservation are the hot topic these days. Whether you want to save the planet, save a few bucks or just get with the times, we're here to help!
Green Living 101 is a profile piece on Green Living with the help of Jessica and Jason Pelletier. They started their business, Lowimpactliving.com in 2006, and they have some great tips on how to live fully without a trouble non-green conscience.

Here is a slightly contrary view on buying eco-friendly housing and the cost it entails.

And finally, from the website, Thegoodhuman.com, comes ten things that can make a home eco-friendly.

Posted in Marketing News Real Estate Social Bookmarking | 1 Comments » | Share This!

This morning Homes.com & Zillow.com announced a new listing partnership in a joint press release to the media. Over 105,000 Homes.com property listings were fed directly to Zillow.com, the first of many hand-entered listings from Homes.com, expanding the listing distribution options currently available to real estate agents and brokers.

This means many potential benefits to both the agent and consumer- something that has not gone unnoticed at either Zillow or Homes.com. “This partnership is just one example of our ongoing efforts to provide Homes.com customers with the most effective means of marketing their listings to multiple consumer destinations while providing the convenience of managing their distribution from one central location,” explains Jason Doyle, vice president of Homes.com.

Zillow joins Vast, Google Base, Oodle.com, HarmonHomes.com, Trulia, Propbot.com, Yahoo Real Estate and Bargain Network at the newest listing export channel for Homes.com customers.

For more information on this listing partnership, visit: Homes.com’s Press Room or Zillow’s Blog.

Posted in Marketing News Real Estate Technology | 1 Comments » | Share This!

Yes, I firmly believe in the positive story of real estate. No matter what happens cyclically, real estate bounces back.

I also believe that we are facing some difficult times, and to believe that all is rosy would be denying a massive amount of evidence.

On that note, I have collected a few articles and posts from other real estate websites and blogs. Some deal with the current issues and others were just a good read.

Great article on the Inman blog about the bright side vs the dark side of real estate.

A Brief History of Real Estate

Is Manhattan immune from the current Real Estate Crisis?

Starbucks hit by housing slowdown? Yikes!

Posted in Real Estate | 2 Comments » | Share This!

I need reminders of appointments and tasks that need to be completed. Since I am rarely at my desk, I need these reminders to come to where I am. Since my phone is always with me this is the perfect tool. As a tech guy I would setup email reminders to my phone using some scripting language. This helped but it was not enough. Sometimes the email would be held up on some email server somewhere. The reminder would be late getting to my phone and I would be late to the appointment or the task would not be done in time.

I started using the Google calendar. The main reason I use it is for the SMS paging capabilities. SMS is text messaging. If I want to get paged I want it right away. The SMS paging does this without having to worry about whether my email server is slow. I can also use the Google Calendar to keep my schedule. I can share my calendar with other people. I have some security in it to prevent people from knowing my exact schedule but they can see when I am busy and when I am available. I can even have a separate calendar for my co-workers to see what my schedule is like that week or month.

Most of this can be done with competitors but what I appreciate most, no ads. I do not have an ad flashing at me. The layout is clean and simple. I can also see what my schedule is from my phone’s web browser. In all, Google calendar gives me a simple and easy interface to keep my schedule and sends me text messages on time when I have an appointment. Best of all it is free with no ads.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlecalendar/overview.html

Posted in Gadgets Real Estate Technology Web 2.0 | 2 Comments » | Share This!