Category — Internet

I have some interviews and speaking engagements this month that I wanted to invite you to be a part of. Feel free to listen to interviews online or come to one of the events listed below:

January 11:  Interview with Sacramento Realtor Tamara Dorris on her internet radio station on 1/11/12 at 10am. I’ll be talking about FHA appraisals for 10 minutes at the beginning of her show. Check out Tamara’s website here for details.

January 19:  Effective Blogging for Real Estate: I’m teaching a class at the Sacramento Association of Realtors YPC forum from 9-10am at 2003 Howe Avenue in Sacramento on Thursday January 19. Here is the promo: “Blogging is an opportunity to share knowledge, build relationships and connect with existing and potential customers. If done right, a blog can help build credibility and expertise for your real estate business as well as serve as a place where potential clients can feel you out before deciding to do give you a call. This class is full of tips, how-tos and gives a very practical framework for how to create original content and plan posts. Ryan Lundquist runs the Sacramento Appraisal Blog, which is one of the top appraisal blogs in the State of California. Ryan consistently earns new business from his blog and he is considered a leader in his industry when it comes to building a strong online presence.”

January 19: Incorporating Video into your Content: I was invited by the Sacramento Social Media Club to share my experience with video as a local business. In case you didn’t know, I’ve uploaded over 200 videos over the past few years to YouTube and I also created a real estate video library called “Sacramento Real Estate Tube” that hosts nearly 400 videos thus far from local real estate professionals. Video has been something I’ve used to build trust online, be resourceful for clients, and earn business (there are of course quite a few random videos that have nothing at all to do with business, but everything to do with who I am). My plan is to talk about how I got started using video, why I do it, mistakes I’ve made, what specific tools I use and how I incorporate video into my business plan online. This should be an interesting evening because there will be a professional video specialist speaking first (Kerry Shearer) and then I’ll share as a local video practitioner. This will be an informative presentation, so come expecting to learn and have conversation too. I’m really looking forward to meeting people, sharing what I’ve done and learning from everyone. The event will be from 6-8:30pm at The Art Institute. There is a $15 charge. Reserve a ticket HERE.

January 26: Interview with Sacramento Area Loan Officer Sheri Schmitz on her internet radio station on January 26 (time and topic TBA – I’ll share details as I get them). Check out Sheri’s website here.

If you have any questions or Sacramento area real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs, contact me by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

Do you know someone using social media who just doesn’t get the ”social” part of it? Every post is a one-way ad that says “Buy from me” or “call me”. Yep, we all know those folks, and it’s a turn-off, isn’t it? That’s why this post is important.

If you’re in real estate, here are some tips for how to use Twitter in a way that connects with others, builds trust and avoids that “spammy real estate person” vibe. The five RE pros below from the Sacramento / Placer area have a good grasp of how to use Twitter effectively. I highly recommend following them to get to know them and watch how they work their magic. There is of course no one formula to follow, but here are some nuggets for your consideration:

Tamara Dorris, Realtor in Carmichael CA
Twitter Handle: @TamaraDorris
Website: www.inlovewithsacto.tv/

1) Find and follow local tweeters.
2) Attend or coordinate a local tweet up so you have the opportunity to meet people face to face now and then.
3) Re-tweet interesting and useful information.
 4) Never make it all about you—focus on other people and their tweets and accomplishments.
5) Keep your tweets 90% fun and informative and about 10% promotional, and even then, have fun with it.

Heather Ostrom, Realtor in Roseville CA
Twitter Handle: @RosevilleRockLn
Website: www.rosevilleandrocklin.com/

My approach to Twitter is more a reflection of my personality: I like to make people laugh, interact with others and take care of my local community by spreading their news and needs – I am lucky to have a medium-sized twitter following to push knowledge to a larger audience – locally and nationally. At 5100+ followers – I’m no Real Estate Lady Gaga, but I do have a “Good Romance” with Twitter.

Real estate-related items are only a small percentage of my tweets (probably 10-20%) – the reality is, in my opinion, who wants to read about listings or blog posts constantly? Tweeting just listings and blog posts is “twitter cave yelling” in my opinion and it’s a turn-off and comes off quite spammarific.

Advice nuggets: organize the info with Tweetdeck or Hootsuite into columns, and observe by tag terms “real estate” (searches like #Rosevillle #RealEstate #ColdwellBanker, etc), never send spammy Direct Messages (DMs) and don’t be afraid to say a virtual hello (@ them!)

