Tribute to America (4th of July video)

Controlled Burn Out of Control

Heavy smoke continues to blanket the Mother Lode due to the escaped controlled burn in the Big Meadow area of Yosemite. The size of the fire is now at approximately 2,500 acres according to thepinetree.net. The pictures of the smoke (along with the two videos below) are from near the Outpost Gas Station at Highway 108, Soulsbyville and Longeway Ave, Mono Vista area looking east towards Mount Provo and Mount Elizabeth. For an excellent list of tips on how to remain ready in case of wildfires, click HERE.

Fire on the Mountain

I don't have to tell you there's a fire burning in Tuolumne County. All you have to do is take a breath to realize that. On the other hand, I do have some pictures to offer and a video of a smoke-filled sky and awesome sunrise from the perch of my home in the Mono Vista area near Soulsbyville. It's quite a spectacular sight (if I do say so myself). Beyond that, you'll notice two links. The first is to the Cal Fire news site that offers updates on what has been dubbed the "Knight fire" north of Twain Harte which is behind all the smoke. (Click HERE.) The second link is really cool. It's to a local webcam that looks across Bald Mountain and Telegraph Mountain towards the Mount Knight area where the fire is located. (Click HERE.) We strive to offer a lot of things on the Sugar Pine Realty blog site including posts that may help to ensure your safety in times of emergency. I hope you enjoy the pictures and video.

On the Shoulders of Giants

With mounting unemployment and job losses, with soaring State and Federal budget deficits, with North Korea firing off multiple rockets and freedom protestors being put to death on the streets of Iran - and adding to these, whatever challenges each of us might have at a personal level that no one else knows about - with all of these things going on, and in the midst of them, there's still much to celebrate this Independence Day weekend. America is the land of the free and home of the brave. There has never been a better place to live, raise your kids, pursue your dreams and hope for the future. Right? And so to get you started this holiday weekend in the spirit of things, I've got a Tribute to America video for you to watch below set to a guitar instrumental. It offers a panorama of American history from the founding fathers to today. We are truly standing on the shoulders of giants in the great ol' US of A. I hope you enjoy the video and have a happy Fourth of July, everybody!

November Mother Lode Sales Numbers

Happy December everyone! The final Mother Lode market numbers for November 2008 compared to November 2007 are in: CLICK HERE. Along with that you'll find the year-to-year comparison for eleven months (Jan-Nov) of 2008 versus eleven months (Jan-Nov) of 2007: CLICK HERE. You'll also notice the graphs including the Mother Lode Residential Unit Sales through November 2008 graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 1 on the above left) along with the Mother Lode Residential Volume Sales graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 2 on the right) and the Mother Lode Residential Average Sales Price graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 3 on the left), respectively. (The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.) As usual, I also have some of the numbers in black and white here:

UNIT SALES: Nov 08 = 34; Nov 07 = 41; -17%
VOL SALES: Nov 08 = $9,349,249; Nov 07 = $15,190,692; -38%
AVG SALES PRICE: Nov 08 = $274,977; Nov 07 = $370,504; -26%

Watch for Calaveras MLS stats to be posted soon.

So Where Did the Coffee Go? (Conclusion)

I want to conclude my pointing out of the new look of the Sugar Pine Realty blog today. And to keep up with my theme in Part 1 & 2 using coffee (you need to read the first two posts if you don't know what I'm talking about - click here for Part 1 / click here for Part 2), I'm doing another spin off of the "Where's Waldo?" puzzle. This time the picture of the cup of coffee is multiplied throughout this blog. You need to search for it and count the number of times it appears and then email me back HERE to find out if you found them all. (Yes, that is #1 to the right, but don't count the ones in the clip art above.) Of course, this approach of mine is meant to get you to again look around at the different bells and whistles that appear on the Sugar Pine Realty blog. In particular I'd like you to notice, first of all, in the left sidebar (approximately 5 page downs from the top of the blog) a section under the heading Links of Interest. In this section you will find a number of links to relevant websites that you can use to increase your business presence on the internet. From Twitter (the latest craze in social media approach) to Feedburner (promote your blog, podcasts to a larger audience) to Picnik (enhance your listing pictures, add text to them & more) to Widgetbox (create widgets for others to use and follow you on the web) - it's all here in one easy place - on the Sugar Pine Realty blog. (See clickable thumbnail on the left.) Another section I want you to take notice of is right across from the Links of Interest section, this time in the right side bar you'll discover links to First American Agent First where you can do parcel searches (contact me and I'll be happy to give you the information on how to sign up if you haven't yet), Tuolumne County Assessor and Calaveras County Assessor where you can gain access to property tax info as long as you have a parcel number. The last section I want you to notice is a little bit further down on the blog and back again to the left sidebar. (See the clickable thumbnail to the above right.) This section under the heading Information Links includes links to sites including Calaveras Association of Realtors, Tuolumne Association of Realtors, Inman News, National Association of Realtors Info, etc. Check out all the links when you have time. There's a wealth of relevant information here on the Sugar Pine Realty blog.

