Anyone can write a paragraph, but not everyone knows how to write one that other people want to read. You’ve seen it: You open a book, and the whole page is one long block of text. Each sentence in the paragraph makes exactly the same point, said in a slightly different way, and you wonder why they didn’t just say it once and be done with it. Every paragraph is the same length (five lines, maybe?), whether it makes sense or not, and it gives the piece a monotonous rhythm. The paragraph makes a point without telling you why that point is important, and you can’t help…
Selected by darrylod
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Copyblogger
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The Art of the Paragraph
20 Nov 2009 | 6:11 am -
How to Persuade People to Accept an “Unfair” Offer
19 Nov 2009 | 6:36 amEver heard of Charley Hill? He seemed like an average, ordinary guy. He lived in a mid-sized town with his wife, two children, and a dog. He went to church on Sunday, coached Little League, and drove a pickup truck. He was friendly but quiet, the sort of guy you could walk by on the street without noticing. But appearances can be deceiving. Charley Hill was one of the most successful farm equipment salesmen in the Midwest. People would travel hundreds of miles to see Charley, even when there were plenty of dealers much closer to home. What did Charley have that other salesmen didn’t? Not a… -
Free Report: How to Become a Creative Entrepreneur
18 Nov 2009 | 8:58 amI’ve written another piece of extended content, this time for Lateral Action. Rather than sending you over there, I’ll just tell you about it here. It’s a free 31-page PDF report (don’t worry, it reads fast) called The Lateral Action Guide to Becoming a Creative Entrepreneur. It’s probably the most personal I’ve gotten about my history, but it’s still heavy on actionable, real-life examples. Here’s what you’ll discover: Why I quit my cushy law firm job and turned to online publishing. How I failed miserably. How I then succeeded miserably. How I… -
Landing Page Makeover Clinic #20: TantricSexforBusyCouples.com
17 Nov 2009 | 6:14 amThis is another addition to our ongoing series of tutorials and case studies on landing pages that work. Is it hot in here or just me? Diana Daffner and her husband want to help people find a renewed sense of joy and connection in their intimate relationships through tantra. Their business, IntimacyRetreats.com, offers couples retreats throughout the year, but realizing not everyone can attend a retreat, they also want to promote their books and media products. The URL referenced above is actually the “/shop page” off their main site. Diana would like to use the page as an… -
What I Learned From Writing 42 Guest Posts in 7 Weeks
16 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amBefore you get too impressed, hear this: I did it all in self-defense. Let me give you some quick background. I have extreme Tourette’s Syndrome, as Sonia noticed recently. Tourette’s makes people move or vocalize involuntarily and occasionally results in unspeakable awesomeness. My motor tics range from eye blinking to punching myself in the face to even stranger things. My phonic tics range from clearing my throat to hooting and yowling and snarling and slobbering and screaming like the Tasmanian Devil. Did I mention that I work in a quiet library? There are only a couple of things that…
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Real Estate Market Conditions
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Seattle, WA – Thurston County Housing Market Update for October 2009
19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pmCounty: ThurstonYear to Year Comparison MonthOct-2008Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price98%98%0%Sold Listings281274-2%Listing Price Per Listing $ 282,617 $ 250,605 -11%Sold Price Per Listing $ 276,996 $ 245,404 -11%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 146 $ 133 -9%MLS Days On Market Per Listing1151161%Homes on Market2,1331,818-15% County: ThurstonMonth to Month Comparison MonthSep-2009Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price98%98%0%Sold Listings24927410%Listing Price Per Listing $ 268,256 $ 250,605 -7%Sold Price Per Listing $ 263,653 $ 245,404 -7%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 137 $ 133… -
Seattle, WA – Pierce County Housing Market Update for October 2009
19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmCounty: PierceYear to Year Comparison MonthOct-2008Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price97%98%1%Sold Listings62884935%Listing Price Per Listing $ 283,289 $ 246,833 -13%Sold Price Per Listing $ 274,510 $ 241,401 -12%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 144 $ 131 -9%MLS Days On Market Per Listing156140-10%Homes on Market7,5455,756-24% County: PierceMonth to Month Comparison MonthSep-2009Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price98%98%0%Sold Listings77084910%Listing Price Per Listing $ 249,956 $ 246,833 -1%Sold Price Per Listing $ 245,404 $ 241,401 -2%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 129 $ 131… -
Seattle, WA – Kitsap County Housing Market Update for October 2009
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amCounty: KitsapYear to Year Comparison MonthOct-2008Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price96%97%1%Sold Listings2432638%Listing Price Per Listing $ 299,939 $ 291,919 -3%Sold Price Per Listing $ 288,556 $ 284,361 -1%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 155 $ 148 -4%MLS Days On Market Per Listing151146-4%Homes on Market2,6291,918-27% County: KitsapMonth to Month Comparison MonthSep-2009Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price96%97%1%Sold Listings23826311%Listing Price Per Listing $ 295,067 $ 291,919 -1%Sold Price Per Listing $ 283,672 $ 284,361 0%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 148 $ 148 0%MLS… -
Seattle, WA – King County Housing Market Update for October 2009
19 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amCounty: KingYear to Year Comparison MonthOct-2008Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price96%99%2%Sold Listings1,5682,08133%Listing Price Per Listing $ 465,804 $ 438,942 -6%Sold Price Per Listing $ 448,286 $ 432,663 -3%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 233 $ 220 -6%MLS Days On Market Per Listing1161215%Homes on Market15,45913,017-16% County: KingMonth to Month Comparison MonthSep-2009Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price96%99%3%Sold Listings1,9352,0818%Listing Price Per Listing $ 442,382 $ 438,942 -1%Sold Price Per Listing $ 425,002 $ 432,663 2%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 215 $ 220… -
Seattle, WA – Clallam County Housing Update for October 2009
18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmCounty: ClallamYear to Year Comparison MonthOct-2008Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price93%95%2%Sold Listings303827%Listing Price Per Listing $ 280,432 $ 284,471 1%Sold Price Per Listing $ 259,708 $ 269,050 4%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 150 $ 150 0%MLS Days On Market Per Listing15323252%Homes on Market472421-11% County: ClallamMonth to Month Comparison MonthSep-2009Oct-2009% Change% Sold Price to List Price96%95%-1%Sold Listings3938-3%Listing Price Per Listing $ 273,911 $ 284,471 4%Sold Price Per Listing $ 261,979 $ 269,050 3%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 149 $ 150 1%MLS Days On…
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Sellsius real estate marketing blog
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Realtor Property Resource: The Digital MLS Book?
21 Nov 2009 | 5:25 amThe coming Realtor Property Resource (RPR™ ) will provide “nationwide access to public record information such as tax and assessment data, liens, zoning, permits, environmental information, and information on neighborhoods, school district and community demographics….” (Source: NAR Press Release November 9, 2009). This aggregation of data will make Realtors a valuable resource to consumers: Realtors® are the first, best source for real estate information, and the RPR™ is another emphatic feature to that resource. RPR™ will give Realtors® nationwide data on all… -
Press Release: NeighborCity Launches AgentMatch to Help Consumers Choose the Best Real Estate Agent
21 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amOnline Broker provides objective rankings of every agent in its markets based on transaction history, performance and experience by neighborhood San Francisco, CA, November 11th, 2009 – NeighborCity® (http://www.neighborcity.com), an online real estate brokerage that operates in 20 major markets across the United States, announced the launch of AgentMatch®, an online service that helps homebuyers and sellers choose a real estate agent that meets their unique needs. Consumers using AgentMatch® can view rankings of every agent in their area based on transaction histories, performance, and… -
Create a Place Page on Google Maps for Real Estate or Your Business
20 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pmGoogle lets you create a Place Page for any real estate listing or your business. It will then appear in search results on Google Maps. A Place Page is a web page for every place in the world, organizing all the world’s information for that place. And we really mean every place: there are Place Pages for businesses, points of interest, transit stations, landmarks, and cities all over the world. To find a Place Page, click on “more info” in your Google Maps search results or “more info” in the info bubble on the map. Place Pages contain: listing details photos… -
RPR Quiz: Is a Real Estate Agent Blog a Consumer Website?
19 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amThe new Realtor Property Resource (RPR) database is designed to help Realtors and their clients. RPR™ will provide nationwide access to public record information such as tax and assessment data, liens, zoning, permits, environmental information, and information on neighborhoods, school district and community demographics….(Source: NAR Press Release November 9, 2009) But…. There will be no public access to the RPR® and the database and its data cannot be shared through consumer websites. (emphasis added) So…..two questions: 1. What is the definition of a “consumer… -
Stop Twitter Spam Followers Using TrueTwit
18 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amTrueTwit is a service designed to validate your new Twitter followers to see if they are human (not automated bots) using the CAPTCHA system. By signing up now for free, all of your new followers will get a validation notice via direct message. If they too are TrueTwit users or pass the CAPTCHA test, you get an email indicating they are a TrueTwit validated human! Interesting. Technorati Tags: twitter, truetwit, cool tools, spam
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Social Internet Marketing and Jess Sloss
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Kevin Rose and Jay Adelson on the Future of Digg
21 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amKevin Rose and Jay Adelson talk about some of the new features digg as been rolling out, including their new Advertising Platform ( which i Love ) and the Trending Topics beta. Enjoy. Found via Neal Rodriguez -
How I might use Google Chrome OS
20 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pmWhat is Google Chrome OS? The video above does a great job of explaining it, but if you’re not all about video then Chrome OS is Google’s challenger to Microsoft Windows. The Google folks have re-imagined the Operating system, putting the focus on internet functionality rather than local storage. This means that most of your files, applications and documents are stored online in that thing we call ‘the cloud’ aka the internet. How I might use Google Chrome OS I don’t see Chrome replacing my current operating system ( Snow Leopard ) anytime soon. That being said,… -
Office Max Digs Deep to Elf Yourself Union Square
20 Nov 2009 | 9:20 amHuge ‘Flash Mob’ style Event takes over Union Square If you haven’t heard of Elfyourslef you’re one of the lucky few . The application created by JibJab , allows you to put you or a friends face on a dancing elf. Le the fun ensue. Elfyourself.com is sponsored by Officemax who seems to have reached into their deep pockets to pull off the event in the video above. It was obviously arranged by a PR firm and thus should not called a ‘flash mob’ ( at least wikipedia doesn’t think so0 ) but kudos are deserved for the shear number of elves they were able to… -
Shhh Don’t Tell Lou Dobbs. The Transboarder Migrant Tool is Here.
