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Mice. Roaches. Bed bugs. Fleas. Ants. Most of us want nothing to do with them, outside of hiring someone else to get rid of them for us.
For those of you who have an interest in all things scientific, this post is pretty cool. For those of you who are fairly squeamish about pests around your home, this post may be the stuff of nightmares.
Here are five really crazy, but totally true, facts about pest control.
Who would have thought, right? Especially for those of us who have ever had to deal with those little black ants in our kitchen during the spring and summer, you might never have guessed this!
Ants have extremely narrow waist parts (called petioles), that make it impossible for solid food to make it through their digestive systems. Many species of ants simply cannot physically swallow solid food, and digest it. It would kill them.
As a work-around, they have a couple of defenses against this. First, they take solid food to their larvae. The larvae in an ant colony will often apply an enzyme that breaks the solid down into a liquid. Some species regurgitate the solid in a liquid form for the adults to eat. Some have a “pouch” where the adults place the solid food, and the larvae essentially “drool” on the food; the enzymes in their spit breaks down the food. There’s even a species of ant commonly referred to as “Dracula ants” that takes a bite out of their larvae. When the digested food is broken down, the adult Dracula ants lap up the leaking fluid, essentially turning their larvae into a giant “tap,” like a soda fountain for already-digested ant food.
Adult ants also have mouthparts that essentially act like a strainer or colander. Anything that is too big to digest gets filtered out, and spit out, by the ant.
According to the University of Minnesota, “Newly emerged nymphs can survive without a blood meal for days up to several months.”
One reason for the variation has to do with a number of factors. How active are the new little blood-suckers? If they’re looking for a meal in a vacant apartment, and travelling far to try and find one, they’re using more energy. More energy used without a meal means they die sooner. Just like a starving man wondering through the desert would expend more energy than a man trapped in a cave waiting for rescue. One is constantly on the move, looking for something. The other is relatively sedentary. The sedentary person will use less energy, and the reserves in their body will last longer than the traveler. Same with bedbugs.
Another factor is the temperature. Bedbugs are cold-blooded, and cool temperatures will slow down their metabolism. Slower metabolism means (again) less energy expended. Less movement and energy expended means longer lifespan without a meal.
Lastly, bedbugs also have an extra, waxy exoskeleton. This makes them far more resistant to desiccation (drying out) than many other species of bugs. This can help them live longer, even without feeding. It also makes them more resistant to insecticide control methods, incidentally.
In short, there are a variety of factors involved but, under the right conditions, even bedbug nymphs (baby bedbugs) can sometimes go for months without eating and survive.
This one is the stuff nightmares are made from. You read that heading correctly, too – in a single year, assuming only 2 generations per year, a single female German cockroach can produce 10,000 descendants in a year.
German cockroaches are one of the hardest structural pests to control here in Pennsylvania. They produce egg sacks with between 30-48 eggs at a time, and carry these sack with them until just before they hatch, which greatly increases their survival rate compared to other cockroach species. Eggs take about 28 days to hatch, and a mating adult female produces a new egg case about every six weeks. They also reach sexual maturity (where they can begin to reproduce) within about 60 days of hatching.
The rapid reproductive capability of these pests, along with the way they guard the eggs by carrying them, makes them a formidable challenge to control. Even pest control professionals can struggle with the management on this if they don’t know what type of situation they’re walking into! Call a professional for help in dealing with this pest.
Outdoors, the house mouse’s typical lifespan is only about a year. When they’ve moved indoors, where they generally have a food source and protection from the elements, they can live for two-to-three years.
Mice reproduce exceptionally quickly for a mammal – from birth to reproductive maturity, a female mouse needs only six short weeks. Males only need eight weeks to accomplish that feat. Gestation for a female is only about three weeks, and newborns are generally weaned for about another three weeks. Litter size can range from 3-14, but six-to-eight is typical. This means that a single female mouse can birth a new litter every six week. Over the course of a two-year span she might take up residence in your home, that’s about 17 litters. 17 litters multiplied by six mice per litter equals over 100 mice, descended from a single female over that span.
Also, mice (and rats, too!) have no control over their elimination functions. In other words, they have zero bladder or sphincter control. That means that wherever they may be in your home, if they have to “go,” it just happens. It happens in your drawers, in your cabinets, on your plates in the cupboard, your kid’s pillows – wherever they happen to walk in your home! And while there are a few different diseases that mice could transmit, the chances are unlikely. It’s obviously unsanitary having an animal pee and poop all over the stuff in your home.
