“Life is mostly noise, welcome to mine...”
Random thoughts, pictures, video, whatever... from the Pacific Northwest. An eclectic mash up with a little whimsy and fun thrown in for good measure...
René Fabre, New Media Marketing Evangelist
© ARFCO MEDIA an Audiorium Enterprise...
I've been asked by several, "What the heck is The Blackberry Chronicles?"
The Blackberry Chronicles…
I reentered the world of the commuter this year. Often on my way to work or home I get stuck in traffic. I decided I had better make it a creative endeavor before I go bozo mad, pop a vein from excessive blood pressure, or go super nova road rage. I decided to make it a creative endeavor and chronicle it.
I always have my Blackberry with me and it may not be the best camera but it’s always within hands reach. As I travel to and from work (keeping my eyes on the road) I spontaneously click off pictures as my thoughts are moved to do so. Then, as soon as I have the opportunity, I look at the results and delight in the surprises.
SimpleGeo collected data from eight geolocated data providers (FourSquare, Gowalla, Twitter, Flickr, Bump, Brightkite, BlockChalk, and Fwix) during the South by SouthWest Interactive Festival to create this cool video.
4 months ago
Check out my new retaggr card! http://ping.fm/rZXaI
4 months ago
March 18, 2010 at the Pacific Northwest Housing Summit, Seattle Center. I ran back to my car parked at the Mercer Street garage. Taking a short break I encountered this small girl who was just delighted to walk the sheet of water fountain between the Exhibition Hall and McCaw Hall…
4 months agoAdverse Possession
Recently it’s been all over our local news media about the Puyallup, Washington homeowners (that were in the process of foreclosure) and found the locks on their home changed and a new family living in their home.
In this second installment of “The Title Perspective” we’d like to share some insights from our Sr. Title Officer, Tim Daniels, on Adverse Possession.
A few of us at The Talon Group, having been in the industry for a few years now, have heard many (as we fondly refer to as) ‘The War Stories’. What’s often missed in the public dialogue is
1. How much can go wrong when it comes to owning clear title to a piece of property, and
2. The perspective of the individuals that are often the greater part of the solution to these real estate issues.
I’m talking about title officers.
They don’t make this stuff up… A few, like Tim, have had years of experience dealing with every possible aspect of real property issues and because of that they’ve gotten very involved with the owners, sellers, builders, buyers, local government, real estate agents, lenders, attorneys, developers, judges and courts. After all, that’s what they do… They help facilitate solutions.
In times like now it’s becoming rare that title companies have a local expert like Tim. That’s what sets us apart from our competitors.
This is not legal advise. Tim is simply sharing what some of the issues the owners, buyers, and the bank might face as this situation unfolds from the perspective of one who gets involved and tries to help manage a solution.
If you missed the media coverage on the recent Puyallup Adverse Possession story… here’s a few links…
Puyallup couple says squatters trying to take over their home
Local Komo 4 News, Seattle…
The Home Equity Theft Reporter Cases & Articles
My friend Jana Schmidt of John L Scott - Renton posted this Happy Birthday video she did for me and posted to Facebook today. Jana, you just so cracked me up. You captured my essence better than you think!
What a cool site, JibJab… thanks for the video, I got stomach cramps from laughing so hard.
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
4 months agoWho’s the right REALTOR® for you?
I’ve worked with a lot of them. Some just starting out in their 20’s, many in their 40’s, most of them in the US are now around 50,* and I know several still at it in their 70’s and even 80’s. They come from everywhere and every background. Most of them didn’t grow up in real estate. They chose it as a second career after doing something else and more often than not they came to real estate because of the entrepreneurial life style and saw it as an avenue to serve their community.
Where they came from, how old they are, what their greatest passion is, or how formerly educated they may be has absolutely no bearing on the quality of service and/or the level of expertise they can bring to you. I learned that by working with them for over 20 years from the title insurance side of the fence. It’s in the blood or not (kind of thing). They learned real estate by doing it. They showed up to the party one day, fell in love, and stayed.
Young or old, the best experiences I have working with Realtors (and the most fun) are those running around with their hair on fire. Okay, I jest (sort of). Most of them have a very cool and calm exterior, but really, the fun one’s are those with the bright eyes who care, they’re purpose driven passion machines; you can hear it in their speech and see it in their body language. They have urgency before them and they don’t hesitate to face challenges. They get involved. They like people. They’ll make that phone call nobody else wants to make. Most important, they return phone calls, email, and text messages.
Which one will you choose?
Statistics tell us that you’re more than likely to pick a REALTOR® who’s someone like you. Is this wise? I say not necessarily, but the fact remains its human nature and we do it often. But don’t be foolish. Take advantage of the means at your disposal and find the REALTOR® that’s right for you. We all have an aunt, brother, friend with a son, sister or cousin that just got their real estate license. I’m not saying don’t choose them. Just don’t take the path of least resistance, look around.
Realtors are in the relationship business.
Personally, I want one of those. I want one that’s really good at relationship and very well connected. To me, that means the greater likelihood they’ll sell my place and/or help me find and purchase the new home I want. A lot of that ‘likelihood’ today takes place on the web and an agent who is online can be a fabulous resource.
Communities are conversation and conversation is opportunity. A REALTOR® who knows their craft and spends time online building relationships is making a big investment. It takes commitment. If they make an honest and consistent attempt to authentically contribute to the online conversation, they bring a lot of value to all of us. They’re investing in community and paying it forward (as we say in social media parlance). They’re building a network of opportunity and resources and we all benefit. As a home buyer or seller, I want to work with a REALTOR® that has this larger view and connection.
Where might I find one?
A good place to begin your search for a REALTOR® is where you begin your search for most every one of your wants, needs, and desires… the internet. So, Google it. In today’s consumer web-savvy world you’ll find the forward thinking Realtors here. Those of us who work online and have worked in real estate related industries know from the endless pedantic stream of industry market studies that most of you (duh) are already online and you very likely started your search with Google then moved on to other real estate sites like Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Realtor.com, CraigsList.com, and many others. We know millions of you do that every day and many of you when it’s time take action, will choose your REALTOR® online.
It’s important to choose a real estate professional that’s adept at new consumer behavior and proficient online. This is the new status quo. Any REALTOR® who’s taken the time to create a good online presence has not only made a monumental leap of faith, they brought their careers and themselves to a very global and transparent stage. It won’t take long to separate the makers from the fakers. Look for one’s that have something to say, not just the one’s with the biggest baddest slickest websites.
Look for the bloggers who talk about their neighborhoods, shares statistics, alert you to what’s going on, and rally to good causes. They’re demonstrating professional commitment. Not all Realtors are bloggers, and they need not be. As I said above, Realtors are in the relationship business. You have to be in a conversation to build relationships.
For example, Google them… What shows up? If they’re involved online, they will show up. If they have a common name you’ll have to tinker with your search terms a little, but usually “agents name, company name” or “agents name, city” or “agents name, REALTOR® or real estate” will get results. You should see links to their website or blog and the networks and sites they associate with in your search results. Follow those links. You’ll learn a lot. It won’t take long and the time is well worth spent.
Dig a little deeper. Do they have a Facebook.com account? Do they have a Fan or Business page? Are they on Linkedin.com the largest professional business network online? If they are they’ll have a profile with work history, recommendations, and associates. Are they on ActiveRain.com, the largest network online for real estate professionals? They might blog here, check it out. They’ll be rubbing virtual elbows and be in conversation with other very net savvy Realtors. This is important. If relocation is part of your real estate plans they’ll likely know someone in that area.
If you use Twitter, are they there? What do they tweet? Follow them and find out. Are they involved with Biznik.com, a network of business entrepreneurs, or Meetup.com for special interest groups like photography, hiking, web design, you name it? Both of these last two hold events around town, most are free. A lot of Realtors show up at these networking events. So can you.
In today’s world, we still have a lot of real estate professionals lagging behind. They’re stuck in the heavy boots of outdated marketing methods. They’re marketing to an empty room because everyone left the building. I’m not saying if you interview a REALTOR® you tell them you do not want your home listed in the Sunday paper, don’t send post cards, or don’t have an open house. That might be very appropriate. But what else is in their toolbox?