20 Nov 2009 | 6:46 amSure Lou probably won’t like it. but given the massive number of migrant workers who risk their lives for a better life in the US of A, this app could prove useful. Transboarder Migrant App According to Viceland , the Transboarder Migrant App is designed to “The Transborder Immigrant Tool Helps Mexicans Cross Over Safely” . Fron Viceland: “The primary goal of the Transborder Immigrant Tool is to increase safety during border crossing by directing heavy-footed immigrants to safe routes, shelter, food, water, and friendly sympathizers. With the recent surge in militia… -
Twitter ‘costs businesses £1.4bn’ – ya right
19 Nov 2009 | 11:46 amMorse, a UK based IT consultancy, has published a study that reports Twitter costs businesses £1.4bn, so apparently, does the BBC. I, of course, think they’re full of sh*t. From the BBC: Staff who use Twitter and other social networking sites while at work are costing UK businesses £1.38bn every year, a report has said. Over half of those surveyed admitted using social networking sites during the working day for personal use. On average those people spent 40 minutes per week on these sites. IT services group Morse, who commissioned the research, said that such online behavior clearly…
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BloodhoundBlog
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“Google Places” is a “National Real Estate Search Engine”? Not so much.
20 Nov 2009 | 3:27 pm…at least not yet. On Sept 24th when the Google Blog announcement of Google Places was posted, there was no mention of Place Pages for Real Estate: “A Place Page is a webpage for every place in the world, organizing all the relevant information about it. By every place, we really mean *every* place — there are Place Pages for businesses, points of interest, transit stations, neighborhoods, landmarks and cities all over the world.” Notice they didn’t say “addresses” or “real estate listings”, but today over on SearchEngineLand, there is a… -
About the TechnoGeek Cell Phone Debate
20 Nov 2009 | 9:23 amI love it when I’m able to read or witness geeks debating the finer points of TechnoGibberish. Seems most have never learned they’re in the <1% category about which most technology consumers couldn’t give less of a @#%&. Though I harbor genuine and deep respect for those of you who’re able to help us TechTards, there are so few of them who actually DO help. It’s funny to watch, over time, as the vast majority of their ‘can’t miss’ predictions die ugly, without even an audible whimper from TechTards. I bring this up in order to send you… -
Another 25%? Ouch, that’s going to leave a mark…..
