From the Mouth of Babes

On May 7th, 2010 my life changed. Forever. My sons were born (and yes, that’s plural). It all happened so fast; a whirlwind of nurses and doctors, flying around, barking instructions. Tossing utensils. Delivering my children. 

It was controlled chaos.

And yet, amid all of this disarray – this amalgam of noise, lights and disinfectant – I was calm; enveloped in a shroud of serenity. A shroud knit from the fibers of assurance and competence. A shroud woven upon the loom of unconscious expertise. I was calm because I knew that the fate of my family, my wife and children, lay in the hands of consummate professionals. Masters of their craft. Individuals with whom I had the utmost confidence. Individuals that I entrusted with the life of my entire family.

It took less than five minutes for me to become a father of two.

After the babies were whisked off to the nursery, and my wife comfortably situated in her room, I did what every new father does.

I went to the Internet.

I looked up how to be a dad. How to change a diaper. How to feed. How to diagnose a fever. How to burp a baby. How often to feed a newborn. I perused articles, posts and manuals. I researched til I could research no more. And I came away overwhelmed. So much information, so many viewpoints – all probably appropriate and accurate - in a specific circumstance. But how will I know which viewpoint to apply in which circumstance? How will I know how to determine the innocuous from the serious?

I went to the professionals for guidance. For assistance. For interpretation.

I took a trip to the nursery, to see my boys and solicit help. I sought out the nurses. I asked questions. I asked for help. I asked for guidance.

I received all of it.

I was shown how to hold my babies. How to burp my babies. How to feed my babies. How to care for my babies. These professionals, these superheroes clad in colorful hospital scrubs, taught me, advised me and walked me through every step. They answered every question I had – and even answered questions I hadn’t thought of. They helped me sift through the mountain of jumbled information I gleaned on-line and organize it. They helped me make sense of it all. They gave me the training and preparation I needed to bring my boys home.

Great story, but what does this have to do with Real Estate?

It’s got a lot to do with Real Estate, trust me. For years, we have been assailed by the idea that the Internet will redefine what it is that we do in Real Estate – and to a degree, that has happened. But the shift has not been as monumental as some would have us believe. There is value – real, tangible value - in what a Professional in this field brings to the table.

Can Internet research help us as Real Estate consumers? Absolutely, yes. In fact, I think the availability of such an abundance of information is a good thing. A great thing. But what do we do with all of the information we find? How do we compile it? How do we organize it? How do we apply the right bit of information to the appropriate circumstance in our personal Real Estate experience? How do we remain objective in what is ultimately a very subjective and emotional experience? An experience, that for many, bears the weight of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We have to find a professional. A master of their craft. An individual who can answer your questions. All of them. An individual who can answer questions you didn’t even know you had. An individual who can guide you and advise you. An individual who can bring objectivity out of subjectivity.

An individual who can knit your Real Estate experience upon their loom of expertise, and weave you a personal shroud of Real Estate serenity.

-Amit

Find your Real Estate superhero: http://www.averyhess.com/About-Avery-Hess/Find-An-Agent.cfm

Use Caution When Merging onto the Social Media Highway

This weekend, as I logged in to my Facebook account, I was both shocked and surprised at one of my friend suggestions.   I discovered, via a ‘mutual friend,’ that my 82-year-old Grandpa is now on Facebook!  I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me this confirms that EVERYONE now utilizes social networks as a means to connect and reconnect with the people around them.

After this discovery, while I was still a bit baffled after seeing my grandpa’s profile picture (which is from about 50+ years ago), I ran across an interesting statistic from a recent Consumer Reports study.  It stated that 2 out of 3 online US households use social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, which is nearly twice as many as a year ago.   One in four of these households with a Facebook account have users who either don’t know about or don’t use the privacy controls.

This got me thinking about my Grandpa… if people can find ways to hack the profile of one of Facebook’s very own Board Members, what’s stopping them from coming after my unaware,  little old Grandpa?  Or me?  Or YOU?

As Real Estate agents, it’s important to be friendly and approachable public figures, especially when utilizing social media. However, you still need to be smart and safe with what you choose to disclose to others online.

