104 Edgewood - Wilmington DE

For the last 5 months of 2009 I was seeing an incredible rush to buy real estate at what I consider my markets first time Buyer price point (between $175-325,000), but as of January 1, 2010 I noticed something different… the properties with the higher number of showings seem to be the move-up properties ($350,000+), especially in the $400,000 price range.   We have discussed the mythical rush at my office in our sales meetings, with my regional VP and with my GM, I have been advising my clients to get their properties on the market, to not miss the current market - the three-feet of snow may have put a kaboosh on the activities of late but that should resolve by March 1.

Watching the sales board at my office, and from conversations with a few of my friends, we have one question… where is the First Time Buyer Rush? My listings in the $200,000 price point are getting few to no showings, and low ball offers, or no offers.  My listings in the $400,000+ range are flying off the market.  So I guess I am seeing the move-up Buyers. Great for them. Maybe I will take a peek at market stats this week. Pendings were up in the Q4 of 2009, but I have a feeling the same won’t be true in Q1 2010.

So what are you seeing in your market? Love to hear your comments!

The highlight of my trip to the airport - this video that was uploaded to YouTube, showing the Governor’s first, as well as second, tweets.  The second tweet was to me (and I think his first @ reply, as it is called was to me as well!).  Here is the video, and I must say, Delaware has the COOLEST Governor!!

Thanks to Rodney Jordan at Armor Graphics for taking this video.

I believe that Real Estate has an 11/12 year cycle, as we note when looking at the market in the late 1990’s we were coming out of cycle then, I think we will see an increase in values in Northern New Castle County (North of the Canal, I won’t make predictions about the MOTS – Middletown, Odessa, Townsend and Smyrna for those not initiated, area).  The increase for 2010 will be gradual and small, considering that some areas have seen 20% declines in value since 2006 (peak feeding frenzy market), I expect to see between 5-7% increase in value, depending on where in the market you are.  I think that higher priced properties will be the slowest to recover due to the difficulty in obtaining Jumbo loans, but a great opportunity for move-up Buyers coming out of the $275-400,000 price point who have equity from purchases prior to 2004.  That in turn will also make available more great deals on properties for prepared First-time purchasers, as I have not seen a lot of nice property options in the low $200,000 price point in this marketplace since 2003, this is certainly a great opportunity.  

Homes that in 1999 were selling for $150,000 are selling in today’s market at $225,000-275,000, when in the 2006 market some of these homes were $275,000-325,000.  Please note that that still is an increase in value and helps demonstrate my theory of the 11/12 year cycle.  This is certainly the time to buy, and I am not sure why any interested and qualified Buyer would not be considering it, or a Seller.  My advice to my clients is consistently that if you have the equity and the desire, and a realistic expectation, the market is good – it is not a Buyers or Sellers market, it is a balanced market, and a normal market, so make that move.  Rates are predicted to be rising in the near future, and with an increase in value coming, there really is no time like the present.  Another strong factor is the First-Time Buyer and Move-Up tax credit, which will be expiring soon, so to take advantage you want to be under contract by April 30, or even sooner, as the back-log in refunds builds.

Buying at the low end of the cycle affords you the ROI in the long run.  Real Estate is NOT a short term investment, and proves decade after decade that it is the surest way to build wealth, through real estate ownership, and investment in properties, and good timing (as well as advice from a qualified Real Estate Professional) anyone can grow their own empire.  Carpe Real Property today!

And for 2011, I think we will see a 5% growth, followed by 2012 with a 7% growth in value. (Assuming no drastic changes to the economy and no major natural disasters).

If you are a consumer and have a question, please feel free to leave a comment, or email me at realestate at paveza.net and I will gladly post your question and answer here, or contact you privately.

We listed our house with a REALTOR® on August 20th, 2009. She still has yet to show our house and attributes that to the slow market even though there are other houses selling in our area.  I was wondering if it is possible to take our house off the market even though we have a six month contract with our Realtor?

-Sandra

Interesting question Sandra. There are a few things to consider when attempting to give you an answer, so please bear with me while I go through those things.

• When you compare your home to the others in your area that are selling, how is your home priced, and how do the condition, amenities and upgrades compare?
• Are other agents showing your home? Do you have it listed in your local Multiple Listing Service?
• Are you paying a competitive commission?

All of these factors, and many more, truly help determine why a home is, or is not, selling in the market. Despite the media hype, most of our country is in what is termed a “normal” market. We are not seeing the high demand and, therefore, the inflated prices many parts of our country were seeing four or five years ago. But property values have corrected themselves into a more normal range, rather than inflated.