19 Nov 2009 | 3:41 pmOkay, a couple of things that this chart assumes: That from 1975 to 1999 was “normal” enough to indicate a statistical trend. I think the case could be made that it was. That we’re going to eventually get back to that trend line. I think a case could be made that we will. If both of those assumptions are indeed correct, then we’re heading into a scenario where we have quite an adjustment to go through in terms of a drop in peak housing values until we are back into range with that statistical trend. What do you think? Tell me… -
Motorola Droid: First Impressions
19 Nov 2009 | 5:40 amAs I mentioned here earlier this week, I’ve been thinking about switching to a different network. Love the iPhone, but am completely unimpressed with AT&T’s network. So I went into a Verizon store to look at the Droid over the weekend, and then bought one after work at BestBuy on Monday. I did the transaction at BestBuy because you get the rebate immediately, instead of having to cut off the label from the box and send it in to Verizon if you were to buy the phone at the Verizon store. The phone itself is quite nice. If I hadn’t been spoiled… -
Taking the Genius of Brian Brady to the Next Level: How to Pipe Linked In Network Updates Into Your Feed Reader
17 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pmIn the spirit of my #1 Bloodhound Blog Unchained takeaway, here’s a 70% ready-to-roll video. Brian Brady was kind enough to teach me his brilliant way of leveraging Linked In to establish new relationships. I haven’t been executing the Brady Principles consistently enough. Check out a little something-something I stumbled upon (no pun intended) today: Here are some related links if you’d like to learn more about Brian Brady’s Linked In techniques or Google Reader: Brian Brady Training on Linked In (awesome webinar we recorded in March) Google Reader vs. Twitter…
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Blown Mortgage
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Details on the Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension
19 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmHome sales got a needed boost because of the Obama administration’s $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers. With the national economy and housing market still fragile, the government recently decided to extend the tax credit through June 2010. The government also rolled out a new tax credit aimed at existing homeowners. Currently in effect, the $6,500 “move-up” tax credit would apply for eligible homeowners who purchase a new permanent residence in the coming months. Housing experts hope the two tax credits can help the struggling housing market rebound in 2010. “The new version… -
Is Strategic Foreclosing The Best Loan Modification For You
19 Nov 2009 | 2:08 pmLast week I received a very interesting comment on one of my articles on loan modifications. The comment claimed that for most underwater borrowers (homeowners that owe more on their property than it is worth) a “strategic default” is smartest way to go. I had some months ago written an article claiming along similar lines that in many cases foreclosure is the only logical conclusion when homeowners had overspent on their homes and could no longer afford the overpriced luxury homes they had unwisely bought at the crest of the housing boom. Readers response ranged from claims that greedy… -
Loan Modifications: 3 Reasons They Are So Slow
17 Nov 2009 | 4:51 pmThe Mortgage Crisis or Credit Crisis as many are more accurately describing it has left millions of Americans (and Earthlings worldwide for that matter) in or at the brink of foreclosure. Banks and Government have launched an ongoing set of increasingly aggressive programs to solve this terrible problem. Not all the help is coming from the Government either. One association of banks which call themselves the Hope Now Alliance assures they have helped keep over 2 million troubled borrowers in their homes by changing the terms of their loans. Similarly the Government is proud to say they have… -
Loan Modifications: The Loan Workout Formula To Accelerate Your Modification
15 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pmThe News is littered with horror stories of homeowners that have been taken for a red tape ride, paperwork is lost, or applications are dropped because a vital piece of paperwork that was never actually requested is missing, all while homes are ultimately and tragically lost. What can be done to accelerate this process and avoid being a main character in one of these horror stories. The truth is that there are no magic solutions, in some cases loan modifications are simply not an option. That said, lenders have come up with a kind of formula to speed up loan workouts. If you fit these… -
Loan Modification Companies, Why Doesn’t Government Want You To Use Them
14 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmOne of my latest articles suggested that the best advice you can get on loan modifications is free and supplied by the Government and that the Government has a vested interest in loan modifications to work, that is to stop families from losing their homes. This elicited an anonymous comment that I feel can be helpful as I believe it touches on many of the issues people are thinking about. The comment is copied in full even though some of the sentiments expressed may have hurt my fragile ego. The readers’ comments are in italics. “The best advice comes from the government and…
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New England Real Estate Journal
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Wayne Benjamin Senior Project Manager City of Hartford
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmName: Wayne BenjaminTitle: Senior Project ManagerCompany: City of HartfordLocation: 250 ...... -
Bolduc of Commercial Acquisition Services negotiates 66,000 s/f $1.8m sale
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmNewington, CT Alan Bolduc, CCIM, SIOR and principal of Commercial Acquisition Services recently represented the ...... -
The town of Coventry has several target areas of opportunity - Come grow with us
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmGateway to the Last Green Valley; birthplace of Nathan Hale; historic, rural ambiance with modern ...... -
Pro Con Inc nears completion of $11.5 million Brightview Concord River Assisted Living
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmBillerica, MA Construction is nearly complete for the Brightview Concord River Assisted Living Community. The new ...... -
Bufftree Building constructing 106-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmNew Bedford, MA Bufftree Building Company is constructing a new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, a ......