This one makes every pet owner cringe a little bit. Whether you are a dog person or a cat person (no judgement either way!), you’ve probably dealt with fleas to some greater or lesser degree. Hopefully for you, it’s been to a “lesser” degree!
Fleas have a life cycle where they go from eggs to larvae to pupa to adults. It’s in this pupal stage that they can be most difficult to deal with. Fleas in a pupal stage build a cocoon for themselves. They can lay dormant in that stage for months, and some species for up to a year, without feeding. They wait to feel vibrations in their cocoon, and can emerge instantly (imagine a chicken egg hatching suddenly and violently with a fully-grown chicken) to feed. Also, this cocoon makes the fleas impervious to any type of chemical control. Because of this, we often advise clients that even with a professional treatment, they will likely continue to see a few fleas here and there after treatment is completed.
Depending on the species as well, they can jump as high as 5-10 inches vertically and about 13 inches horizontally. This would be the equivalent of an average adult American male jumping the distance of a football field in a single leap!
The best bet for controlling these guys is not to let them into your home at all. We recommend treating your pets with a topical flea control that disrupts the life cycle – it should control all life stages of the flea (egg, larvae, pupa, and adult) in order to get maximum control. Controlling them on the host is the only sure-fire way to get the control you’re looking to achieve!
If you have further questions for us, we’re happy to help! Please contact us for more information if we can be of assistance with your pest control!
The post 5 Insane (But True) Facts about Pest Control appeared first on Tomlinson Bomberger.
1021 Burnaby Street by Francl Architecture is a new 5-storey concrete building located in the West End at 1021 Burnaby. This project will offer 21 one- and two- bedroom condominiums. The site is near the gateway to Davie Village. Your daily needs are easily met by the neighbourhood’s stores and professional services. With gyms, the False Creek-Stanley Park Seawall, the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, and English Bay, leisure options are close at hand.
The post 1021 Burnaby Street in Downtown Vancouver appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.
The Granville by Aoyuan Property is a new 8-storey mixed-use concrete development located at the corner of Granville and West 7th. This project will offer four retail units and 41 one-, two-, and three-bedroom condominiums. The project is set within a well-developed community and a prosperous commercial environment. It is only a 10-minute walk to Granville Island, a popular hotspot for sightseeing and entertainment with a thriving art scene. The Granville will be 5-minute walk from the extension of the Millennium Line Skytrain upon completion.
The post The Granville by Aoyuan Property on Vancouver’s Westside appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.
Alma & 10th by Landa Global is a new four-story mixed-use concrete development located at the corner of Alma & West 10th Ave. Contemporary form transitions into traditional charm to enhance this upscale neighborhood. This classically-inspired project will offer seven retail units and 32 two and three-bedroom condominiums. The Broadway commercial district, top-rated schools, Almond Park, fitness centre and more are just steps away.
The post Alma & 10th on Vancouver’s Westside appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.
Our 5th interview is with Caroline Pinal from Giveback Homes. I’ve written about Giveback Homes at length in the past, and am a huge huge fan.
Without further ado…
What’s your most significant business focus for 2018?
What real estate technology trend or product are your most excited about?
We are so proud of the way CEOs and leaders in both in real estate and outside of it have been stepping up and advocating for important causes. CEO acctivism isn’t a trend, it’s a movement that’s definitely not going anywhere. In the past, companies have tried to remain neutral on controversial social issues, afraid of alienating customers; but CEOs of large companies (e.g., Starbucks, Salesforce, Apple, Facebook, Ben & Jerry’s, Airbnb, Lyft, etc.) have been taking a stance on social issues like race relations, climate change and gender equality, making corporate neutrality a thing of the past.
What do you like about being a Geek Estate member?
I like that it’s a small curated group that can cultivate productive conversations. The members of this group care passionately about real estate, technology and the future of the industry.
Thank you Caroline for being a founding member!
Geek Estate Membership
The post Geek Estate Founding Member Spotlight: Caroline Pinal from Giveback Homes appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.
These projects are as beautiful as they are budget-friendly, and best of all, you can easily make them in one afternoon. Ready to learn the ropes?
Modern, yet rustic. Warm, yet airy. And perfect for the doorway of your choosing.
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It's just like that basket you fell in love with in that cute boutique. Only better, because you made it yourself.
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Low on space but big on greenery? This project is a game-changer.
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Since all my t-shirts are shrinking and a new season is upon us, it was time for me to get some new gear. When I buy a t-shirt, it gains extra points in my eyes if I can get something that’s fresh and unique. I suppose most people are that way.
