A Strange Irony…

 Posted by Walter at 7:56 am
Jan 182012
 

In what has to be a strange irony…

Internet users will find a number of sites not available today as site owner join in a protest of pending legislation that creates broad censorship of the Internet in the United States-a country that claims to be a world leader in human rights and individual freedom. On those sites, you will get some form of a protest message instead of the usual content. On other sites, there maybe a protest “ribbon” or banner… My “Brain Leaks and Musings” site is blacked out.

The reason this one isn’t… is sorta ironic. When I went looking for the code I needed (today is the day) the sites where I would normally access the information are blacked out!

I suppose it sounds a bit strange to apologize for my site being available, but I can still participate by encouraging you to visit: http://sopastrike.com/strike. Another page that’s working is: http://act.fightforthefuture.org/page/s/sopa-strike-modal. The blackout is only for one day, but the protest will continue until January 24th. Get informed; contact your senator or representative. This bill actually has serious support in congress and it could cost you your Facebook and many other sites.

 

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Merry Christmas!

 Posted by Walter at 7:06 am
Dec 222011
 

Greetings of the Season!

While it has become traditional, it is not habitual! The holidays are a great time to say “thank you” and to recap the past year.

About this time last year I announced that I was “moving to Mallett” and I’m pleased to say that decision has proven even wiser and better than I thought. The move has allowed me to focus my brokerage business and become more localized while working with some great folks. I certainly do not miss the commutes to Newport!

This no doubt contributed to the fact that I’m having a fairly busy year in spite of the market situation. But I still believe that my fundamental focus drives my success. Diagnosing problems and understanding clients’ needs has always been important; given the increasing complexity surrounding the buying and selling of real estate, now it is vital. More than ever you need a partner who knows how to learn and who knows how to teach.

And speaking of teaching, I am now teaching at least six real estate pre-licensing courses every year. Those of you who know me well know that teaching is my first love. This year also saw growth in enrollments in the courses I’ve offered through the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative. Next year will include a “solopreneur” series for folks who want to start a business on a very individual and fundamental basis. A collaboration between the Cooperative and Piscataquis County Extension will create a “You Can” series of classes for folks interested in traditional skills (agricultural, homesteading, domestic). I’m working on a course called “Cash as a Crop” that will look at ways to raise and save money in this difficult economy. (It probably won’t include investing in real estate!)

Because of this increased emphasis on training and education, I’ve redesigned a second website that includes “brain leaks and musings” as well as information about courses I’m teaching. You can even sign up for email announcements of future courses.

My “work” with the kids continues… every so often someone will decide that being around the kids is keeping me young. I’m not so sure about that, but I do know that being with them is rewarding and I learn a lot from them. And they are definitely good for an occasional laugh. I enjoy their problem solving abilities and their view of the world.

I still believe that the real estate market shouldn’t control us; we should look ahead and consider what we need and want to accomplish. If you follow this blog you know that I firmly believe the statistics do not control us; we create the statistics by the actions we take and the skills we apply. That is also true of life. These are times when it’s easy to feel discouraged and uncertain. But just a slight shift of focus and we can look ahead and find opportunities all around us.

Thanks for your confidence and the opportunity to work with you. Do let me hear from you… and have a meaningful holiday and a new year filled with health, happiness and prosperity. The video below just might help with some Christmas Spirit.



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Goodbye, Facebook “Like”

 Posted by Walter at 7:04 am
Nov 262010
 

For a brief period of time after redesigning this site, you may have noticed a “Like” button on posts and pages. You may now notice that it’s gone. I haven’t had any complaints over it’s absence, but would still like to offer an explanation.

We can certainly debate the value of social media to the real estate business… and discuss at length the entire phenomena. My decision not to provide the “like” link was not terribly grandiose; it was practical and based on these factors.

  1. My sense is that most people do not realize how much information they have given Facebook and what happens to it. The value of Facebook is also the negative–sharing information can become intrusive. In order to “like” a page on this site you are required to allow Facebook to access and use your personal information. Personally, I don’t think you should have to do that just to “like” a website page or blog post.
  2. While I’m willing to be “friends” with clients and colleagues on Facebook I’m not a big user. For one thing it’s time consuming. For another thing, there are some lines I draw. I’ve seen other agents “discuss” clients and other business activity on Facebook and, while they’ve probably not violated the letter of the law, it’s just not the way I choose to do business.
  3. I also make some choices regarding how I choose to live. One of those choices is to admit that most people aren’t THAT interested in what I’m doing every day. I confess to finding some entertainment at reading some of the things folks announce to the world… they’ve overslept… broke a nail (I’m serious)… You don’t have to know me very long to know that’s not my style.
  4. While I like being liked, I’ll be just as happy if you try the share botton–the best form of liking this site or an individual post is telling others about it. My original intent hasn’t changed: this site is meant to be a resource. I’m not entering popularity contests.

