Builder Magazine just came out with this article on the 20 Healthiest Housing Markets. Are you on the list?

The 20 Healthiest Housing Markets for 2010

Which housing markets are the best bets to recover first? We present our annual list of the 20 healthiest housing markets in the country.

Housing economists have long held that the housing rebound, when it comes, will be uneven. The markets that benefit first will be the ones with the strongest core dynamics; places where house prices never got out of hand, cities where a diverse and progressive employment base drives job creation, towns that continue to draw population despite the economic recession.

Read article here: http://www.builderonline.com/local-markets/the-20-healthiest-housing-markets-for-2010.aspx?page=1

When I got back from lunch yesterday there was a big box waiting for me in my office. It’s always so exciting when someone sends you a package unexpectedly. I did not recognize the sender, which made the surprise even more intriguing. After shaking it and not hearing a ticking sound, I ripped into it. It was our NAHB award plaques. For those that may not know, our recent promotion ‘Nations Next Top Model Home’, won 3 national awards. When I stop and think I guess I shouldn’t be surprise to receive a physical award. We have won in the nationals before, but the awards were never this impressive. This years award is absolutely beautiful…all big and shiny!  I don’t say this just because our name is on them. While this does make them all the more attractive, they are exquisite none the less. What was even more impressive was to look around the room to see the pride and bright smiles on the faces of our wonderful team. Kudos rock!

Ok. I admit it. I am a techno-geek. I realize that doesn’t really sound like a problem. I just love, love, love electronic gadgets.

I finally talked my husband into getting me the Nook e-reader for Christmas. I am proud to report it is all that (my husband says I love it more than him!). Recently, the rumored Apple Tablet has surfaced again. This has given me pause. Could there be something better on the horizon? I don’t even know everything the Tablet is supposed to do but I am totally intrigued! I have numerous ipods, the latest iphone, and now an e-reader, and yet this mysterious Tablet is calling to me .....  this is when I realized I do have a problem. Actually, it really hit home (literally) when my oldest son saw me looking into the Tablet. He told me he wanted the Tablet for his birthday. My husband quickly pointed out that we don’t know what it actually does. My son’s response: “I don’t care, it’s cool and it will be better than mom’s Nook.” Boy, did I get the hairy eyeball from my husband! I have created a junior techno-geek.

Amy
twitter.com/ATharrington

There may be a bit of a silver lining in this economic downturn. WHAT???!!! you may be asking yourself. Think about it! Developers have renewed or revived their commitments to clearly define the true value proposition for their communities and have taken another (closer) look at their pricing structure. These are very good things for consumers.

Also, marketing companies like us are being pushed to develop new and exciting ways to market properties. Ways that combine what worked from traditional marketing methods and combining them with new mediums and technology. We are pushing to be more creative and get outside the box.

And, when it comes to sales there is a return to relationship selling and client focused sales.

Combine these three things and it is a win-win for today’s real estate buyers!

I recently started using Skype video. I am about to reveal my age…I can’t help thinking about the Jetsons Cartoon where they use a large screen video phone. I remember one episode where a disheveled Jane Jetson donned a mask prior to receiving a video phone call. To the caller she looks like the typical, perfectly quaffed Jane Jetson. Ingenious! I think I could really use one of these masks - although I don’t think I have ever been perfectly quaffed! Even So, I have noticed that I smooth my hair or straighten my shirt before activating my video. So, until I can create the ‘perfect me’ mask, I will not be activating my video before my second cup of coffee. For Jetson fans here is a link to the intro http://tinyurl.com/ow9bw8

Amy
twitter.com/coastalgirl142

“Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions; user reviews are more influential that third party reviews.” Rubicon Consulting.

Recently, I came across a study reporting that on the inclusion of consumer reviews within a website increase conversion rates. Customer reviews and recommendations simply carry more weight than your sales copy, therefore buyer conversion increases. What I found most thought provoking about this study was fact that even negative reviews increase conversion.

How can this be? How can a negative review possibly gain more buyers? Think about it from a consumer’s point of view. The simple fact of having a forum for direct consumer input does not warrant 100% trust in its content. Too many corporations have been nabbed editing negative or less than positive content only to be left posting what is deemed nothing more than corporate propaganda.

If your website accepts the public comments or reviews, you can expect there to be the errant negative posting, right? If you filter these comments, withhold or edit them, only to post the good stuff, you are setting yourself up for a world of hurt my friend. These days, there are thousands of platforms where consumers post their recommendations and experiences. A simple Google search can provide your consumer with all kinds of information about you…information you have not edited. These alternative sites are trusted far more than your corporate site and where consumers will go first. What do you think their reaction would be if they read a less than stellar comment on some other site, yet on your site it is no where to be found, or worse, edited? Your credibility is compromised and the repercussions for viral backlash are imminent (think Amazon).  The public abhors this corporate tactic and will call out the guilty for the entire world to see.