I’ve compiled a quick checklist of things you should avoid doing on social media to help keep you and your information safe:

Using a Weak Password

We’ve all been guilty of this one – with so many passwords to remember, it’s easy to give in!  Using a password like the name of your pet or your child’s name is big NO NO.  Hackers create programs that can easy crack these simple passwords in a matter of seconds, granting them full access to your account.  To help prevent this, I suggest using a password that incorporates each of the following:

a) use a password not found in the dictionary
b) include UPPER and lower case letters
c) include least one numer1c symbol or ch@racter

Posting Your Full Birth Date

When Facebook first started, I know I did not think twice about putting up my birthday to share with my fellow college classmates.  However, Facebook and other social media networks are now open to the public, and your information is out there for everyone to view.  Giving a stranger your full name and full birthday, along with other commonly posted facts about yourself, can leave you open as an easy target for fraud.   To counter this, many of these networks have the option of keeping your birthday private or showing only a partial birthday without the year.

NOT Using Privacy Controls

An important thing to remember when using any social media network is that they are run by a profit seeking company and are looking out for THEIR best interest NOT yours.  Privacy controls are available for users, but many require you to a) know about them, b) understand what they do and c) USE them.

Facebook has become notorious for changing their privacy controls and “auto including” their members in new features/settings.  It is your responsibility to make sure that you take the time to learn and set up these controls in order to ensure your content and information is only disclosed to those that YOU choose.

Facebook has recently redesigned their Safety Center which they claim has quadrupled their safety content and made it easier to navigate and find answers quickly.  It’s a great place to start to learn about what you are sharing/how to make things private.

Also, Mashable just posted a “How To” on reclaiming your Facebook privacy and suggested trying the product “Reclaim Privacy.”  It’s a simple open-source scanner that will quickly and easily scan your profile to see if any of your settings are “risky.”   This can help you determine if you are making content unexpectedly public and take the necessary actions to correct it.

Mentioning That You’ll be “Away”  & GPS “Tagging”

Telling people on Twitter or Facebook that you, “Can’t wait for vacation next week!!”  or that you “Miss the wife and kids at home”  or that you just “checked-in” to your favorite watering hole using foursquare, all seem innocent enough, but this “over-sharing” opens up the possibility of telling people where you AREN’T – at your home or with your family.  It could also invite unwanted persons to where you ARE.

Many people were first made aware of their “over-sharing” on social media by sites like pleaserobme.com or  by watching tv news specials, but quite a few of us are still sharing too much.   To protect yourself and your loved ones, be sure that you are properly using your privacy features on EACH and EVERY social media network you use.

It seems like every time I turn around privacy controls and settings are changing in the world of social media, making it even more critical that we stay informed.  I’ll be sure to help keep you and my Grandpa Joe informed and up to speed… if you promise to do the same for your Grandpa – I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.

-Kristin

I Like Avery-Hess, and I think you should too: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

Choice Mortgage Moment -Tips to Consider When Loan Shopping [video]

Don Metcalf of Choice Mortgage offers some helpful tips to consider when looking to find the right loan for you.  Choice Mortgage Servicing, LLC is an affiliate of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (Equal Housing Lender).

Search for homes in all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

Leesburg, VA Market Report – 5/13/10

With a great variety of retail and restaurants, plus houses of every size, age and type imaginable, a buyer can certainly find what they want at a price of their choosing in Leesburg, Virginia. The report below represents the market conditions in Leesburg, Virginia.

• Homes for sale: 646 (up from 586 in March, and very close to the 662 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 108 (double the 54 of snowy February and up from 93 in March and up from 79 same time last year.)
• Average sold price: $420,963 (up from $380,889 last month and up from $382,406 same time last year.)
• Average days on market: 55 (down from 79 last month and way down from 93 one year ago.)

As we have been saying over the past year, prices in Leesburg have been rising steadily since December 2008 and are still trending up. For the first time in years, we are seeing a trade up market by those homeowners who did not over finance their property during the boom. With low rates, low prices and rising confidence, healthy housing consumers have decided to come back into the market.