Technologies to Help Increase Your Network

If you want to thrive in business, you need to network. And you need to continue to develop your network through the use of any and all means available. You also must use any and all means available to make it easy for people to connect with you. Especially on the world wide web. And so I'm wanting to let you know about a couple of technologies (if you haven't heard of these yet) that can help you to increase your network and offer ease of communication between you and your website/blog visitors. The technologies are Twitter and Cbox. They are both free. Let's talk about Twitter, first. Twitter is a sort of micro-blogging website (according to nytimes.com). Twitter offers you the ability to post short statements (only 140 characters allowed) and then others can sign up to follow along with what's on your mind and what you're up to. This might not sound like much when it comes to furthering your network, so I've included two posts for you to read that explain it really well: (1) How Twitter can help at work (nytimes.com) and (2) I learned everything I need to know about Social Media on Twitter (thank you, Joel McDonald - automatedhomefinder.com). I can't stress enough how the implementation of the advice given in these two posts alone can help transform your networking online and the expansion and potential expansion of your business. Did you see what I just said? (This is an edit one day later: The Real Estate Tweet Plan That Won't Cramp Your Style - this article offers you one person's idea on how you might schedule your use of Twitter effectively - thank you, Nicole Nicolay, of Effektive Solutions.) And then there's Cbox. Cbox stands for chat box (of course). The cool thing about Cbox is you can embed this widget on to your website or blog and then those who visit your site can automatically speak with you right then and there. (Check out the Cbox on this blog just to the right in the sidebar. Try it out. Send me a message!) That's it for today. Let me know if you put any of these technologies to use. CLICK HERE for Twitter. CLICK HERE for Cbox.

So Where Did the Coffee Go? (Part 2)

I want to continue to point out the new look of the Sugar Pine Realty blog today. And to keep up with my theme in Part 1 (of trying to find which aisle they moved the coffee to in a grocery store), I've actually included a picture of a cup of coffee somewhere on the Sugar Pine Realty blog for you to search for and find for fun (kind of like "Where's Waldo?"). (Don't forget to email me back HERE to tell me if you find it.) Before you look for the cup of coffee (it's on this page, it really is, don't give up looking) I would like you to notice, first of all, some new links I've included in the right sidebar. If you page down from the top of the blog 5 times (at least it's 5 with my Page Down button), you'll notice links to the latest foreclosures according to foreclosureconnections.com. (See clickable thumbnail to the right.) I'd like to hear what you think as to the accuracy of this site and also to the practability of use for a realtor with clients. How might it help you to generate business? The second thing I want you to notice (right below the foreclosure links) are a few useful links for agents in particular - links to Paragon, to Delta Group (the back end/maintenance area of the Sugar Pine Realty website), to Transaction Point, to WINforms and then finally, to my.gmacrealestate.com. It might be helpful to you to know that each of these links are all here in one place so if you get somewhere and you don't necessarily remember the web address to these key sites, maybe you'll remember they're here in the right sidebar on the Sugar Pine Realty blog (approximately 6 page downs on the page). One last thing I'd like to point out to you today which happens to be found in the left sidebar now. Page down 3 times from the top of the blog and you'll find links to 17 search engines, 13 listing search sites below that and finally, 5 local search directories below that. (See also clickable thumbnail on the left.) All these links are placed here for your convenience. When you think search, think the Sugar Pine Realty blog! That does it for today. I'll be back soon with another installment of "So Where Did the Coffee Go?" Don't forget to look for the cup of coffee picture somewhere on this blog! (This is the second part in a series reintroducing the Sugar Pine Realty blog.)

