Real Estate Links Some of the Best, Some of the Worst

Posted by arieardian Rabu, 19 Desember 2012 0 komentar

While Investment Homes hold the position of some of the most impressive, cutting edge and prestigious websites online, they can also hold the reputation for the ugliest and least intuitive sites as well.
Zillow is a great example of a new media giant. What started out as a highly secretive startup by the ex CEO of Expedia turned into one of the most talked about sites of the year. It has already been branded by the public the "EBay of real estate sites". Their site technology has resulted in many industry innovations and in fact is changing the real estate industry as we know it.
Redfin and Trulia are another two up and comers in the real estate technology arena. Redfin has already dominated a 60 minutes show recently and Trulia has just received another 10 million in financing. In fact in January 2007, all three of these companies were listed in Swanepoel TRENDS Report as part of the "Top 10 Trendsetters" online.
Academics report that with over 100+ million websites online, approximately 6% of commercial websites are real estate related. The problem is that a vast majority of these sites are nowhere near the caliber of Zillow.com. Most are mere duplicates of poor real estate website design.
I'm sure you can picture them now, a headshot picture in the upper left hand corner, a pixilated, poorly designed logo, possibly an unnecessary, time consuming flash presentation at the beginning, content which doesn't stand out, poor information architecture, and countless links at the bottom of their homepage sending their site visitors to sites such as bulgariancardealers.com or real-estate-secrets-for-people-with-bad-credt.com.
At paperclipcms.com we only focus on real estate websites. We see countless real estate websites each day. We spend our days researching, analyzing, promoting, and designing real estate websites. Yet, we never get desensitized to the utterly horrible design and functionality of the majority of real estate websites out there today. It's sometimes shocking, sometimes tragic and often comical how poorly designed most real estate websites are.
The subject of real estate website design would not fit within the framework of this blog post, however we will point out some major "musts" for real estate websites.
1. Organize your outbound links and keep links to 3rd party sites to a minimum on your main page. If you have a real estate link exchange or resource page, make sure you have organized your links into categories and only included relevant links. A link from a coffee retailer will do more harm than good for your search engine ranking and your public image.
2. Organize your internal information architecture in such a way that is intuitive and minimal. Look at your metrics monitoring program to find out what your most popular pages are. While most real estate webmasters place a disproportionate amount of attention on their "about us" page, we have found these pages are frequented by less than 2% of website visitors. Our testing has shown the most popular pages on real estate websites have been property listing pages, property index pages, maps, blogs and of course the sites main page. People want properties and regional information before they want to know about what your education background is. Make sure you present your website information in an order that correlates to your website visitor preferences.
3. Ensure there is design continuity throughout your site. You should have one title font, size and color, one subtitle font, size and color and the body text should also be the same site wide. Similarly, ensure there is harmony between the colors on your site. There should be great thought put into the color combinations and the interaction between graphical elements and text elements. For example, if your banner has predominantly cool, blues and purples, then bring that into consideration whey dealing with your sites typography choices, such as page titles or subheadings.
4. Upload as many properties as you possibly can. All of our research has concluded the same findings. People visit real estate websites to search for properties. They want pictures, virtual tours, directions, descriptions and contact information. Too many real estate websites keep up a few outdated listings hoping their site visitors will call asking to see a particular place, to which there response will be "I'm sorry, that property is no longer available but maybe you should come by the office and I can show you a list of other properties that are available". This is such an ineffective way to harness the power of the internet.
The more properties you have on your site, the longer people will stay on your website and look around. The more properties you have on your site, the more education your site visitors will have regarding your property offerings and the less work you will need to do in the future informing your clients of property choices. The web saves both you and your clients a lot of time. You save time because you now have clients coming to you with printouts of the properties they want to see and you spend less time educating your clients. It's a win win situation, but it requires that you keep your website up to date and populated with many properties.
Again, you don't have to be the next Zillow.com, and you don't need to do an IPO to raise money to ensure you site gets the attention it deserves. While building a quality real estate website takes time, it's not something that out of reach to the average real estate professional. It just takes some pre-planning and a basic understanding of design and technology.