I found this ‘Bellinger’ bombs t-shirt on ebay, and I had to have it. It’s got the Dodgers script on the front, with the baseball posed as a bomb and Bellinger’s ’35’ in trademark red.
I’ll continue to update this blog with anything I buy that falls under the #collect category.
Baseball under Rob Manfred cannot seem to just market itself in a positive light. A story emerged from Sports Illustrated on Sunday that says that all teams will now start to have their baseball harvesting-process regulated.
For the first time, Major League Baseball is standardizing how its 30 clubs store baseballs, according to several sources familiar with the plan distributed to clubs. Baseballs must be stored in “an air conditioned and enclosed room” this season.
Major League Baseball will install climate sensors in each room to measure temperature and humidity throughout the 2018 season. That data will be used to determine whether a humidor is necessary in individual storage rooms for the 2019 season.
What would be the good reasoning behind this? Are home runs bad for the game? Does it make the game less interesting and less marketable? Do young people the game is trying so hard to cater to not enjoy the most exciting thing that can happen in a game; or in all of sports?
I just don’t get it. I don’t get a lot of things that have happened under Manfred. If you want to run a humidor in Colorado and Arizona; where home run numbers are berserk, fine. But to implement this for all 30 clubs? That’s borderline insanity.
The game is in a good place. I just wish they would leave it the Hell alone; with uniforms and equipment falling under that umbrella.
Here’s the Kelle promo video:
I still have concerns none of these AI powered assistants being launched lead to a better consumer/buyer experience than they currently get by speaking to a real human (see here and here):
AI/Chatbots may be good 40% — or even 60% — of the time, but nowhere close to 100%. And a chatbot that is accurate any less than 100% of the time is pretty useless, and annoying, to your average buyer or seller.
Turning toward the topic of the “new Keller Williams strategy” of being a technology company and not a real estate company, I agree with much of what Rob says. Alienating the entire industry is not likely a good strategy to winning. If they are planning to literally build all technology themselves, from lead to close, they have about, oh let’s say ZERO percent change of succeeding. Think of all the money Zillow has spent on technology development. Think of all the companies they’ve purchased (each of whom invested a decent chunk of change on their own technology). Even with all that money spent, they still don’t cover everything from lead to close, and are forced to (or choose to) partner with many other tech vendors. Bottom line, I’m not optimistic the largest franchise in the country can magically turn themselves into a real estate technology company. Head over and give Rob’s post a read for more to ponder.
The post Kelle, AI, and Keller Williams as a Technology Company appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.
I made this mostly in jest to the past videos I’ve seen on YouTube and twitter. I always love when guys feel the need to announce to…… someone, that they’re going to be ___________.
So, this year I took the nerd plunge (I am definitely a nerd) and called my own number.
Without further adieu, my 2018 franchise press conference for MLB the Show ’18:
Big surprise here. I honestly gave consideration to the Rockies, Yankees, Twins, but I can’t say anyone other than Colorado made a strong challenge to unseat Los Angeles. I plan to spend the summer at Chavez Ravine and enjoy the Dodgers while I can. They didn’t have Cody Bellinger or Walker Buehler the last time I played heavily with them, and I’ve never rolled out a fresh version of the game with them as my primary franchise team.
I can’t get a copy in my hands soon enough.
It’s Saturday, and there are officially games going on and box scores taking place. Teams are all at Spring Training. There are 33 days until Opening Day. In that time there are fantasy drafts, team previews to be done, and MLB the Show comes out March 23rd.
The best news: in a few short days we have all survived the doldrums of the month of February. You know we’re close when Bachelor is down to the final few girls.
The 80’s song of the week that should be played on a ballpark loudspeaker nearest you is one of the best ever. It’s a classic by Robin Gibb.
So even if your kids are driving you nuts and giving you cabin fever. And they won’t nap even when it’s nap time. And they’ve eaten into your leisure time and your gym time and your going to the grocery time or having any life at all besides going to work to feed them; remember it’s SATURDAY. And it’s unofficially baseball season. We can press onward.
Thank you for your continued support of Diamond Hoggers. Find something great to do with your day and evening and enjoy this day.
I can hear the anxiety in her voice as it cracks with emotion. She’s tense; there’s a real sense of emotional investment in the answer, the answer to the question she has just asked.
“Can you save it?”
Inwardly, tree and shrub care experts often cringe at this question. Many times, the answer is “Yes!” or “Maybe…” However, just as often, the answer is “No, there’s nothing we can do at this point.”