So Where Did the Coffee Go? (Part 1)

Have you ever gone to the grocery store to buy, let's just say, a can of Folger's Decaf, and when you got to the aisle where the coffee's supposed to be, it wasn't there, it was moved? It might feel like that for some of you who visit the Sugar Pine Realty blog. In case you haven't noticed, it has gone through a sort of metamorphosis over the past couple of weeks from two columns to three columns, for one thing. But beyond that, there have been a number of new links added as well as many of the old links have either been moved or deleted. And so today I want to fill you in on where the "Folger's Decaf" has gone when it comes to the Sugar Pine Realty blog. And maybe along with that I can point out some of the bells and whistles that the Sugar Pine Realty blog affords especially Sugar Pine Realty agents. The first thing I want you to notice is the Home of the Week which is always found in the right sidebar near the top of the blog. (See the clickable thumbnail on the right.) Of course, this rotates weekly and if you would like any or all of your listings to rotate here, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'll be happy to move you up to the top of the list. The second thing I want you to notice is right below the Home of the Week. (See clickable thumbnail on the above right again.) It's a graph from compete.com measuring the unique visitors per month to sugarpinerealty.com. The definition of a unique visitor (as compete.com has it on their site) is this: "The Unique Visitors metric only counts a person once no matter how many times they visit a site in a given month. Unique Visitors are typically used to determine how popular a site is." The third and final thing I want you to notice - if you page down in the right sidebar (I counted 7 times on my page down button) you'll discover a section entitled: Market Your Listings. (See also the clickable thumbnail on the above left.) Here you'll find a number of sites where you can promote each of your listed properties. And most of these sites are for free! Check it out - from free podcasting (Odiogo) to free flyers (vFlyer) to free videos (Animoto), etc. It's a no-brainer in a challenging market. That does it for today. I'll be back soon with another installment of "So Where Did the Coffee Go?" (This is the first part in a series reintroducing the Sugar Pine Realty blog.)

October Mother Lode Sales Numbers

The final Mother Lode market numbers for October 2008 compared to October 2007 are in: CLICK HERE. Along with that you'll find the year-to-year comparison for ten months (Jan-Oct) of 2008 versus ten months (Jan-Oct) of 2007: CLICK HERE. You'll also notice the graphs including the Mother Lode Residential Unit Sales through October 2008 graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 1 on the above left) along with the Mother Lode Residential Volume Sales graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 2 on the right) and the Mother Lode Residential Average Sales Price graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 3 on the left), respectively. (The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.) As usual, I also have some of the numbers in black and white here:

UNIT SALES: Oct 08 = 48; Oct 07 = 40; +20%
VOL SALES: Oct 08 = $13,575,200; Oct 07 = $13,705,180; -1%
AVG SALES PRICE: Oct 08 = $282,816; Oct 07 = $342,629; -17%

Watch for Calaveras MLS stats to be posted soon.

Real Estate Fraud Fee - Like It or Not?

You've likely heard of the new fee to be imposed per real estate transaction that the Tuolumne County Supervisors just passed. It went down yesterday, a 5-0 vote. And so now in place is a $3.00 fee which will be collected each time property is sold "on specific pieces of paperwork" according to an article by Bill Johnson on mymotherlode.com. (Read the entire article here: Fees To Be Charged To Help Fight Real Estate Fraud.) So what do you think about this new fee? Do you think it's a good thing? Do you think it will help to minimize the potential for fraud in our County? Do you think it's just another tax? Do you think real estate agents in particular are being wrongly targeted? Please feel free to leave your thoughts by clicking the comment link below.

Step Up to a "Video Extraordinaire"

I've got some new technology to tell you about today (thanks to the geekestate blog). Animoto is the latest online service for real estate agents to use to create the coolest video shows of their listings. Animoto's approach is similar to the way we've become accustomed to constructing a traditional slideshow. You upload your photos to Animoto. You then choose music (of which Animoto offers you loads of choices or you can upload your own). And then in the final step, Animoto does it's magic and transforms your photos into what I term as a "video extraordinaire." (To view one of my Animoto creations, click here.) Animoto has both a free level and a paid level. The free level allows for (and as I've played with it I've come to figure out) 10 photos to be uploaded and a 30-second length of video. The paid level allows for a much greater amount of photos to be uploaded and a greater video length (and other perks as well). Free or paid, you are able to email potential buyers and/or embed your Animoto shows on your blog or website. Animoto is a no-brainer if you're looking to step up to the next level beyond traditional slideshows. Check it out when you get the chance.

