Cool Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Not long ago, I was asked by my friend Mike Price to host the "Carnival of Real Estate", which is essentially a gathering of blog posts each week about our industry.  Sounds like fun to me, so I said a hearty "Yes!".  Since I've held lots of contests during my blogging career, I have a little experience in this arena.  :)

First of all, if you took the time to submit something this past week, I thank you all for your submissions.  We all take pride and a great sense of ownership of our writing, and I know firsthand that it can be a personal thing.  With that in mind, I appreciate you all giving me a chance to review your hard work.  This is my first time judging this particular competition, and I consider it an honor.

There were just over 20 submissions, and there were six that I felt really stood out:

First Place -  Searching for Real Estate Made Easy: Geo-Fences Plus Mobile Phones by Chris Thorman of SoftwareAdvice.com.  This is simply an awesome blog post.  It has many solid elements:  it’s informative, current, and well-written.  It has helpful graphics and good organization.  The anecdote at the beginning makes the post more interesting and draws the reader in.  Everyone loves technology, and the internet is certainly the best place to come up with new ways to use it.  Kudos.

In Second Place, I would put this rant (if I may call it that): Can I get proof of a competing offer? The answer may surprise you by Jay Thompson, the Phoenix Real Estate Guy.  For those of you who know Jay already, it should come as no surprise that he wrote a terrific post on a compelling topic.  If you haven't had the situation Jay describes come up yet in your real estate career, you will!  I myself have written/ranted on the same subject, and I think it’s a topic most of us have some opinion on.  That fact, and the opener mentioning “slam my head into a wall” draw the reader into the story.  Jay also expresses some strong opinions in his post, which makes it more interesting and comment-worthy.  His structure and grammar are clear and accurate, and he makes good use of the medium with his tone and subject.

Third Place: What are Mortgage Accelerator Programs? by Jim Wang 

This is an article-type post that is truly informative.  It’s conversationally written and Jim doesn't talk down to the reader.  It seems well-researched, and the advice it gives seems wise.  It's also well-structured and well laid out.

Fourth place goes to 10 Most Common Mistakes of 1st Time Home Buyers by Robert Buchholz.  This is a very informative post that could actually help some new buyers, if they follow the advice therein.   If I were a rookie Realtor, I might print this out to give to my buyers, and Robert Buchholz’ name would be there, too, which can only help Robert’s business.  That’s part of the “big idea” of blogging!

Honorable mentions: Hey You Pessimists (Yes you, homeowners): It’s Not Quite That Bad… by Amy Bohutinsky and Investors: Should You Get Your Real Estate License? by J. Scott.  Both of these are well-written and informative posts.  “Not Quite That Bad” has some very interesting & encouraging research with a “killer” graphic.  Which of us could not do with a little good news these days?  “Investors: Should You Get Your Real Estate License?” attempts to give a brief yet through review of the issue, and seems very helpful.

All in all, there some terrific posts for the carnival, and it made my decisions difficult.  In fact, I had to call in some help (my wife read them, too).  I applaud you all.  Keep on making the RE.net a more informative, interesting, and helpful place.

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fleur-design/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelzimmer

Facebook recently had its sixth birthday.  During the same week, they announced that they had crossed the 400 million member mark (how's that for a bit of alliteration?).  Facebook has morphed from a college photo sharing site in 2004 to a mega-networking platform with multimedia capabilities.  Basically, it's THE place to be these days.

If you aren't yet sure how to use Facebook for business, I might have a nice solution for you next week.

On St. Patrick's Day, March 17th at 2pm Eastern time, 210 Consulting is hosting a Facebook workshop with our good friend Mike Mueller.  Mike will be teaching us how to create custom Facebook business pages.  Mike has created roughly 200 custom pages for his clients, and we are honored that he agreed to teach this for us. 

Included among the topics next week:

• How to build a Facebook page
• How to fully customize your FB page once you have it built
• Creating and adding custom tabs
• The differences between the page categories and which information is displayed with each

The session will last 90 minutes, give or take.  We wanted to make this phenomenal instruction affordable for our clients and friends, so we are only charging $49.  I promise that you will get more value than you pay for this session.