Sheri Schmitz, Loan Officer in Folsom CA
Twitter Handle: @SheriSchmitz 
Website: www.wellsfargo.com/…

In my Twitter experience, I feel that when I do a mixture of business and personal tweets, people are more interested. I also tend to tweet questions or statements that people feel very inclined to retweet or answer. Sometimes those tweets can be controversial - if you will. I like to tweet about politics, current events, mortgage news, etc.  When you have tweets that people can respond to, or that strike a nerve, you get more Twitter action- in that people will follow you to see what you are doing. I also like to retweet things that I find helpful. Re-tweeting gets you more followers, as the original person who tweeted can see the retweet and may want to know about you.  

Sheri Negri, Realtor in Folsom CA
Twitter Handle: @SheriNegri
Website: www.loveforhomessac.com/  

Twitter is a great way to connect with people if you use it right. It’s all about engaging with others to create a personal connection. Look for ways to engage in conversations with other tweeps. This is the only way you will ever connect with people you do not know very well. And be sincere!

Talk about more than just real estate. Be interesting and mix it up! Talk about the things that interest you outside of work. No one wants to follow someone who is one-dimensional. Don’t do tweet blasts to hard sell people all the time. People that do this seem like used car salesman and it can be annoying. If I see too much of this from someone, I will “unfollow” them.

Always respond to a tweet if your name is mentioned, whether it be a direct message or mention. Whether it’s to thank someone for a RT/mention, or to respond to someone who sent you a message. Not responding to a mention or direct message is like not responding to voice mail or email.

Sheena Reithmeier, Realtor in Elk Grove CA
Twitter Handle: @916homevalues
Website: www.916homevalues.com

What should you tweet about? If you closed a tough deal, landed a new client, had a bad day, or tried a new restaurant, share it with your followers.  You will find that your followers are genuinely interested in what you have to tweet and will retweet your content especially if it provides value to their audience.

Who Should You Follow? Search twitter for the industry professionals you rely on day in and day out to help you achieve your goals. It is the same sphere of influence you use outside of social media. Research appraisers, attorneys, bankers, CPA’s, contractors, government agencies, home and pest inspectors, home improvement, home stagers, insurance companies, lenders, locksmiths, plumbers, professional organizations, real estate brokers and agents, title and escrow reps, transaction coordinators, website developers and SEO experts, the list goes on and on. 

Not every tweet has to be that profound piece of knowledge, the nugget of wisdom, the Aha moment of tweets. And not everyone will follow you back. It’s OK. Remember you get 140 characters so be creative, shorten words and links, include photos, keep it clean and every once in a while have fun.

I recommend keeping the profile picture consistent across all of your social media platforms. You will be sending followers to links outside of twitter be it your blog, LinkedIn, foursquare, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and more. Using the same profile picture lets your readers know they have arrived at the appropriate destination. Consider it part of your branding. Your profile picture can be your picture or your logo.

What themes stand out to you from the tips above? Anything you’d add? What type of information do you think real estate pros should include in their profile description? What’s your Twitter handle?

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

Last week HUD launched a new website to track bank-owned properties. The goal of the website is to help REOs be absorbed more strategically in the market, particularly for those using the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). The real positive of the site is to be able to see foreclosures lumped together in a neighborhood or city and quickly identify who has the most REOs (HUD, FNMA or Freddie). However, a tool like this is really only useful if the data is fresh and accurate. See the HUD REO website HERE. Thanks Dave Towne for the link.

Ultimately, I wonder whether investors and home owners would actually use this tool when many of them have Sacramento MLS at their disposal either personally or through a stellar local agent.

What do you think? Do you see any real use here or is this simply a neat tool with little impact? If you use another foreclosure tool, how does this website compare? I’d be especially curious to hear from investors and real estate agents.

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.

Imagine you were hired to investigate a community and report on what the community is like based on information you can find online. Put your Magnum P.I. thinking cap on. What websites would you bookmark for research? What resources are available to give insight into the DNA of a neighborhood?

Maybe you’d interrogate the usual suspects like Megan’s Law, City-Data, Great Schools or Zillow among others I mentioned in a previous post. But what about the following ones? Would these be helpful to understand a community?

1) Unemployment Rates: EDD posts current and historical unemployment rates for cities and census designated places in California.

2) FBI Uniform Crime Report: This website lists all offenses reported to law enforcement (categorized by state and cities with 100,000 or more in population).