The Cyclic Nature of Business

While the politicians are considering taxing businesses, I hope they don't forget the cyclic nature of all businesses. Real estate is a good example. In a boom part of a business cycle, real estate agents and companies make (sometimes) a lot of money. Business then flat lines for 2-3 years and little or no income is earned. Then, in a slower market or "bust", businesses must plow money back in to keep the doors open, size down, reduce overhead, then reinvest to prepare for the next boom cycle. So over a 10-year period after profit, reinvestment and growth, the overall profit is probably minimal. With added business taxes, especially in a boom cycle where companies earn the most, that may be enough drain to stop a lot of businesses from surviving the next down-cycle. Without profit, what is the point of business?

Again, when politicians talk about taxing business, I hope they don't forget the cyclic nature of business.

Emmett Brennan
Sugar Pine Realty
Owner-Broker-Founder

Areas We Serve With Characteristics You Deserve

With all the turmoil in the global financial markets taking place, I thought it would be a good time to give your mind and emotions a break (depending on your investments) and mention another new web technology. I came across Wordle recently. Wordle is a technology that allows you to create a "word cloud" using whatever terms you choose. And so Wordle is really just another cool way to communicate visually. And since it's all about visual these days especially on the web, I put together a word cloud to speak about our company, Sugar Pine Realty, the areas we serve and the characteristics our clients deserve - which they will find in our 50+ agents in seven offices across two counties. Click on the thumbnail below and see if you can pick out the areas Sugar Pine Realty serves and the characteristics Sugar Pine Realty professionals portray. And then go and have fun creating a word cloud at Wordle yourself. (Of course, the images in this post were created and are attributed to http://www.wordle.net/.)

September Mother Lode Sales Numbers

The final Mother Lode market numbers for September 2008 compared to September 2007 are in: CLICK HERE. Along with that you'll find the year-to-year comparison for nine months (Jan-Sept) of 2008 versus nine months (Jan-Sept) of 2007: CLICK HERE. You'll also notice the graphs including the Mother Lode Residential Unit Sales through September 2008 graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 1 on the above right) along with the Mother Lode Residential Volume Sales graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 2 on the left) and the Mother Lode Residential Average Sales Price graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 3 on the right), respectively. (The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.) As usual, I also have some of the numbers in black and white here:

UNIT SALES: Sept 08 = 33; Sept 07 = 48; -31%
VOL SALES: Sept 08 = $12,342,569; Sept 07 = $19,946,729; -38%
AVG SALES PRICE: Sept 08 = $374,017; Sept 07 = $415,556; -10%

Watch for Calaveras MLS stats to be posted soon.

One for the Dogs (Cats, Horses, Llamas, Etc.)

Here's a post for all you pet owners out there who are considering a move to the Mother Lode. Whether it's a dog, cat, horse, llama (or anything in between) that you own, when you come to the Sonora area you're gonna want to know where stuff is. And to make it easier for you once you get here, I've gathered together a number of links (see below) to many of the services available in the Mother Lode from pet shops to feed stores to sitting services to veterinary hospitals, etc. You name it, the Sonora area has got it for your pet! Here are the links:

All Services
Jake & LuLu's Pet Boutique

Bathing Services
Dusty's Den
Tia's Tub 'n Toys

Boarding & Sitting Services
All Animal Home-Care
Paws Inn
Sonora Sitter

Feed & Supply
Hurst Ranch Feeds & Fencing
McDillard's Feed & Supply
Spence Ranch Feed & Supply

Grooming
Corrine's Pet Grooming
Yorkle & Friends Pet Salon

Pet Supplies
Angels Pet Center & Supply
Away in the Woods
Pet Supplies

Vets
Alpine Animal Hospital
Animal Medical Clinic
Columbia Veterinary Hospital
Jamestown Veterinary Hospital
Mono Way Veterinary
Sierra Veterinary Care
Sonora Veterinary Group Inc
Twain Harte Veterinary Care