Caring for your landscape plants can be a complicated process. There are a variety of factors to consider: the amount of precipitation we’ve had in the calendar year, average temperatures, the cyclical nature of insect populations, predator populations, soil conditions, where the plant is question is physically located in the ground – all of these play a role in overall plant health.
Here’s 3 secrets to great tree and shrub care that everyone usually misses:
Most lawn care companies offer some sort of tree and shrub care program. This only makes sense; your local lawn care company obviously cares about plants (since a yard is made up of hundreds of thousands of them), and they know that you probably care about plants, too, since you hired them.
However, customer expectations often get skewed because of their relationship with their lawn care company. For example, if you have a problem with a neighbor who doesn’t treat their lawn, and their dandelions travel across the border into your lawn, your lawn care service will likely come out between your scheduled services and treat for these weeds, usually at no charge. And you, as the consumer, see the results almost immediately – in the case of dandelions, usually within a day or two you begin to see them curling up and dying. It is as close to instant gratification as one can get with a plant.
Now, call that same company up when there’s a problem with the azaleas you transplanted from your previous home, or the dogwood you planted in memory of Grandma, and you don’t see the results right away. Oftentimes, I’ve heard from clients that treating trees and shrubs “doesn’t work” because they have “tried that before” and “nothing happened.”
Part of the problem is the expectation that company set for you, the consumer, on the front end. They are often so happy to have the business, and often times the applications are having a positive impact. The reality, however, is that no one has taken the time to understand that you, the consumer, have a different expectation based on the previous relationship with that service provider. When you have a problem with the lawn, resolution is often very quick. Trees and shrubs are different altogether.
Treating trees and shrubs can take time. Some problems are a quick fix, and regular treatment maintains the health of the plant. But, depending on the severity of the issue when treatment starts, it could even take years to see really noticeable improvement. Be sure and ask your provider how long it may take to begin to see results.
Another often overlooked component of tree and shrub care is that the timing often has to be right for the treatments to be effective.
I worked for a national lawn care firm that also offered tree and shrub care. I was trained on how to identify problems, and how the service we offered would help address those concerns that a client has about their landscape. What I wasn’t told, however, is that many of the issues we were selling treatment for would be ineffective; we were getting to them too late in the season.
For example, a common problem we encounter is a disease that effects many deciduous (leaf-producing) trees called anthracnose. Anthracnose is a fungal disease and can spread from tree to tree. Most trees, like oaks and maples, do okay, even when sick. Perhaps a little more water than usual will help (at the base of the tree – don’t disturb the leaves!), but that’s about it. Dogwoods, however, typically respond especially poorly to this disease. Without treatment, they regularly die.
The catch is this: anthracnose on a dogwood needs to be treated very early in the spring. A fungicide application right when the leaves emerge (called “bud break”) and again at least once, about 10-14 days later. This (ideally) prevents the fungus from spreading to the point where it can do major damage to the tree.
The point of this quick horticultural lesson is this: the damage from this disease typically won’t show up until late May, at the earliest. It can often be seen and identified from that point on until the leaves drop from the tree. By that time, it is far too late to do anything for the tree except intentionally irrigating it, and some fertilizer in the fall.
Timing for dogwoods isn’t the only problem we run across. Many other plants that are common in Pennsylvania landscapes have similar timing concerns: azaleas, Eastern hemlocks, pachysandra, and ash trees are just a few of the plants that require specific timing to address the issues that ail them.
This is often one of the most overlooked areas of any homeowner’s property. But, the reality is that when you do decide to sell you home (at some point we’ll all have to do that), the landscaping does matter. In fact, according to an article in Turf Magazine (hyperlink on “Turf Magazine: https://www.turfmagazine.com/services/landscaping-actual-home-value/), “…the value added by a landscape upgrade from average to excellent increases a home value by 10 to 12 percent.” Also cited by consumers in this study was the importance of the design itself, and plant size (maturity). Basically, when you ignore your landscape plants, and you have to replace your trees and shrubs, you’re damaging the overall property value. According to an article by the New York Times, “There is a reason so many Americans choose to develop their net worth through homeownership: It is a proven wealth builder and savings compeller.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/magazine/how-homeownership-became-the-engine-of-american-inequality.html ) When you neglect the trees and shrubs, you’re hurting that investment.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve personally had conversations with homeowners over the course of my Green Industry career about this specifically. The conversation often goes like this…
Homeowner: We just moved in a few weeks/months ago.
Me: Congratulations! That’s great!
Homeowner: Thanks! Yeah, we’re pretty excited.