3) Nuclear Power Plants in United States: In case you wondered if there was a nuclear power plant near your house, check out the “Nukes Near Me” website.

4) Superfund Directory: Find out which sites near you are categorized as “Superfund” sites by the EPA. Search by state, congressional district or site name.

5) DEA National ”Drug Lab” Register: This website by the U.S. Department of Justice contains addresses of some locations where law enforcement agencies reported they found chemicals or other items that indicated the presence of either clandestine drug laboratories or dumpsites (verbatim from website).

I definitely don’t have a P.I. designation, thick 80s mustache or red Ferrari, but my job as a real estate appraiser in Sacramento does have striking similarity with Tom Selleck. Okay, maybe that’s wishful thinking. I suppose it’s hardly similar, but the nature of real estate research does involve investigation and require information from some of the sources above, interviews with local agents and expertise to sift through and interpret often conflicting market data. There is so much that goes into really knowing the local real estate market.

What websites would you add to the list?

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.

Do you use the Google Maps app on your smart phone? Have you seen the “street view” feature yet? This feature is of course available online, but it’s neat to see on a smart phone too. I think ”street view” is a great tool to begin to see a neighborhood in more detail before physically going there. Have a look at the video below (or here) and let me know how you think street view might come in handy for you.

If you have an iPhone and need to use “street view”, check out this well-written article from REbliss. The iPhone and Android app are similar, but they do have differences.

If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.

Real estate blogging has been a big part of my business and it’s something I enjoy doing too. I’ve written 515 posts over the past few years and I’ve built some really good business relationships and friendships along the way. Blogging is not a place for oversharing and “Dear diary” sort of entires, but rather an opportunity to share knowledge, build relationships and connect with existing and potential customers. If done right, a blog can help build credibility and expertise for a business as well as serve as a place where potential clients can feel you out before deciding to do give you a call. 

Here are some blogging tips I’ve discovered along the way. If you’re new to blogging though, don’t feel like you need to do all of this at once.

1. Blog existence: Why does your blog exist? Know why you are writing and who you are writing for. This guides content, style and frequency of posts.  
2. Good content: Be resourceful and share solid information about the local real estate market. Good content will win business over time because it builds trust. Additionally, good content tends to be found online and shared by others online too. 
3. Be consistent: If you’re just starting out, get a post up once per month. Then switch to twice per month and then once a week. You don’t have to post every day. Find a rhythm that works for you and your clients.
4. Get on base: Don’t try to hit a home run with every post by creating the end-all real estate post of the century. Just get on base consistently and you’ll score runs over time.
5. Don’t write a novel: Be brief and to the point. A few paragraphs will suffice most of the time.
6. Be yourself: Don’t try to be the end-all agent who appeals to everyone. That’s not possible. Just be yourself because people can relate to authenticity. Be personable, let others see what you’re about and provide solid information.
7. Don’t be negative: Negativity is not good for business. Be positively attractive instead. People don’t like to be around complainers, so don’t be one.
8. Share your posts: Share your content on Facebook, Twitter and whatever other ways you’d like. You’ll want to make sure to add a “share” plugin or widget at the bottom of each post so people can “like” on Facebook, tweet….
9. Pictures: Use a picture in each post if you can. Make sure it’s a proper size. A website and posts do not have to be professionally designed, but if the format looks bad, then it doesn’t build credibility.
10. Answer questions: Answer people’s questions in your posts. What questions are people asking in real estate? What help do people need in your market? What do you know that can be a resource to others? I heard Mike Mueller say once that your blog post topics are found in your “sent” email folder. That’s where you’ve answered questions already to clients. Your answers could be good posts.
11. Write down blog ideas: Keep a file or corkboard handy where you write down post ideas. This will help you keep a stash of good potential content at your fingertips. Also, write about what you are currently doing or learning. For example, if you are knee-deep in market trenches in a certain neighborhood, find a way to post about that because  your content is already very fresh in your mind. Or if you run across something funny in the field, why not share that?
12. Use keywords in your post: What words are people using in a Google search to find information they’re looking for? Try to use these types of words in your title and post. Don’t overthink it though to the point where your posts sound mechanical and non-human. 
13. Use proper tags: Tags are a way to help sum up your post in a few words. Use multiple tags in the “tagging” feature of your blogging platform that describe your post. Google does pay attention to tags. 
14. Use Links: Link to other posts on your blog, pages on your website or resources that will help your readers. Make your links external if the link is to a different website, but internal if it is your own.
15. Ask a question at the end of each post: I picked up this tip from Problogger and I think it’s very useful. Ask a final question to help engage readers with your content.
16. Do what works for you: Everyone does “social media” differently. Find a rhythm that works for you and ignore what won’t work. Just because a so-called social media guru says something doesn’t mean you need to do it. Be yourself.
17. Avoid overselling: Lastly, don’t try to “close the deal” in every post. It’s easy to sniff out an agenda or used car salesman vibe. Just focus on providing good content, be yourself and let people know briefly how they can contact you at the end of each post. Basically, if people think of you like the guy to the right (or a stereotypical real estate professional) after reading your posts, it’s time to stop selling so hard and adjust your methodology.