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Tips On Buying Lake Front Property

Posted by arieardian Selasa, 18 Desember 2012 0 komentar

The NH Lakes Region has attracted people from all over the world for decades. The charm of historic NH, coupled with the beauty of the waters within, is a union that cannot simply be done justice by words alone. Many people decide to buy NH lakefront homes, whether it be their primary home or a second home to enjoy from spring through mid-fall. The decision to make the NH Lakes Region one's vacation home destination, comes usually after experiencing the area first-hand. While contemplating purchasing a home in the NH Lakes Region, it is important to consider a few things. Here are 7 items to consider during the decision making process:
#1 Flood/Hurricane Insurance
The NH Lakes Region is comprised of a number of desirable lakes and ponds. While out there beginning your search, make sure you find out whether or not the property(s) you are interested in are in a flood zone. Flood insurance and hurricane insurance should be considered. For more information on both, the best contact is going to be your insurance representative.
#2 Local Rental Market
There are so many recreational activities in the NH Lakes Region... not just in the spring/summer/fall months, but in the winter months as well. If you are planning to purchase an Colorado Springs REO to vacation in during the summer season, and rent out during the winter, you will want to have a strong understanding of the rental market in the area you are considering. Talk to your Buyer Agent to find out what homes are renting for on that particular body of water, and find out if there is a local property management company that can assist you while you are away.
#3 Restrictive Covenants
Every lake and/or pond has their own restrictions when it comes to what types of activities are allowed. This may vary even depending on what part of the body of water you are on. First, deciding what activities are important to you and/or your family is key. Do you plan to use a motor boat, kayak/canoe, fish, swim, etc? Identify what is important to you, and then work with your Buyer Agent to narrow down which bodies of water will allow you to do the things you want to do. There may also be restrictions as far as what you can do on your property, depending on local building codes and/or association regulations (if the home is part of an association). If there are specific items you would like to plan for, make sure the property you are considering will allow any/all of them.
#4 Road Maintenance
Another thing to consider, if the road is a private road, how is it maintained? This is especially important during the winter months. If you are going to be renting the home in the winter, who will take care of that expense? Assuming you plan a trip or two up to the area to view some of the homes, block off a day to simply drive around some of the neighborhoods you are considering. Understanding the convenience of the location is just as important as the property itself.
#5 Access to Electrical/Septic
One of the things to take into account, is whether or not there is a septic system already in place on the property you are considering. Again, depending on location, there may be just a holding tank. To upgrade to a septic system, you will need town approval. You will also need to ensure you have access to your septic system, in the event you need to repair/replace/upgrade in the future. The same goes for other utilities such as your electrical. Understand the town requirements, and the design/functionality of what is currently in place. You may want to consult with an engineer, and/or septic designer to gain a comprehensive hold on the property in its current condition.
#6 Neighborhood
The best way to gather a perspective on a certain neighborhood and/or location on the water... is to talk to the people that know it best... your potential neighbors. Have lunch at the waterfront bar... scout out the marinas... ask questions as much as you can. It is an exciting time in one's life to make this purchase, and share in that excitement with the locals. You will be surprised at how much you will learn by even one 10 minute conversation with the local landscaper.
#7 NH Shoreline Protection Act
The last, but definitely not least, item to consider... is the NH Shoreline Protection Act. Visit the NH Department of Environmental Services for full details on this Act. Make sure you are aware of the requirements for the NH shoreline. These range from the number of trees that you must keep on your property, to the proper fertilizers to use on your lawn, to the proper drainage in your down-spouts. Take some time to understand the purpose of the Act, and for additional questions, contact a local landscape architect.

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Ini Dia Bocoran Antarmuka BlackBerry 10

Posted by arieardian 0 komentar

Less than two months away, Research in Motion (RIM) will launch its flagship BlackBerry 10 platform. An invitation has also been deployed for the event started in six cities across the world.

 In terms of hardware, will be available in two models of smartphones, which are based entirely on the touch screen, and another that has a QWERTY keyboard.

 In terms of software, such as whether the BlackBerry 10 operating system which is used as a challenger is Android and iOS? Vietnamese language site saved approximately Tihnte released screenshots showing the homescreen screen BlackBerry 10 following the notification system and a display of some major applications, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare on the OS.

 One of the most interesting is a picture of BlackBerry 10 Hub which is a Message Center that integrates e-mail, instant messaging, SMS, and social media applications in one place.

 From one image even appears that RIM seems to have developed a personal assistant application (like Siri?) That can be used to enter a voice command input device.

 Here are the screenshots BlackBerry 10, as reported by BGR from Tihnte. Viewed from a rectangular shape, it seems a series of images are taken from the full-touchscreen Blackberry devices.

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Real Estate Investment Principles

Posted by arieardian Jumat, 14 Desember 2012 0 komentar

  Before actually setting out to find your first investment property it would be a good idea to set a target profit margin. In other words, decide how much money you would like to make on the project. By doing this you narrow down your property searches to those that are likely to result in an acceptable profit margin to you. Your acceptable profit margin will depend on your location, cost of rehabilitation, your own personal needs and expectations, and the market for your rehabilitated property. Never buy a property that won't result in a profit that equals your target amount.

