“handyman special”

“Crowdsourcing,” “mouseover,” “big data,” “redirect” and “e-reader” can now be found in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Other new terms such as “fiscal cliff”, “pay day loan” and “handyman special” also made the cut. If any of these sound unfamiliar, full definitions are below:

crowdsourcing, n.
The practice of obtaining information or services by soliciting input from a large number of people, typically via the Internet and often without offering compensation.

mouseover, n.
The action of moving the pointer on to an element of a graphical user interface or web page; an event (esp. a visual change) triggered by this.

e-reader, n.
A hand-held electronic device used for reading e-books or other text in digital form, esp. one intended primarily for this use; (also occas.) an application designed for this purpose.

pay day loan n.
Chiefly U.S. a type of small, short-term loan at a high rate of interest, typically used by borrowers to cover expenses while awaiting their next wages.

fiscal cliff, n.
A situation in which a particular set of financial factors causes or threatens sudden and severe economic decline.

big data n.
Computing (also with capital initials) data of a very large size, typically to the extent that its manipulation and management present significant logistical challenges; (also) the branch of computing involving such data.

handyman special n.
Something, esp. a house, which is in need of repair or renovation and is therefore offered for sale at a reduced price; a ‘fixer-upper’.

The post Technology Terms Go Mainstream appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

Whatever scenario you find yourself in, Account Killer gives step by step instructions on how to clean up old accounts and data. The website also grades how hard it is to remove your data. Give it a try.

The post How to Remove Unnecessary or Unwanted Personal Data Online appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

The post iOS7 – Coming to an iPhone Near You appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

Real estate practitioners are heavily invested in the use of patented technology. We assume that the entities who provide those technologies have thoroughly investigated the patents. In 2009, NAR and Move.com settled with a patent troll, CIVIX, on a patent based on Internet search techniques used on Realtor.com. In 2011, NAR brokered a settlement with CIVIX for $7.5M, on that same patent, for a suit filed against MLSs, Realtor Associations, MLS vendors, Brokers and Agents. The settlement broke down to $9.06 per Subscribers nationwide.

Patents are good things because they reward innovation and create jobs. Estimates set the cost of patent trolls on US companies in 2011 at over $29 billion. The recent Smart Phone Patent Wars have left some companies spending more of patent ligation than on research and development. In the end, we’re all hurt, because, in addition to stifling innovation and job creation, all those expenses get passed on in the costs of goods and services.

The post Patent Trolls Are BAD for Real Estate & the Economy appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

ARMLS headquarters Tempe

With sales volume nearing a record high, there’s a chance you’ve missed some of the things happening at ARMLS.

Sales Year Over Year
Sales were up 11.8% in May 2013 compared to May 2012. May’s figure (9,436) is the highest since June 2011, when sales hit a record 11,125, the highest sales figure of the decade. You can find more market stats in the June Issue of STAT.

Billing shut-offs are coming
While this is not exciting to anyone, we don’t want to see Subscribers lose access to flexmls and the lockbox system for nonpayment of annual Subscriber fees. Go to http://www.armls.com/payfees, log in and you’ll see an open order if you have yet to pay.

G. William James coming to Phoenix for a special ARMLS event
He’s one of the leading training professionals for handheld computing and mobile technology in the United States for real estate and we’re hosting him on June 24 & 25. On each day G. William will present two sessions – Mobile Technology Solutions & The Google Universe Workshop. This event will sell out. See full event details or register now.

The post Exciting Things Happening at ARMLS appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

Photo courtesy SkyCam USA

Photo drone being used to take real estate photos

Just when you’ve mastered your smartphone to take listing photos, a new technology is springing up in MLSs across the country – flying photo drones (see more drone real estate photos here, scroll down after the jump). Unlike drones being used in the military, these are small GPS / radio controlled helicopter style drones, missiles not included.

Many come with specialized software to aide in photo taking “Our muticopters are GPS Enabled with position hold and fly to way point ability all viewable on a 3D map with preflight planning and mission simulation via Google Earth. With altitude, speed, distance and other relevant data,” says SkyCam USA, a leading real estate photo drone company.