Me: So, what are you doing with the lawn and landscape?
Homeowner: We haven’t really thought about that just yet. We’re trying to get furniture settled/get kids enrolled in school/figure out my new commute to work. [You, the reader, get the idea.]
Me: Okay, well, that’s why I get a paycheck. I can help with that, so you don’t need to think about it!
Homeowner: Well, I’ll give you a call when I have time to get around to it…
Homeowner [two years later]: I told you’d I’d call! I’ve gotten a promotion/job relocation/parent that needs care, and we need to sell the house! How much is it going to be to get my lawn in shape?
Me: {gives quote for lawn maintenance and tree and shrub care}
Homeowner: Holy smokes!! That’s expensive!!
Me: Yes. It is. It would have been less expensive to start it off the right way, and then simply maintain the property, which would have added incredible value to the largest investment you will make in your lifetime. Instead, you had to focus on that sectional from Ashely Furniture before you could be bothered about the landscape, sooo….yeah….
Okay, so I’ve never really had that last part of the conversation with a potential client. I’m too professional for that. However, that’s the reality of what many lawn and landscape professionals would like to tell their clients. The old adage holds true that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Here’s the bottom line: you need work with a professional who can set the proper expectations for results and you need to consult with them on the proper timing for those applications based on your specific property. Doing this will preserve your investment in your property, which is always a good thing.
If you’d like to talk further with us about a free consultation for your trees and shrubs, we’d be happy to talk to you!
The post 3 Secrets of Tree and Shrub Care Everyone Misses appeared first on Tomlinson Bomberger.
Continuum at Nature’s Edge by Brody Development is located at 856 Orwell Street in Lynnmour. This new development will have 23 strata units, approximately three two-bedroom, 19 three-bedroom with double attached garages and one four-bedroom. All have rooftop decks, A/C, HRV, hot water on demand and elevated interiors and finishings.
The post Continuum at Nature’s Edge in North Vancouver appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.
I met Paul a few months ago at Impact Hub in Seattle (he’s from Seattle, but lives in Los Angeles now), and found myself thinking through all the similarities between Paul’s RentHoop journey and my Oh Hey World / Horizon journey.
Without further ado…
What do you do?
What problem does your product/service solve?
What are you most excited about right now?
We’ve made a slight pivot to the blockchain that will revolutionize the rental industry. There is much opportunity to provide a streamlined process that allows for greater transparency and accountability for renters and landlords.
What’s next for you?
Getting ready for a token sale in the next few months while we continue to grow our app presence and aim to be the best roommate finder at colleges and in Los Angeles, Seattle and Bellingham.
What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?
My Mom does a lot of work with orphanages in Egypt. She’s absolutely incredible and has made a massive impact on a ton of children’s lives. Coming from an Egyptian family, it’s humbling to know that we came from the village that she contributes to so much. I’d like to get more involved in the future and be someone who makes a similar impact.
Thanks to Paul for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.
The post Meet the Real Estate Tech Founder: Paul Burke from RentHoop appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.
It’s been awhile since we’ve talked about Broker Public Portal here (now a joint venture with Homesnap). Just this month, Homesnap raised $14 million. A few stats:
Especially given I’m in Seattle where the NWMLS operates (and is famously hard to deal with both on technical side of things as well as business), some big news hit yesterday: Homesnap/BPP is coming to Seattle this spring.
Will it take any buyer search market share from Zillow and Redfin? I’m not optimistic, but we’ll see.
The post Broker Public Portal Comes to NWMLS / Seattle appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.
You updated the plumbing, refinished the flooring, painted the walls. In short, your home renovation is finally finished, and you’re ready to put your flipped house on the market.
But before you do, follow these five home staging tricks that top house flippers use - if you do, you'll likely see a quick full-offer sale coming your way!
Pulling up to their potential new home should be a joyful experience for buyers. Give them the great first impression they’re hoping for with curb appeal that conveys a genuinely warm welcome.
Stylish house numbers, updated porch lighting, a classy door color, charming outdoor seating, flowers in bloom, and a welcome mat seem like unimportant details, but they make all the difference.
When a house looks cared for on the outside, it lets buyers know the inside has been maintained, too.
Once potential buyers step inside, give them a personal, emotional connection to the house. Remember to address all five senses:
By appeasing the five senses, you’re sure to help potential buyers connect to the house.
If there’s one thing every buyer is looking for, it's square footage. Play up every inch of it for them!