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HomeGain Blog
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Realtors: Share Your Client Smiles With HomeGain
20 Nov 2009 | 4:17 pmHave happy clients? Share the Smiles — with HomeGain! HomeGain has launched a new campaign for Realtor members, called Share The Smiles, in which real estate agent and broker members can send HomeGain photos of their satisfied clients for publishing on HomeGain.com. Here’s how it works: Take a photo of your clients in front of their new [...] -
REALTORS: Be Your Own Advocate
18 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pmIf you don’t know it yet, you soon will understand that real estate is a tough business. As an independent contractor, no one is watching out for you; except you. I would like to offer some words of wisdom and advice to the newby Realtors and others that I wish had been given to me [...] -
HomeGain Gorilla Goes to the 2009 NAR Conference & Expo
17 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pmAlthough HomeGain was not an exhibitor this year at the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, California, we sent our best representative, Max The HomeGain Gorilla, to greet hundreds of Realtors as they entered the real estate trade show over the weekend. Did you spot the Max-mobile truck? (See photos [...] -
Home Improvement Survey Press Call
13 Nov 2009 | 10:15 amThis week we met with Realtor® survey respondents, home stagers, staging bloggers and members of the press to discuss the results of the HomeGain 2009 Top 12 Home Improvements Survey on HomeGain Radio. If you didn’t have a chance to attend, listen to it here: Participant Comments Included: Stephanie Decker, Staged Homes Marin: “The timing of the [...] -
Home Improvement Survey Results - Regional
11 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amHomeGain.com recently conducted its third nationwide home improvement and home staging Home Sale Maximizer™ survey (previously conducted in 2003 and 2007) to reveal the top 12 low cost*, do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements for people getting their home ready to sell. Nearly 1,000 REALTORS® responded to the survey. (See complete survey results) Referring to the charts below, the [...]
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Today's Real Estate News
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Tight lending remains elephant in room
20 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pmCommentary: Bernanke's speech casts shadows on recoveryread more -
Google makes yet another big move into real estate territory
20 Nov 2009 | 11:56 amPerspective: From 1000Watt blogread more -
Google adds detail pages for listings
20 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amSearch, listings display continues to evolve at Google Mapsread more -
Get dizzy on AVMs
20 Nov 2009 | 7:45 amThe Wheel Estate Cam, Episode 4read more -
10 ways to get more from Gmail
20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amTech Tool Shedread more
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Bubble Meter
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Housing starts fell significantly in October
19 Nov 2009 | 2:46 amMonth-over-month housing starts fell in October:In a blow to the optimism that had surrounded the U.S. housing sector in recent months, housing starts fell a sharp 10.6% in October, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.New construction on housing units dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000, the lowest level since April. The 10.6% drop was the biggest percentage decline for starts since January.Both single-family homes and multifamily units declined last month.Prior to the October decline, housing starts have been flat for four straight months, on the heels of a big… -
Five myths about homeownership
18 Nov 2009 | 2:21 amJoseph Gyourko, chairman of the real estate department and the director of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, lists five myths about home ownership:Housing is a great long-term investment.The homebuyer tax credit makes buying a house more affordable.Homeownership is good for society because owners make better citizens.It's safe to buy a house with a very low down payment.Owning a home is cheaper than renting one because you save on rent.For his explanation of why they are myths, click here. I don't necessarily agree with all of his… -
When did the housing bubble begin?
16 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pmThe Wall Street Journal asks when the housing bubble began:Why should we care when it all began? It’s politics. If the housing bubble began during the Clinton administration, it can be blamed on the Democrats and their efforts to expand homeownership to people who, in some cases, may not have been quite ready for it. If it began under George W. Bush, then it can be imputed to the Republicans’ love of deregulation.Of course, as we all know, the causes of today’s mess are far more complicated than either of those hypotheses allow. But nuance rarely figures in the debates of our age.Edward… -
Why eminent domain should be used sparingly
14 Nov 2009 | 2:40 amThis is karma:The private homes that New London, Conn., took away from Suzette Kelo and her neighbors have been torn down. Their former site is a wasteland of fields of weeds, a monument to the power of eminent domain.But now Pfizer, the drug company whose neighboring research facility had been the original cause of the homes' seizure, has just announced that it is closing up shop in New London.To lure those jobs to New London a decade ago, the local government promised to demolish the older residential neighborhood adjacent to the land Pfizer was buying for next-to-nothing. Suzette Kelo… -
Jeffrey Sachs: How to stimulate the economy
13 Nov 2009 | 3:57 amColumbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs criticizes the Democratic and Republican ideas for stimulating the economy:Following a Keynesian approach, the Obama administration has focused on restoring consumer spending. They have gone about this with a combination of near-zero interest rates, massive Fed financing of mortgages and various consumption incentives, such as rebates for new homebuyers and cash for clunkers.During the previous bubble, the US consumer was encouraged to over-borrow. Recreating a new bubble is like offering just one more drink, on the government’s account, to…
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NYT > Real Estate
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Big Deal: Lots to Spend, Little to Buy
21 Nov 2009 | 1:06 amBrokers say more wealthy buyers have come back to the table, looking for fabulous apartments at a bargain. But there are precious few listings. -
Habitats: Where Punchlines Pay the Rent
21 Nov 2009 | 12:21 amThis couple, both New Yorker cartoonists, live in a sunny three-bedroom apartment in Inwood with enough room for his-and-hers studios. -
In the Region | New Jersey: No Coffee Breaks for These ‘Doormen’
20 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pmHoboken recently got its first virtual doorman service, at the 16-unit Vesta, which opened on Observer Highway in September. -
Mortgages: Reaching Out to Condo Buyers
20 Nov 2009 | 4:38 pmIndustry executives say the F.H.A.’s new rules will open an important lending option to condo buyers, especially those with weak credit. -
Big Deal: A Partly Cloudy Resolution
20 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pmA developer of a new condominium in SoHo is declaring victory over reluctant buyers.
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Zillow Blog
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Spencer Rascoff on Fox Business Today
20 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pmZillow’s COO Spencer Rascoff weighed in on the state of housing on the Fox Business show ”Countdown to the Closing Bell” this afternoon. Watch Spencer discuss how the tidal wave of foreclosure inventory coming in 2010, negative equity, and vacancy rates continue to dampen the housing sector. -
Lots of Zillow Love at the NAR convention
20 Nov 2009 | 11:12 amThanks to all who stopped by our booth and helped make the NAR convention so successful for us; we appreciated getting to speak to so many agents who are using the site regularly to help grow their business. Below are a few words from agents and brokers we spoke with at the show! Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. While at NAR, Spencer Rascoff, our COO, delivered a fantastic presentation about the Internet Buyer. He posted his powerpoint and video of the presentaiton on his… -
Top 5 Most-Viewed Celebrity Homes in October
20 Nov 2009 | 9:45 amIn looking at our blog posts from October, the top 5 most-viewed celebrity home blog posts on Zillow ranged from a multi-millionaire’s mansion to Whitney Houston’s circular pad. 1. “Ira Rennert’s mansion is largest home in U.S.” See Ira Rennert’s home (photo below) See more Sagaponack, NY real estate. 2. “Haunted Houses in Hollywood” See the Pickfair estate (photo below) See more Famous Scary Homes 3. “Michael Jackson’s “Wonderland” Compound” See the Las Vegas home Michael Jackson almost bought (photo below) See more Las Vegas,… -
Twilight New Moon Home For Sale
19 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pmTwilight New Moon fans! Are you looking to expand your Twibrary? For a shy $3.3 million you can own the on-screen family home of Twilight vampire Edward Cullen in Vancouver, BC. For millions of fans with OCD (Obsessive Cullen Disorder — the term used to describe anyone who is overly obsessed with Robert Pattinson/Edward Cullen) the multi-million dollar price tag is but a nominal fee to pay to be one step closer to the vampires. So, what home amenities do vampires like? If the Cullen home is any indication, they have an affinity for 20-foot ceilings, Koi ponds, granite countertops,… -
Boston.com Now Using Zillow API to Power Recent Homes Sales Functionality
19 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pmWe’re pleased to announce that Boston.com, the website of the Boston Globe, is now part of the Zillow API program and is using it to power their recent home sales functionality on their real estate landing page. Though our recent sales data is part of the Local Market Explorer WP Plug-in, Boston.com is the first member of the Zillow API program to build a custom integration utilizing our recent sales data. In each region, transaction data for the 20 most recently sold properties can be retrieved and displayed. For example, here are recent sales transactions in Boston, Brookline,…
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WSJ.com: Real Estate
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Morgan Unloads Crescent
20 Nov 2009 | 7:41 pmMorgan Stanley closed the book on its disastrous $6.5 billion acquisition of Crescent Real Estate Equities by handing the keys to lender Barclays. -
General Growth in Mortgage Pact
20 Nov 2009 | 6:42 amGeneral Growth Properties said it reached a deal to restructure $9 billion in mortgages on 77 malls in hopes of removing them from bankruptcy protection by the end of the year. -
Starwood to Relocate Its Headquarters to Connecticut
19 Nov 2009 | 8:35 amStarwood will move its corporate headquarters to Stamford, Conn., from New York's Westchester County, after receiving state government incentives worth as much as $89.5 million. -
New York Landmark Burns Its Investors
19 Nov 2009 | 8:26 amThe U.S. real estate arm of Africa Israel Investments has tentatively agreed with creditors to restructure its disastrous acquisition of the former New York Times headquarters in a deal that will wipe out $400 million in debt. -
Trump Drops Casino-Control Bid
18 Nov 2009 | 6:49 amDonald Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, have reached a settlement agreement with a group of creditors in the bankruptcy battle over control of Trump Entertainment Resorts.