The FAA and local police departments are taking notice. Privacy advocates are also up in arms. The LAPD recently released a statement warning real estate agents on the use of drones:

“We are just trying to inform the public to ensure that before hiring these companies to operate these aircraft in federal airspace, that they are abiding by the federal regulations to ensure safety,” said police Sgt. George Gonzalez.”

What do you think of aerial drone photos? Would they benefit Buyers and Sellers?

The post Attack of the Real Estate Photo Drones? appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

Other data regarding Phoenix points in a different direction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in March ranked Phoenix as 19th among unemployment figures for large metropolitan areas. The May issue of STAT cited a 50.53% rise from the bottom in the average sales price, and a 58.82% increase from the bottomed out median sales price, These are among the best pricing recovery statistics nationally. Data supplied by The Information Market, considered by some to be the gold standard for local publicly recorded real estate data, tracks a declining trend line of foreclosures pending since its high of 50,568 in November 2009 to 9,424 in April. Steep declines in foreclosures pending reflect a return to normalcy and a dilution of the influence of distressed properties on the real estate market. Recently Phoenix was named No. 8 among America’s fastest growing cities.

Is Phoenix among the cities cited to have the worst housing markets over the next five years? . . . nope, we’re just not buying it. What’s your take on Phoenix metro over the next five years?

The post Phoenix’s Future and Pretzel Logic appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

ON THE INTERNET, TYPING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS CONSIDERED SCREAMING OR YELLING. IT IS ALSO VERY HARD TO READ. THE WAY CONSUMERS VIEW LISTINGS HAS CHANGED. AN OLD CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING TRICK WAS TO USE CAPS TO HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANT FEATURES, AND THIS CARRIED OVER TO PUBLIC REMARKS. THE IDEA OF STANDING OUT WITH CAPS MAY NO LONGER BE EFFECTIVE. WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS?

HERE ARE SOME COMMON PRECONCEPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS:

1. THE WRITER IS YELLING AT THEM.
2. THE WRITER IS ANGRY.
3. THE WRITER IS TRYING TO DEMAND ATTENTION.
4. THE WRITER HAS A LACK OF SKILL WITH TECHNOLOGY.

CAPS ON THE INTERNET ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVITY:

(YELP REVIEW)

The post Why Do You Keep Screaming at Me? REAL ESTATE and CAPS appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

In our ongoing correspondence with Subscribers, a common misconception keeps resurfacing: “Why does ARMLS keep raising Subscriber fees year after year?”

The fact is that ARMLS has not raised Subscriber fees in over 5 years. The increase in June of 2008 was the first increase since 1996, when fees were $156. The increase of $108 from 1996 to 2008 was less than the average annual inflation rate of 3.24% had ARMLS kept up with inflation each year. Over the last five years ARMLS has greatly increased its services to Subscribers without raising the cost of its Subscription.

With all the things Subscribers pay for, it is easy to get confused! ARMLS billing is always in May/June, Supra bills in late August/early September for their services, and Association (which includes NAR and AAR fees) dues come at the beginning of the year.

The Good News: ARMLS billing has started and Subscriber fees are the same price they were in 2008 (there is no price increase). Pay your fees here: http://www.armls.com/payfees

The post The Truth About Subscriber Fees appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

ARMLS Rule 16.2 states that “Subscribers shall be responsible for maintaining current contact information, including mailing and email addresses with ARMLS and their Associations.” Penalty violation notifications are now sent via email only, so not having a current valid or working email address makes you vulnerable for a penalty if the notification bounces back to ARMLS.

Important information, such as flexAlerts, billing, rule changes, training, statistics and events, also come via email. A delete-all mentality means you miss valuable news. At the bottom of every ARMLS email is a link called Manage Your Subscription. Clicking it takes you to a screen where you can manage emails from ARMLS. It’s that simple. Be careful though not to check Never email me again because you’ll never hear from us again, you won’t even get your annual bill from ARMLS.

Manage emails sent from ARMLS:

1. Click the Manage My Subscription link found on every ARMLS mass email.

(sample button)

2. Select which messages you no longer wish to receive from ARMLS by un-checking each box, but never select Never Email Me Again (we won’t be able to send you billing messages if you check this option! See the image below,

The post ARMLS Email Never Stops appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

This time the Big Kahuna rule change, in the changes published on Monday, May 13, involves notices sent out on violations of the ARMLS Penalty Policy.  Formerly, depending upon your penalty tier, you would be notified by email and/or snail mail. Now notifications on ALL violations will be sent out via email, as part of ARMLS’s ongoing green initiative.

