Meet Virginia....and Georgia

DotLoop is putting its Pepsi bottles away as we head down to Atlanta tomorrow for the 2010 REBarCamp Atlanta. We'll be sure to eat lots of peaches while showing lovers of technology how they can simplify their lives with online negotiations.

Speaking of lovers, DotLoop will keeping it real at the REAL Show: the Virginia Association of Realtor's Convention & Expo October 1-3. If you're in town, join us in booth #204; this weekend will be sweeter than maple syrup.

Take Me Out To The Cleaners...

Let's play a game.

Imagine you're rich. Super rich. Now, imagine you want to build yourself a clubhouse. Fun game so far, huh?

This clubhouse will be built in the middle of town, only you don't want to have to pay for it. So, you convince your neighbors to pony up their money to pay for your shiny new clubhouse. Well, not so much convince as blackmail. See, if they don't give you money to pay for the clubhouse, you will leave and take the town's prized tourist attraction because, well, you own that, too.

So, they agree to build your clubhouse. Once built, you charge your neighbors an exorbitant fee to enter the clubhouse.

Sounds like a rotten deal, huh?

Interestingly enough, that's exactly how most city stadiums are built. Sport teams are no doubt a huge part of a city's culture (indeed, the Cincinnati Reds, DotLoop's own hometown team, won their division last night and clinched the playoffs, causing all sorts of excitement in the city), but often, the city never really owns the team. Or the stadium that is built by public tax dollars.

But don't stadiums bring in revenue for the city? Yes and no. Yes, they bring in some new tax dollars, but no, not enough to offset the cost of building the stadium.

The bottom line: sports teams are great for a city or region's culture and helps them brand themselves, but when private teams reap most of the benefits, shouldn't they be the ones paying for the facilities?

Of course, the resale is where the real money is at. Just ask Detroit, who sold their Pontiac Silverdome last year for a whopping $583,000. That's a lot of money, until you realize it cost the city $55.7 million to build it in 1975.

You can buy an awful lot of Cracker Jacks with that kind of money.

Happy Little Trees

With fall upon us, many of you no doubt are starting to do some home fix-ups. It is, after all, the perfect weather for painting without panting (no humidity - whoo hoo!).

I painted this weekend myself, actually. As I was going over the old paint, I was careful to stay within the lines, until, at one point, I went outside the parameters just a bit.

At first, I freaked out. Being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted to make sure that the new coat of paint covered the old exactly.

But then it dawned on me: I don't have to follow the same old worn pattern. After all, I have a brand new bucket of paint and can make new lines and new boundaries with my paint brush. I have the power to create an entirely new design.

This is great news, especially since the old lines are faded. After all, it's been two whole years since the economy began to crumble. By now, the old paint has chipped off. The question then, is, are you still following the old path, or are you forging a new one?

I challenge you, then, with your new paint bucket, to go and create bold new brush strokes. Maybe you've decided to take on that challenging listing or make your office completely paperless. Maybe you've even decide to embark on an entirely new career path altogether.

It's completely up to you. With all the doom and gloom about the current economy and with everyone wanting to badly to return to the spreadsheets of 2006, we often forget that this crisis is as much an opportunity as anything else.

So, instead of lamenting that the old paint is peeling off, brush away those paint chips and go create a masterpiece.

Don't miss the forest for the "happy little trees".

Foreclosures, Forgeries, and Fraudulant Financing

It's been three days since official start of fall and two years since the official fall of Lehman Brothers.

Only now, though, it seems that the question of "how did this happen?" is finally being answered.

The heat is hammering down on the foreclosure and mortgage industries, as it was just revealed this week that thousands of mortgage approvals were shuffled through and never checked. Many more were forged.

As the paperwork piled up, no one bothered checking to make sure that "Bogus Assignee" was a real person (yes, this actually happened) before approving them for a $500,000.00 mortgage. Others simply signed off on forms using a title they did not hold.

Hopefully, it's a lesson learned. Financial dealings are too important to be bogged down by mounds of paper that can easily be manipulated, lost, or forged.

DotLoop finds all of this fascinating, if only because it speaks so loudly about the need for transparent and accurate documentation. With DotLoop, not only is every change documented and attached to a form's history, but changes have to first be approved by a client before a form can be signed.

Who knew verification and approval were such novel ideas?

Pump the Brakes

While we always have multiple projects going on at the same time here at DotLoop, this week seems especially busy.

But we can make it - we always do. I think the key for us each of us to focus on one thing at a time before moving onto the next project. By week's end, things always seem to fall in place.

No doubt as agents, you've had your fair share of full plates. If you're lucky enough (or skilled enough), you might even be overflowing with work right now.

How do you get through it? Do you focus on one thing at a time or multiple things at a time? How do you handle multi-tasking?

More than likely, you don't.

Scientists are seeing more and more evidence that multi-tasking is a myth, that what we call "multi-tasking" is really just rapid attention shifting. We basically are taking tiny bites of a cornucopia of meals at a time instead of fully digesting one plate at a time.

Between bites, however, we need to refocus, losing productivity despite our "multi-tasking" which, ironically enough, is designed to make us more productive.

But getting one thing done, then moving onto the next actually allows for a greater yield of activity at the end of the day.

I'm sure Jeffrey Stephan wish he had thought of that. The 41 year-old document processor for Ally Financial recently admitted that he signed off on thousands of bank foreclosures, without reading a single one, a requirement for the job. The main reason was the shear amount of documents that needed to be reviewed and hand-signed: up to 10,000 a month.