I hope this was helpful. Do you have any other tips?

I’ve been really enjoying an app called Tango lately. I wanted to share it here because I think it might be a good resource for personal and business use. Basically, Tango enables you to make free video calls with your smart phone to anyone in the world (iPhone, Android, iPod Touch). It does not use minutes on your phone, but rather data, so as long as your data plan is ample or unlimited, this is a great app.

I’ve had conversations with my twin brother every day this week using Tango, and it’s been fun to connect for a few minutes and ”see” him. It’s actually so much more personal to talk with someone on the phone like this. Previously my brother and I tried to use our phone’s built-in video chat, but his iPhone4 and my myTouch4G weren’t compatible with each other, so Tango has filled the void thus far.   

Overall the app is easy to set up and simple to use. It’s free to download in the app market, so that’s always a plus. The biggest downfall is that the quality feels like a mediocre webcam experience much of the time. When the connection is solid, I love the app, but when the connection is not great, the app feels clunky because words get lost. The phone connection from my office (as shown above – green screen in background) and my brother’s office is actually really good, so I’m not too sure why the video connection would not be equally as good. Hopefully over time the app will get better and better in this regard.

I can see Tango having a use for business too because I can talk with clients directly and show them firsthand what I am seeing while inspecting properties. I actually just sent an email to a local broker to see if he’ll install it so we can talk shop when need be while I’m out in the field. Additionally, an app like this might give a personal touch for business. It’s so important to get “Facetime” with clients, so it’s always a bonus to find ways to have more personable interaction.

If you install Tango, let me know what you think. Or if you use a similar app on your smart phone to make video calls, I’d like to hear about it. Or if you would like to do business together, and meet on the phone first, let’s have a video conversation. My number is listed below.

UPDATE in July 2011: I get quite a few hits on this post, so I wanted to give a little update. I don’t use Tango much because of the mediocre quality. It’s a great idea, but it just seems to need some fine-tuning in the quality department. Facetime is far superior, but I do not have an iPhone. I’m looking forward to exploring video useage a bit more with Google+, Facebook and Skype on mobile.  

If you have any real estate appraisal, valuation consulting, or property tax appeal needs, contact me at 916.595.3735, www.LundquistCompany.com or via Facebook.

There has been quite a bit of buzz lately about QR codes. I’ve been intrigued with the conversation, and since I’ve found a few uses for QR codes lately for my appraisal business, I thought this post might be useful.  I’d love to hear what you think. Do you see any potential uses for QR codes for your business?

What is a QR code? “QR” stands for “Quick Response”, and a QR code looks like the image to the right. Basically, a QR code is sort of like a customizable bar code where you can insert whatever information you’d like. You can very easily make a QR image online (free) and put it on a flyer, sticker, business card or your store front. Anyone with a smart phone can in turn quickly scan your code and view the information you’ve embedded – whether a video, PayPal “buy now” button, document, or maybe all your social media links.

What benefit does a QR code have? You can customize these codes to store information like websites, directions, your contact information, and so many other types of data. What if you put one of these codes on a flyer and then linked to a video with more information? What if your QR code linked to a free resource or offered a discount to others using your services? What if you gave a presentation and linked all your contact information into an image on the bottom of your handout? (like my FHA presentation document below).

How do you get a QR code? Simply go to a website like www.qrstuff.com and follow their simple instructions. It’s so easy (and free). Just enter the information you want to embed in the image, the website generates the image for you, then download the image.

How do people scan the QR code? Any smart phone user can download a free “QR Code” app in whatever app market the phone uses. Just search for “QR code” and there are bound to be many free QR code reader apps. Simply install a reader, hover over the QR code, and you’ll get to where you need to go.

Lastly, here is a video from Daniel Allen of the Sacramento Association of Realtors. Daniel knows his stuff, and he explains in more depth about QR codes and their potential use for the real estate field.  