An additional consequence involves ARMLS Rule 16.2 which requires all ARMLS Subscribers to have a current email address on file with ARMLS.  Now emails that bounce back on violation notices will be subject to a separate penalty violation. ARMLS recommends that you mark ARMLS as a safe sender in your email client to make sure the notices don’t get sent to Junk. Need to change your email address filed with ARMLS? The surest way is to make the change through your local REALTOR association.

Additional minor rule changes keep ARMLS in sync with NAR model MLS Rules, and accommodate the inclusion of Seasonal  Furnished Rentals as Vacation Rentals with all other residential rentals.

The post New Rules Roll Out and The Big Kahuna appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

USB Power Strip – $28 here
Don’t get stuck without USB power again, this strip has 12 ports.

FreeKey Key Ring system – $6.99 here
Hate breaking nails removing keys from your key ring? This specuially designed ring is easy to open but secure.

iPhone camera lens- $69.99 here
Android camera lens – $49.00 here
Those MLS photos aren’t going to take themselves.

The post Clever Office and Field Tech appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

As the screen size changes, the content on ARMLS.com rearranges itself like magicso the content remains readable.  Gone are the days of static design when finding information on ARMLS.com or taking an action in MyARMLS on your smart phone was a painful experience.

Aside from the obvious,  it will now be easy for you to pay your fees, update your profile, sign up for or cancel a class without all of the pinching, pulling, squinting and other fancy finger work that was necessary in the past. No cheaters, bifocals or magnifying glasses required.

The ARMLS.com responsive design initiative is part of ARMLS’s commitment to supporting the mobility needs of its Subscribers with tools that make sense for the mobile user. Right now there are over 300 different models of smartphones Subscribers use when accessing ARMLS.com.  In the past two years mobile traffic to ARMLS.com increased by 170%, even though the website was not mobile friendly.  With the change to responsive design, we are expecting our web traffic to have a meteoric rise.

If you’re reading this blog post on a mobile device right now, hop on over to ARMLS.com or MyARMLS and give it a try.  We would love some feedback on your experience.

The post ARMLS.com’s New Responsive Design appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

This phenomenon is not new. In markets where the Buyers are scarce, pocket listings are not desirable, because the Seller needs all of the exposure he can get. In markets or niches where inventory is down but demand is high, pocket listings can flourish. Pocket listings are legal themselves, but there are some caveats. The listing Agent should consider if exposing the listing in MLS will put the property in a position to bring a better price.  As a fiduciary, the listing Agent is obligated to put the Seller’s needs above his own, and that means favoring a better price for the Seller over more commission for the Agent.

The ARMLS Exclusive Right to Sell/Rent Listing Contract addresses the owner’s authorization of the listing Agent to list the property in MLS. Any deviation from that expectation should be done with the Seller’s approval and permission.  Some Agents may even argue that keeping a listing out of MLS is not very sporting because it further reduces an already scarce inventory.

With inventory in the Valley at low levels, particularly in the highly desirable, more affordable price ranges, are you aware of pocket listings or keeping some yourself? How do you feel about others doing it?

The post Are Pocket Listings Back in the Valley? appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

Some make the case that additional postings give a listing more exposure, and that’s good for the Seller.  But ARMLS Rule (10.11 Advertising of Listings Filed With ARMLS), Article 12 of the Code of Ethics (specifically Standard of Practice 12-4 and 12-5) and the Internet Data Exchange  (IDX) Policy all require permission from the listing brokerage before advertising another Broker’s listed property.  Further violating ARMLS Rules concerning the posting of another Broker’s listing without permission is a violation of the ARMLS Penalty Policy.  The Arizona Administrative Code (R4-502. Advertising by a Licensee) cautions that all advertising contain accurate claims and representations and not create false or misleading impressions. If you include a link back to an IDX-enabled website, make sure you are abiding by all IDX Rules.

Agents who post information about another Broker’s listings should regularly review the posts for accuracy, and remove the post if the property is no longer Active.

There are plenty of listings now on Craigslist that are posted by Agents who are not the listing Agent. Care to share any experiences with postings of your listings by other Agents?