We do not expect the expiration of the housing tax credit to have much effect on the housing market now that the recession is ending.

Market data and  commentary provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President and Managing Broker.

Search for homes in Leesburg, and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

Caroline County, VA Market Report – 5/7/10

It appears that prices in Caroline County were on the rise this spring!  Listings were up, closed sales were up and days on market decreased!  What wonderful news considering what all of us are used to hearing in today’s media!  Here are all of the most recent statistics for Caroline County:

Market Statistics for Caroline County (March 2010)

New listings  -  80 (change from March ’09 +17.6%)

Closed Sales – 25 (change from March ’09 +19.0%)

Pending Sales – 25 (change from March ’09 +25.0%)

Median Sales Price – $145,000 (change from March ’09 +2.5%)

% of Orginial Sales Price – 92.29% (change from March ’09 +10.0%)

Ave Days on Market –  116 (change from March ’09 -7.2%)

Single Family Detached -  245 (change from March ’09 0%)

TH-Condo Inventory – 22   (change from March ’09 0%)

March was a fantastic month sales wise!  The snow was gone, spring had sprung and the tax credit was still available!  The momentum kept going into April and so far in May, has not stopped!  Everyone is hypothesizing on whether or not the tax credit will come back and what impact it really did have.  But here is the thing to remember!  Caroline and the surrounding area of Fredericksburg and all of it’s neighbors are sitting on top of prime real estate!  Our location between Washington D.C. and Richmond is ideal for commuters and families.  Our prices are the lowest they have been in years and interest rates are wonderful!  It is still a great time to buy and sell and we don’t anticpate the lack of the tax credit to be a huge impact on activity in our area.  While our crystal ball has been in the shop and we don’t know exactly what the future holds, we look forward to a wonderful season and hope that the worst is behind us!

Market data and commentary by Amy Cherry Taylor, Business Manager and Realtor at Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for homes in Caroline, and the all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

How To Make People Care About What You “Share”

It’s quickly becoming a fact that Facebook is no longer just part of our personal life.  Companies, large and small, are now using the social media platform as a means to engage and build relationships with potential clients, and are utilizing social media to close business.

This leaves many of us in Real Estate asking, “What should I be ‘sharing’ on Facebook?”

Last Friday, I met with an agent looking to utilize Facebook as part of her marketing plan.  A good rule of thumb would be  to “share” at least one thing on Facebook every day utilizing our “80/20 Rule.”  Eighty-percent of the time, share something personal; twenty-percent of the time, share something professional.

The most important part of using Facebook professionally is not just to attract new “friends” or “fans”; it serves no real purpose to have the most “fans” or most “friends” if these people are not engaged with you.  Rather, carefully build your social capital and constituency.  Engage your following and encourage interaction to create a lasting relationship.

To help you get started on building these relationships, I’ve come up with my top 3 topics to “share” on Facebook:

1) “Share” Something of Value

• Think about what YOUR clients would want to know about and be their maven of useful information.  Discover a handy tip or trick for home improvement?  Find an interesting fact or news story about what’s shaking in the industry? Share this valuable information with your clients. Over time, they will look to you as a trusted source of knowledge.

2) Ask Questions

• The key here is to encourage your Facebook friends to engage in a conversation.  Asking a question as simple as “What they thought about last night’s episode of LOST” or something more meaningful like “What do look for in a new home?”  When you start to receive responses, be sure to thank them and use this as an opportunity to reach out and start a personal conversation.

3) Ask for Help

• Utilize your friends to help you make a decision.  Asking for ideas of what to do that weekend, reviews on a new restaurant in town, or input on a product you are considering purchasing.  These questions open up the lines of communication to start a personal conversation about the topic that could lead to a business discussion.

I have found, personally, the “Ask for help” type of “share” gets the most feedback, but all of the aforementioned techniques can be utilized to build relationships and start personal conversations, the bread and butter of the Social Media game.

-Kristin

I Like Avery-Hess, and I think you should too: www.facebook.com/AveryHess