Due to the credit crisis, there are far fewer mortgage products available to today’s buyers, and this makes your possible buyer pool significantly smaller. So before I answer the question of whether you can, or should, remove your house from the market, you need to look at the above reasons, and also look at your own motivation for selling. Most people buy or sell real estate at major life events or marks; are you at one of those points, or are you just looking to take the opportunity to “move-up” and gain an edge on the market while the higher price points are affected a little more drastically?

 
As for your Listing Agreement: In most markets, that agreement is a binding legal document, and although I am not an attorney (and I would recommend you have one review it for you), typically they have very specific terms and protection periods. In looking to take your house off the market, are you planning to re-list with another broker, or are you just planning to remain where you are?

Many brokers I am familiar with are much more interested in customer service and will usually easily release you from a Listing Agreement, especially if you wish to remain in the house, or are unable to sell. A Realtor gains no benefit from marketing a property for a seller who does not wish to sell. I would suggest a frank and open conversation with your Realtor and/or broker and try to determine why you are not getting showings. Then, determine your motivation for selling. Maybe it is not the right time, or maybe your home is not priced properly.

You need to forget that this is your home and consider it a house you wish to sell. Sometimes we become too emotionally invested in our homes and that can make it nearly impossible to be objective. Try discussing this with a trusted friend, family member, or advisor- they may be able to help you better than I can. You must be honest with yourself in answering all of the above questions. Once you determine what you truly want to do, then move forward with that plan of action.

 
I hope that helps! And thanks for taking the time to Ask a Realtor!

According to a national survey commissioned by Move.com, one in six (15.4 percent) home buyers are considering saving up to buy a new home within the coming year. The Ask a REALTOR® team shines a light on what new buyers can expect.

What extreme measures should a buyer be willing to take in order to buy a home in 2010?

David Kres: “Many real estate practitioners expect the market to heat up in 2010. I would advise buyers to really know their market. All seasoned property investors have a razor sharp focus on what they are looking for and are always in a position to seize on a property right away. This goes for experienced homebuyers as well. So if the market really takes off, I would advise all buyers to know exactly what they want and be ready to move on in when they see it.”

Maya Paveza: “Price your house properly and aggressively! It doesn’t sound extreme, but it is for most sellers. Price is the key, and be prepared to offer a sellers assistance. Distance yourself emotionally from your house. Being attached won’t help you sell it, only keep it.”

15.7 percent of buyers are looking for investment properties. What advice do you have for these buyers?

Tim McBrayer: “It depends on the type of investment property you are talking about. If investors are looking for positive cash flows from rental properties, then unless you have enough funds to be able to pay cash for the property, you probably are not going to find yourself in a positive cash flow situation. So,  just be careful about figuring out what all of your costs are and what your net revenue really is. Keep in mind that you have principle, interest, insurance, taxes, upkeep and possibly HOA dues that your rental income should cover as much as possible.

It will ultimately come down to what risk tolerance the investor has and the funds available to reduce the carrying costs to a minimum so that a net positive cash flow can be achieved. If you are talking about investing for resale, then it comes down to doing your research to see if you can invest in repairs and upgrades and still make a reasonable profit in today’s market against today’s competition.”

45.1 percent say starting a home improvement is a number one New Year’s resolution in 2010. What home improvements do you think will bring the best value?

 Hank Miller: “I consider the best value to be quality basement finishing. If it adds appeal, utility and flexibility then it’s a good value. In our area I also see outdoor living areas (nice hardscapes, BBQ’s) as attracting buyers. Of course kitchens remain popular.”

 9.1 percent say fixing their credit so they can buy a home next year is their number one New Year’s Resolution related to real estate in 2010. What other real estate resolutions have you heard for the New Year?

 Maya Paveza: “To refinance their homes, to catch up on bills, to move-up and take advantage of the tax credit and the high-end market conditions being a little weaker.”

Ian MacMillan: “The resolution that I hear from homebuyers most often is: ‘I’m going to wait for the bottom of the market and then buy a home in 2010.’  When I hear this, I offer the same advice I’ve always given: the right time to buy is when you can comfortably and sustainably afford the monthly payments for a home that meets the needs of this particular phase of your life. Period. If this is possible in the current market, why wait for some mythical event in the future? I think if we’ve learned anything from this real estate downturn, it is that people who try to time their real estate purchases based on the state of the market instead of the state of their finances always lose in the long run.”