The post Mother, May I Post Another Broker’s Listing? appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

The newly formed CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indexes will include over 6,000 indexes covering states, counties, metros and ZIP codes across the US, 30 year home price forecasts for all indexes and a custom index set for Standard & Poor’s indexes.  Very impressive. There is time honored value in documenting and analyzing trends over the long haul. Corelogic publishes their price indices every quarter with a three month lag while Case Shiller publishes every month with a two month lag.

ARMLS publishes its pricing data every month in STAT with only a seven day lag, because its Subscribers like their pricing intelligence HOT. As Valley pricing recovers, two and three month lags are simply old news. Watch for STAT every month posted on ARMLS.com under the STATISTICS tab within seven days or less after the close of the month. And while you’re there check out the Distressed Property Report and RENT Check, also way up there in the Fahrenheit department, using the hottest data available.

The post Some Like It Hot appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

a calendar to show availability for two days, two weeks or two months; ability to show high and low season lease pricing; and a way to account for live-in-ready furnishing.

During that three year period, over 3,500 SFR listings, represented by 1,042 Agents, were added to the system. But like Rodney Dangerfield, SFR listings got no respect.

Websites that displayed rental listings often omitted SFR listings located in a property type separate from all other Residential Rental listings.  This limited their exposure on the Internet, the major source of real estate information for consumers. Snowbirds and others who flock to Arizona during both the high and low seasons could not access SFR listings on many sites. In addition, Agents were confused about whether their SFR listing should go in Residential Rentals or Seasonal Furnished Rentals.  This complicated the search for SFRs since Agents would have to search both property types to be sure they were accessing all SFR listings.

Now comes the respect part. Starting May 8, SFRs will be renamed Vacation Rentals and be included with all other Residential Rentals. The functionality to use the availability calendar and specify a high and low season lease price will make the move over to Residential Rentals as well.  By checking Vacation Rental /Y, all that functionality and respect will appear.  With the new moniker of Vacation Rental, the designation will signify that all you should need at move-in is your suitcase and a toothbrush.

The post Seasonal Furnished Rentals Got No Respect appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

Like this chart? Copy and paste this code into your blog:
<iframe src="http://www.armls.rbintel.com/share/v1/e/cmlkPTElMkMyJmZ0aWQ9MSZmaWQ9MTAwMCZndHk9MTImbHRpZD0xJmxpZD0xMDAwJmdpZD0wJmNjPTAwMWVmZiUyQ2ZmMDAwMCZtb2RlPTImd2lkdGg9NjIwJmhlaWdodD0zMzA=/1330372523246" width="100%" height="330" frameborder="0"></iframe>rbiINTEL is an ARMLS member benefit, where you can get many charts for your blog.

The post Market Update: New vs. Sold Listings appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

36 agents have gotten tattoos of our logo (so far)! Talk about marketing — they’re walking billboards! #madREskillz twitter.com/RapidRealty/st…

— Rapid Realty (@RapidRealty) April 18, 2013

@RapidRealty – NYC, NY.

@RealtyFTL – Michael Burgress Jr., Fort Lauderdale, FL

@blkrckhomes – Glastonbury, CT

Doug Miller, Lancaster Township, Pa.

The post Mad RE Skillz appeared first on ARMLS Blog.

1. Shed the mantra, “I’m no good with names.” You’ll never get good, if you keep telling yourself you won’t.

2. When you meet someone, repeat the name and ask them to spell it. “Glad to meet you, Quasimodo. Is that Quasimodo with a Q or a K? How do you spell it?”

3. Note distinctive features in your mind. A unibrow, a lisp, man hands, eye twinkle or a gorgeous smile can be the missing link when you try to remember a name later on, if you take the trouble to note it in your mind when you first meet an individual.

4. Turn their name into a picture, for example, Ruby Sullivan. A red van would work here.

5. Cross reference their name with another name from your past. “My great uncle was named Ichabod too. He had an affinity for riding horses at night.”.

6. Use mnemonic aids which link the name to a rhyme, or something about the individual.  Kay wants to sell in May. Nancy
looks very fancy. Janet’s from another planet. These simple tricks jumpstart your memory for easy access later on.

Have you got any name tricks that work for you?

The post Friday Foibles: No Good With Names appeared first on ARMLS Blog.