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Real Estate, financial education and much more.

Juneau, Alaska

The perfect place to come to ask questions about real estate education or if looking at improving you skills in order to survive and thrive in your market.

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Real Estate, financial education and much more.

August 2008

Cool Tip of the Day!

Aug. 27, 2008

I don't usually fall in love with a camera -however I found one that is perfect for real estate. Take a look at this link: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-sd850-is/4505-6501_7-32441340.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody. If you are in the market for a new digital camera, make sure this is one you consider.

Words of wisdom

Aug. 25, 2008
Categorized in: Technology

I just returned from a 4-day teaching engagement in Vietnam. I was asked to come by the Vietnam Real Estate Association in conjunction with the International Real Property Foundation (IRPF - a non-profit arm of the National Association of REALTORS®) and give a seminar covering everything from brokerage management and sales training to real estate technology. It was an amazing opportunity to bring to a country new to property rights how we in the US help people buy, sell, rent, and lease residential and commercial property. There was shock and amazement with many things we take for granted; such as our MLS systems, standardized contracts, and relatively easy access to capital. We had great discussions on all these topics plus we discussed how we value properties in the US and how the US market actually was versus what they saw on the news.
But what struck me most, was that at the end of the segment on real estate technology, one young woman came to me and said that no matter how much technology she might use in the future, she felt that personal one on one interaction was her key to success so far in the real estate business.
Right on! That's something for us all to remember; real estate whether residential, commercial or management is always going to come down to our personal contact and interactions. Don't get so wrapped up in technology that you forget that one very important fact.

SWOT Analysis

Aug. 8, 2008

Sometimes we just need to take a break and start from the beginning. In fact it is cathartic to sit down at least once a year and take the time to assess our strengths and weaknesses, our opportunities and threats. It allows us to see what we are doing well and what we need to work on, it also allows us to look at the market around us and determine where the opportunities may now be versus the past several years and to assess the current and potential future threats. This type of assessment is referred to as a SWOT Analysis. It is a worthwhile exercise you should take the time to use to improve your business. A free resource on SWOT is available at www.businessballs.com.

For more tips and tricks check out this link to my website: http://www.achconsulting.com/new_page_18.htm

Cool Tips

Aug. 4, 2008
Categorized in: Technology
Tagged with: blackberry, jottcom, tips, treo

Here's a cool item for your Treo from Mike Flynn (RVP Region 12), Washington State! It's a cell phone "kill pill." This is a way to send a coded SMS message to your Treo phone in case it's lost or stolen that will delete all your sensitive information. It's cheap ($15) and does other great stuff too; it is also packaged with a "do not disturb" feature, "super alarm," news and weather etc. http://www.bluefishwireless.com/products/Central_for_Treo.htm

And from Robert Bass, Phoenix, Arizona for you Blackberry users: Jott.com also has a special feature for BlackBerry 8800, 8300 (Curve), and 8100 (Pearl) users! It seamlessly integrates into the email application you already use, and is a huge leap forward for BlackBerry lovers in three ways: 1) it is 3-5 times faster than 'thumbing' text; 2) you won't be known for sending terse replies because you don't want to thumb type a more normal email message; and 3) you will be safer because you won't have to take your eyes off the road.
Thanks guys for the great tips!