Set Cost Limits

Set a maximum amount of money that you will spend to purchase and fix up a property. Never buy a property with fix up costs that will exceed your rehab cost limits. This also allows you to narrow your choices of property to buy and to avoid buying undesirable properties.

Establish a Market Area

You must now familiarize yourself with an area in which to buy property. Your target area should be within a five-mile radius of your home. Eighty percent of all properties you purchase should be within a five miles of your home. You can expand this radius if you live in rural areas.

There are a number of good reasons to buy in your area:

You are familiar and comfortable when close to home
Your network of construction crews and handymen are usually within that radius
You can manage your properties better if they are in your neighborhood. A weekly drive-by can save you thousands of dollars and years of headaches.
Buy Real Estate Right So It Will Cash Flow

Many people believe if they can buy a property for $15,000 to $20,000 below market value they will automatically have a good deal, but they are missing one key elements of investing. What they don't understand is that if they have to foot the bill for a $200 to $300 negative cash flow each month, their profit will be whittled away in a short period of time. This is especially true in times of slow real estate markets when properties do not sell quickly. The potential profit is worthless until the property is sold. Meanwhile, the owner is stuck with a negative cash flow each month.

So what do you look for in a good rental property? Two things: First, it must be able to attract good tenants, and second, it must be able to produce a positive cash flow within three months of purchase. To get good tenants, you must buy property in areas where there are schools, transportation, jobs, shopping, and churches. Tenants rent neighborhoods, not houses. The only way to be assured that your property will remain rented is to buy in the right areas of town.

Look at properties that you are considering buying through the eyes of a renter. If it appears that the property will not be attractive to tenants, don't buy it unless you can resell it for a very quick profit. This way you avoid buying properties that will be burdensome.

Your goal is to learn everything you can about your market area. Whenever you have the chance, take a drive and explore new neighborhoods. While doing so you may also come across some good bargains

Denver Short Sales provides a tremendous opportunity for the savvy investor. Obtain the much needed knowledge required to be successful. Better information means bigger profits.


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sony Xperia Prepare "Quad Core" Cheap

Posted by arieardian Kamis, 13 Desember 2012 0 komentar

Sony arguably too late about the use four-core processor in its smartphone products than other vendors, such as Samsung's Galaxy S III and HTC to One X.

 However, next year they will be kicked off with an Android phone quad-core processor. Gebrakannya is the phone will be priced at an affordable price.

 As a note, a phone with quad-core processors on the market today typically have rates that are less friendly to the pocket.

 Why Sony can bring quad-core Xperia cheaply? It was thanks to artificial MediaTek's mobile processor that has been known to have a processor products at low prices.

 Quoted from PhoneArena, Thursday (12/06/2012), Sony had been ordered sample processor products MediaTek MT6589 with serial number to be tested with the device.

 If the processor is apparently suitable for use, the Sony is believed to be an order MT6589 product is in abundance.

 MediaTek MT6580 is a mobile processor manufactured using a 28 nanometer fabrication process. Chip on this one based on the Cortex A7 which has a clock speed of 1.2 GHz and supports LPDDR2 RAM.

 GPU capabilities of the processor is also capable of supporting screen with a resolution of 720 x 1280 and higher resolution camera module with up to 13 megapixels.

 If Sony so booked this chip, the product sales MediaTek's mobile processors are expected to increase dramatically by the 200 million units in 2013. In 2012, they've managed to sell 110 million products.


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Denver Real Estate Investment

Posted by arieardian 0 komentar

  Commercial Denver Short Sales  involves buying commercial properties that are bigger than a 4 unit apartment building. It is that real estate investment in which an estate is rented out or sold to make profit through rental income, interests, dividends, royalties, etc. but not for primary residence. It is better for the investors who are beginners in the field to avoid commercial real estate investment strategy. On the other hand, experience investor can go for for this kind of investment as the competition is much less. It is also the best choice asset class for building wealth, you may ask why? This is because there is a limited supply of land; no more land is being created! If you select a real estate with a land component in an area of increasing population and demand, the laws of supply and demand will work in your favour to increase the value of your investment. It provides better leverage than any other asset investment, with the ability to typically borrow at least 80% of the purchase price on house and land packages. 100% lends are possible in some circumstances. It physically exists and everybody needs a roof over their head. Wherever there are people, there will be demand for real estate. Given a healthy national economy, no deflation, an increasing population, or at least increasing demand for property in your chosen investment area, then your investment is liable to increase in value over time. You may have no control over the state of the economy, but I tell you, you can stack the chips in your favour by selecting the right type of property in the right area. Commercial deals take longer than other investments. They take longer to purchase, renovate, and get sold. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but something to keep in mind so that you don't get impatient or rush into a bad decision.