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Writing on the Web
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Making Readers Feel at Home: 10 Comfy Blogging Tips
20 Nov 2009 | 3:40 amHow long do readers stay on your blog? A minute? Two or three? Your site meter will tell you. It doesn't take long to read a blog post. And it's not the length of time that matters, it's what they do while they're there.Do they read more than one post, more than one page? Do they check out your bio, easily find related info? Do they see your subscription form and sign up to get email updates to your blog?Greet visitors to your blog as if they were visiting your home, welcome them in, offer them a comfortable chair, a cup of coffee, and ask them to stay a while. Ask them questions, ask them… -
Attract Clients: Publish Your Ebooks on Kindle
19 Nov 2009 | 6:15 amDo you have a book on Kindle? Why not? Did you know you can publish your books on Kindle for free, and sell them there? This is another great way to attract clients, get known, gain visibility and credibility. My husband has transformed himself into a novelist (Die Laughing, Future Schlock: 2047, and his 3rd novel will be Azteca) and while searching for publishing options, put his first book for sale through Amazon's Kindle store. It costs nothing to do this, it's great marketing, and so far he's sold several copies. So I wondered if it would be possible to make my ebook Content Marketing… -
What Can You Stop Doing? 6 Steps to Becoming More Profitable
18 Nov 2009 | 7:38 amWhat can you stop doing in your business? There's always too much to do, and if you're smart and ambitious, you're always on the look-out for new marketing tactics that will bring big results. But you can't possibly use anything new if you're overbooked, overworked, and out of time. Part of thriving in business has to do with keeping more of the money you make. How can you make your business more profitable? The best tools and tactics can't make you more profitable if you don't have time to learn and use them. You've probably already got too much to do. So what can you stop doing? How can… -
Wanna Be First? Save 75%? Join Patsi's Private List
18 Nov 2009 | 5:22 amName Email Join my private list and be first to get content marketing tips, save 75% off public prices, and attend teleseminars. More info here... -
How to Turn Your Blog Into a Content Genie...
17 Nov 2009 | 4:07 amWhat's the difference between a blog and MyKnowledgeGenie? This turned out to be a great question yesterday in the interview with Milo Sindell, founder of the content-creating wizard. Think about it...visitors arrive at your blog everyday, and they read whatever you've posted that day. If they aren't in a hurry, they'll scroll down the page and scan a few other recent posts. Maybe what you've written this week is critical to your core message... or maybe not. Maybe you've gone off on a tangent and written something off the wall. Click...and bye-bye. (Photo credit: Shutterstock) First…
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Holy Kaw!
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How to save time
21 Nov 2009 | 9:25 amHere’s a great tool: Sue Shellenbarger, over at the Wall Street Journal, has test drove three time management tools for us, so we don’t have to try them ourselves. Talk about time saving. The three tested methods are: • Getting things done. • The Pomodoro Technique. • Franklin Convey’s Focus. Read the article to see what she found. We’ve got lots more ways to get things done and hack your life, too. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
How to re-imagine the color of your room with no paint
21 Nov 2009 | 9:14 amWant to see what your room would look like with different paint? Check out colorjive.com, a really cool site that takes your pictures and changes the colors of the walls in just a few easy steps. It's fun! And it could save a lot of fails. More cool design sites. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Common mistakes in social media and other insights on impact
21 Nov 2009 | 9:03 amOver on SmartBlog, Mary Ellen Slayter interviews Olivier Blanchard (above), a seasoned brand strategist at BrandBuilder Marketing. Blanchard delves into his perspective on how businesses can maximize their return on social media. He shares, for instance, three common mistakes companies make when trying to measure the value of social media: Focusing too much on digital measurement. Not understanding the difference between nonfinancial impact and financial impact. Not establishing clear goals and objectives when launching a social media program. How can you avoid this fate, and what other… -
A geography of BBQ
21 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amAs a newcomer to DC, people keep telling me that my BBQ education is about to begin. Though complete strangers and close roommates have preached the glories of BBQ, this article is the clearest introduction to the sauce I’ve seen yet. Did you know there are at least four kinds of sauce? Kansas City Style Sauce Texas Style Sauce North Carolina Style Sauce South Carolina Style Sauce Check out the article to see just how each of them differ. Hungry for more? There’s much more about food and recipes. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
France vs. Ireland controversial goal video
20 Nov 2009 | 10:58 pmIn case you haven’t seen the controversial goal in the France versus Ireland game, here you go. Total coverage of soccer. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Web Strategy by Jeremiah
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Social Technology Impacts Every Customer Touchpoint
20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pmForbes CMO Network, An Insightful Resource For Marketing Leaders I’m serving CMOs by teaming up with the Forbes as a regular contributor. My goal? To guide marketing leadership on how to leverage disruptive technologies and meet business goals. At a more detailed level, this blog will continue to aim at providing nitty-gritty breakdowns, frameworks, and insights. Use these two resources in tandem to both develop strategies, and then implement best practices across the organization. [Companies Must Develop A Holistic Strategy, As Social Technologies Impact Every Customer Touchpoint]… -
