Technology to Make Your Life Easier

Okay, before you can read this post, you need to answer one question. (Please?) What does "pdf" stand for? Three choices: (a) Police Department-Fresno; (b) polka dot fairy; (c) portable document format. I know you thought hard about (b), but if you guessed (c), you're right. And, of course, pdf files have become the industry standard and universal file format across the web of which we're all familiar with. To this point you've been able to open pdf files using the free program: Adobe Reader. Now you can also create pdf files yourself using another free program: pdf995. (Talk about making your life easier.) The way it works (after download and install) is you open whatever file it is that you want to make into a pdf - it could be a Word or Excel or Publisher doc or even a web page, etc. Then you go to print it and choose the printer: PDF995 - and voila! A window opens where you can save the document as a pdf. To get started and download the program, click HERE. You'll want to save all four files to desktop, then double-click each to install. It's as simple as that. Let me know if you have any questions.

Flying High with vFlyer

Just a real quick post to remind you about the online technology called: vFlyer. That's right - it's a virtual flyer application where you can input a listing and then distribute it to all the prime real estate viewing sites on the web including Trulia, Zillow, Cyberhomes and Google Base. I especially like the ease at which vFlyer allows you now to send listings to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. It's actually pretty cool. Of course, vFlyer offers a free account where you can post two listings at any one time without cost. And then there are paid levels (depending on your budget) that allow for more listings. It's really a no-brainer to add to your arsenal of internet marketing. You'll be flying high for all to see with vFlyer. For a Sugar Pine Realty example, CLICK HERE. Sign up today at: vFlyer.com.

End of May Mother Lode Market Stats & Graphs

The final Mother Lode market numbers for May 2008 compared to May 2007 are in: CLICK HERE. Along with that I've got the year-to-year comparison for the first five months (Jan-May) of 2008 versus the first five months (Jan-May) of 2007: CLICK HERE. And it doesn't stop there. You'll also notice the updated graphs including the Mother Lode Residential Unit Sales through May 2008 graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 1 above), along with the Mother Lode Residential Volume Sales graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 2 right side) and the Mother Lode Residential Average Sales Price graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 3 below), respectively. Enough stats for ya? I'm out of breath just writing this. (The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.)

End of April Market Stats (and more)

Sugar Pine Realty endeavors to provide timely and relevant info and statistics on the real estate market in the Mother Lode. Today we have the final numbers for April 2008 (as of 9:00 this morning). We also have the year-to-year comparison for the first four months of 2008 versus the first four months of 2007. The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. A couple of quick observations: (1) We're looking for the bottom in the market. It seems we can't be too far away with the further steep downturn in April residential sales as an example: 26 sold, a 50% decrease over April 2007; $13,547,950 volume sold, a 63% decrease over April 2007; (2) The average sale price of residential property for the first four months of 2008 is: $317,827 versus last year for the same period: $366,212. That's a 13% decrease. For the rest of the statistics and more particulars, click the links below to view either of the two reports. They are printable PDF files that are perfect for consumers:

Final Numbers for April 2008 vs April 2007
Year-to-Year Comparison Jan-Apr 2008 vs previous year

A Web Address for Each of Your Listings

I've got another website to quickly tell you about. It's ListingDomains.com. At ListingDomains.com you can purchase a domain name and website that matches the exact address of any of your listings. And so if your property address happens to be, for instance, 14800 Azucena Ct, Coulterville (a Sugar Pine Realty listing, by the way), ListingDomains.com gives you the ability to create: http://www.14800azucena.com (click on the link to see) where all the details of your listing are made available for viewing. As low as $50.00 gets you a domain name and website. (There is even preferred pricing for GMAC Real Estate affiliates and a demo version you can try out that's free!) Maybe ListingsDomains.com will work for you. It's just another way to get the word out on your listings on the world wide web.

Google Earth to Enhance Your Listings

Most of you know about Google Earth - that online virtual globe where you can search for and look at satellite images of anywhere on the planet. I wanted to mention one way you can use Google Earth images to enhance your listings. It's pretty simple. You download Google Earth to your computer. Then you go in and search for one of your listings. (Type in the address in the search bar at the upper left of the page.) Once you have your listing, save it to your desktop (File>Save>Save Image or Ctrl+Alt+S). And then you're ready! - to include as one of your pictures in the MLS, or on a flyer, or in a YouTube or FlyInside still show, or on your website, blog, etc. There are also some other ways to enhance your Google Earth image. I use the simple program, Microsoft Paint (all Windows systems have it). Open your Google Earth picture file in Microsoft Paint and then you can put a location dot for example (click here or 1st image) to point out the property more clearly. Or you could draw an arrow pointing out Bear Valley (for example) to the east (click here or 2nd image). It's just kind of a neat way to use Google Earth. Give me a call if you need any help using this with your Sonora, Twain Harte, Mother Lode area listings.

If Cupid Were A Realtor...

Most of us know who Cupid is. He’s that guy who goes around shooting arrows at people so they fall in love. Right? But what you probably didn’t know is Cupid had a second occupation. He was a realtor, too. (Or, at least Cupid should have been.) The real estate business is all about match-making. You’re trying to “match” the right agent with the right client, the right buyer with the right piece of property, the right seller with the right asking price. And Cupid would have been good at doing all these things. Think about it. When a seller would want to list his east of nowhere shack for a million dollars, what would Cupid do? Of course - He’d shoot him with an arrow and instantly the seller would come back to reality. And when a buyer (who Cupid had been working with for over a year) called and said they’d like to view 15 homes on Cupid’s day off, what would Cupid do? He’d shoot another arrow and the buyer would purchase the first home they visited, all cash. And then when an agent on the other side of an escrow would drop the ball and Cupid would have to do all the work, what would Cupid do? You guessed it. Another arrow. And that agent would be transformed from lazy to “Super Agent.” Surely Cupid would have been good in real estate. Maybe some of us should think about buying some of Cupid’s arrows? Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody.