PropertyManagementMaven: January 2010

E-mail is quite affordable compared to radio, TV and even direct mail - but can it stand alone?

A lot of small businesses have shifted entirely to e-mails last year in an attempt to save money and found out the hard way that e-mail marketing by itself just doesn't cut it.

Two of these businesses are highlighted in a Wall Street Journal Article. Read the article, Firms Hold Fast to Snail Mail Marketing.

Snail mail may not be instant, but it still brings results. 

In an earlier post, The Inbox versus the mailbox, I said that snail mail and e-mail can be used together to experience synergy.

For example, you can send a postcard to a distressed homeowner that recently missed a mortgage payment, and on the post card direct them to a landing page for a free report on the alternatives to foreclosure. In order to receive this report, capture their e-mail address in a contact form.

Any feedback is most welcome.

 

 

 

 

I recently got a Kindle as a gift, and as someone who never goes anywhere without a book, I absolutely love it!  For those who aren't too familiar with them they are 1/3 of an inch and weigh 10 ounces.   They can hold up to 1500 books at any one time and receive them wirelessly in approximately 60 seconds.  You have the option of turning the wireless off and on so it doesn't drain your battery.   By keeping the wireless off you can read up to a week on one battery charge.  How amazing is that?  Perfect for someone who likes to go camping or boating or somewhere where you might not have access to electricity on a day to day basis.  

One of the best features is you can sample a book before you buy it.  If you see a book you think you might want you can get a few chapters for FREE, yes for FREE and after you read them if you decide the book is not for you there is no obligation to purchase the book.  If you do like it you just make the purchase.  The average book cost or should I say the average maximum cost is $9.99.  There are a few here and there that are $14.99 but most are $9.99 and many that are much lower and ALL OF THE CLASSICS ARE FREE. There is even a list updated daily that has many free books on it.  

You may also receive magazines, newspapers and blogs via your kindle.  I have actually learned quite a bit since getting my Kindle but I am barely scratching the surface so far.  As I find more and more out I will try and update with a blog post.  

What I like most is the Kindle is smaller and lighter than your average paperback.  When I used to head off to a Dr. appointment I would grab my current paperback and read while I waited.  Now I grab my Kindle and when I sit to wait and read-I have the choice of many different books to read rather than just the paperback that I brought, like before.  There are so many reasons to invest in a Kindle and so many reasons you will love it.

Here are two sites to find free books:

1. Kindle Best Seller List-Updated Hourly - This list contains many free books as well
2. Free Kindle Books

When looking at a book list sort the list (on the right side on Amazon) from low to high and that will show you the books that are free.

If you are an avid reader or even a part time reader this might be the new gadget for you!

 

If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you!  Please contact me or visit our Orange County New York website for more information. 

SEARCH HOMES IN ORANGE COUNTY, NY

 

                                             Debra Walsh      GRI, ABR, CHMS, RECS, REM

  
 Minisink Valley Homes                   Office 845-355-8439 

debbiewalsh@minisinkvalleyhomes.com 

   http://debbieminisinkvalleyhomes.org.mlxchange.com

         

More than 1.6 million fires are reported each year in the United States.  It's a sobering statistic, especially when you consider the more than 3,600 people who lose their lives in these fires.

Everyone knows smoke alarms play a vital role in saving lives, but many homeowners forget to ensure their alarms and detectors are in working order.  According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), no smoke alarms were present in 42 percent of fatal residential structure fires.  When smoke alarms were present (58 percent of fatal fires), only 37 percent of those alarms were reported to e working correctly.

In spite of recent news reports showing children sleeping through mock-fire alarms, smoke detectors remain the cornerstone of fire safety in the home. 

Remember, smoke alarms are only one tool at your disposal to help keep your family safe in case of a home fire.  Every home and business should also have a fire escape plan to go along with its emergency preparedness plan.

USFA Smoke Alarm Tips
* In standard battery-powered smoke alarms, the batteries need to be replaced at least once per year and the whole unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.

* Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible.  Always follow the manufacturer's installation instruction.

* Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement.

* For extra safety, install smoke alarms both inside and outside sleeping areas.

* Contact your local fire department on a non emergency phone number if you need help or have questions about fire safety in your home.

 

If you've ever Googled your name, you know how important managing your reputation online can be. Each day, thousands of individuals are searching online for information about others simply by searching on Google or other leading search engines. With information being so readily available, managing your reputation is more important than ever.

How to Manage Your Reputation Online

Fortunately, managing your reputation online isn't all that difficult, but it does take work. Here are 7 basic steps you can take to ensure that your reputation doesn't become negatively impacted by what's being said about you online.

1. See where you stand. Start your reputation management initiative by Googling your name. Try it with quotes and with out (first and last name together). Look through each of your results on page one and page two of Google. Are there any negative items you wish to remove?

2. Set up a Google alert. Visit Google and set up an alert for your name. After setting up the alert Google will send you and email to confirm that you wish to receive the updates. Accept the alert and each time your name is published to the Web, you'll know about it.

3. Contact website owners for name removal. If there are sites that include your name and commentary that is less than desirable, contact the appropriate websites requesting that the information be removed. More often than not, website owners will agree to remove your name and/or inappropriate information.

4. Purchase a domain with your name. Add sites and WebPages associated with your name and watch negative search results get pushed lower on Google rankings. Visit GoDaddy or another provider of website URLs and hosting, and purchase a domain that contains your name. Even if your name is rather common, experiment with variations until your name can be established in the form of a dot com. Once you own a domain, publish a webpage with your personal profile.

5. Start a blog under your name. Blogger is a great tool for setting up your own blog which can be used to publish information about yourself. Popular blog sites are often picked up by Google and you can control the content. Be sure to sign up for Technorati after your blog has been published. Submit your blog for review and its popularity will increase, improving search rankings and continuing to push down negative search results.

6. Free press release. Use free-press-release.com or a similar free press release site to publish favorable information about your and your reputation. This form of reputation management is easy and costs nothing. Be sure to use your name throughout the release and in the release title.

7. Author articles in your field. Publish article relative to a particular topic or area in which you've done some work or have experience. Use article distribution services to build online references to your content. Make sure your articles contain an about the author section that links back to your main website.

There are a variety of strategies you can use to manage online references about you, your family, or others that need to manage their reputation online. Other online sites like Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, and Squidoo, offer ample opportunity to deliver favorable search results that can push unfavorable results down in search engine rankings. The key is to start today - proactively manage your reputation and put yourself in a favorable light.

What do you think it is?  The microwave?  Toaster?  Hot tub?  Computer (for lots of reasons...)?

Actually, it is none of the above.

The most dangerous appliance in your house may be your dryer!

Think about it.  Dryer fires cost Americans as much as $100 million annually!  They result in almost 50,000 fires that require the fire department, and average 400 injuries and 15 fatalities - annually.  They cause more fires than electrical problems.  And 81% of them happen in residential homes. (1)  That is dangerous!

Most dryer fires are reported in the laundry room.  In the olden days, that meant the basement or the garage.  But in modern society, the laundry room location has shifted to the bedroom, kitchen, family room, hallway or closet.

When to most fires happen?  Incidences increase dramatically from November to March, with 10.6% happening in January.  Why?  Probably because that is when we wash our heaviest clothing.  It takes more time to dry them, they heat up and poof!

And what is the most common cause of dryer fires?  VENTILATION.  And that for many reasons:

1.  In modern houses dryer vents cover longer distances to reach an outside wall.

2.  Clogs that occur because of sharp bends or turns.

3.  Plastic or foil wrapped "slinky" venting.  This venting has lots of pockets that can trap lint.  Solid vents are highly recommended.

4.  Incorrect venting which does not exhaust outdoors but into a crawl space, attic, or interior walls.  This can also contribute to the increase of molds and air deterioration.  Also, incorrect venting which allows animals to get inside where they nest or otherwise obstruct air flow.

What is the most important thing we can do to prevent dryer fires?

Keep our vents clean!  That means disconnecting the vent tubing from the dryer every one to two years and either cleaning it all ourselves (including as much of the tubing as possible) or hiring a professional company to do it. 

And by following proper installation guidelines when the dryer is first installed.

 

____________________________________

Dryer Loss Control Recommendations -- Per the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

1. Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes – If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle or drying requires longer times than normal, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.

2. Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically – Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping.

3. Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting materials with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct – The flexible plastic or foil type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks and crushing, which can greatly reduce the airflow.

4. Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals – Special care is required when drying clothes exposed to gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothes more than once and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle.

___________________________________

 

My recommendation:  When you buy a new dryer, have it installed professionally.  Most retailers will deliver and install nowadays.  And pay special attention to keeping your vent clean where the vent exits the dryer and enters the wall, and where it discharges on the outside of your house!

 

(1) “Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings”.   Topical Fire Research Series.  U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  U.S. Fire Administration.   Volume 7, Issue 1.  January 2007.

"I can easily tell you that after flying for 37 years, this was by far the most awesome experience I've had as an aviator. The best flight of my career. There is nothing that will come close. I mean I got to hold those babies." says Dave Dudley, Director of Aviation for Hendrick Motor Sports.

I just said, 'Look board them and let's go, crank the engine. I will deal with customs at Fort Pierce(FL)," Dudley said. "Honestly I think all of us were willing to risk our pilot's license to get them home."

Their time on the runway was running out and their passengers had not arrived.  Then a van appeared, the doors opened and out climbed 26 Haitian orphans.  The orphans * some as young as 6 months old * were exhausted and visibly distressed from their week long ordeal.  They filed into the same plane NASCAR Championship owner Rick Hendrick uses to transport his drivers and crew to races during the regular NASCAR season.

Showing the TRUE SPIRIT of NASCAR * Hendrick provided 2 45-passenger aircraft and 2 flight crews in addition to support staff to help a non-profit group, Missionary Flights International, fly support missions in and out of Port-au-Prince.  MFI is tasked with getting the mission workers trapped in Haiti out of the area.

Dudley reports that he thought it would be impossible to transport the orphans because of the bureaucratic red tape and the time required to clear the mission; however, once he saw the children were within his reach, he became overwhelmed with emotion.

"It was surreal.  The children were traumatized and scared.  It was extremely quiet at first, but within 45 minutes they were laughing and all over the plane," said Dudley, who rode in the plane's jump seat.

Starved for affection, Dudley said he had children climbing on his lap, putting their tiny hands on his legs and just wanting  to be held.

When NASCAR.COM talked to Dudley on Tuesday night, he was unclear on how long the flights would continue; however, we was scheduled to fly another dozen orphans out on Wednesday.

Driver Mike Wallace's family supports a children's medical clinic in Haiti which received support from personnel flown in on the Hendrick plane.

Hendrick has put the "arm" on his sponsors also and has raised an additional $3.8 million for relief efforts * GM is donating $100,000; Lowe's (#48 team sponsor) is giving $1m to the Red Cross; Pepsi (#88 and #24 team sponsor) is giving $1m; Bank of America is giving $1m and GoDaddy (sponsor of the #88 Cup and Nationwide #5) will give $500,000.

Buying rental properties can be a great way to build your wealth. However, as in most real estate investments, it is sometimes difficult to know if you've found a good deal - especially the first time, and if you aren't working with a good property management company. Here are some things to look for to be sure that rental is a great investment.

Location. If traffic is heavier, rentals are easier to rent. A sign will often pull more response than an ad in the paper. If it is a nice locale, it will usually rent faster. This is also true of places close to amenities.

Numbers. Run the numbers. Get every last expense figured into your calculations, and be sure that you will have positive cash flow from the start.

High home prices. Look in towns with high home prices, as this creates rental demand. What do people do when they can't afford to buy? They rent.

Low maintenance buildings. Avoid cedar-shake roofs, and wood-sided buildings. Look beyond current expenses to how much maintenance the building will need. Low maintenance means less headaches and more profits.

Good rental history. Ask to see the rental history. Note how long residents are staying on average, and how well they pay on time.

Below market rents. Buying rental properties with below-market rents means you get to raise rents. Raising rents means you immediately raise the value, because rental property values are based on income.

Complies with zoning and fire codes. Have it inspected, and ask local officials if there are any problems.

Less than 20 years old. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if you limit your search to newer buildings, you will be less likely to have building code and maintenance problems.

Owner/manager that is out of state. These properties are often the best deals, because it is tough to manage a property from far away. An out of state seller is often more concerned with a quick sale than a high price.

Neighborhood is stable or improving. Stable is okay, but if you can buy in a neighborhood that is improving, you'll rent the units more easily, and therefore get automatic appreciation in value with time.

And of course, have in place a good property management team in place.  They can reduce your headaches, and keep you out of the landlording business!

On the first day of class, my Social Media and Blogging students learn they cannot make it through the first day or move on to the second class without first signing up to Gmail to get a built-in Google account. I bring it up on my E-mail Marketing, Web Design and even Intro to Computers classes, as well, and even have a “Getting a Google Account” hand out.

While some of my students may very well have a Gmail address already, they are mostly unaware of the many benefits adhered to the wonder that is a Google Account.  For my AOL, Comcast, Earthlink, Yahoo and MSN users, it may not be so obvious why I seem to be obsessed with them switching to a Gmail account.

Today was a special day, though…I actually taught the first session of a series on Google Apps, which includes the use of Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar. I love teaching others to use technology devices and applications I love. It sure doesn’t feel like work!

What’s so special about Gmail anyway?

Gmail Labs

• Archiving – Keep your inbox uncluttered and “hide” messages you’ve already worked on. Find your messages easily by using the amazing SEARCH MAIL box or clicking All Mail.

• Message translation – If you receive an email in a different language, Gmail can translate your message into a language you can understand with just one click.

• Undo send – You can have a grace period of a few seconds to cancel sending, then edit your message before sending again. I try to put the e-mail address on there last, but this actually makes sense.
• Offline Access – Can you believe that Gmail can work when you’re not connected to the internet?  Wow…
• Labels – This is just such a beautiful e-mail feature. Anyone who loves organization like I do knows that labeling your items will make it easier to find them or access them at a later time. Labels work together with Filters to give us back control over our e-mail addresses.
• View Image – View PDF – You can preview PDFs  and images on your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox) without having to download them or open them with an application.
• Tasks – This feature is key in keeping me organized and on track. Adding tasks to your to-do list and checking them off as you complete them is sweet!  You can actually convert an e-mail message into a task. (Accessible on mobile, too). Too unbelievable!
• Text Messaging -There’s a short messaging system [SMS] built-in  Gmail. Send your text messages using your PC keyboard.  I love that!
• Set the Tone Theme – From minimalist grays to dynamic mountain landscapes, choose from over 30 options to personalize the look and feel of your Gmail account.
• Gmail voice and video chat – If you’ve used Skype, then you’re familiar with this concept… sort of.  Gmail users can actually view and listen to each other, by simply downloading Google Chat and having their web cam activated.

• Use Emoticons on your messages. A real wide variety of “expressive icons” on both chat and e-mail.
• Gmail for mobile 2.0. By going to m.google.com/mail on your BlackBerry (I have the World Edition so I can use it internationally), you can download this wonderful tool for offline e-mail capabilities.
• Gmail for AIM® friends. I’m a Yahoo! Messenger kind of girl, but many of my friends are on AIM®. I can now include them on my Google chat list without having to do an unwanted switch to AOL. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…).  {AOL and AIM are trademarks of AOL LLC }
• Colored labels – Everything is better in color! This is true for your labels. I use my blue and green, of course.
• HTTPS by default - This protocol has been  To protect your Gmail account, we’ve turned on the option to “always use HTTPS” for everyone and encrypts your page to protect your password.
  
• Group chat – This Gmail option works fabulously for online meetings or “family reunions”. Multiple people and no multiple windows. Yay!

• Easy Access to Attachments- You can access Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and even Powerpoint presentations (as slideshows) without having to download them into your computer or opening an application. 
• 20 MB! The allowed size of attachments to your e-mail is double on Gmail.
• Get mail and send mail from other accounts – You can retrieve new and old messages from other accounts, as well as customize
  the ‘From:’ address, so they look like they were sent from another one of your email accounts.
• Message notifications - You will see updates to an e-mail conversation even while you are typing a reply. “That was fast!”.
• Forward all – You can forward a whole thread of a message, not just single messages.
• Offline Chat – You can leave “offline messages” to your chatting friends so they can see them when they logon next.
• Gmail.com/app – Download this application and and start accessing Gmail on your phone.
• Voicemail – If you use Google chat, you can send and retrieve voicemail right on your e-mail as an audio file.
• Put a face on your Contacts – You can set a photo for yourself and your contacts so it shows up next to the contact name.
• Vacation auto-responder – Tell everyone when you’re on vacation and will be back,  leave the name and number of someone who can assist them or your own contact information overseas, or whatever may be the case.
• Contact groups – You can send messages to a group instead of having to pick out the individual addresses every time. This is a great time saver.
• View as HTML – Now you can view Microsoft Office, OpenOffice or .pdf attachments as web pages. Download what?
• Auto-save – This is such a blessing. When you’re composing a message, it saves to ‘Drafts’ automatically so you don’t lose your information!
• Gmail on Google.com – If you use iGoogle, you can access Gmail from your personalized Google page.
• Free POP access and automatic forwarding – This is a great tool so you can use to access your e-mail messages via Outlook or Blackberry.
• Import Contacts -  You can move all your contacts from Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, and others to Gmail in just a few clicks. Exporting is also very easy, if you’re using e-mail marketing software and need a CSV file.
• Signature options – On the settings page, you will find an option to create a signature that’s automatically added to the end of all your outgoing messages. Mine has links to my Facebook business pages, Linkedin, YouTube, Twitter, blog, website and other contact information.

You can use your Google DOCS, Google CALENDAR and events right with your Gmail.  A Gmail account is also a Google account, so you can access Google Reader, Google Alerts, Google Analytics, Blogger, Picassa, Chrome, and YouTube.

Are you still hesitant? If you’re not, welcome to revolutionary e-mailing!

For more information, connect with me:

About the Author: Elayna Fernandez is a proud mother, founder of the Positive Mommies Network, blogging/social media/web design instructor, and marketing/branding strategist.

Thank you for taking the time to reading my post. Have a powerful day!

This article is the sole intellectual property of Elayna Fernandez. Copyright Designed 2 Impress, Inc.