Now, those who had their homes foreclosed on have ammunition to fight back and call shenanigans on the very banks who tried to do more than one thing at a time. It's sending shock waves throughout the mortgage industry.

Not to say that having another document processor wouldn't have helped, but he did admit to "shortcuts", including taking a glance at the borrower's names and a few other number before signing off, and not even reading the rest of the files.

Sometimes, when your plate runneth-over, the best advice is: when you're in a hurry, slow down.

Reading, Writing, and Real Estate

Last month, the DotLoop Blog examined what not to do with your website. Among the suggestions were to not use Glamour Shot images of yourself or brag about how awesome you are.

Today, let's go a bit deeper and discuss probably the most important part of your site - the writing.

Great writing can make a ho-hum site shine and bad writing can make a gorgeous site bland. A site's writing is what truly separates it from the competition. Here are three tips to make sure your site is a shining example of crisp and clear composition:

Practice Good Grammar - If you don't know your its from it's or their from there, then there's a good chance you're not paying attention to the details. And in real estate, details matter. Good grammar isn't about looking like an elitist; it's about looking competent. This includes the ever-important apostrophe placement, too.

Say Something - Everyone likes flowery adverbs, but don't forget you're also a business person. Your words need to say something of value, not just empty fluff. Same thing with your listings. What does a "cute cottage" mean, anyway?

Be An Expert - Talk about the local area, not just the specific home. Is there a local jazz bar around the corner from your listing? Do you have working knowledge about short sales and can you lucidly explain the process to your clients? Maybe you have a great tip on how to clean out gutters on a second story home. The more knowledge you can share, the better your brand will be.

Take a look at your site and check to see if you need some editing. Remember - your site's copy is how it communicates to the outside world. Make sure it has something to say and that it says it good, er, I mean well.

Pirate Phonics - Do Your Clients Understand Your Real Estate Lingo?

As many of you probably know, Sunday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a day to celebrate swashbuckling and decry land lubbers.

It's a silly day, one that I never had heard of until a colleague here at DotLoop mentioned it earlier this week.

It got us thinking, though: every industry has its own "language" - real estate is no different. But how helpful is that to your clients?

Do your clients, for example, understand what a short sale is? Or what it means to be FHA certified? Do they know what escrow means or why they need to sign a certain document and only initial another?

A purchase contract, after all, like most legal documents, is not designed to make it easy to understand, but to legally protect certain parties by using obscure, sometimes archaic (sometimes Latin) language.

Your job, then, as an agent, is to translate the legalese and help them navigate the choppy waters and keep them from walking the plank.

After all, with a real estate transaction, your clients are looking to you to be the captain of the negotiation, to keep a watch out for them from the crow's nest, and to help them set sail on their new life in their new home.

Arrrrrrr you up to the challenge?

Is Home Ownership Outdated?

As a record number of banks carpe domus ("seize the home"), and as jobs keep shuffling around in a more mobile, fluid society, one has to ask: is home ownership outdated?

And I don't mean in terms of fads, as if owning a home were akin to owning a bean bag chair or a lava lamp. Fads come and go, but the underlying structure stays the same.

What I'm asking is whether the underlying structure is changing. After all, it used to be that you could graduate high school, get a good manufacturing job with enough pay and benefits to provide for your family, and retire with a healthy pension. One job in one town for one life.

Owning a home made sense. You stayed put and your grandchildren were raised in the same hometown as you. You paid off your mortgage and maybe fueled your retirement off of its sale, leveraging its increased value.

But in today's world, that kind of life is as anachronistic as the milkmen and paper boys that went along with it. By 2006, workers between the ages of 18 and 38 changed jobs an average of 10 times; many times, switching cities to do so. And, with housing prices falling, a home is no longer a retirement tool.

This new way of living will end up drastically changing the way we work and live. As Richard Florida's new book The Great Reset points out, American society most likely (and in some cases already is) going to become a 'rentership society', rather than an 'ownership society'.

That's not to say ownership will disappear altogether. Indeed, it will end up making good real estate agents that much more in demand, and it will mean those out to own a home will be doing so for the right reasons, not just because they heard it was a good investment.

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

As you may be aware, DotLoop is going convention crazy this week, stretching ourselves from Texas to Ohio (and soon to be in Virginia).

If you're attending the 2010 Keller William Mega Camp in Austin, Texas this week, look for us at Booth #500 and come get your free complimentary mesh bag to haul around your stuff, courtesy of our friends at American Paper and Plastic Company.

They will also be available at the upcoming Virginia Association of Realtors' REal Show: VAR's Convention & Expo 2010 Conference in Virginia Beach on October 1st.

So stop on by. And remember: with DotLoop, simplified real estate transactions are in the bag.

Overleveraged & Underwater

A good agent knows that any home buying process doesn't begin with scoping out neighborhoods or searching online for open houses.

It starts with a trip to the bank to get pre-qualified for a loan.

But in the midst of the chaotic economic downturn, such pre-qualification has gotten pretty prickly, with banks now necessitating a perfect credit rating and ties to royalty just to be seen.

Consider the case of the Britos, a San Francisco couple who pre-qualified for a $650,000 home loan in 2006 and who now only pre-qualify for $280,000.

As the article points out, the receding loan amount is maybe a bit of an over-correction in the market.

Still, at its peak, the ratio of borrowing leverage for states most affected by the housing crash (think Arizona, Florida, and California) were as high as 15 times a borrower's income. Talk about risky.

During the housing boom, the old standby of "your house should be no more than three times your salary" went out the door, replaced by "get as much as you can and then buy more than you need."

And we're all see the effects of that logic.

What do you think? Would you rather have people qualify for less or more?

Just Another "Convention"-al Week

It's a busy week here at DotLoop. Not only have we launched our new features, but we're attending several conventions and conferences around the country.

We'll be live in Austin, Texas at the 2010 Keller William Mega Camp (look for us in booth #500).

We're saddling up for another show in Galveston, Texas at the 2010 Texas Association of Realtors Convention and Trade Expo.

A bit closer to home (in our own hometown of Cincinnati), we are at the 2010 OAR Convention today. This is the 100th anniversary of the convention, and we're excited to help OAR celebrate!

We'll just be getting over our jet lag when it's back on the road at the Virginia Association of Realtors' REal Show: VAR's Convention & Expo 2010 Conference on October 1st.

Whew!

Our Thoughts & Prayers To Those Out West

Yesterday was a tragic day for our friends out west, in particular those neighbors in San Bruno, California.

A ruptured gas and a massive explosion roared through the residential neighborhood yesterday evening, destroying hundreds of homes and killing six people.

Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones and their homes from this tragic event.

Boulder Colorado also lost many homes in rampant wild fires now threatening the city.

In a week commerating the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks, we hope that these tragedies do not go unnoticed and we hope you put a thought and prayer out to those who lost not just their homes, but in a sense, their lives.

Is It Green Or Is It Greed?

The construction industry has a 17% unemployment rate, but one sector not suckered into job losses are green buildings.

Accounting for up to one-third of all new construction in the US, green buildings are the hot new trend in construction. They're the asbestos of the new millennium, only without the carcinogens.

But what makes a building 'green' anyway?

For most, having the designation of a LEED certified building seals the deal (or is that insulates the deal?). LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a term created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit consortium of builders and designers.

But does the point-based system really make buildings greener, or just the wallets of its council? As far as new construction is concerned, do we really need any more buildings, or would it be 'greener' to simply rehab older buildings and bring them up to modern code?

It may be time to question some of the assumptions one makes about what makes a home environmentally sound.

After all, like most movements, the green movement seems to be more about making money than saving manatees.

Are You Ready to Evolve?

Real estate agents are an endangered species.

And, like dodo birds, jobs already lost in real estate are not likely to come back anytime soon.

That's according to the new report from the Labor Department, which speculates that most or all of the 8.4 million lost jobs will be regained by 2014.

The catch?

The new jobs will most likely be filled by two categories: high paying, high skilled jobs or low-paying, low-skill jobs. The middle, it appears, has been sliced out and shipped out overseas.

Of course, as a real estate agent, you no doubt have already seen what having less real estate agents is like on the industry. Perhaps the job-losses were long-overdue residual effects from having too many "me, too" agents.

For the fittest who've survived, however, your evolution is not yet complete.

The real estate world will continue to rapidly change, from less inventory with lower prices to clients who demand paperless, real-time collaboration and updates. Your job is to evolve and grow as this change occurs.

The best part, though?

No matter the changes in the economy, they'll never be able to outsource real estate agents.

What Is a Browser? (And Do You Need To Know?)

Do you know what a div is?

A what?

Exactly. You probably think I'm lying, but computers aren't magical. They are just language and microchips.

But you don't care. Nor should you - you're too busy getting your work done. Here at DotLoop, we understand that, which is why we create tools to simplify your lives, not add complexity to an already complex world.

As Google points out in the video below, most people don't know how the Internet works, but most people nonetheless use the Internet.



Most people don't know how their car works, either (something about internal combustion), but they drive one every day.

Your clients don't necessarily know how real estate works; they just want their house sold.

Folks just want things to work. At DotLoop, we get that, which is why we are constantly tweaking and updating our site to make it more efficient, more robust, and more useful.

Look for some changes next week and enjoy your holiday weekend.

For the record, a browser is software used to render the Internet onto your computer screen. Think of it as a window into the web. Google, by contrast, is a web site that helps you search the Internet. It's a search engine, not a browser.

Easy, right?

The Economy Tsunami - Are You Prepared?

This economy is a strange, fickle little creature, and it may be years before we see an upswing.

At least, that's what Jeremy Grantham's predicting. This fabled recovery, he says, will not happen in 2010, but around 2016.

You know - the future.

Of course, he may be just another Economic Nostradamus and might be completely wrong about his "seven lean years" prediction. This downturn, after all, may last even longer.

Our economy is only as fickle as we are, though - we've been impatiently waiting for a recovery for the last three years. Now that it's lasting longer than we had anticipated, it seems a good idea to start thinking long-term about changes we can all make to wade through this economy tsunami.

Here are three areas you, as an agent, can start to cutback on to wade through this recession.

Office Supplies
Between the manila folders, costly ink cartridges, and burdensome storage cabinets (which take up precious office space), the cost of business has always been a bit on the high side.

With today's technology, however, you can run a completely paperless office, saving you space, waste, and haste. DotLoop's paperless online transaction system, for example, means you'll never have to worry about costly paper fees (or paper cuts) again.

Fuel
How much time are you spending stuck in traffic? How much money are you wasting on gas? Fuel costs add up and can eat into your revenue faster than you think. With more cars on the road today than ever before, even a quick trip downtown can waste hours and gallons.

Luckily, with e-mail, eSign, and eFax services so readily available, you can save your gas for when you really need it - to get to the closing table.

Advertising
There are only so many channels agents use to get their name out there; unfortunately, most are not only out-dated, but downright costly.

With free services like Facebook and Twitter allowing you to be your own brand manager (and more easily and effectively connect with your audience) why would anyone still use a billboard or bus stop bench to get the word out?

These are just three areas you can curb your spending to survive this wave of slumped sales. I'm sure you can think of even more.

And hey, even if this economy come back swinging again soon, think about how much more efficient, effective, and economic you will be as an agent.

Card Sharks

Consider yourselves warned.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, that "professional card" offer you received in the mail last week may give your ego a boost, but not without first raiding your wallet.

With issuing offers of such cards up 256% from last year, you may be asking yourself: has everyone become a small-business owner over night?

Hardly. Thanks to the new CARD (Credit Card Accountability and Responsibility and Disclosure) Act of 2009, card issuers can no longer jack up your rates or ding you with inactivity fees.

Such consumer protections do are not covered for small-business cards, though. So, now, not only can your dog receive a credit card, he can also be a small business owner, too.

They keep finding the loopholes.

Chase spokeswoman Laura Rossi says that only small-business owners should be receiving these cards and that "mailings for small-business cards have not spiked but have remained relatively consistent."

Apparently, a 256% increase is not a spike. "Professional", huh?

So, if when they ask you 'what's in your wallet?' let them know: cash.

What Does Your Website Say About You?

If you're an agent working today, then you already know the importance of a good web presence.

What you may not know, however, is what constitutes 'good'.

If you have a website, take a look at this list to make sure you're not falling victim to technology. After all, having a megaphone is one thing; using it wisely is another.

1. I'm #1! I'm #1!

Does your website scream #1 anything? Stop it. Sure, you may be the number one agent in your market, and you may have famous clients. But your potential clients don't care. They want to make sure you will help them find a home or sell their existing home.

Who's the focus here anyway: your ego or the client?

2. Music.

Just...just don't play music in the background. The quickest way to lose a potential customer is to automatically play music when they log into your site.

3. Poor Picture Quality.

If you have listings on your site (which you should), be aware that the quality of the photos reflects the quality of the agent who took them (that is, you, even if an intern took them). If you have grainy images taken from your 2 mega pixel camera to show off a home, I will be clicking the red X on the top of my browser and will continue shopping for a competent agent.

4. Misspelled Words.

The descriptions are just as important as the pictures when listing a home. And glaring misspellings give a potential client the same vibe as grainy pictures - this agent doesn't care. With dictionary.com a free service, there should be no reason you should have misspelled words on your page.

5. Glamour Shot Photos.

If your picture is more than five years old, you need to replace it. And don't wear your blouse with shoulder pads in your new picture, either. Clients do not want to be surprised when they meet you. They want to be sure that you are genuine, not Photoshopped.

Of course, easy navigation, informative content, and an ability to contact you are all very important, too. And, if you're a DotLoop user, you can let them know that they will be able to negotiate more easily and quickly.

Websites, like a home, need to be maintained.

Are you maintaining yours?

How Many Clicks Does It Take?

Here at DotLoop, we're always tweaking our system to make it as efficient and stream-lined as possible.

But did you know how many clicks it takes to get to the finish line of a negotiation?

Mr. Owl knows.

To send a contract to a client, it takes 3 clicks.

For the client to sign the contract, it takes 2 clicks.

To add a new form to an offer, it takes 2 clicks.

To send a signed offer to the other agent, it takes 2 clicks.

And to get the bank to complete a short sale in under 60 days?

Well, I never made it without biting.

To see for yourself how many clicks it takes to create a paperless real estate transaction, visit DotLoop today and check out our Sample Contract to preview the system.

Charge Change

And finally...

...some good news!

No, the housing market has not returned to "normal" (if you can call the recent boom "normal") and unemployment is still dangerously high (unless you live in North Dakota).

But perhaps this recession has taught us a valuable lesson: live within your means.

For the first time since 2002, the average credit card debt per American citizen is now below $5,000 ($4,951 to be exact).

"Consumers continue to pay down their credit cards in response to economic uncertainty and high unemployment," Ezra Becker, a consulting strategist, says in the article.

Like a kid who ate too much Halloween candy, Americans gorged themselves on cheap and easy credit and are now taking a more healthy approach to spending and saving.

It took a global recession to make us realize our faulty ways, but the best lessons are always the hardest to learn.

Rethink, Regroup, and Reinvigorate

“Gentlemen, progress has never been a bargain. You've got to pay for it.”
--Henry Drummond, Inherit the Wind

It’s been a tumultuous few years to say the least.

With the economy still stuck in the mud, despite the turning of our wheels, a recovery appears to be a long, long way off and the good old days of 2006 are nothing more than a distant dream.

It seems like Pandora’s Box has been opened as the housing market continues to whimper on.

Later today, NAR will release what is predicted to be a decline in July home sales, and foreclosures continue to rise in certain areas in the country. It seems we're continuously mired in bad real estate news.

But it's not all doom and gloom. This weakened economy may just be the reprieve we need to buckle down, tighten up, and condition ourselves for a post-recession economy. Sure, the sales may be down right now, but never before have agents had so many advanced tools at their disposal. Never before have agents been able to openly and actively communicate with their clients.

We will most likely come out of this Great Recession a bit worn, but also a bit wiser. The proverbial cream will rise to the top and the best agents will shine through. After all, the only way to turn a lump of coal into a diamond is with time and pressure.

The question is, are you bettering yourself in this downtime, or are you still waiting next to the fax machine for the latest offer? Are you talking to your clients on Facebook to see what they feel about the local real estate market? Are you polishing your HTML skills or updating your website?

Because now's the time to regroup, rethink, and reinvigorate your business. This recession, after all, won't last forever.

So, when times are difficult in the midst of all of this bad news, don't forget what was at the bottom of Pandora's Box: hope.

Is The American Dream Changing?

It turns out that America might just be big enough to have differing versions of the American Dream.

With housing prices still plummeting and unemployment still rising, the old stigma of renting is starting to wear off.

As NPR points out, renting is now being re-examines, with a less-weary eye.

Another article in the series discusses how some renters have found "forced simplicity, [which] keeps [their] overhead very low and lifestyle very flexible."

In a world where the stock market can wipe out an entire life's work and a home's value can plummet to the point where you end up owing more than what it's worth, the younger generation is starting to question the American Dream as it was created in the 1950s.

Indeed, as Raj Date points out in the article, "The world we live in today is not quite the world that existed in 1950", referring to the transient nature of work and suggesting that a middle class American should not "stake themselves" with a house.

With the mercurial nature of today's economy, home ownership may not end up being the ultimate fruition of the American Dream.

After all, as The New York Times points out, one-third of twenty-somethings move to a new residence every year and go through an average of seven jobs within the decade.

With such drastic statistics, it's no wonder that renting, as Joanne Cleaver pointed out in the article, "[isn't] being rootless, [it's] being free."

And isn't being free ultimately what American Dream is all about?

Could You Go Unplugged?

"Real sacrifice lightens the mind of the doer and gives him a sense of peace and joy."

So says Mahatma Gandhi.

But then again, he never had to give up his cell phone.

In a fascinating little experiment, The New York Times threw down the gauntlet to its readers and challenged them to give up their internet and phone connections. The results are interesting, if not scary - it seems that for some, being connected is as addictive as any drug out there.

Others, however, found solace in the silence, even remarking how they were "less stressed, much calmer, and less distracted."

It's interesting to hear some of the stories of those who took a breather from being connected and either reconnected with the rest of the world or were frustrated to tears.

Here at DotLoop, we encourage you to take a step away from the screen and get some fresh air after you quickly complete your contracts online and easily send them off to your client.

There's no Farmville to distract you here.

A Dim Idea

Last night, I unplugged my TV after watching a show.

I also drove to the grocery store across the street from me because it was a bit too hot out to walk.

I am such an environmentalist.

As another sign of good intentions, but poor execution, a new survey found that Americans don't really know how to save energy.

As if daily traffic jams were not enough of an indication.

It turns out that just turning off your lights before leaving a room and buying that new ENERGY STAR laptop don't really add up to much in a big-picture sense.

And what's more, the green movement may be partially to blame, with erroneous information leading people into thinking that buying green products is the key to environmental utopia.

The lead researcher from the study, Shahzeen Attari, says that, rather than doing the small, easy things to curb your carbon output, you're probably better off "switching to efficient technologies [which] generally allow you to maintain your behavior and save a great deal more energy."

The idea is to change how you do things, and not necessarily what you do. I mean, sure, you could buy soy ink cartridges for your fax machine and use 100% post-recycled paper to print off your 50 or so pages of documents and drive your new hybrid car over to your client's home for their signature (using a soy-based, recycled pen of course), but wouldn't it be easier, more efficient, and more environmentally-friendly to simply use DotLoop and have everything done online, without wasted paper, ink, or gas?

After all, sometimes being green simply means doing things better.

*Results Not Typical

Reading this blog post is guaranteed to make you twice as effective within your profession and will also make you up to ten times more attractive to the opposite sex. And, by bookmarking this blog now, you will be able to triple your income and quadruple your tax write-offs!

Just ask DotLoop Blog reader Donnie Ewing.

"Since I began reading the DotLoop Blog, I have been making $5,000 a day in extra income. Plus, I lost ten pounds in three minutes!"*

*Results not typical. Side effects may include nausea, dry-mouth, and headaches. Always consult your doctor before reading the DotLoop Blog.

If you've watched any TV within the last decade, you've seen the small type. As a real estate agent, you know all about small type and the importance of reading it.

And it's not just the "results not typical" variety, either. The infamous "up to" and "as low as" are just as misleading. I especially like car commercials, where they show the most posh, leather-clad car winding through the freshly-paved blacktop of some scenic mountain road. The announcer then comes on and proclaims that you too can get this car starting at $15999. The small type, of course, always says "Price as Shown, $38999."

Car companies are not the only ones over-promising and under-delivering, though. As reported yesterday, broadband "up to" speeds are as bogus as men with sprayed-on hair getting bikini models for a girlfriends.

As it turns out, what's being advertised is not at all what's being delivered.

This of course lends itself to an interesting discussion. In an attempt to stay afloat through this difficult housing market, are you over-inflating your numbers and abilities? Are you only advertising atypical results? Most likely, you're not, but it's something to think about next time a seller is demanding their house be listed at a 2006 price point and you guarantee that you can deliver such results.

As we all know, the devil is in the details and the deception is in the small type.

Free Parking Is Anything But

Being the first to arrive in the office today, my car was the first to arrive in the parking lot (boy, I really hope my boss reads today's post).

I didn't think much of it, and you probably don't either, but my car is now just sitting there, taking up precious land space outside of the office. And I am not paying a single dime for it.

Or so I think. But the truth is, like freedom, parking is never "free".

That's where subsidies come into play.

But do these subsidies make sense anymore? In an era where people are concerned about their carbon footprint, why do we still subsidize parking, which only allows for more congestion and pollution? Indeed, a full third of all NYC traffic is simply cars looking for a place to park.

That's a lot of wasted time and energy. As The New York Times points out this week, "we end up overusing land for cars — and overusing cars too. You don’t have to hate sprawl, or automobiles, to want to stop subsidizing that way of life."

A more sensible approach would to be to allow parking rates to fluctuate depending on demand at the time, an idea that is being piloted in San Francisco. You simply pay for what you use, like any other commodity.

Designing neighborhoods and cities for people instead of cars will only happen if people think wisely about when they use their cars. Free parking may seem nice, but like free ice cream, it has its consequences.

After all, we're trying to be careful with our resources (going paperless with DotLoop, for example). Isn't it time we start being careful with our land use, too?

"It's Not About Real Estate, It's About Consumer Behavior Changing"

If you didn't catch it yesterday, Chris from TechSavvyAgent presented a fascinating interview with The Goodlife Team CEO Krisstina Wise and CTO Jack Miller.

This video is a must see, although most likely you'll be pausing and replaying it over and over again to catch all of the gems of wisdom presented.

For example, on the ROI of social media and online connectedness, Krisstina says that "the ROI of all of this is you will be in business in five years. We don't have a choice to do it or not to do it - it is the way the future is going."

Jack has this to say about web design and why it's probably not a good idea to outsource your web presence to an $8/hour college kid: "[Great results] are not accidents and it takes a good designer to produce that."

Chris himself offered the titular quote. Of course, here at DotLoop, we understand how technology will continue to adjust the way home buyers and sellers interact with their agents. The future of successful real estate belongs to those agents that can engage their clients on their terms. That is, online.

Chris, Krisstina, and Jack all offer some amazing insight into what it takes to make that happen. Be sure not to miss it!

You're Suspect, Google & Verizon

Your desktop computer is safe for now, but watch out for your smart phone.

Yesterday, the much-anticipated Google-Verizon "deal" was announced.

And, as it turned out, the rumors of a Google-Verizon collusion deal to kill net neutrality were much ado about nothing.

Instead, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg made what they referred to as a "joint policy announcement" that was to be a "suggested legislative framework for consideration by lawmakers."

Interestingly enough, though, it only applies to wireline internet connections, and not the wireless internet connections linked to so many handheld devices.

Still, it seems a bit odd that two corporations are giving the government "suggested legislative framework" in the very industry they do business in. It would be like BP giving suggestions to the MMS.

For their story on the announcement, NPR spoke with Siva Vaidhyanathan, a professor of law and media studies at the University of Virginia.

He is weary as well.

"All of these companies have short-term invested interest in maintaining their power," he said. "Fundamentally, Google doesn't work for you and me, and Verizon certainly doesn't work for you and me."

Which is true, despite what Verizon's tag-line may say.

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out, but my gut is telling me to be careful when two corporate giants want to address public policy out of the goodness of their stocks, er, hearts.

Bye Bye Free Wi-Fi?

A few years back, I stopped going to my local coffee shop to write and started going to the Starbucks across the street from me.

It wasn't because the coffee was better, or the people friendlier at the coffee conglomerate.

It was because there was no internet access at Starbucks.

Those days are now long gone, thanks to Starbucks' decision last month to offer free wi-fi, so I'm back to ordering the local cup of joe, but for a while there, it was nice to know that all I had to do (and could do) when I sat down in my seat was write.

As it turned out, free wi-fi wasn't a "perk"; it was a distraction.

No checking e-mail. No "researching" new ideas. And no excuses.

As the LA Times reported this week, it turns out I wasn't alone. What used to be a staple of the coffee house scene - free internet access - has now become a selling point if it's missing.

"People still desire and need actual interaction," states the article. "That dynamism is part of what makes us human."

Indeed, technology can be a double-edged sword, yielding fantastic amounts of productivity, yet making people feel isolated behind their screens. Something that should be used a tool becomes just another distraction, a topic that was touched upon here in May.

DotLoop, of course, prides itself on being a tool and not a toy. Our system never replaces an agent; it only allows them another channel to communicate with their colleagues and clients.

Personally, I can see the draw for a web-free cup of coffee; a sort of safe haven from the lightening-fast pace of the outside world. How about you? Do you think being disconnected every once in a while has its benefits?

If You Build It...Do It Elsewhere

The economy does some strange things to people.

Sometimes, it makes them a bit more practical, if not confused.

In a new study, 68% of people are now “more likely to support new projects in their hometown in light of the current economic situation,” a 10% increase from 2006.

Agent Genius discusses the flux of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) attitudes within this recession.

Of course, not all development is created equal and not all NIMBYS are just Negative Nancies wanting to halt progress. What some see as progress (a new Wal-Mart), others see as decline (boarded up main street shops thanks to said Wal-Mart).

What's interesting, though is that, while the overall population is more receptive to large commercial projects, "three out of four Americans...believe their city or town is already over-developed or fine the way it is", according to Patrick Fox, president of The Saint Consulting Group who did the study.

So, most are okay with building new projects, but more still think that their towns are perfect just the way they are. How...ambiguous.

Still, for a nation currently breaking up roads due to budget cuts, it seems that perhaps new commercial development isn't what we need so much as new infrastructure developments.

Better roads, along with more transportation options, could go a long way in improving streets, neighborhoods, cities and our country as a whole, as long as the NIMBYS understand that their backyards may have to change for such progress to take place.

Progress, of course, is tricky, and some don't see the benefits of it until they experience it for themselves (very much like DotLoop).

It will be interesting to see where our priorities go once the economy gets its strength back. Let's home that when the next development boom happens, we develop for our sidewalks as well as our new retail stores.

Leica iPhone 4, It's Not Built to Last

When the iPhone 4 was unveiled (at its official launch, not the Gizmodo leaks), Steve Jobs compared it to "a beautiful old Leica camera."

You know, one that's prone to breakage and antenna issues.

Not to sound like an old man, but, well, they just don't make 'em like they used to.

I'm not alone in my thinking, though. Nick Bilton's brilliant blog post today talks about this very notion, one that came about from a cracked iPhone 4.

But it's not just electronics. Cars, furniture, even homes are being built not to last, but to be replaced by newer models a few years (or even months!) down the line. It makes you wonder why anyone would spend top dollar on a device that will be obsolete in eight months, like the new Motorola Droid is now.

After all, I'd be more than willing to spend extra money on a car or phone that will be guaranteed to last longer than the milk in my fridge.

“Electronics today are not built with permanence in mind," says Jason Bruch, from branding design agency Schematic.“If you purchased a Leica Camera a hundred years ago it would still work today. It was bullet proof."

Unlike the iPhone 4. Luckily, the iPhone 5 is coming out in just a few months.

Probably followed by the iPhone 6 a week later.

Maybe that one will live up to the Leica camera analogy Steve Jobs had in mind.

Has Google Turned On Us?

It's 13 years too late, but Judgment Day is upon us.

Anyone familiar with the Terminator movie series knows that the day the machines become aware was to occur on August 29,1997.

Turns out, it might just be on August 9, 2010.

That may be the day, as The New York Times reports, that Google and Verizon sell out Internet users across the world, when the two announce their partnership allowing Verizon to speed "some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege." Content such as Google's YouTube.

Basically, it means that the idea of net neutrality - that no one person, entity or corporation owns the Internet, an idea once backed by Google - could be dead in the water.

Since the backbone of the Internet - the optic cables and wires that were laid in the 1990s - was paid for by tax dollars, it would be akin to selling off our national highways to private companies and allowing them to charge whatever they want to use the lanes. Those with deep pockets would have sole access to the fast lanes.

It basically privatizes a public utility.

A neutral Internet allows anyone with a bold idea the ability to communicate with the world and provide value and service (like DotLoop). A closed Internet allows a few companies to control what message gets prioritized (like cable) and severely limits users' experience.

Now is the time to act to help save the Internet as we know it.

Before it's terminated.

Surf's Up For Innovation

Sometimes, what seems bad can actually be good, if you dig down deep enough and ride the wave long enough. Chinese surfboards, for example, only help the industry as a whole.

Confused yet? Let me explain.

With the economy still reeling and jobs as scarce as an Arizona avalanche in August, the outsourcing of jobs and the influx of cheap labor is probably a bad thing, most would agree.

But it all depends on perception.

Case in point: in today's story about the surfboard industry, the rise of cheap, Chinese-made surfboards, made by low-wage workers, who "have no idea what a surfboard is used for" seems like a bad thing for the industry.

But what was initially a scourge to the surfboard industry has turned into a blossoming on innovation from domestic producers. Indeed, as the article points out, the cheap imports have only increased the value of what domestic board shapers do.

“'The shapers out there … view themselves as craftsman and artisans rather than producers of composite material products,' says Sean Smith, the executive director of the Surfboard Industry Manufacturers Association."

DotLoop understands such home-grown innovation. Our products and services are all produced in-house, by a tight, dedicated team of experts. Quality trumps quantity and cheap knock-offs are nowhere to be found.

After all, shouldn't we all be craftsmen and artisans with our work?

New Study Confirms What We Already Knew

In a new study funded by the Captain Obvious Foundation, home buyers' satisfaction with real estate companies improved while home sellers had a less than favorable view.

The J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller Study™ was released yesterday and it found that for home buyers had a 12 point increase in satisfaction (803 on a 1000 point scale) from 2009 while home sellers had a 40 point decrease (742 on a 1000 point scale).

Of course, this only makes sense. With the housing market still reeling from its burst bubble, and with interest rates still historically low, buyers with the cash and ability to buy have the pick of the litter when it comes to homes, and sellers have to compete with short sales and foreclosed properties when trying to recoup their equity.

The good news, however, is that regardless of which side of the contract a client's interests are, the need and importance for a good agent has substantially increased. It's almost as if the housing crisis has really shed light on the best agents out there, with the cream rising to the top.

Indeed, for the third consecutive year, DotLoop partner Keller Williams was ranked the highest in customer satisfaction for home buyers and Prudential - another DotLoop partner - was ranked the highest for home sellers.

After all, even Captain Obvious knows that great customer service always leads to greater satisfaction, regardless which side of the contract you are on.

The New Abnormal

Mr. Homeowner, now that you've just finished your strategic default, what are you going to do?

"I'm going to Disney World!"

We just don't know what to do with ourselves.

As Bloomberg reported late last week, Americans are being schizophrenic in their spending habits throughout this recession, buying cheap toothpaste at the dollar store so that they can continue to buy $3 lattes at Starbucks.

In a nation where a giant shopping mall is a vacation destination and 70% of our GDP is made up of people buying things, it's easy to see why we are so desperate to spend. After all, it's how we're programmed to function.