To make the house feel spacious, put breathing room around monochromatic furniture, and hang mirrors to reflect windows and room openings. Hang drapes high (or don't use them at all), place large artwork on the walls, and lay down oversized area rugs.
Choose furniture raised up on legs to create a sense of lightness, and use decorative knickknacks sparingly to increase surface space. Create a distant focal point, such as a plant at the top of the stairs or a beautiful pendant light at the end of a hallway.
Even if your house flip includes some quirky architectural details, it's best to show them off rather than try to hide them. After all, a house's personality is part of its charm.
For example, if there’s seemingly wasted space underneath a staircase, turn it into a reading nook. If there’s a giant fireplace, dress up the mantle and arrange furniture around it. Built-ins have a special place in everyone's heart, so if your house has them, definitely show them off!
Remember, you're not just selling a house, you're selling a lifestyle. This means you shouldn't forget to dress up the outside areas, such as the patio and backyard. If you want your buyers to feel at home, set up an outdoor dining scene, arrange lounge chairs around the pool, or hang a rope swing.
By showing buyers the kind of life they could be enjoying, you’re showing them it’s worth paying to get it.
Check out Success Path for more tips on real estate and renovation.
Related:
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.
According to NAR there has been a lot of speculation recently about the 2008 settlement agreement between the DOJ and NAR.
Even though NAR reached an agreement with the DOJ, they successfully discouraged most brokers from using a VOWs by allowing the MLS to charge a lot more for them. In many cases it costs twice as much to put up a VOW vs. an IDX website.
This price increase means that companies that market websites to Realtors almost always market the IDX version. As most Brokers are not programmers and do not have a large IT staff, this effectively eliminated most of the Brokers from using a VOW. They had no choice, only IDX websites are being offered by the popular website vendors.
In addition, they added rules to a VOW that and IDX site does not have to worry about. One rule eliminates 80% or more of website visitors by forcing visitors to sign up before seeing all the data.
So it is no surprise that NAR has said “… we do not know how many VOWs are still operating today …”. The answer is probably very few. They could easily find out how many VOWS there are by simply asking the MLSs for a count of VOWs and IDX websites. I believe they do not want to do this because everyone will see just how effective their road blocks to having a VOW have been.
While they have taken some steps to make an IDX more effective by releasing some of the data they previously required an IDX to hide, they should take a final step and release all the data, as that is what consumers want, and it helps Realtors too.
By hiding withdrawn and expired listings sellers do not know what prices are too high. A seller might price their property higher, not realizing a neighbor tried the same price and after 1 year their listing expired. If they had that data, they could price their home correctly. Pricing a home right benefits the Realtor who now can sell the home instead of having it sit on the market, and the seller too.
You might say consumers can get that information from Realtors, so no need to give them access. I say the days of Realtors being the gate keepers to MLS data should be long over. Consumers have told us loud and clear they want access to all the listings, they do not want to be forced to go through their Realtor to get this data.
PS: For those of you interested in the future of VOWs, you may want to read this article Drew wrote at the end of last year.
The post How NAR got around the DOJ settlement by discouraging VOWs and hiding listings. appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.
Introducing Woodbridge and Park Ridge Homes’ newest community of 48 contemporary craftsman townhomes in the ideal family neighbourhood of Panorama/Sullivan.
The post Blackberry Walk 3 in Surrey appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.
Luxia is a collection of 138 spacious, 3-bedroom homes meticulously crafted with life’s little luxuries at the forefront. Side-by-side garages, open-concept living, innovative storage solutions and an abundance of outdoor space – including roof top patios – are just some of the reasons to get excited about calling Luxia at Yorkson, home. Ideally located in the heart of Willoughby, urban conveniences are matched by nearby park and recreation spaces.
The post Luxia at Yorkson in Langley appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.
“Whoever solves the loyalty problem wins the future” – Brian Boero
Is loyalty a diminishing commodity?
A variety of studies have sought to determine whether or not millennials are brand loyal with some finding them more brand loyal than the Generation X and Baby Boomer generations and others like a study from Cadent Consulting Group saying that the more than half of millennials have no preference between a private-label and the bigger national brands.
This is good news in some ways. What it means is that millennials are open. They don’t trust what they’ve been sold. They don’t base their decisions on flashy marketing campaigns and you don’t need tons of money to capture their attention. They trust their own experiences and the experiences of others more than any marketing campaign. Their loyalty isn’t something that is earned once and remains fixed; it must be renewed experience after experience, connection after connection.