What is the purpose of having a forum for communication if it is not honored for its intended purpose…honest consumer input? This type of open communication allows companies to learn, address and correct situations, therefore proving they value their buyer’s comments and ‘gasp’ are actually human. Buyers know that there is no such product or service that is perfect 100% of the time. What really matters is that the company does, in fact, care about customer satisfaction and that they are dedicated to building customer loyalty.

Amy
twitter.com/coastalgirl142

Relocation.com reports that the typical home buyer moving over 1,000 miles was 36% of the market. Statistics now show that number over 70%. Home buyers who moved over 1,000 miles in the last year is up over 50%. Sixty percent sited financial reasons such as job lose. http://tinyurl.com/dj5ved

amy
twitter.com/coastalgirl142

Remember watching the Jetsons on TV and thinking about how far fetched their high-tech homes seemed to be?  Well, it’s not anymore.  Robot assistants, talking kitchen appliances, electric cars, solar heating…it’s all become available to us as consumers today.  But, what if we looked into the future at this point in time?  How do some of our most forward-thinking architects envision the homes we live in years from now?

The Wall Street Journal recently asked four architects to design an energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable house without regard to cost, technology, aesthetics or the way we are used to living.  Here’s what they came up with.  What do you think?  Future or far-fetched?

Read: The green house of the future

To effectively reach the online recession-proof consumer a Nielsen study revels which sites to spend marketing dollars on and which sites to avoid.
According to recently released data, the least recession-impacted market segments (“Recession Indifferent” and “Recession Insensitive” segments) have similar online surfing habits. These consumers are most likely to visit news/information sites and search or community sites. They are less likely to visit family/lifestyle sites. While this market segment may have similar online preferences, they differ on their choices of television genres. The Recession Indifferent segment prefers viewing Sports and News programming while the Recession Insensitive segment prefer Comedy and Quiz shows. For entire article: http://tinyurl.com/dkps67

amy
twitter.com/coastalgirl142

A study publishes this month by Nielsen Claritas has some interesting information on the growth of social media….

Two-thirds of the world Internet population participates in social networking or blogging sites. This utilization represents almost 10% of all Internet time around the world according to the Nielsen Global Faces and Networked Places report.

One in every 11 online minutes globally gets spent on social network sites like Facebook and MySpace. In Brazil, a young, Internet-savvy population has driven that number to a remarkable 1 in every 4 Internet minutes. In the U.K., social network activity accounts for 1 in every 6 minutes. But it’s not just a young person’s game. The fastest-growing segment of Facebook users are people age 35-49, and the site added twice as many 50-64 year-olds as under-18 year-olds last year.

Amy
twitter.com/coastalgirl142

Where to advertise next? Gas pumps, public toilet doors, bar coasters, is there anywhere NOT up for GRABS? Well, one. Perhaps you’ve noticed it, though you may not want to admit it. Young female derrieres. Bouncing through every mall in America, every school without a dress code, in every crowd at a sporting event, the hind quarters of young (and not so young) women are speaking loud and speaking proud with a phenomenon professionally referred to as ‘butt writing’.

Funny thing, it’s not really any different than the old practice of putting a message on a tshirt—except that its about 18 inches south… prime real estate, you might say.

Clothing lines like Victoria’s Secret PINK and Juicy Couture, (along with sororities and cheerleaders) commonly display words on the hind region their trousers. They read ‘PINK’ and ‘JUICY’ for example. Personally, I find it right common.

But as long as it’s already out there, why stop at just a regurgitation of the clothing label? Friends, if there’s available (purchasable) space, I say we consider other options. Perhaps a cross promotion with male targeted products (see fig. 1.) Or social causes (fig. 2)  Or traditional bumper sticker wisdom (also fig. 2)

How about double occupancy? I mean, there are two sides to it—maybe two businesses could split the space, you know, like with co-op billboards. Now there’s a study to conduct- which is more effective, a left bun read or right bun read?

I regret to admit that I haven’t figured out an appropriate way to apply this to the world of luxury real estate (your submissions welcomed). But in an industry that’s dabbled in advertising on matches, menus and men’s rooms, could Arse-vertising be too far behind?

The end.

Here is a great article from emarketer.com

Brand Mentions Preferred over Ads

APRIL 20, 2009

Young people especially receptive.
Want to get Internet users to visit your Website or follow your brand?

The best way to accomplish those tasks, according to ARAnet, based on polling by Opinion Research Corporation, may not be advertising.

Compared with banner ads, pop-up ads, e-mail offers and sponsored links, articles that include brand information were most likely to lead US Internet users to read—and act.

click here to read rest of article: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007050