BloodhoundBlog

There’s always something to howl about.

Author: Greg Swann (page 118 of 209)

Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

December 13, 2007

Unchained melodies: Popsicle toes

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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Cathy’s birthday. Here’s Michael Franks with Popsicle toes in commemoration.

A genuine, actual genetic difference between male and female homo sapiens is blood-flow to the extremities. Men can deftly work a bow or a knife or a snare in weather that leaves women with frostbite. We were talking about this at dinner the other night with Pirate DJ Russell Shaw. Another topic of conversation was the idea of the epicene, the sexual ambiguity in art upon which Camille Paglia built her early career. Here is Bryan Ferry as a post-modern epicene performing These foolish things.

And while I would rate both of those tunes as good jazz, they’re both really very clean jazz. Here’s something a little grungier, piano bar jazz for for Zillow’s dive bar, Tom Waits with On the nickel.


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December 13, 2007

Want to get on the Today show? First, get yourself a death grip on the obvious, then pimp it in a snazzy press release

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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I don’t want to be mean to Redfin.com. It’s Christmas, for one thing. Plus which, Cynthia Pang, Redfin’s PR Queen, is even nicer than David Gibbons. And, all things considered, Redfin’s latest bold PR thrust is not all that awful. But still, it is funny…

The fact is, these Dilberts don’t actually work in real estate, or they never have until now. Not just Redfin.com, but all the venture-funded Realty.bot mechanics. I think there were people at Zillow who really did believe that real estate could be sold without intermediaries. And Redfin beams with an infant’s delight every time it discovers something actual working professional Realtors have known for years — had to learn in order to survive as actual working professional Realtors.

But, take just a moment to consider this idiocy, which was on BusinessWeek’s Hot Property weblog earlier today. What is it? Fake news generated by a Realty.bot and spoon fed to a mainstream media outlet. The “story” itself is stoopid, but the transaction is atrocious, exactly the kind of media whoring that all of us should rebel against — exactly what the mainstream media has always been and what the world of weblogging should never be.

In this light, Redfin’s press release is not so bad. The advice it proffers is actually good, even if it is comically obvious to anyone who has gotten good at getting paid for doing this job. It is going to form the core of Redfin’s agent-training program, and that really is funny — though maybe not so much if you’ve sold a home with a Redfin agent who didn’t know this stuff.

In any case, it is in that light that I am going to cover it, albeit briefly. It’s funny to me. It should be funny to anyone reading this here. But it’s not as bad — all things taken together — as it might be.

So here we go, with a death grip on the obvious: “Seven tactics for selling a home.”

  1. Don’t overprice your property. You just can’t make this stuff up, kids.
  2. Set your price to show up in web searches. That means pricing in Read more
December 13, 2007

Are Zillow’s forums the dive bars of the real estate conversation?

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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I admit that I haven’t paid much attention to Zillow.com’s forums feature since it was announced. I argued then that forums were a mistake, and that the design paradigm should be the weblog. There are many good reasons for this, but a very important reason is that weblogs are defensible redoubts — “for each one spot should prove beloved over all.” Internet forums, by contrast, frequently devolve into free-for-alls, Kilkenny cats’ battles survived only by the rudest, most vulgar, most odious participants.

Is this going on at Zillow.com? Ask China Moon Crowell, a Wisconsin Realtor. She posted something innocuous to a Zillow buyer’s forum and found out that she is crispy flame-bait. She has had the most vitriolic scorn heaped upon her, and she has been called a variety of incendiary names. Her initial purpose was self-promotion, surely, and this might in fact be a violation of Zillow’s rules. But if it is, her slap on the wrist was delivered with a cat o’ nine tails. At this point, China just wants to kiss Zillow goodbye, but her parting seems to be delayed by an email loop.

But, what the hey, that’s free speech, right?

Wrong.