The two most important questions you can ask a REALTOR® today are:
“What is your internet marketing strategy?” and, “What do you do online to create opportunity?”
Our world changed. Now days we need to know a lot of people to maximize our opportunities and those relationships are often cultivated and maintained online. I work with Realtors everyday that proactively make the effort to stay on top of current trends, technology, consumer behavior, and the marketplace to bring the best service possible to their clients. They’re hip, savvy, honest, giving, and authentic. Pick one of them. Choose the one that fits your personality, but more importantly choose the one that’s well connected online and off. They have more resources.
If you’re selling, they’ll know how to give your listing global exposure. They have networks to talk with and can rapidly disseminate wants and needs to a vast number of people. If you’re buying, they’ll know the neighborhood, the inventory, schools, issues, prices, and amenities better than anyone.
Happy hunting…
René
Originally posted on 2/4/2010 on: classichomesnorthwest.com
René is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest for his innovative marketing programs. He is a sought after speaker and motivator respected for his knowledge, keen interest, and insightful approach to contemporary marketing ideas and technologies. His obvious passion for the subject is contagious. René frequently gives workshops, lectures, and consults businesses large and small on Social Media Marketing and Web Presence Development. René is a long time resident of Renton, Washington.
5 months agoWe’re all self educating buyers… part one
Originally written for and posted on: Classic Homes Northwest, Februrary 18, 2010.
There are some pretty cool (and fun) tools to explore neighborhoods. Regardless if you plan to move there and buy, or rent, or maybe you’re just curious about what’s there. In part one, we’ll look at a couple of sites from my toolbox that I find invaluable for quick research and use all the time to get info about the character and amenities of a neighborhood I’m looking at.
I chose Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington as my target. I don’t think it’s for sale and you can’t live there. But you just never know, Queen Anne High in Seattle was sold and converted to a condominium! Anyway, I didn’t want to cause anyone, including myself, any grief by choosing someone’s home address as a target, so we’ll use the school address to get us into the neighborhood for this particular experiment.
Stadium High School: 111 North E Street Tacoma, WA 98403-2630 (Google Maps)…
One of my favorites is walkscore.com. With this nifty little app you can simply input an address to find what amenities are in the neighborhood. They’re plotted out on a map and the site gives you a score determined on the number of retail stores, schools, libraries, restaurants, etc. that are within walking distance. When I look at homes for sale online, this is a great way to explore what’s close by.
If you want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk to the grocery store, grab a bite to eat, get a haircut, a good cup of coffee, or a local beer without driving, look here. Walkscore.com like any app of this type isn’t 100% accurate. It’s simply not possible. There’s too much frequently changing data to keep up with. Depending on the area, you’ll also find the quality of statistics can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, but the metro areas, especially in-city work best. The Stadium District is ideal for this study.
If you’re curious about a place that shows up on the Walkscore map and you’d like to know more about it, for example there’s a little bar in the Stadium District named the Parkway Tavern, check it out on Yelp.com. Yelp is an online business directory written by the people for the people. If you want to know what the regular folk who’ve been there think, this is the place.
Another key factor about neighborhood value is the rental rates. You may want to move into the neighborhood of your desire and rent first so you can study it for a while to find your perfect location within. I like Zilpy.com for this. Click the link then add property type and number of bedrooms. Remember when you use online search, less is more. Don’t filter too much so you can see what’s there. You can always go back to refine your search parameters.
Hotpads.com is similar. Here you can search for rentals, sales, foreclosures, and compare rent to purchase price values. Taking the same neighborhood, here’s Stadium rentals and Stadium for sale.
These are just a few tools, a few favorites. I think with a little experimentation you’ll find you can learn a lot about the neighborhood you want to live in and hopefully this kind of research will help you articulate the questions you’ll want to ask the prospective real estate professional you choose to represent you.
