Apparently the general public is beginning to get concerned that the current trend in real estate will come to a dramatic end in the near future, leaving them holding an expensive property worth less than they paid.

I heard a radio show a couple weeks ago (I think it may have been NPR’s Market Place) discussing how far above the current rate of inflation the values of properties have climbed. And suddenly after scrambling for houses because of the low interest rates, people are beginning to worry. After months of making offers well above the asking price in many markets, people are beginning to rethink the wisdom of the “gold rush” mentality on the housing front. An apparent shortage in available housing for sale in comparison to the public demand caused a bit of nutty behavior in some markets. And it all leaves me asking — where are all the people coming from that are buying houses now? How can we possibly have a shortage when I see new developments whenever I take a short drive?

My real estate clients say that it’s because more people who were renters are now buying. That makes sense, but around here, even rentals are in high demand and low supply!

Anyway, the Internet trends company Hitwise.com says that the data on search trends and consumers’ online behavior indicates that not only the pundits are concerned. Your neighbors are worried too (those that still live in those houses). (more…)

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 1 /PRNewswire/ — Sprint (NYSE: FON) and GE are now working together to provide the eKEY and Supra iBox System along with Sprint PCS Vision(SM) Smart Devices to real estate boards and agencies across the United States.

This combined wireless solution saves REALTORS(R) time by being connected wherever they are on the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network and helps them show more property by receiving daily updated information via a handheld wireless device.

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The eKEY and Supra iBox System from GE is an electronic keybox with remote control access via an infrared beam between the keybox and a wireless handheld device. When combined with a device such as the Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device Treo(TM) 650 by palmOne and Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device (Samsung i500), the real estate professional can access the Supra iBox for immediate entry to show property, retrieve automatic daily updates on the REALTOR(R)’s property listings using the Supra iBox technology and access the Web for updated Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data.

“Sprint is focused on helping businesses more easily adopt wireless solutions to enhance communication,” said Dana Chase, vice president of marketing – Emerging and Mid-Markets, Sprint Business Solutions. “We’re excited to partner with GE’s technology innovation in the Supra iBox to help real estate professionals have a mobile office, giving them the ability to make the most of their time when they are on the go.”

GE currently has agreements with more than 100 real estate boards and related organizations across the country that make the Supra iBox System available for REALTORS(R). GE is continuing to expand availability by finalizing agreements with a growing number of REALTOR(R) organizations and actively working with REALTORS(R) to adopt the solution. Once a real estate
board or related organization installs the compatible keybox system, individual REALTORS(R) can purchase the packaged wireless solution from Sprint.

Sprint is offering up to $610 in savings to real estate professionals who purchase a GE certified Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device and choose a Sprint PCS Vision Professional Pack with a two-year Sprint PCS wireless agreement. Visit the GE Supra Site, for more details.

Perhaps you are considering the purchase of a Treo, but don’t have a CLUE where to go from here. Who sells them, what carriers support them, how do you know where to begin?

OR

Maybe you just bought a Treo 650 and it’s staring at you from inside the nicely organized PalmOne Box. Now what?

Relax and read on. I can help!

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Can a smartphone really serve you the same as a laptop? NO. (It can serve you better!) For now, let’s just consider the convenience factor.

I used to spend 20 minutes or more any time I had to leave the office packing up my laptop, the extra batteries, the charging cord, the CD’s I might need, along with the printed documents of my current projects, hard copies of articles and web content that I was currently writing, and my trusty Roget’s Thesaurus. And, ironically, I usually forgot something essential — like forwarding my phone. When I returned, I had to unpack everything (my laptop was — and still is — my main machine. Desktop replacement laptops are a bit heavier than the less powerful ones, but I needed to run some pretty hefty programs, and I didn’t want to keep two machines going all the time.

So, you see, when I was being a road warrior, I had to travel heavy to travel at all. I could squeeze two hours out of the laptop’s battery if I didn’t use my disk drive much. Even with the backup battery, I couldn’t hope for more than 3.5-4 hours of work time, and that wasn’t uninterrupted work time, since a battery change was involved.

It took forever to boot the thing, and as a writer, by the time I got it all booted up, I’d sometimes have lost part of the thought or concept I was trying to capture. This means I would always have to carry pen and paper too. The battery would ALWAYS die at the worst possible moment in the creative process. Then, I was lugging around all that weight, and was unable to use it. At all.

I was a horrible visitor. I’d always ask for an outlet the moment I arrived anywhere. I needed to get “juiced up.” And it took forever to recharge the batteries. Truth be told, I’m not a patient person.

But now, all that has changed with my little Treo 650.

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Welcome to my series of articles dedicated to the “swiss army knife” of mobile devices for “on-the-go” professionals. Although I’ve designed this site to help real estate professionals, everyone is welcome.

As a Treo 650 owner and enthusiast, I have spent hours testing and tweaking my own Treo. I consider it my business lifeline. I work with dozens of real estate agents each year as as a freelance writer, marketing consultant and business advisor. I know the needs of modern real estate agents and I spend my time helping agents, realtors and brokers find business solutions on all levels. As a mobile solution, the Treo works.

It won’t work by itself. It won’t be the answer to all your prayers straight out of the box. It will take a commitment, there is a learning curve and you will have to invest some time (and money) to customize it. What I hope to do here is diminish that learning curve, help you determine your needs and prevent unnecessary software and accessory purchases.

You will need to do some planning to determine which software packages and accessories you should purchase to get the most out of your new “pocket office” — but I’ll be right here with you.

Here, you will find information about applications and uses for the Treo that will be of interest if you want a more mobile work style and a more connected, flexible lifestyle — even if you aren’t a Realtor, a broker, or a real estate agent. [more]I am a bit of a technology geek, with a particular infatuation with small devices that carry a big “punch.” The Treo 650 has been a natural technology adoption for me and I have spent a great amount of time (and money) reviewing software, buying and trying programs, accessories and add-ons.

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Last month we discussed how to court expired listing clients. This month we will discuss how to build an expired listing niche for your real estate business and why you should consider “niching” as a powerful way to expand your business.

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