The phenomenal sales of the iPad - a product that created a brand new need upon its release - is a perfect example. As the article showed, a gentleman who had just foreclosed on his condo purchased the new Apple product even though he had just lost thousands of dollars in wealth.

Of course, in a time of record profits coupled with crushing unemployment, all of these strange economic stories only verify what DotLoop already knows: the world is rapidly changing.

I Just Called To Say...

Is a sales call free speech?

At what point is calling intrusive?

And finally - is there ever a convenient time to call someone to make a sales pitch?

This week, the National Do Not Call registry topped 200 million people, or about 66% of the population.

So, I think it's safe to say that people loathe being contacted and sold to while trying to eat dinner.

Of course, tech-savvy agents know this. Time was, the only way to immediately contact people was intrusively - either knocking on their door or calling them on the phone.

But now, technology has made contacting people less-intrusive. Text-messaging has surpassed phone calls on cell phones not because text-messaging is easier (although some argue it is), but because it's less intrusive.

E-mail and text messaging have made it possible to communicate and not irritate.

At DotLoop, for example, your clients can be notified via text message or e-mail that their offer has been approved or that their electronic signature is needed. It's convenient for them and it respects their time.

Besides, they may be busy trying to convince the sales guy on the other end of the line that they don't need replacement windows or vinyl siding.

A Porch, of Course!

Remember front porches?

Like bell-bottoms and vinyl records, they're making a comeback. Well, maybe not bell-bottoms - I really don't know for sure about those. I'm no fashionista.

But front porches - they're hot right now.

It seems people are tired of not knowing their neighbors. As new urbanists take hold of their neighborhoods and try to recapture the lost art of conversing with the neighbors and leaving their cars at home, front porches are back en vogue.

And it couldn't have come at a better time.

With the uncertainty surrounding almost all aspects of our daily lives today, it's good to know that you can still count on your neighbor and have an authentic conversation on your front porch.

Of course, here at DotLoop, we talk an awful lot about community, because we believe a house is more than just bricks, mortar, and copper wiring. Homes help build neighborhoods, cities, and lives.

And sometimes, it all starts with a porch.

Cellular Breakdown

Your cell phone may be killing you, and eggs are bad for you.

Or not.

Not sure if you heard the news (and if you heard it from your cell phone, you're really not going to like this), but it turns out that cell phones may cause brain tumors.

Or not.

The truth is, nobody knows for sure, but then again, nobody knew if ships would fall off the edge of the world until they tried, either.

This weekend, however, the cell phone industry is suing the city of San Francisco over its new labeling law, which gives consumers access to the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limit of each cell phone at the point-of-sale.

It turns out the cell phone industry does not like making those numbers readily available to consumers who are enamored by their shiny phones.

I for one think labeling is fine - even needed - and that this lawsuit is about as silly as the first cell phones.

After all, information is power, and the more information someone has, the better informed their decisions are. It's just like the recent calorie labeling enacted in New York. Who wouldn't want to know how many calories are in a "low-fat" blueberry muffin?

The science of cell phone tumors is still up in the air, so, whether cell phones turn into the new asbestos or if they're as innocuous coffee, knowing the information can only be a good thing.

Who knows, maybe if home buyers knew more than the banks were legally responsible to tell them, our economy wouldn't be so unhealthy.

Real Estate Connect Recap

Putting a cap on this week, we thought we'd recap last week's Inman Real Estate Connect in San Francisco with a tally of some of the Innovator Awards winners.

As mentioned, DotLoop partner The Goodlife Team won top honors for being the Best Brokerage, but a special mention should be made to TechSavvyAgent, who came away as the Best Blog. Congratulations, Chris!

The other winners:

• Best Brokerage or Franchise: The Goodlife Team from Austin, Texas
• Best New Technology: ZipRealty’s Home Scan
• Best Web Service: Houston Association of Realtors’ Realtor Match
• Best Blog: Tech Savvy Agent (Chris Smith)
• Best Media Site: ProPublica Eye on Loan Modifications
• Innovator of the Year: It was a two-way tie between Sherry Chris, Better Homes and Garden’s CEO; and Dale Stinton, National Association of Realtors' CEO

Congratulations to all the winners! Keep on innovating and have a wonderful weekend!

From Scrolls to Scroll Bars

Does less paper equal less environmental damage?

Before you answer "of course!", think about it, because context is important.

As mentioned Wednesday, Amazon.com recently celebrated its 15th anniversary of selling everything from Tolstoy to trombones. Obviously, the retail giant has changed the way we buy goods, but with e-books now outselling traditional paper books, it's also completely changed the way we do our summer reading.

The knee-jerk reaction, though, is to assume that that's great for the environment.

But what about the environmental impact of creating a Kindle? Sure, less trees may be destroyed to sell the latest Dan Brown novel (which is a shame, really - that Dan Brown gets to keep making novels, not the saved trees), but how much energy goes into making a Kindle?

It's an interesting question, especially with the nearly monthly onslaught of new, better, and faster e-readers coming to the market (iPad, included).

That's not to say that this latest evolution in reading-from scrolls to scroll bars-is a bad thing; ultimately, any process that makes it easier to access information is a good thing. But before upgrading to the latest and greatest, think about the environmental impact of all your gadgets, or, recycle or re-sell your old gadget after you upgrade.

At DotLoop, we understand just how powerful a paperless transaction can be, not just in terms of saved time, stress, and gas, but with saved trees as well. With the average negotiation taking up to 100 pages of paper to complete, and no need for a specialized e-reader to finish an online negotiation, DotLoop certainly helps the environment.

No ifs, ands, or bytes about it.