What do you think?

Let me know if you have questions, insight, or any real estate appraisal or property tax consulting needs. Contact me at 916.595.3735, on my company website, or on Facebook.

Happy New Year! I hope 2011 is turning out to be great so far. After having just returned from Southern California for a week visiting with family, I am geared up and ready for the year ahead. As I blaze forward in life and business, I wanted to take a glance at this past year of blogging and highlight my eleven favorite posts of 2010. It wasn’t easy to pick only eleven posts, but the ones below made the cut because of fond memories of great conversation, relevant information, or just the sheer fun of posting about the topic. 

1. What legos can teach us about real estate
2. Would the sound of a train drive you crazy?
3. A water tower behind a house in the Pocket area of Sacramento
4. A major hoarder property in West Sacramento
5. The Skinny on Streng Houses in Sacramento
6. A flashlight tour of a dark boarded-up house in South Sacramento
7. Four reasons why appraisals “come in low”
8. Is price per square foot an accurate way to measure the value of a house?
9. Should the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento become a city?
10. Appraisers vs. Machines: What do you think of websites like Zillow?
11. Would you buy Dorothea Puente’s house?

Thank you for making this past year such a joy. I sincerely appreciate you stopping by the Sacramento Appraisal Blog last year, and I hope you’ll do the same this year ahead. If you have any questions, you can reach me via email, catch me on Facebook, or call 916.595.3735.

I’m considering a smart phone upgrade. I’ve been using a G1 for almost two years, and it’s been good for me overall. After constant usage though, the battery is about to die, and frankly I think I’m ready for some new tech that will be a bit faster in the internet speed department. I use T-Mobile as my service provider and I’m strongly considering the new G2 phone since I’ve liked the G1 so much. The G1 was of course Google’s first phone unveiled under the Android umbrella.

The features on my current phone that have come in most handy for me while I’m on the road with my real estate appraisal business are: Google Maps, Google Voice, camera (it takes really great pictures actually),  preview of PDF documents, physical keyboard to quickly return emails and text messages to clients, tremendous Gmail integration, and apps for Facebook and Twitter. Oh, and let me state the obvious that the phone has worked very well and I’ve not had a problem with dropped calls. 

What type of phone are you using for business? Any suggestions for me? Also, what apps and functions have become essential for your business?

Last week a client invited me to speak to his office staff to help them understand how to build a successful blog for their real estate business. I was excited for the opportunity because it’s always nice to add value where I can. We talked about the relevance of using a blog as a tool to establish an online presence and why blogs are important. It was very practical too in that I set them up with usernames, and we even wrote a blog post on the spot. Learning should be experiential, right?  

I figured some of the content from my presentation might be useful to others, so I uploaded a 15-minute audio-video tutorial. Let me know what you think. 

If you work in the real estate field near Sacramento and I can help you sift through the world of blogging and building an online presence, let’s connect at 916.595.3735 or catch me on Facebook.

Any questions? What tips would you add to the mix?

People ask me sometimes what I think about websites like Zillow or Cyberhomes. In short, I don’t think computers do as good of a job appraising properties as real humans. Call me biased, but there are some things that real people can still do better than machines. However, though these websites cannot fully replace real estate appraisers, they do have a place to help gain a ballpark figure for a house (please take that with a grain of salt though because figures can still be way off). Additionally, I’m a fan of the multi-year trend graphs that Zillow produces.

The Sacramento Bee actually published an article last Friday about this very topic entitled Home Front: Appraisal sites on Net often fail to pin down accurate prices. The bottom line is that websites like Zillow seem to have greater accuracy in tract markets with ample sales, but even then they are only so good because they cannot sift through value indicators like condition, important neighborhood boundaries, upgrades, and a local appraiser’s knowledge of the market area.

I ran some test cases over recent work I have done and found the following:

- My house (tract): Zillow was 28% high / Cyberhomes was 24% high.
- Elk Grove house 2.0 acres: Zillow was 46% low / Cymberhomes had no value.
- Tract House in Davis: Cyberhomes was 4% high / Zillow was 2.5% high.
- Sacramento River property: Zillow was 40% low / Cymberhomes had no value.
- Tract House in Galt: Zillow was 9.5% high / Cyberhomes was 5.0% low.

What do you think of these websites? What do you think they’re useful for? Do me a favor and run your property by Zillow and/or Cyberhomes and let me know the results.