No one has a right to free speech on another person’s property. Zillow has decent rules on bad behavior, but, from a spot check I did this morning, they’re not being enforced. This again is a curse of a forum as opposed to a more-proprietary kind of salon: The ratio of crooks to cops can be unworkably high. If the discussions on Zillow were broken up in weblogs, then each weblog “owner” could establish his or her own tolerance levels — just as I do here.

The way to think of social spaces on the web is to analogize them to social spaces in the real world. (C’mon! You can make the leap!) When you go out for a drink with friends, you go to a place where you feel comfortable. If you’re gentle, smart and prosperous, you’re not going to pick a place where Fight Club wannabes are welcome. And if Fight Club really is your favorite movie, you’re Read more

December 12, 2007

Unchained melodies: Disorder in the house

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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Warren Zevon again, this time with the Boss on vocals and banging on a blistering Telecaster. I forget who suggested this, but I’m playing it tonight for the Hatfields and McCoys at Point2 Agent. The song is Disorder in the house:

Zevon was in the process of dying when that video was made. “You lose your grip and then you slip into the masterpiece.” I’m willing to cut Leonard Cohen a lot of slack, and A thousand kisses deep seems like the proper requiem for the excitable boy:


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December 12, 2007

Unchained for Christmas: Get yourself a limited-issue BloodhoundBlog Unchained cloisonne lapel pin and let the world hear your howl

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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Like this:

I had cloisonne lapel pins custom-made to celebrate the forthcoming BloodhoundBlog Unchained real estate marketing conference. I made a total of 35 pins, 31 of which are being distributed to BloodhoundBlog contributors.

I have four of these lapel pins left. I’m offering them for sale, one at a time, on Ebay. If they bring a decent price, Odysseus Claus can spread a little Christmas joy — possibly drool-dampened — a welcome delight.

This is a very small fish in a very small pond, and the market value of these lapel pins, for now at least, is purely emotional or sentimental. But there are no more of these to be had, nor will there ever be any others. If you want one, these auctions are the only way you can obtain one.

The photo was taken in yellowish light. The artwork is white against a gold metal mount. It’s reduced from the BloodhoundBlog Unchained promotional graphic:

Size is approximately 1″ x 3/4″. All of the pins are new in poly-bags. No returns, of course, but I’ll pay the shipping.

These are the auctions and deadlines:

I can think of a number of fun places to wear a pin like this — which is why I had them made. If you’ve been wanting to tell the world where you stand on real estate issues, I’ll bet you can, too…

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December 11, 2007

Unchained melodies: Mohammed’s radio

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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Warren Zevon’s Mohammed’s radio for Russell Shaw, recovering pirate broadcaster:

Patty Loveless has one of the richest high lonesome voices in newgrass. This video, You’ll never leave Harlan alive, is all but nothing visually, but that’s really not a defect: The sound is so rich that just about anything would get in its way. This is very nice exposition of people who are chained everywhere they look.

To close, Enid, because there’s never enough BNL:


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December 10, 2007

Unchained melodies: “Gotta find me a future, move out of my way”

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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Jay Thompson’s pick, Queen doing I want it all:

Adventure seeker on an empty street,
Just an alley creeper, light on his feet
A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt
With the pain and anger can’t see a way out,
It ain’t much I’m asking, I heard him say,
Gotta find me a future, move out of my way,
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now,
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.

Listen all you people, come gather round
I gotta get me a game plan, gotta shake you to the ground
Just give me what I know is mine,
People do you hear me, just give me the sign,
It ain’t much I’m asking, if you want the truth
Here’s to the future for the dreams of youth,
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now,
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.

I’m a man with a one track mind,
So much to do in one life time (people do you hear me)
Not a man for compromise and where’s and why’s and living lies
So I’m living it all, yes I’m living it all,
And I’m giving it all, and I’m giving it all,
It ain’t much I’m asking, if you want the truth,
Here’s to the future, hear the cry of youth,
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now,
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.

Next is Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a dangerous time covered by Barenaked Ladies: Brutal winter, a cover that’s better than the original and the extreme liberation of that stand-up bass.