Seating is limited, so be sure to go ahead and register now if you're interested.  Visit http://budurl.com/fbworkshop to save your spot.  I'm sincerely not sure when or if this will be offered again online.  Mike has taught these techniques in person to individuals around the country, but not online in this way before.  He graciously agreed to do this for us since he is our friend. This is (for now at least) an exclusive offer from 210 Consulting only.

If you have any questions at all, let me know. 

We are at 50 registered for this free class.  There still is some time left to sign up.  You don't wanna miss this!

On March 11th, which is the day before SXSW Interactive starts, Austin will be hosting a very cool RE Barcamp event downtown.  I plan to be there helping with check-in at the beginning, and probably hanging out at the after party, too.  :)

If you don't know what a Barcamp is, you have to come and find out.  Basically, it's a day to network, learn, and hang out as we discuss social media, technology, and other online tools to help your real estate business.  It's also called an "unconference", which means that ANYONE can show up and lead a session.

Who should come?  Realtors, lenders, title reps, escrow officers, appraisers, inspectors, virtual assistants, home stagers and anyone else in the real estate world (or any other world -- PR, Marketing, etc) who wants to improve their social media game.

There is space for up to 300 people, and so far over 60 have signed up.  If you are within driving distance, you cannot miss this one.  I'm thankful that it's only about 20 minutes from my house!  If you have to make special arrangements and bump appointments, I still think this day will be a memorable one for you and worth the trouble.  After my first Barcamp in Houston back in 2008, I have loved the concept behind these events.

One of the best parts is the cost: it's 100% FREE to participants.  How can you pass this up?

If you know anyone interested in sponsoring, I think we still need 2 more sponsors to make everything happen.  Sponsorships are only $250 each, and that will get you on the t-shirt, etc.  The last I heard, we need to know by Friday about any additional sponsors in order to ensure that you will appear on the event shirt. 

If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer them.  I hope to see you there!

To RSVP today, visit http://rebarcamp.com/austin and click on the tab to register.  You can also click on the "Who's Coming?" tab to see who has currently signed up to attend. 

See you there!

Well, it appears that Texas remains one of the strongest real estate investments around, as evidenced by a new list released by Forbes.com last week.  In fact, ours was the only state to place more than one city on the list (3 total!). 

Austin is #10 on their "America's Best Housing Markets" list.  For those of us who live and work here, the only surprise in this story is that we weren't at the top!  However, Houston appears at #3, and Dallas/Fort Worth is at #9 this time around.

The criteria used for this particular list were:

• Low foreclosure rate
• Rising home prices
• Continued affordability for people in median income range
• Areas without much excess inventory

To see the entire story, visit:  http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/19/best-housing-prices-personal-finance-real-estate-affordable-homes.html    

Here are the top ten best housing markets for 2010 according to Forbes.com:

1. Pittsburgh, PA
2. Louisville, KY
3. Houston, TX
4. Minneapolis, MN
5. Indianapolis, IA
6. Memphis, TN
7. Columbus, OH
8. St. Louis, MO
9. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
10. Austin, TX

If you're considering a move to Austin or if you are interested in investing in Austin TX real estate, let me know.  I would love the opportunity to help.  You can call me anytime at 512-796-7653 (cell) or email jason@austintexashomes.com.  Thanks!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualistimages/3723339227/

Nestled on a cul-de-sac street in one of Round Rock's most popular communities, 2012 Solitude Cove offers a terrific, functional layout with nice space at an affordable price. 

If you get a home under contract by April 30th and close by June 30th, you may qualify for one of the federal homebuyer tax credits, too!

Details:

• 4 Bedrooms PLUS study with glass French doors
• 2130 s.f. per builder plan
• One-story floorplan flows well
• Wood floors through entry, kitchen, and breakfast areas
• Granite counters and nice tile backsplash
• Large master bedroom separate from other bedrooms for privacy
• Master bathroom with double vanity, garden tub, and separate shower
• Custom side door leads to stone patio and HUGE oak tree
• Enlarged back patio
• Professionally landscaped back yard
• Surround sound system to convey with home
• No neighbor behind you!  Backs to neighborhood street
• 10' Ceilings in main areas of the home
• Sonoma neighborhood was named, "Best Master Planned Community"
• Elementary and Middle schools are within easy walking distance of the home

If you have any questions at all or if you would like to set up a time to take a look at this home, feel free to give me a call anytime at 512-796-7653 (cell) or email me at jason@austintexashomes.com.  If you are interested in searching all Austin homes for sale, visit my website at www.austintexashomes.com.

After attending Raincamp Dallas, I received a number of requests to re-teach some of our recent classes.  Jeremy and I will be offering both of our initial 210 Consulting webinars next week once again. 

"How to Chug Google Juice AND Get 15 Years of Fame" - Monday, March 1st - 1-3pm Eastern

The primary topics for our class will be: 

• How to write posts on your blog to increase your inquiries (and sales)
• How to get Google and other search engines to pay attention to your blog
• Dominating Google for your desired keywords
• What a longtail keyword is, and how it can send you oodles of potential business
• How to garner more subscribers and a loyal audience for your blog

In essence, your blog should serve as your "home base" online with any social media marketing plan.  With that in mind, we can help you shape your blog into a cozy and fun place to hang out.  

How would it feel to see other people start to spread your content and writing around to their friends?  
What are your goals with regard to blogging and social media?  This session is an absolute must for anyone who is new to blogging, or to anyone who feels that they aren't optimizing their efforts with their blog....yet.  We promise to share what has worked well for us.  

 Register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/581158260 - Cost is $60 - use discount code "activerain" for $10 off

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"Cashing In on Your Social Media Investment" - Tuesday, March 2nd from 2-4pm Eastern

During our (approximate) two-hour session, Jeremy Blanton and I will share a number of items that will help you to better leverage your online marketing efforts. 

For the upcoming class, we will be providing lots of details on specific tools that we have used to make it easier to engage with others.  We can also show you some tricks using Twitter and Facebook to connect with others in your geographic area and to find potential clients.  We will also cover Flickr, YouTube, and Posterous.

We will be discussing the following topics in a fun, laidback atmosphere:

• How to effectively listen in order to identify potential clients
• How to add valuable content to engage with those around you 
• Some basic "etiquette" for Twitter, Facebook, and blogging
• Techniques for promoting yourself and your events

Register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/581176314 - Cost is $60 - use discount code "activerain" for $10 off

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If you're interested in taking both classes, we are offering a package deal for just $90 for all four hours of training.  Please email me directly at jason@210consulting.com to take advantage of this deal.

If you're unsure about paying for the classes right now, but you want to get a taste for our teaching style at 210 Consulting, you can also check out our FREE 45-minute webinar this Thursday at either 12:30pm Eastern or 1:30pm Eastern. 

The topic this week will be "20+ Social Media Tools for Your Business".  Seating is limited to 25 people per session.  If you're interested in the free sessions, simply fill out this form and we'll be in touch with more details soon:

 

I wrote yesterday asking my local Austin-area friends if they would be interested in helping my 8-year old daughter by buying Girl Scout Cookies from us.  Many people said that they would if they could, but it's not practical to ship them to other states or cities. Others mentioned that the large cookie photo I used made them drool on their keyboards.

At any rate, if you want to support our cookie sales efforts, but you are:

• worried about your diet
• too far away, OR
• a crazy person who doesn't like the taste of the cookies

I have an idea for you. 

It's called "Operation Cookie Drop".  Basically, you donate $3.50 for each box of cookies, and they will be delivered to our troops overseas.

Cool, huh?

I have already bought and consumed cookies myself, but I think I may just go ahead and donate some extra money for this very special cause.

Here are a handful of benefits:

• You can keep your girlish (or boyish) figure intact
• You are directly helping our troops
• You are benefitting the Girl Scouts
• I will be your new friend

Perhaps best of all, the donation is tax deductible!

In an effort to make it easier, you can pay via PayPal (any amount in $3.50 increments) by sending the money to our account at jasonpam@swbell.net.  We will then write a check for the total and provide a receipt for your tax records if you like.  