The loyalty challenge
The challenge in maintaining loyalty is in keeping track of people post-purchase. A friend of mine had a great experience with the agent and bought a very expensive gift that he planned to give to the agent the next time the agent contacted him after the sale of his house. The gift sat on a shelf for years before he eventually opened it as housewarming gift to himself. This man travels the country and interacts with real estate agents all year long, he could have provided plenty of referrals, but more than that, he was a good loyal customer who had genuine affection for his real estate agent. Studies show that less than 10 percent of agents have a follow up strategy for keeping in touch with past clients and even those that do rarely keep in touch for the five-to-eight year cycle that can be typical between home purchases.
One of our users recently said about the product: “Helps me keep my commitments to my clients with follow-up to eliminate the complaint I hear most often: My agent never got back to me.” These situations don’t just reflect badly on the individual agent, they reinforce negative stereotypes in the industry.
Many agents talk about the pain of finding out that a past client whom they sold a house to listed with another agent. They know the client was happy at the time and wrote a positive review, they may have even exchanged gifts at the time and promised to keep in touch. As time went on, they simply lost touch. Often this experience feels like disloyalty but disloyalty is an active act, this situation is more of a mutual forgetting.
Transactional vs. Relational
We tend to think of loyalty as transactional when truly it’s relational. Loyalty isn’t always measured in purchases or referrals, it’s often measured in engagement which is a two-way street. We are loyal to brands that we feel “get” us, that subscribe to our same set of values, that mirror our way of being in the world. We want great treatment, of course, but more than that, we want to be seen, recognized, and appreciated. The first year Amazon was in business, when it was still an online bookstore, it sent out gift mugs to all of its early customers. The clothing startup Everlane sent handwritten notes to its best customers the first year.
Appreciation drives loyalty.
Loyalty is a muscle. It gets stronger over time if used. A tech-solution can be akin to a gym membership if you don’t use it, it isn’t going to magically make you better. However if you do use it and you get into a routine, you’ll discover benefits that go far beyond what you think it’s going to provide.
An intelligent CRM doesn’t just do what you tell it to, it keeps track of what you may have forgotten. (disclosure I run a CRM company). It’s a discovery engine working behind the scenes to make sure that as you move forward in your business, no one gets left behind.
Loyalty isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to make real connections, to engage, to share and to be the advisor your clients turn to again and again.
The post Is Loyalty a Diminishing Commodity? appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
The relaxing nature of a good warm bath helps us realize things that we don’t normally think about — such as the secrets of the universe or the reason we exist. However, if bathroom problems such as the following exist, they can steal your attention away from your dreamy thoughts. Don’t let these problems ruin your well-deserved alone time:
Photo by Daniel Fazio on Unsplash
Over-splashing tap
Selecting the right design will save you some frustration because the wrong tap with the wrong sink can certainly land you in a watery situation. You certainly don’t want a wet floor each time you turn the tap on! The placement of the sink with the tap defines how much splash it creates. If the sink is too close to the standing tap, the water may spill over the edge when it is initially turned on. The space of the sink also has a part to play as it would guide the water into the sink hole. An overhead tap mounted on the wall would have to be positioned correctly over the sink hole to ensure faster drainage. Also note that some sinks don’t come with overflow holes, so be mindful when you shop. Source: HomeAndDecor
Leaky shower
You may be able to put up with a leaky shower head for a little while, but it’ll cost you on your water bills. On top of that, the excess moisture being leaked to unplanned areas could create mold issues. Fixing your showerhead could be as easy as replacing a gasket, and you can often diagnose it on your own. Source: TheSpruce
Slow drain
Most tub and shower clogs are caused by hair. A simple fix is to remove the drain cover, straighten a wire coat hanger, then bend one end into a small hook. Push the hook down the drain and into the U-shape trap a few inches down. Then twist it around, and carefully pull it back. Chances are good you will have hooked the sizable hairball that was causing your slow drain. Source: BHG
If your leaky fixtures are a recurring problem, replacing them with higher quality ones is the answer! Call us today.
Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com
The post 3 Common Bathroom Problems and How to Solve Them appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
Can you imagine how horrible it would be if your toilet suddenly broke while you were using it? If you see the following characteristics on your toilet, consider replacing it before it’s too late.
