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My last blog post of the year…

December 18, 2014 By Ryan Lundquist 12 Comments

It’s been an incredible year. I hope it’s been a great one for you too. I wanted to thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read my blog. I hope it’s added some value to your life or somehow helped you better navigate the road of real estate. For me this is never just about words or slick graphs, but building a relationship with readers (you). As a result of this blog, I’ve met some amazing people, and my career has taken some fun directions too. I’m grateful.

Two Weeks Off: After a few more days of crushing deadlines, I’ll be laying low for some much needed time off. This means I won’t be posting again until the first full week of January. I’ll be recharging, riding the new bike I bought last weekend, fitting in some woodworking hopefully, thinking about appraisals, spending time at the ocean, drinking as much French Press coffee as I can, enjoying family and friends, and getting ready for an even better coming year. I will be posting some of what I do on Instagram, so let’s connect there if we haven’t already.

Our book tree

By the way, in addition to our normal tree, we stacked some books in our Living Room to form a book “tree”. Can you tell I’m married to an author?

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!

Question: What are you going to be doing for these next two weeks? Any plans with family or friends?

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Filed Under: Random Stuff Tagged With: book tree, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, ready for time off, Real Estate Appraiser, Sacramento Appraisal Blog, thankful

The Sacramento Appraisal Blog celebrates 1000 posts!

August 28, 2014 By Ryan Lundquist 10 Comments

1000 blog posts. How did that happen? I feel like I’ve just scaled an online mountain. As I look back, this has been a fun ride. It’s been great to connect with so many people locally and nationally, and I have definitely gained friends and contacts across the country. My appraisal career has evolved in amazing ways these past five years too, and I feel very blessed. Thank you for reading, commenting, emailing, sharing posts, challenging me, and growing together. This blog wouldn’t mean anything without you. Thank you for being here.

Part of reaching 1000 posts involves looking back, so it seems fitting to share my ten favorite posts. These all stood out for one reason or another – whether it was because they were funny to me, or maybe they hit a nerve with readers.

Photo by Vicky - blkmgk2 - used with permission on the sacramento appraisal blog

My favorite 10 posts on the Sacramento Appraisal Blog:

  1. Top-10-Image-purchased-by-Sacramento-Appraisal-Blog-from-www.123rf.comphoto_9840969_golden-top-ten-in-rank-list-trophy-isolated-on-white-background.htmlsgame-123RF-St-smParcel Mullet: real estate word of the day
  2. The multi-layered real estate cake analogy
  3. The impact of barking dogs on property value
  4. 10 signs your pool is too big for the neighborhood
  5. Why it matters if it’s a condo or PUD
  6. Blight Week (a 5-part series I wrote)
  7. How Legos can help us understand real estate
  8. How do garage conversions impact property value?
  9. How to know if it’s a 2nd unit or an accessory dwelling
  10. 10 signs you’re overbuilding for the neighborhood

I used to write way too much: These days I write two posts each week, but in the beginning I used to shell out 4 or even 5 posts per week (that’s WAY too much). Remember, if you think blogging is a good idea for business, the best thing you can do is decide to begin. You can never get to 1000 posts or even 100 posts without ever doing the first post. Why not go for it?

I hope this blog has been a helpful resource to you, and I hope it continues to be. I’m optimistic about the future, and I look forward to many more posts. It’s been a great first 1000 posts. Here’s to the next batch.

Photo Credit: Thank you to Vicky for letting me use one of her photos. She’s a local I’ve been following on Instagram and Twitter for a few years.

Question: Are you reaching any milestones this year? Is there anything good happening in your life right now? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

If you liked this post, subscribe by email (or RSS). Thanks for being here.

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Filed Under: Random Stuff Tagged With: 1000 posts, blog milestone, celebration, home appraiser blog, my favorite posts, recap, Sacramento Appraisal Blog, thankful

5 things I’ve learned about blogging after 907 posts

November 22, 2013 By Ryan Lundquist 6 Comments

I started scratching out blog posts almost five years ago, and I’ll admit I’m excited to hit post #1000 at some point next year. Along the way it’s been fun to build great relationships, learn, share information, earn some new clients, get speaking gigs and gain attention from local and national media. There are surely many ways I can improve, but I am proud to say I’ve had staying power thus far, and I think I’ve learned a thing or two about running a successful blog for business.

image of typewriter - purchased by Sacramento Appraisal Blog through 123rtf dot com

The truth is so many blogs start out strong, but then drop off the face of the earth for one reason or another. Yes, there is a season for everything, so inevitably some blogs will die. That’s okay. Yet if you want to have stamina and find success for your blog, I might suggest considering a focus on the following core issues. These are things I believe are key ingredients for a successful blog. Enjoy.

5 Essentials for Running a Successful Blog for Business

1)  Be original: Take the time to craft your own thoughts. Who are you and what do you know that will help or entertain your audience? Let readers get a sense of your personality and expertise. Share photos, video or words. Do what works best for you and your readers, and be sure to not copy and paste other people’s articles and consider them posts.