Over the last month I have spoken to a number of local Real Estate Attorneys in my market, and what I am being told by them is – the short sale is dead. Why? Because the lenders want the debt reaffirmed, the lenders don’t want to pay any closing costs, assists, or commissions. They will not pay the Attorneys fees, or negotiator fees.  This is not for ALL lenders, but it seems to be sweeping through many. 

Why do the lenders suddenly feel this way?  I have been told there are two reasons…

1.       Insurance.  The lenders have   insurance against default on the loans, which often pays more than then the short sale may, so rather than take $.10 on the dollar, they are rolling the dice and collecting their insurance.

2.       Market recovery. The lenders believe that by the time they take a property into Foreclosure/REO the market will have recovered a little, allowing the lender to make more money. So to wait 3-6 months and make $50,000 more on a property seems to be worth it, despite the fact that as I understand it the cost to foreclose is between $20-50,000.

I won’t list another Short Sale.  It is not that I don’t want to help people, I definitely do, but the lenders don’t want to help people. The last one I did was for a wonderful family with seven children, the Father lost his job, and the Mother did not work, they found a job out of state and moved, leaving the home well cared for and in good condition.  The lender would not negotiate, would not consider their hardship, would not put a human face on it, and it is a lender I had respected.  The pain and anguish I watched this family go through was heartbreaking.  Never again.

I will not list a short sale, too much work, too much time, too much drama, and too much heartbreak.  But will I sell one? That depends.  Lenders are not paying commission, we as Real Estate agents are at the mercy of the bank and have no idea what we are working for in the end, and if you are an agent like me you work just as hard for any client, on any property, regardless of financial circumstances. Was it worth all my work on the last few to have my commission cut at the last moment? Not at all.

So what have I started doing? I tell my Buyers to pay me. If the commission is listed at 3% I will ask them to sign a legally binding document stating that they will personally pay the difference between the final bank paid commission and the agreed upon amount, so if a lender pays 2.5%, then my Buyer agrees to pay the difference of .5%.  Do I think it is fair? Absolutely. No one works for free except a Real Estate Agent and that expectation needs to change. I am an expert, I bring my experience, knowledge and skills to the table to serve your needs, and get you the home and deal you want.

While I am working so hard to fight for you to get that house, and while the lender wants every possible deal brought to them, until the last possible moment, you are going to sit and wait for months, waiting for nothing, waiting for something… or just waiting.  It is not worth it, there are no guarantees, the lenders are changing the game on a daily basis. If it says Short Sale, I do the following before I even show it:

1.       Call the listing agent to find out how many offers are in, and what the Lender has instructed them to do.

2.       Find out which Attorney (Delaware is a Lawyer State) is representing the Seller so as to determine where in the process they are.

3.       Read the fine print – make sure it is not one of the recent growth in predatory individuals who is “helping” the homeowner “sell” their house, taking a commission, bumping costs up, and requiring a 3% Buyers fee be paid to them (big problem here).

If the answer to #1 is none, great lets go… If the answer to #2 is a positive, even better! And #3. I know who they are and I know to avoid them, but others don’t.

So, if you are my client and want to Buy a short sale, know the terms up front, because when I explain it may take 3-4 months, I don’t want to hear you whining at 10 weeks, and wondering at 16 weeks, and moaning at 24 weeks… oh look, that is more than four months… guess what? No guarantees, no promises. You want to play in the pool, then be ready to tread water, and if you want me as your lifeguard, you might have to guarantee your own life preserver.

We hit the road, cruising always at a safe and legal speed, never using the “force” as I am known to when driving, never tweeting, talking, nor making any unsafe lane changes, we began our journey southward on the I-95 corridor, following behind many greats who had made the trip before us (@realtormarney, @DerekMassey, @BillLublin aka B-Lub), we drove on – non-stop to DC, nay, Herndon, Virginia. Upon arrival at my hotel (Judy was not able to book at the “preferred” hotel due to it being overcapacity – this may have been a blessing for her), we proceeded to my “suite” where we were greeted with the essence d’afro – Afro Sheen – ahhh what a way to begin the evening (Shantee Haynes @ShanteeHaynes asked what kind it was, I am not that good at brand distinction), once changed from my road attire we moved onto Judy’s swanky quarters, as I stood outside waiting for her, I heard a booming voice call my name…

“PAVEZA”… G-d, is that you? It’s me Maya… oh close enough, it was B-Lub (@BillLublin) as he sauntered out of the Hampton Inn exclaiming he had just seen Judy in the hall and knew I was outside. Then I take back those quick promises I made to the invisible universal force since it was only B-Lub. So Bill and I chatted about #REBCDC and what was up, talked about the awesome photos he took at Ignite Wilmington, and he even shared his sought after Polish Sesame Candy. B-Lub decided to drive! So we doubled back to the “preferred” hotel, circled the lot, dropped my car and on we went to Jackson’s for Beer for Bloggers, arriving fashionably late about 3.5 hours after the start (we were rolling with the B-Lub – WORD, and he DID play JayZee in the car).

We were greeted by many of the usual suspects, all with libations in hand of some sort, some had had a few more libations than others, #ifyoucatchmydrift, some had none, and there was an odd scent in the air… Cigarettes!! WOW, smoking in a public building? Shocking to me, I was reminded by the fabulous Sarah Stelmok (@sarahstelmok) that this was in fact Virginia, to which Sarah segued into a very funny story about dinner at Waffle House (suggested birthday gift for Sarah, a Waffle House gift card #justsayin). I greeted my friends, some I had met “F2F” before, some I had not, and our evening of fun began. Much chit chat, facial recognition and sense of “Have we met before?” known as Avataral Illusions, overcame me a few times, the familiar sense of being with people I knew very well, but realizing I had never met them in person before was odd, and not in the same way it was odd 25 years ago when I was a BBS dork/Phreaker/Hacker, then it was just “What kinda freak am I going to meet today?” with lots of trepidation and fear, now it is “normal” people out there – amazing to follow the progression of Geekdom/dorkdom, that my friends is another Blog post.

We drank, and we got merry, and I stole Marney Kirk’s (@realtormarney) BFF Jen and we organized a coup to Uncle Julios for some Mexican at 10:31pm. Strangely, Uncle Julios closes at 10:30, so they let us in and locked the doors. Jen insisted that the others would fail to join us – but sure enough, as they banged on the windows and we waved mockingly while laughing, the Manager let them in and in poured the “late night crowd” including B-Lub, Mike Simonsen, Marney, Zach Hosford, Judy, Derek and my all time favorite new person Wendy Forsythe (@BHGRE_Wendy) – Tweeple she is so frigging cool (Cough), a few people ordered Fried Ice Cream balls while Jen and I feasted on some amazingly awesome Enchiladas (I give Uncle Julio’s 3 thumbs up!).

Back at the hotel room, the absolutely depressing nature of the “suite” hit me, and I knew I wouldn’t sleep well, so on went the TV, Amelia Earhart did survive and was a housewife in New Jersey! REALLY? Then on to some classic HGTV – now I LOVE the show Househunters, really, for years, one of my favorites, I even emailed them in 2002 asking “If you ever get to Wilmington Delaware I REALLY want to be on the show”, guess what, they’re here, and I have a client up for it, but I digress as is my nature… so I caught what had to be the WORST cast episode of Househunters, and it was like a car wreck, I could not stop watching – the forced nature, the awkwardness, I wish I had popcorn, eventually I forced myself to turn it off and attempt sleep. I think I slept… either that or time moved REALLY fast.

The morning of #REBCDC: My alarm went off and it was still dark out at 7am, wait what happened there? Up and at ‘em! Started the complimentary coffee, and watched the water pour down the kitchenette counter and onto the floor, I swiftly moved the trash can to try to catch it, and started the machine running before it lost ALL of the water and I had no coffee and a wet carpet, success! Two cups of coffee flavored water – isn’t that more like tea? Pack, dash, and call Marney to coordinate late departure. Timeline secured, Marney is missing… headed to the lobby and ran into Derek checking out, was advised Marney left with Zach and Jen. Fine. Off to grab my partner in crime Judy! But first, the stop at Starbucks, for our required morning java. It was raining, and I had flat ironed my hair, so I began the day with a ginormous hair fail, and a mediocre latte. Got to the hotel and Judy was waiting for me, threw her stuff in the car and off we went.