Happy Hunting…
5 months ago
I’m working in Seattle now (more about that soon)… I’ve had my fire rekindled in a certain way. A period of my life I really enjoyed was 1. When I was at Cornish 79-83, and when I first worked downtown 2. at Northwestern Title 85 to 90… I feel the energy of the city.
Now I’m working on Eastlake Ave E with an awesome view of Lake Union, the Olympic Mountains, Queen Anne Hill, the Space Needle and downtown… This is on the way home today… Freeway sucked so I headed up over the hill and took Rainier Ave (the back way) home to Renton.
I was trying to get to a good point to take a picture (with my Blackberry) before it got too dark. Mt Rainier was pink on the west side as the setting sun hit it…
Check out my new view!
… My first day at The Talon Group - Title and Escrow Services… I’ll be working out of their Seattle office located at 2345 Eastlake Ave E, Suite 301, Seattle, WA 98102.
From my office looking west (and a little north) at the Aurora Bridge.
Looking west at Queen Anne Hill north…
Looking west at Queen Anne Hill…
Looking southwest at the Space Needle…
Looking south at the Seattle skyline…
OK, I have to chime in on this one, but my thoughts are too long for just a comment. Anyway, that is where my blog subjects most often come from, the online conversation.
Don’t miss Jessica Sulliman’s great blog entry: Pay Per Blog is it Kosher
You’ll find a great thread of opinions and conversation…
My answer to Jessica’s question regarding the use of Ghost Writers for your Active Rain blog;
“So, fellow ActiveRainers, what’s the word? Kosher or No Good?”
I say, “No Good”, here’s why…
As Nick from DotLoop commented, “After all, a blog is a ‘web log’, it’s your online diary. Would you want someone else writing your own diary?” I agree with this. It’s like saying I think I need a little religion today, “would you mind going to church for me? I don’t have the time.”
Okay, hold on… I’m not an old fuddy duddy, nor a purest, and I realize things change and we do a lot of mashing up these days. But in the spirit of tradition, blog was born out of something different than marketing or advertising. Not that there is anything wrong with either, I love them both. It’s just that ‘blogging’ is neither. Blogging is one voice speaking out, “Here’s what I think about this or that.” Then the conversation ensues or it doesn’t.
Blogging can be a form of marketing in that you’re sharing yourself online; your thoughts, experiences, passion, and points of view, but it is your voice, your conversation, your diary. If your blog develops a following because people find your conversation interesting, then yes this is good marketing. You become an authority or an influencer to your readership when they engage and agree or disagree with you.
If you are using a ghost blogger to create your diary then you are not blogging. If you’re simply pumping content for search engines under the auspices that it’s your voice then you are running a deception and misusing the medium. (I’m not talking about corporate blogs, different animal.)
Anyway, what’s the point? If you’re using other writers, give them credit. You’ll benefit. You’ll be associated with them and their content (which I hope is good) and you both win the Google Juice awards. After all, the reader came to your site for the content. If you can afford to hire a good copywriter to create your marketing and advertising pieces to build your business, you’re smart and ahead of the game. But it’s not blogging.
Social Media is not just blogging, but blogging is certainly part of your Social Media presence. Be real.
S.H. Simmons, author and humorist, relates this anecdote.
(From: What is Marketing)
“If a young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing. If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is — that’s advertising. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is — that’s public relations.”
We’re all here as participants in the expanded reality of the life online. We all hope to benefit somehow by being part of a community that encourages learning, sharing, and experimentation. We all want to master our presence online as best we can to create relationships and business, at least to the point that we optimize opportunity. Many here* have done that very well.
I ask you, if I imply that these writings from this my personal blog are mine, from the desk of me and by me, and they are not… How then can I possibly ask, “What’s my return on investment?”
Personally, I won’t take that risk. There are a lot of very smart people on line. I for one won’t under estimate them. If I make a fool of myself in my blog, it’s authentic. If I’m fortunate enough to have a following, they’ll chime in and let me know what they think.
Thanks Jessica, you got me thinking.
* originally posted on ActiveRain.com: Ghost Writers? I think not. In reply to Jessica Sulliman’s great blog entry: Pay Per Blog is it Kosher
5 months ago