2)  Know your audience: Who are you writing for? What types of people and business do you want to attract? This is your target audience, and each post should keep this group of people in mind. You are not doing hardcore sales, but rather focusing on providing helpful information (be a resource). What questions are your clients and potential clients asking? Share information like this by posing an issue and then simply providing the answer. In fact, check your sent email folder for post ideas because you’ve probably already answered some questions recently that can turn into fantastic posts. Remember, each post doesn’t have to be home run, but if you get on base here and there, eventually you’ll score runs over time (connections and business). If you cannot quickly say who you are writing for, it’s time to give that some thought. My audience? I write for real estate agents, home owners and the real estate community in general.

target audience - image purchased by Sacramento Appraisal Blog from 123rt dot com 2

3)  Be consistent: Having a regular blogging rhythm is important so readers can know when your posts are going to show up. I write two to three posts a week, so my subscribers know what to expect from me. I know multiple posts each week would be exhausting for some, so I might suggest starting out with once a month, bumping it up to twice a month and then maybe once a week. If you want to be dominant in your niche online, you simply have to find the time to create new content and do that with some sort of frequency – even when you feel too busy. Remember that regular posts keep you in front of your target audience, they build your expertise and search engines like to see fresh content.

4)  Get organized: I would not be able to write regularly if I woke up each day and thought, “hmm, what should I write today?” This is why I created a blog fodder sheet that helps keep 10-20 post ideas in front of me at any given moment. This single-page as shown below hangs in my office on a cork board behind my computer screen, and I use it to jot down post ideas whenever I have them. I also keep a few folders on my desktop called “Things I’ve seen lately” and “Market Trends” to help keep a running group of photos and stats that might work at some point for future posts. When you get into the rhythm of blogging, you’ll start to think, “oh, that’s going to be a great post”, and you can simply save a photo or thought for a future time when you’ll actually write it. This system is simple and it’s worked extremely well for me to be more organized, save time and stay focused on my target audience. Download blog fodder sheet on Slideshare.

blog fodder sheet

share-posts-on-social-media5)  Get Face Time: Part of being successful online is finding ways to connect your business offline. Blog posts, tweets and Facebook statuses can be great for connections, but it’s also important to be intentional about getting in front of clients regularly. Yes, I mean in person. Go to lunch, join a committee, serve on a board, give a presentation or drop off coffee and scones. Just do something. As an example, this year I made it a goal to teach classes and speak in at least one real estate office per month (I ended up doing two per month), and I’ll say it was very good for business. Why? Because I was able to share helpful information in person, answer questions and build connections. In all cases strangers became acquaintances at the least, but in some cases they also became blog subscribers and then clients.

Did I mention anything revolutionary? I’ll be the first to say no. That’s good though because it means virtually anyone with a little focus and intention can be a successful blogger. Yes, it is a time commitment, and I won’t water that down. But putting in the time to become a dominant trusted force online can be profoundly rewarding (and fun).

Thank you: By the way, thank you to all who have subscribed and followed the conversation on my little corner of the web. I’m humbled by that and I greatly appreciate it. If you’ve been tinkering with blogging yourself, send me an email or share the link below. I’d love to see what you are doing.

Questions: Any other blogging essentials or tips to share? What have you learned along the way? Also, do you have any creative ideas for me on post #1000?

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Filed Under: Internet, Random Stuff, Resources Tagged With: appraiser blogs, blogging for business, blogging tips, how to blog, real estate apprasier blog, Sacramento Appraisal Blog

5 business goals and 5 personal goals for 2013

January 2, 2013 By Ryan Lundquist 4 Comments

Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2013 already? I hope you are gearing up for a vibrant year of life and business ahead. I know I’m looking forward to these next months as I consider what story my life will tell in 2013. On that note, I wanted to share some of my business and personal goals for the year. I’d love to hear some of yours too in the comments below.

5 Business goals:
– Make more money in 2013 than in 2012.
– Cut existing expenses by 10% to eliminate trivial expenditures.
– Visit 1-2 real estate or law offices each month to teach classes (or do a Q&A).
– Continue to increase business for IRS and divorce appraisals.
– Be a resource to clients and the general public by blogging 3-ish times per week.

5 Personal goals:
– Give more money in 2013 than in 2012.
– Pull off three successful drives for Project 680.
– Lose 15 pounds (yes, my diet was too liberal last year).
– Finish building the backyard garden that was supposed to be done last year.
– Ride my bike weekly and flirt with running (shoes have been purchased already).

By the way, I just got back from vacation today. While I am full steam ahead now that I’m home, I’ll admit I already miss the beach. I snapped this photo of Sunset Beach yesterday (on mobile phone with no filter).

Sunset Beach - no filter - photo by Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Are you ready for the new year? What are some of your goals?

If you have any questions or Sacramento home appraisal or property tax appeal needs, let’s connect by phone 916-595-3735, email, Twitter, subscribe to posts by email (or RSS) or “like” my page on Facebook

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Filed Under: Random Stuff Tagged With: appraisers in Sacramento, five personal goals for 2013, goals for 2013, House Appraiser, Sacramento Appraisal Blog, Sacramento Home Appraiser

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First off, thank you for being here. Now let's get into the fine print. The material and information contained on this website is the copyrighted property of Ryan Lundquist and Lundquist Appraisal Company. Content on this website may not be reproduced or republished without prior written permission from Ryan Lundquist.

Please see my Sharing Policy on the navigation bar if you are interested in sharing portions of any content on this blog.

The information on this website is meant entirely for educational purposes and is not intended in any way to support an opinion of value for your appraisal needs or any sort of value conclusion for a loan, litigation, tax appeal or any other potential real estate or non-real estate purpose. The material found on this website is meant for casual reading only and is not intended for use in a court of law or any other legal use. Ryan will not appear in court in any capacity based on any information posted here. For more detailed market analysis to be used for an appraisal report or any appraisal-related purpose or valuation consulting, please contact Ryan at 916-595-3735 for more information.

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