As we pulled into the parking lot at NVAR two gentlemen were outside, obviously placed to guide us, I was too quick, I made a break for the right side, waved and nodded to the flash of the #REBCDC badge, and on we went. We parked at the end of the building, and again with the rain we dashed for the building, checked in. Although the fanfare we expected to accompany our arrival was sadly missing. We got our shirts – they gave us Mediums, well Ainsley you’re my new bestest pal for that sizing – got our badges, where we were instructed to put our Twitter names on them too (tee hee, ok I think we get it). Two of the first people we saw were Daniel and Kari Rothamel (@realestatezebra and @strduo and therefore @lilzebra too), which was a thrill, I was so overwhelmed I did not process the event quickly enough to give my regards to Kari and Little Zebra properly(HI!!!), Kari looked awesome, and Daniel was styling as always with that Coat of Amazingness.

Finally we made it into the main room to make a grand entrance… greeted by old and new friends, it was a great turn out! While many of our friends were sitting toward the rear of the room, we spotted Mike sitting by himself in the front-third of the room and joined him. I ran back to check the board, oh so many wonderful sessions, so many at the same time slot. Heather was at the board making some adjustments, and I requested she sign my class up “Finding Your Social Media Voice by the TwitterQueens”, my time slot was against Heathers, and I wanted to take Heathers session – again the fact that I have not cloned myself prevented me from doing what I really wanted to do, this was to turn out to be the theme for the day, and the lesson I learned was – accept that you can’t be in every session at every time slot, and embrace what you can do (which apparently during one session is a Starbucks run). I hedged and asked Heather to erase it, but she said “I need you to teach a session”. Well that was kind, but the board was basically full so I am thinking not so much, but awwww how sweet?

Ainsley began the welcome!! And she was introducing the “Rockstars” in the room…. Around they went, past Judy and I twice, three times, four times, ok seriously – she’s @realestatechick, that certainly is a “Rockstar” in my book… someone did not give Ainsley good notes, I mean she mentioned B-Lub (cough), alright so really B-Lub is a “Rockstar” but I have to tease him when given the opportunity. He is the direct competition to all the attention seeking I do, and he does it quite well, to the point that I often defer to his expertise. Ainsley gave a wonderful and exuberant welcome and off we all went into an incredible day of learning and interaction.

I sat thru B-Lubs session, and it was great, as always informative, great participation, and I totally put myself out there as having retweeted a link without reading it – I have done it a few times from reliable sources when my mobile browser wouldn’t open the link, so I tried!! I am honest at all times people! A great discussion began and people had fun. Next I taught my session, as I had listed it as “TwitterQueens” that meant anyone who was a “TwitterQueen” (www.twitterqueens.net) was welcome to participate, and Matt Wilkins and Bill Lublin (B-Lub if you have forgotten) stepped up and I think really helped me keep a bit more focused, as I did not bring my handouts or my laptop, so shiny objects and tangents were jumping out at me from every direction.

I floated around for a few sessions, heard a bit of Sarah Stelmok’s fabulous “Red Light District”, and I would love to see that on a live feed sometime, great discussion and topic! In and out of a few more rooms, and enjoyed the Video presentation (when not interrupted by a client call here or there), then came the wondering…. Where is lunch? Ainsley seemed to be stressing a little, the Gentlemen bringing lunch were lost… oh the crowd was getting a little ugly, well ok the crowd was already a little ugly, now it was getting a little hungry. I floated from group to group and chatted with folks, snarked a bit here or there, and had serious industry conversations at other times.

When the food finally arrived Wendy and I jumped into help – isn’t this about participating, so we were going to participate, and let me tell you, pulling the plastic wrap off those trays was NOT easy by any stretch of the imagination, but Wendy did it with great skill, either that or she was so hungry she was clawing into the darn things (#justsayin). Ainsley pointed us to the front of the line, and then everyone started lining up, oh now we just looked pathetic up there, like desperate hungry chicks, standing around doing nothing as the line grew behind us and a majority of the people ONLY saw us standing there drooling on ourselves. Well Wendy and I are far too classy for that, we were assisting, and helping to expedite the feeding process. Lunch was quite good! And although I told Ainsley I would do my best to eat for two or three people since the turnout was less than expected, I went for an amazing Italian sandwich with Prosciutto and it was really filling. For the feed, the event get Four-Stars.

After we all feasted, Wendy, Judy, Shantee Haynes (@shanteehaynes) and I sat in the second row for Mike’s presentation, I am all about the statistics, charts, graphs, data and eye candy (by eye candy I mean Heather Elias’ website). I took a lot away from that presentation and am now a big fan of Altos Research, and need to find a way to incorporate data from them into my website and my everyday Real Estate experience. Mikes presentation was fun, informative, and showed me what benefit I could take away from having the data to support my “It’s Great!” reply to the “How is the market?” question. Although I nearly lost it during this session when someone at the event whom I had followed sent me some sort of “Please Verify Yourself” DM, those that know me can imagine how this was received…. Go ahead, take a moment and imagine, because you would be right, and Judy and Wendy saw it firsthand.