 Tips to help you succeed in commercial real estate investment

 This investment is not a get rich quick scheme. It takes time as I said earlier to buy, renovate and sell, so you need to be patient. Think big and embark on big investment, buy properties at least 10units, remember that the more the unit you buy the cheaper they are per unit. Be prepared to spend a lot of money at first, fight the temptation to be discouraged by this, always have in mind that you can overcome this by borrowing from real estate investment trust or other source as I mentioned in one of my articles. Predictability is required in this investment because it follows a cycle which can be predicted, with predictability you can grow. It also requires consistent and persistent. Learn to analyse properties, know the worth before buying. Before now you suppose to know that commercial real estate is the business of marketing and finance, so you have to be master of finance, learn about mortgages and interest rate, loan programs that are out there. Also you need to be a skilled problem solver for anything going on in the business field in other to excel in this investment. Finally, remember that this business is not static, it changes in strategy and other aspects, so you have to be updated in the latest information, to do this you have to continue with your education/training on this.

 Thing to look for when buying commercial real estate investment property

 1. Solid Land Component; Aim for an investment where at least 30% of the purchase price is comprises of the land component. House and land, villa units, townhouses, and low apartment buildings can all fit in the bill. Land is the only limited resource, and that means value for you. If you purchase a unit in a high rise, not only will the value of the building depreciate over time, but what is to stop developers erecting more high-rises and diluting the supply in your market?

 2. Stable or Increasing Population; Invest in an area with an increasing, or at least stable, population base. Avoid towns which are dependent on a single industry for the bulk of their employment. If the industry folds, so will the tenants.

 3. Transport, Shops and Public Amenities; Invest in an area close to schools, shops, public transport and good public amenities such as a post office, library and park lands. These are the basic factors that make an area desirable to live in and will help to ensure continued demand for property in that area over the long time.

 4. Affordable for an Average Worker; Select a median property in a median area, one which is affordable for the average workers. High end real estate is prone to vacancy and busts in recessionary times. Low end real estate is less desirable, can attract a lower quality of tenant, and cost you more in maintenance. Aim for a property that will rent for no more than 40% of the average household income for that area, preferably 30% of the household income.

 5. Affordability for you, the investor; Try to invest in property that at least pays for itself, that is to say that the rental income will at least cover your mortgage repayments, insurance, maintenance, management fees, local rates and taxes. If this is not possible in your area, consider alternative areas. Otherwise you can still build wealth with negative geared property.


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Real Estate Links

Posted by arieardian 0 komentar

In order that a Investment Homes website will rank high in the search engine result pages for specific search term it has to have quality links pointing to it from other websites. What are quality links? Well, it means that these links should come from relevant authority websites and that the links will have the required phrase as anchor text (hyper text).

How to get links for real estate website?

Article marketing is one of the best free methods to build links from relevant web pages. This method is excellent for the long run but in order that all your work will be beneficial it has to be done correctly or you might be flagged as spammer by Google.

What do you get with article marketing?

You get exposure
You are strengthening your acknowledgment
You get valuable links to your website that will improve your search engines ranking (quality backlinks are the key ingredient to strong search engine rankings)
Other blogs and websites can reprint your articles including the links so your links popularity increases all the time in a viral manner.
It used to be that you write an article and submit it to as many article directories trying to gain as many links as possible from as many places on the web as possible. Times are changing and search engines tend to prefer quality over quantity and as times passes they know better and better how to differentiate quality from quantity. Search engines especially Google declared war on duplicated content (what is considered duplicate content is a subject for another article). As per my understanding for duplicated content is that there are some levels of duplicated content. The worst level is the same content on different pages of the same website. Less severe level is the same content on different websites, Google still shows the same article but usually it will be from the strongest sites and it seems that they disregard all the other weak article directories.

Because of the mentioned above it seems that submitting to as many as possible article directories is NOT the way anymore. When I submit articles I have two lists of article directories. One for the GENERAL strong article directories and another one is for article directories that SPECIALIZE in real estate. Relevancy is very important factor and if I had to choose between general and relevant I choose the latter.

Remember, link building is just a technique to reach your targeted audience. You want to fish where the fish are, right?

For better results it is good to make some rewriting to each article in the Title, first and last paragraph and the Resource box (change the anchor text)

The content of the article should be quality and informative that will add value to the reader. It can be tips on how to avoid common mistakes... or how to save money on a procedure... you get the idea

Very important: Until now you just set the domino infrastructure, now you have to make it work with a small effort but essential. You have to use web2.0 tools for that. It means that you have to bookmark (i.e. del.icio.us) the articles and use the social news network (i.e. digg) or any other web2.0 tools that the specific directory provides.

The best results of article marketing is when you submit articles on a constant pace. Put article submission in your weekly task list it is definitely worth it.

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