If you would like to pay by check (minimum donation of $14), you can make it out to "GSCTX" or "Girl Scouts of Central Texas" and mail it to my office at 3636 Executive Center Drive, #210, Austin, TX  78731. 

Of course, my original offer still stands as well.  If you are in the general Austin area, and you buy at least three boxes, we will deliver them to your home or office personally.  I am meeting one fellow AR member (Robert Twaron) on Thursday who is driving up from San Antonio to pick up 9 boxes!

Don't wait too long - the sale ends March 14th.

Thanks in advance for your help!   If you have any questions, let me know.

I'm curious to see if this will bring results or not.  If not, no harm done.  If so, I can help out a good cause and my daughter at the same time.

If you live in the general Austin area, let me know if you would like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies.  My 8-year-old daughter is selling them for the first time this year.

If you buy at least three boxes ($10.50 or more), and you live/work in the Austin metro area, my daughter and I will deliver them to you at your home or office (your choice). 

By the way, I already know what you're thinking.  YES!  They are still just as delicious as you remember them.  In fact, you might be doing my waistline a service by getting them out of my house.  They are really, really good. 

The cost?  $3.50 per box. 

The sale is still going on for almost two weeks, from what I understand, so time is of the essence.  They've even added some new cookies to the old favorites.  Meet the cookies here (but buy them from us if you are in/near Austin): http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/

Help me demonstrate the power of social media and blogging.  :)  They also make great gifts. 

Quick update: If you are dieting, or you live too far away to take advantage of this, you can also donate to help the cause, and the cookies will be sent to our troops stationed overseas:

Do you want to help my daughter AND our troops? Read on...

On Monday night, I drove up to my mom's house near Dallas and spent the night in anticipation of the Raincamp event the next day.  Surprisingly, there was still several inches of snow on the ground when I arrived, although the roads were clear.  Since we didn't get any snow at all at my house, I was a little disappointed that my kids weren't there to see it. 

This was the very first night I spent away from my wife and kids since May of 1998, when my son was a few months old.  He had an emergency surgery (intestinal blockage) the night before my grandfather's funeral.  I was there for both "events".  When I was at Raincamp, I mistakenly thought that it was the very first time I'd been away from them.  Still, it takes a lot to get me away from my family.  I was looking forward to Raincamp for weeks.

But I digress...

Raincamp was a terrific event!  It was incredibly valuable from a networking standpoint, since it allowed me to finally connect in person with many of my friends from AR that I have known for years online.  Additionally, I learned some great techniques with regard to lead conversion and generation.  I hope to implement some of the real estate ideas right away at my company.  Big thanks to Ben Kinney, Bob Stewart, and Brad Andersohn for putting together such a cool day of learning.  I have a list several pages long of sites to check out. 

After lunch, I was asked to sit on a social media panel with my good friend Debe Maxwell of Charlotte and Josh Hartley of Dallas.  It was a lot of fun to answer questions from Brad and Ben and a few from the audience as well.  Here's a picture that Lori Cain of Tulsa took of us:

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend getting to one of these events if you have a chance.  You will learn some tips, tricks and techniques that will help your business to grow, regardless of your level of expertise.  They covered a broad array of information in one day, and I am frankly not that easy to impress.  I won't claim that I learned something during every part of the event, since I also teach social media and blogging, but I will say that it was well worth my time to attend. 

Ben has a very laidback presenting style, but hearing some of his sales techniques was motivational to me as a broker.  It stimulated me to work on our own lead conversion, since we have tons of leads coming to our site, yet not that many sales to show for it most months.

I think Bob mentioned that the next Raincamp will be held in Denver.  If you have a chance to make it, GO!  Maybe I can convince them to fly me in.  Kidding.

P.S. I wasn't really kidding in my title, by the way.  I spent so much time talking that I really didn't make a point to take pictures, and I even ended up with a hoarse voice the next day.  I was hoping that many of the photos that were taken with me in them would appear on posts and on Facebook.  I wasn't disappointed, since I saw a bunch of them in earlier AR posts, but I didn't see any of them make it to FB.  If you have any to share, feel free to post them in the comments below.  :)