Technology

7 Best Free Softwares

Op Ed

Lately I’ve come to realize that I’m reliant on free software, mostly cloud-based, which in most cases I didn’t even know existed a year ago!  These 7 applications are not just cool – they’ve made my life easier: 1. Evernote The first thing I open when I turn on my computer (any of my computers), [...]

28 February 2011 Read the full article →

Truly Useful Technology – Beer Drinkers Rejoice!

Op Ed

I don’t know about you, but for me the word technology brings up images of computers, cell phones, and other electronic gadgetry.  But real technology is more useful than that.  Real technology expands our civilization (cars & roads), powers our lives (energy), and wins wars (name your weapon here). Does this count as a truly [...]

25 January 2011 Read the full article →

Search the MLS, part 3

Buyer Help

Here are the Cliff Notes for part 1 and part 2 of this Pulitzer-winning series on why home shoppers who think they can search the MLS are mistaken: There is no 1 MLS, there are only lots of city-wide, regional or statewide MLSs. Consumers can’t search the MLS for their region directly because that database [...]

21 May 2010 Read the full article →

Search the MLS, part 2

Buyer Help

For those who didn’t read my previous post about the myth of “searching the MLS” here’s the Cliff Notes version: There is no 1 MLS, there are only lots of city-wide, regional or statewide MLSs. Consumers can’t view the MLS for their region directly because it’s private and for subscribers only. (i.e. Realtors, appraisers, etc.) [...]

17 May 2010 Read the full article →

Why you can’t search “the” MLS

Buyer Help

MLSonline.com MLS.com MLSlistings.com TheMLS.com Realtor.com RealEstate.com None of those are “the” MLS, or Multiple Listing Service. Listen up peeps, there are two giant misconceptions out there about consumers’ ability to search the MLS. (and see also our own Kelley Koehler on searching “the MLS”) Consumers can’t search “the” MLS because there is no single, national [...]

13 May 2010 Read the full article →

ThePhoenixAgents.com gets a facelift!

Op Ed

Our first post was 3 years ago this month, and we’ve noticed the inevitable sagging here and there as we’ve aged. If you read our blog in your internet browser, you’ve probably watched the changes over the last week or so – columns moving around, new information being added (and then removed, and then added [...]

9 November 2009 Read the full article →

Small change may affect RSS readers

Op Ed

Attention Feed-reader Readers!  If you’ve been reading ThePhoenixAgents.com blog in your feedreader, please keep your eyes open for tomorrow’s change.. We’re making a small change “under the hood” here at ThePhoenixAgents.com, and will be directing ALL subscription feeds through Feedburner.  We think we’ve prepared our site for the change, so it should go off without [...]

2 November 2009 Read the full article →

Facebook makes you smarter?

Op Ed

I came across an article this morning where researchers determined Facebook, Sudoku, and video games involving strategy can increase your working memory and actually make you smarter, while Twitter’s and YouTube’s steady stream of overflowing, pre-processed information can have the opposite effect. Interesting, but I’m filing it in the “if it’s on the internet it [...]

28 September 2009 Read the full article →

Upvise – another BlackBerry tool

Op Ed

I’ve written before about trying to use my BlackBerry to the fullest extent possible.  It just so happened that the shift to mobile computing coincided with my fight against spam, and I ended up moving away from Microsoft Outlook completely at the end of April. There has only been one piece missing from the puzzle [...]

9 September 2009 Read the full article →

How wired is your realtor?

Op Ed

Technology is changing everything, and real estate is no exception.  Blogs, IDX, homes-for-sale websites, GPS, instant-messaging, texting, social media, smart-phones, virtual tours, satellite images, AAAGGGHHH!!  (it can make your head explode if you stop and think too much about it.) Here is a great video putting things into perspective.  (If you’ve got 5 minutes…) How [...]

17 August 2009 Read the full article →

The Credit Crisis, in Video

Foreclosures

Found this amusing little video this morning, courtesy of a company called XPLANE. They’re very much like Common Craft, who I love. Clocking in at a little under 4 minutes, it explains the recent US financial meltdown simply, easily and with cute little stick figures and audio.  I think it must have been created last [...]

14 August 2009 Read the full article →