Matrix: The Four Social Support Strategies
18 Nov 2009 | 8:44 amAt the Altimeter Group, I cover Customer Strategy, which encompasses not only marketing, but also support, expect our discussion to grow as social technologies impact the whole enterprise. The Social Support movement is afoot (see opportunities), and more companies will be connecting existing marketing and support systems with the social web. Many companies, like Comcast, Wells Fargo, Intel, BestBuy, JetBLue are responding to customers and in some cases, supporting them in near real time. The challenge is that these teams are unable to scale, even a support team of ten full time folks at… -
Breakdown: Lego’s “Digital Box”, an Augmented Reality Kiosk
16 Nov 2009 | 3:51 amAugmented Reality provides brands with an engaging experience that merges both the digital and the real world. This 30 second video shows how a 3D animation on the product box enabled me to understand the assembled product. Lego’s “Digital Box” Provides Customers with an Interactive 3D Digital Experience This weekend, I went to the local Lego store here in Silicon Valley (Hillsdale) to see a practical version of Augmented Reality. I was previously briefed by Metaio, the technology vendor that empowers the software for the Augmented Reality kiosks called, Digital Box. This… -
Personal Goals and #OperationBluewater
15 Nov 2009 | 7:58 amMost people miss out on life because they don’t have a strategy around personal goals. Most Lack a Personal Goal Strategy Let me lay out some the observations I’ve noticed from some of the smartest folks I’ve watched achieve success in their lives. Often they first tell me about the challenges, that most people don’t even have a personal goal strategy. 1) Most people don’t even have personal goals, seriously try it, ask folks you work with: “What’s your personal goal?” 2) Most people think the end goal is a at 65 and do all their… -
Is Your Company Trusted or Do You Have a Digital Comb Over?
13 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amMany companies are entering the social/green/community space, with hopes of impressing customers, yet despite their best intentions, they could come across as inauthentic, and be damaging their own brand. Companies should first take a self-assessment of their brand to see if they’re ready before they decide to enter the social space. Companies should first assess their culture and ask: Is the company ready to talk about the good –and bad– with the market? Is the internal culture ready to embrace customers on their own terms? Is the culture ready to make changes based on…
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Junta42-Content Marketing
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10 Corporate Blogging Tips and Strategies
18 Nov 2009 | 5:33 amAmbal from Click Documents asked me if I had any tips/strategies for corporate blogging. The presentation below is a corporate blogging basics presentation useful for beginning bloggers. That said, here are the main takeaways. For more indepth understanding of a content marketing strategy, this content marketing white paper will help. A blog is just a tool, nothing more, nothing less. BUT, it can be a powerful tool to distribute consistent and valuable information to your prospects and customers. Be sure to focus on the informational needs of your customers, and… -
Custom Publishing Council Announces 2009 Pearl Awards
16 Nov 2009 | 6:41 pmHad an outstanding time last Thursday at the 2009 Custom Publishing Council Pearl Awards (Junta42 was a sponsor of the event). A sign that the recession may be over? - many more attendees at the awards event this year over last year. A great site to see.Finally, congrats to Junta42's parent company, Z Squared Media, on their silver place best blog finish in association with Razorleaf Corporation. Here are all the winners below:Winners are listed by category, title, custom publisher and client name, included in parentheses. DESIGN | Best Cover Less Than 50,000 Gold: Lamborghini Desk… -
Create Content that Sleeps, Creeps and Leaps
13 Nov 2009 | 9:10 amI had a great conversation today with Dr. Sandra Bauman from Bauman Research about start-up companies. She shared with me the idea about "sleeps, creeps and leaps." In the first year of a business launch, the brand sleeps. In year two, you start to see the company creep toward success. But it's in the third year that the business leaps and really begins to grow.Fascinating concept.The same principle can be applied toward corporate content marketing.As the corporate content program starts (let's say with a blog, white paper, enewsletter strategy), success… -
Top 10 Twitter Basics Questions Answered
10 Nov 2009 | 5:51 amJust about every day I answer a question about using Twitter, the microblogging tool. I've put them together in this handy post. Enjoy, and, if you like getting information on content marketing, feel free to follow me @juntajoe. Question #1What is the easiest way to find someone's @ name? If I read an article or hear them speak, how do I easily find their Twitter call sign. Use Twitter Name Search Question #2What are other ways to find twitter names? If Twitter Name Search doesn't work for you, try Twellow, the Twitter Yellow Pages. Question #3What does the # mean and how… -
Custom Print Magazines - Why Can't MasterCard Produce Inc. Magazine?
4 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amI don't know about you, but I've been reading more print magazines lately. Seems odd at first, but in a way, it makes perfect sense. I spend most of my business day and night on the computer. When I'm on my computer, I need to get things done. But when I want to relax and engage in an inspiring story, print is my choice...books and magazines. At the top of the list is probably Inc. magazine. This month's article about how 37Signals founder Jason Fried spends his day was priceless. Speaking of "priceless", shouldn't MasterCard be producing an Inc-type…
