SmartThings  has a pretty lofty goal. They want to be the hub to control  everything  in your home. While some companies and apps today control various aspects, like lights or air conditioning or security systems, SmartThings thinks that’s just child’s play. Actually, children are the only thing SmartThings can’t control. From cabinets being open to clothing recommendations based on weather to lights turning on when you get out of bed, SmartThings is central command for every exiguous aspect of your home in the palm of your hand. Sounds complicated? Surprisingly, the concept is simple. By attaching custom sensors to objects you want to control, it then sends signal to a SmartThings hub that looks as innocuous as a WiFi router which then communicates with your iPhone for alerts and to adjust various settings. Read full article here: SmartThings: The One Hub to Rule Your Home with Your Phone

You just bought your first home and you are all excited, now it's time to go to your closing. You walk into the room and then you realize, you have no clue who is sitting in the room with you! Besides your agent and mortgage lender, many other individuals/companies have been busy doing research on your behalf, reviewing and preparing documents. It’s on your closing day that you will possibly meet some of them face to face. The main players, though, involved in the closing are the title agency, attorney and the notary public. The Title Agency The real estate title agency has several different roles in the closing process. It should always be noted that the title company, and its agents, are impartial service providers. One of our duties as a title agency is to put together an abstract of the property. The abstract explains in abundant detail the location and history of the property and as part of this, a survey may be ordered. A title search is also conducted which will identi...

                   1) Improve Your Social Reach Complete & Update your profile Integrate your keywords throughout Add social icons to all NON-social stuff Add button to content to promote sharing Find influencers & interact with them When people talk TO you, talk back Facebook Use Cover & Profile pictures CREATIVELY YouTube Tag & Title videos with keywords Use educational over promotional sites Submit a video site map to search engines Twitter Use #hashtags Register in directories Build a compelling profile Follow relevant influencers Be consistent with your posts 2) Increase Fan Engagement Develop creative, non-promotional content Aim to strike a chord; be funny, empathetic or informational Above all else, be genuine and relevant Facebook Publish daily Check insights for stats Ask questions Use videos, photos and/...

Smartphones aren’t just an accessory for everyone, they have become a necessity for real estate agents!!! To make the most of your phone, you need the right apps to turn it into a real business tool that can bring you into the 21st century! Here are some of must-have Android apps for impressing your clients! 1. TripLog - Track your mileage!!! • Logging of business mileage, fuel, tolls, parking and vehicle expenses. Multiple vehicles tracking for multiple tax categories (business, medical, charity, etc.) and multiple business entities. Calculates fuel economy (MPG, L/100km, or KM/L). • Use of GPS to track driving distance. Use of GPS, Cellular Network, and/or WiFi to find your locations and look up physical addresses. • A home screen widget with the ability to create shortcuts to start and stop trips.                           ...

Aurthor: Washington, March 06, 2012 Housing affordability conditions have reached the highest level since record keeping began in 1970, according to the National Association of Realtors®. NAR’s Housing Affordability Index rose to a record high 206.1 in January, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the index, the greater the household purchasing power. An index of 100 is defined as the point where a median-income household has exactly enough income to qualify for the purchase of a median-priced existing single-family home, assuming a 20 percent down payment and 25 percent of gross income devoted to mortgage principal and interest payments. For first-time buyers making small down payments, the affordability levels are relatively lower. NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami, said this latest data underscores buyer opportunities in today’s market. “T...