Mineral deposits
Most residential water supplies contain minerals, and these tend to collect around any opening through which the water passes. The inlet holes around the rim of the bowl are especially susceptible to blockages from mineral deposits, and as the toilet ages and the deposits grow, they cause reduced flow into the tank and incomplete flushes. Minerals also collect around the syphon tube at the bottom of the tank and prevent the flapper from sealing. The result is leakage into the bowl and wasted water. You can often chip away the deposits, but if they are extensive, a better alternative is to decommission the toilet. Source: Homeguides.SFGate
Using too much water
If you do not already have a low flush toilet saving water may be reason enough to replace a toilet. You can save quite a bit on your water bill every year with a low flush toilet. A water saving toilet uses less than 2 gallons of water per flush which is considerably less than the old 3-gallon or even a 5-gallon flush toilets. Not only are you helping the environment by saving water, you are helping yourself save money. Utilities are only going to continue to rise so saving on household water usage makes sense. Source: TheSpruce
Cracks or leaks
Leaks from either the toilet’s tank or its bowl can go undetected for long periods of time, causing water damage to the flooring or subfloor. If allowed to continue, the entire floor may need to be replaced. Leaks can also cause damage to rooms below if the bathroom is upstairs.
Especially when dealing with older toilets, it may be more cost-effective to replace a toilet than find and repair leaks. Leaks not only cause damage but also consume water, which may increase your utility bill. Source: AngiesList
We can help with whatever plumbing problem you’re facing! Contact us today.
Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains
8279 Ross St, Vancouver, BC V5X 4W1
(604) 360-2114
Your bags are packed, you’re ready to move and the last thing you want to do is follow your agent’s advice about putting time and money into your listing photos. But if you don’t, your photos could prevent the home from selling quickly.
Consider these nine do’s and don’ts to help your listing attract the attention it deserves.
Keep your home’s curb appeal top of mind. Buyers often decide in a matter of minutes (or seconds) whether they want to keep looking or move on to another listing.
Make sure you get the whole house in the shot, and don’t let cars or other objects block your line of sight.
When taking a shot from the curb, be mindful of your camera’s angle. The roofline should be parallel with the photo’s frame to make it look level - not like there’s a landslide on the property.
An attractive front door and entryway go a long way in setting the tone for the rest of your home. Leaving the door open in one of your photos can also send a welcoming message.
Remove any threatening signs or barriers on the property before taking photos. The goal is to create a feeling of warmth with your listing photos - not scare onlookers away.
Taking a photo from above is a great way to show off a large property or a waterfront location. Crop the photo close enough so the home is visible without having to draw an arrow or a box around it.
Some folks use a fisheye lens to make smaller spaces appear larger. However, it often has the opposite effect, making the space feel smaller and distorted.
As a general rule of thumb, stick with a traditional lens for listing photos, and make small spaces appear bigger with design tricks.
You may think it’s best to skip the bathroom when taking listing photos, but if yours was recently updated, show it off! Bathrooms are among the first spaces to be upgraded in newly owned homes, and research shows that blue bathrooms sell for more than expected.
While a vanity can be a selling point, you want buyers to picture themselves in the mirror - not you. Stay out of your listing photos by avoiding angles where you or your camera’s flash may be reflected.
The goal is to put your home’s best foot forward. That means staging each room to sell shoppers on the lifestyle your home offers. Create cozy vignettes in each photo so it’s easier for shoppers to envision themselves living there.
If there’s one absolute “don’t” for listing photos, it’s capturing a mess. Tidy up each room before taking any photos so your home looks its best.
Even if your home has been on the market for a while, it will feel up-to-date if the photos reflect the season. If it’s summer, take a sunny photo of the backyard. If it’s winter, create a cozy feel with a fire and a warm blanket.
Over-the-top holiday decor can be a turnoff, especially if buyers don’t celebrate that holiday. Instead, consider ways to decorate for the season as a whole and take photos of rooms without themed decor.
If the view is one of your home’s selling points, you’ll definitely want to show it off. It’s best if you can capture it with a part of the house in the shot, like the deck or porch. That way, buyers can picture themselves there.
Focus on the parts of your home that will be there when a buyer moves in. Unfortunately, your pets don’t fall into that category, as cute as they are!
Archways, beams and other architectural quirks may be hard to photograph, but they give your home character. Try to capture a few of the architectural details if you can.
Every home has its blemishes, but that doesn’t mean you have to capture them all in the photos. The listing is the time to put your best foot forward - the open house and inspection are when the buyer can take note of the imperfections.
You may also want to consider making a few small improvements, like updating the bathroom, before listing your home.
While it’s easy to assume daytime shots are ideal, a nighttime exterior shot can create the right amount of contrast to make your photos stand out. The key is to leave your home’s interior and exterior lights on while you take the photo.
When it comes to interior photos, you want all the light you can get. Use lamps and daytime window light to make your photos as bright as possible while still looking natural.
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