Set Yourself Apart with Audio/Video

In a tight market it's all the more crucial and incumbent upon real estate professionals to set themselves apart from the crowd. One way to do it is through the use of audio and/or video "welcomes" on your blog or website. It's really quite simple to do it yourself. All you need is a cheap microphone (from Staples or Walmart) and a digital camera and you can create something after the likes of the following two examples. On realestatezebra.com, the agent uses video to introduce himself and his website to customers: click here to view (once on the site click the youtube video on the left). On wealthydecorators.com, the designer uses audio to introduce herself and what she has to offer to customers: click here to listen (once on the site the audio automatically plays). So how can you do this yourself? For video: plan a short script, dress in your Sunday best, get a friend to film you, save it to your computer, upload it to youtube, copy and paste the code to your blog or website. For audio: plan a short script, download a free sound recorder (here), warm up your vocal chords, record your clip, upload it to podbean, copy and paste the code to your blog or website. Of course, you can contact me if you would like some help or have any questions.

Helping Kids Through a Move

When moving your family to a new home, it's especially important to be aware of what your children are facing — new friends, new neighborhood, new schools — and help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Before you move:
(1) Find out as much as you can about your new community. If possible, take your child with you on house-hunting trips.
(2) Visit your child's new school. Ask if there is a dress code and see what kids are wearing.
(3) Help your child plan a going-away party. Give guests stamped envelopes with your new address to encourage letter-writing.
(4) Plan a family outing to say "goodbye" to some of your child's favorite places.
(5) Pack a few of your child's belongings to take with you in the car or carry on the plane, in case there's a delay in moving your possessions into your home.

Once you're there:
(1) Help arrange and decorate your child's room right away. When the kids are situated, work on the rest of the house will go much more smoothly.
(2) Encourage your child to join extra-curricular activities. They're a great way to find new friends with common interests.
(3) Get a map and help your child learn his or her way around. Find out where the nearest locations are for activities your child enjoys.

Along with all this, the best thing you can do for your children is to present a positive attitude about the move, keep them informed and reassure them that you'll be there to help them face new challenges.

What People Are Looking For in a Realtor®

What are people looking for in a real estate professional? The following GMAC survey sheds some light. It was taken of customers who had recently purchased or sold a home. Here's what some said about their experiences with realtors:

1. They didn't keep their promises.
2. They didn't communicate frequently enough.
3. They didn't think agents had their best interests in mind.
4. They couldn't differentiate between real estate companies.
5. They really didn't know what to expect from real estate agents.

The survey went on to say that most consumers found the real estate transaction frustrating, time consuming and stressful.

And so what are people looking for in a real estate professional? Well, according to the above survey they are looking for:

1. Agents who keep their promises.
2. Agents who communicate frequently.
3. Agents who have their best interests in mind.
4. Agents who differentiate themselves from agents of other companies.
5. Agents who clearly spell out their services to their clients.

We at Sugar Pine Realty are committed to delivery in each of these areas. You will enjoy a less frustrating, time consuming and stressful real estate transaction by choosing Sugar Pine Realty. Call us today at: 209-533-4242. (Above GMAC Survey gleaned from GMAC Real Estate Reminder Binder)

Mother Lode Market Numbers to Chew On

The final Mother Lode market numbers for August 2008 compared to August 2007 are in: CLICK HERE. Along with that you'll find the year-to-year comparison for eight months (Jan-Aug) of 2008 versus eight months (Jan-Aug) of 2007: CLICK HERE. You'll also notice the graphs including the Mother Lode Residential Unit Sales through August 2008 graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 1 on the above left) along with the Mother Lode Residential Volume Sales graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 2 on the right) and the Mother Lode Residential Average Sales Price graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 3 below), respectively. (The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.) And for those of you that just like to chew on the numbers in black and white, here some of them are:

UNIT SALES: Aug 08 = 58; Aug 07 = 66; -12%
VOL SALES: Aug 08 = $17,053,218; Aug 07 = $23,903,675; -29%
AVG SALES PRICE: Aug 08 = $294,021; Aug 07 = $362,176; -19%