After that a Tweet by Derek that a post-lunch carb coma was imminent, it was decided we would make a much needed Starbucks run, orders were taken (sorry to those we did not get, it was quite disorganized and there is just so many coffees three people can carry in my car), and off we went with the GPS to guide us. After two passes thru the parking lot at a lost attempt to make people laugh (the shades were drawn too tightly), we were on our way. To a Starbucks at a Supermarket, that was mistake number one – if you WANT it to take too long, this is the place to go.

Back again, delivering the Starbucks to those that partook, and on to Bobby Carroll (@rewebcoach and Dakno.tv) session, which was so great because I wanted to learn more about Photo blogging. I was respectful and quiet in this session, ask Bobby, it is possible for me to actually just listen and learn and not interject snarkiness. Great session, and I learned some new things that I have begun to implement. After Bobby’s session we had hoped to hit the road and beat traffic, but Judy was to be the subject of Derek’s presentation on Posterous. So as we sat down for this presentation and learned that in fact, Judy was not, I was resigned to that fact that we were destined to be sitting in traffic at some point. Derek’s presentation again was informative and I played with my Posterous account (that sounds naughty?) while he taught.

Then came the fun highlight – apparently Lynchburg Squares was going to be the end game before cocktail hour – and what a delight it was. I even got some video I will edit later and post with this blog. Nanette Saunders (@brokersaunders) did such a great job organizing this, and truly picking people who had absolutely no clue what they were doing, or had such a good clue they made themselves look clueless. The answer of the day was in fact Thorax, the question went like this:

“What is the name of the part of the blog that separates the topics?” Nanette walked over to Mike Simonsen with the microphone, and he looked very seriously and said “The Thorax?”, everyone cracked up. So when people tweet “Thorax” you will understand. And for the record I have 39 minutes of this video if anyone wants to see it. Hilarity ensued from there, as well as a lot of misinformation, inaccuracies, and some great gifts!

Then came Happy Hour! The place was a tad scary, we had to do the ladies room trip in packs, and the one time I went alone I did fear a little for my life, but I could probably tear a pool stick away from one of those guys and beat him down super fast! Everyone chatted, drank (I had water), and hung out. B-Lub did the airport runs, and I caught a little quality time with Heather, and heard more about Mike’s background and his business. One of the highlights was FINALLY being introduced to THE Jovan (@jovanh), talk about fun and fabulousness that I missed partaking of during the day? Oh the snarkatunities that Judy and I missed were great.

Eventually we got on the road, informed that there were Metro stations heading North we could drop Shantee off at, guess what – Tysons Corner people, we had to go there, against traffic at that time wasn’t a bad idea, off we went to find the station so Shantee could return home, we had a lot of fun, got her safely to the station and then we found the only McDonalds in the country that is not a drive thru. Got some McFood, and on our way home. I am truly thankful for the congestion and the slow pace of traffic for as Judy and I reviewed the day, and the slowness of Fred Flintstone in front of us, I was laughing so hard I was crying and my stomach was in knots… this continued for most of the two-hour plus drive.

Now the serious summary of this event, there were lots of amazing people there, what is so great about a RE Barcamp, is it doesn’t matter if you are a CEO, a CSR, or just unemployed, we are all there for the same purpose and we all share the same enthusiasm, title and means matter not in this world of the unconference, all that matters is you are there, you are genuine and you contribute in some form, as we all take something great away from it. I have not been to as many as some people, but I have followed quite a few online thanks to Dakno.tv, but I truly believe this was a premiere event, and that the crowd was engaged, engaging, and giving, that we all brought it to the next level by contributing and making each other think. Improving our industry one unconference at a time, re-educating ourselves, reminding ourselves, and congratulating ourselves, on loving our industry and what the future of Social Media and Technology brings to masses, and how we can help fine-tune that, making it better one event at a time.

I had a GREAT time #REBCDC. Now… on to #REBCAC, Triple Play and Inman Connect… I hope. Judy, are you calling shotgun yet?

(Disclaimer: I am not an English major, nor am I a writer. This is written as though I were speaking to you. #justsayin)

View of the Western Family YMCA Kids Pool

Coming soon… local information and places of interest, as well as upcoming events.