To finish the day, we have to rank on the mainstream media: REM and LL Cool J KRS-One with Radio song. “Now our children grow up prisoners/all their lives, radio listeners!”


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December 10, 2007

The Odysseus Medal: “Something is going on up in Saskatoon…”

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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I love this thing that we’re doing — the Web 2.0 thing, the social media thing, but especially the weblogging thing. The world is awash in expertise, and we have wasted ten millennia, at least, trying to effect our concentration, our innovation, through filters — would-be gatekeepers on the human mind. The smartest of the bunch of them have torn down their gates and used the iron to build bridges. The rest stoutly defend what’s left of their ravaged redoubts in a world increasingly devoid of walls. How stupid is that?

Witness:

I swear to god these dinks think their value comes from wearing Oxford shirts or trading secret fraternity handshakes.

Here’s a sniggling little clue: If you know something worth knowing and you can communicate it in a timely and useful fashion, you’re our friend. If you decide to sneer your way into our hearts and minds, things might not work out as you’ve planned.

In fact, there is work that professional journalists can do that we cannot do as well for ourselves. But if they’re not willing to actually do that work, then what good are they?

Take careful note: Jay Thompson has been all over the management crisis at Point2 Agent. Since Friday, he has been the nexus of communications on the subject, reporting what he could discover and eliciting amazing anonymous comments from surviving Point2 employees. If you read Jay’s posts and the comments threads, you’ll be more richly informed than you could ever be by a news account.

How much more richly informed? At least 100%, since there haven’t been any news accounts about the Point2 diaspora. Where are the supposed “professionals”? Polishing their pince nez and Read more

December 9, 2007

Unchained melodies: Makin’ whoopee

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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I was going to rank on the mainstream media, but I’ll save that for tomorrow. This is more Michelle Pfeiffer, singing Makin’ whoopee from The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Another bride, another June
Another sunny honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin’ whoopee

A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
It’s so killin’ that he’s so willin’
To make whoopee

Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
See what a year can bring

He’s washing dishes and baby clothes
He’s so ambitious, he even sews
But don’t forget, folks, thats what you get, folks
For makin’ whoopee

Another year, or maybe less
What’s this I hear? Well can’t you guess?
She feels neglected and he’s suspected
Of makin’ whoopee

She sits alone most every night
He doesn’t phone, he doesn’t write
He says he’s busy, but she says “Is he
Out makin’ whoopee?”

He doesn’t make much money
Only five thousand per
And some judge who thinks he’s funny
Says he’s paying six to her

He says, “Now, judge, suppose I fail?”
The judge says, “Son, right into jail
You might just keep her, I’d say it’s cheaper
Than makin’ whoopee”

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December 9, 2007

The Odysseus Medal competition — Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open

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Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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Fifteen nominees this week, mostly about big ideas. Vote for the People’s Choice Award here. You can use the voting interface to see each nominated post, so comparison is easy.

Voting runs through to 12 Noon MST Monday. I’ll announce the winners of this week’s awards soon thereafter.

Here is this week’s short-list of Odysseus Medal nominees:

< ?PHP $AltEntries = array ( "Jay Thompson -- Point2 Is Something Shaking at Point2 Agent?”,
“Michael Wurzer — MLS access The Nail In The Coffin?“,
“Kevin Boer — Real estate disclosures How Silly Real Estate Disclosures Get Created“,
“Wade Young — Sex sells Sex sells: how I use it to sell mortgages“,
“Bonnie Erickson — Let it snow! Snow in St. Paul“,
“Dan Melson — Buying unrepresented Buying Without An Agent – My Own Experience“,
“Kris Berg — December heroes December Heroes“,
“Diane Cipa — Title fees The consumer should pay the abstractor and/or notary signing agent when the transaction doesn’t close“,
“Alex Stenback — Foreclosure causes It Ain’t the ARM’s: What Really Causes Foreclosures“,
“Brian Boero — On-line farming Let’s call it Zulia“,
“Kris Berg — Niche marketing Niche Marketing – What a concept!“,
“Russell Shaw — Success More On Success“,
“Cathleen Collins — Social media Noodlin’ around with Social Media“,
“Eric Blackwell — SMM search Are Bloggers and Social Media getting too much credit in Search Engines?“,
“Brian Brady — Happy homeowners Happy Homeowners Act of 2008”
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    Deadline for next week’s competition is Sunday at 12 Noon MST. You can nominate your own weblog entry or any post you admire here.