Just for the record, I’m not “anti-Facebook.” I am in favor of making decisions deliberately. The fact that you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

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New and Improved… and Working Again!

 Posted by Walter at 10:48 am
Jul 212010
 

An expression we don’t use so much any more in the computer world is “Garbage in = Garbage Out.” Nonetheless, over the past week or so we’ve taken a fair amount of “garbage” out of this blog–it’s installation and content–as a result of a recent upgrade. Doing so required some help and I have to give three cheers to the WPDude (WP=WordPress, the software the site is based on). The first cheer is for his response time. The second cheer is for his technical ability. The third cheer is for being extremely easy to do business with. (I’m still amazed at the fact that he’s “over there” (England) and we had a seamless experience and transaction.)

There are still a few bumps to work out… one of the “victims”  of the upgrade was my categories and it’s going to take a while for me to go back and recategorize all posts. In the interim you might try the “search” routine to find information regarding specific topics. I’m also still exploring some of the new capabilities I’ve gained… so you can expect ongoing improvements and enhancements.

Thanks for your patience during the transition…  and don’t be bashful with your comments and sugggestions.

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Technology Is Not Always Our Friend

 Posted by Walter at 4:47 am
Jul 122010
 

If you’re a regular visitor you may have noticed some weird stuff going on with the site… including the loss of categories and the site being down on occasion over the weekend.  If I could tell you why, I’d fix it! (It appears to be the result of a recent attempt to upgrade WordPress, the blogging program used.) Be assured I’m attempting to get things back in order… and if you are WordPress user, I’d love to pick your brain!

Thanks for your patience…

And since my contact and legally required information has disappeared… please note that I am licensed with Maine Choice Realty, 118 Moosehead Trail, Newport ME 04953.

Update, July 19th… As we say in Maine, we’re gainin’! Fundamentally, everything seems to be working… there’s still lots of tweaking and some minor fixing due to an upgrade (more about that later)… stay tuned, check back!

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It’s in the mail!

 Posted by Walter at 7:30 am
Sep 172009
 

Allegedly one of the oldest lies… but if we’re talking about the print edition of my newsletter it it’s the truth! Yesterday’s issue was mailed at the Newport Post Office and is now speeding on it’s way… hopefully to everyone! Since this is the first issue since my computer meltdown, it seemed appropriate to let everyone know here… if you don’t get your copy soon let me know… I’ll send you a copy and make sure you’re added to the list!

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Teknawlogie in Maine Isn’t Flawless

 Posted by Walter at 9:21 am
Aug 172009
 

Computer RepairThere’s an email about teknawlogie in Maine that makes its way around the email circle regularly explaining such mysteries as how “log on” means making the stove hotter… an upgrade is a steep hill… a server is a waitress… oh, and that waitress… Dot Matrix? She’s Dan Matrix’s wife.

Unfortunately, technology isn’t always funny.  This week it’s taken some extra effort to find the humor as a series of “weird things” have taken place and given me fits. I’m pretty sure you aren’t interested in the details.  (If anyone is intimately familiar with Outlook and Business Contact Manager, I’ll be happy to share.)

The net result is some “lost data” that I’m still trying to recover.  I’m a little concerned that I may have lost some Mooseprint subscribers. (Mooseprint is the print edition of this blog).  I’m quite sure nothing was affected here or with the subscription feature to this blog itself.

The plan is to reconstruct as much as possible and send out a Mooseprint in September.  In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you sent me your contact information just in case!

 This is one of those situations I could have a lot of fun with… but I’ve found sometimes I confuse people. When a new class is formed, I typically collect email addresses so we can stay in touch during the course. I used to send out a first email that said, “Let me know if you don’t get this…” I did find it confused some people.  (I actually did get an email once… “but if I don’t get it how will I know you sent it?” I hope that was an attempt to be funny as well!)

Conversely, I can’t exactly contact you for your information if I don’t have your information to contact you!

Are we confused yet? While I work through this please be a little patient… and if you want to send an email or give me a call with your address and phone number(s) that will help a lot.

Oh, one more tecknawlogie term…  I’ve been a cursor lately. A cursor is somebody who swears a lot.

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