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    • December 8, 2007

    Unchained melodies: Unchained impulses

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    Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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    This one is from Brad Coy, who wanted to tip his hat to pseudonymous commenter Joe Strummer with a Joe Strummer cover of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.

    If I have a favorite Clash tune it’s This is Radio Clash, simply because I like the idea of a pirate satellite. As with pirate radio, the actual capital outlay per independent broadcaster (or publisher) turned out to be much smaller. Ecce sum vivens in saecula saeculorum et habeo claves mortis et inferni. Take that, Dan Rather!

    But: Don’t let’s forget that these are the same knuckleheads who brought us Sandanista, so we should close with a more rational kind of psychotic violence, Coolio’s Gangster’s Paradise.

    Not all rap sucks, and I’ll watch Michelle Pfeiffer in anything.

    You say you want a revolution? What does it sound like?

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    December 8, 2007

    Web site demonstrates how much goes into staging a home for sale

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    Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

    Author website

    This is my column this week from the Arizona Republic (permanent link):

     
    Web site demonstrates how much goes into staging a home for sale

    Week after week, I hammer away on the idea that the only homes that will sell in our current market are the ones that are priced right, prepared right and presented right.

    But here’s an unwelcome fact about the real estate market: Home-sellers can be bull-headed. I don’t know how many times I’ve had sellers tell me all about what is wrong with the other houses for sale in their neighborhood.

    My answer? I agree. But we’re not talking about those houses. We’re talking about what it will take to sell the sellers’ house.

    And that’s when I get to hear about all the improvements the sellers have made — some of which are actually worth what they think they’re worth.

    But what I really want is for my sellers to look at their own home with the same critical eye they bring to the neighbors’ homes. It’s motes and beams, surely, but seeing your home through a buyer’s eyes is a very instructive exercise.

    It’s fun for me, because one of the things I tell sellers is, “You know what’s wrong with this house. You know exactly what you would frown over — or your mother-in-law would frown over — if you were seeing this home for the first time. Those are the issues we need to address before we can try to sell this house.”

    This is the threshold of staging, which entails a lot more, in most cases, than laying out a few decorator items. A home that is prepared for sale is in complete turn-key condition, with no obvious defects left uncorrected.

    One of our listings in North Central Phoenix just sold. We made a before-and-after record of the staging process, so you can see what we’re aiming for. You can view this demonstration by clicking here.

    Staging is all the rage right now, and preparation is only one part of a sound marketing plan. But staging is a wasted effort if the home is dirty or in palpable disrepair. Our slide show Read more

    December 8, 2007

    Want to bribe your way to the top of the Google rankings?

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    Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

    Author website

    If you read biographies of great filmmakers, you’ll find they all started out like this: Pulling goofy impromptu stunts and committing them to film. Here are the boys from Reachd.com, Vancouver SEO mechanics, trying to bribe Matt Cutts for a page one ranking:

    Reachd actually made more than a dozen serious films during their time at PubCon. You can find those by clicking here.

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    December 7, 2007

    News so timely you can set your hourglass by it

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    Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

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    Remember, it ain’t news until it’s been processed by a professional.

    For all us amateurs out there: If you missed out on something that happened a week ago, you can pretty much figure everyone who cares already knows.

    And a note to the self-professed professionals: We already know you’re not paying attention. You don’t have to paint a target on your forehead.

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