5 Tips on Managing Yourself                                                                                                                      By Stephanie AndreRISMEDIA, June 11, 2010-In this day and age, it's easy to get overworked. With the market beginning to come back, the work's only going to get more intense. But how do you know when enough is enough? Here are five tips from score.org on the best way to manage yourself: 1. Recognize when you've outrun your abilities. When one entrepreneur saw that her skills were not adequate to manage her company, she hired a president to handle day-to-day operations.2. Get a CEO coach. Skilled consultants can help you learn how to take your company to the next level. SCORE can help.3. Open yourself to being transformed. Listen, really listen... 06/11/2010

9 Essential Social Media Tips for Beginners                                                                          RISMEDIA, June 11, 2010--Plunging into social media for the first time can be a bit daunting for individuals or businesses. There is a learning curve when it comes to becoming more social online, and it can take a while to learn what works and what doesn't. Here are a few of the best Do's and Don'ts, courtesy of  Top Rank Marketing Blog, that can save you time and help grow your social media authority more quickly.1. Start smallYou'll want to start small and try a couple services out at a time. Oftentimes newbies sign up for every social network under the sun and try to grow each of them. Guess how long they last? Building profiles for multiple social sites is hard work, ... 06/11/2010

  Regional Spotlight - Be Prepared for Hurricane Season   RISMEDIA, June 10, 2010--Hurricane season has officially begun and coastal residents should make sure that they are properly prepared, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).The 2010 hurricane season, which started on June 1 and runs through November 30, is expected to be an "active to extremely active" one, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, has projected a 70 percent probability of 14 to 23 named storms this year, with eight to 14 of them becoming hurricanes--defined as storms with top winds of 74 miles per hour (mph), or higher. Three to seven of the hurricanes could be major ones, with winds o... 06/10/2010

Keeping Customers With Good Customer Service RISMEDIA, June 10, 2010-- Successful companies provide proactive customer service. Proactive customers service leads to increased business and loyalty. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Be a double checker Customers appreciate it when a sales representative takes a minute to check on an item they've asked for. It lets them know they're being listened to and cared for. Do something extra Average service is about meeting the customer’s expectations. Great customer service is exceeding it. Give your customers more than they expect, and they'll return to do business with you. Take the initiative Offer several solutions to the customer's predicament. If one doesn't work, make sure you have multiple avenues to resolve their problems. This way, t... 06/10/2010

Toledo Public Schools has announced the closing of Libbey High School after the present school year.  Libbey dates back to the early 1900s and was a nationally recognized football powerhouse.  Later in the 1960-70s, it became a dominant force in the Ohio basketball scene.  Standing like the monument it is on Western Avenue, Libbey was the high school of South Toledo prior to the establishment of Bowsher which followed the suburban sprawl of the 1950-60s.  It was the school of countless community leaders and not-so-average everyday Toledoans who made the city flourish in the late 1900s.  Threatened with closure several times prior, Libbey survived due to, I suspect, political decisions which recognized that closing such an institution where so many influencial citizens graduated would be... 06/09/2010

How To Stay Positive In Today's Market   By Maya Bailey, Ph.D. RISMEDIA, June 9, 2010--So many real estate professionals today are wondering, "How can I stay positive in today's market?" Like any discriminating real estate professional, you realize the value of a positive mental attitude. Here are some ways that you can create and maintain a positive mental attitude in today's market.1. Avoid toxic peopleWhat does this mean? Who are the toxic people?Toxic people can be well-meaning people but when they talk to you, they are coming from a negative attitude about money, finances, and especially about the current real estate situation.They may be fellow real estate professionals who want to gather around the water cooler, they may be relatives who are just trying to protect you; they may ... 06/09/2010

For Your Clients - Tips for Moving Day   By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, June 7, 2010--With the summer selling season in full swing, millions of Americans are finalizing real estate deals and preparing for moving day. If moving day has you feeling stressed, the following tips from the experts at GoMovers.com will help you prepare for a seamless transition. -Complete as much packing of the items you're packing yourself by the day before your moving day. Take care of any last minute items early in the morning on moving day. Doing so serves a dual purpose: Only the items the packers are handling will be left, which will help them concentrate only on what they're going to pack, and your mover won't need to wait around while you finish your portion of the packing job. -Before the movers arrive to... 06/08/2010

5 Tips to Market Yourself Effectively   By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, June 5, 2010--Marketing yourself to prospective buyers and sellers is a crucial part to finding success in the real estate business. If you're having trouble reaching out to new buyers and sellers in addition to staying top of mind to your sphere of influence, real estate agent Steve Cook offers the following tips to help you market yourself more effectively. Direct mail - High gloss, customizable postcards are a great way to stay in front of your prospects. It is crucial to reach out to your prospects on a regular basis and to promote different real estate offers with each mailing. It is also important to direct your prospects to visit your website for additional information. Branded e-Tools - Create various e-mail dist... 06/05/2010

10 Ways to Improve Your E-mail Copy   By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, June 5, 2010-One of the quickest and easiest ways to stay in front of your sphere of influence is through e-mail. While it may seem simple enough, sending an e-mail goes beyond hitting the ‘send' button. If you are looking for simple ways to increase the chances that your e-mail is read and creates the results you're after, paying attention to your e-mail copy will help you achieve these results. The experts at Business Know-How offer the following tips to improve your email copy in order to get the best possible response from your next e-mail campaign. 1. Subject line - Your e-mail subject line will determine whether or not the rest of the message is ever read. Remember to keep it straightforward. Be sure to start your sub... 06/05/2010

10 Tips for Successful Blogging   By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, June 5, 2010--Most successful bloggers can offer some tips for successful blogging. While some people develop methods based on experience, others simply offer what they've been told-like post often, link often, and be yourself. Andy MacDonald from bloggingtips.com offers the following tips for achieving a popular and successful blog within the real estate industry. Be RealKnowing yourself and your audience are extremely important aspects of successful blogging. Identify who you are as a blogger, what you'll be blogging about, and who your audience will be.Be PassionatePassion breeds passion. If you aren't enjoying what you're blogging about, it's difficult to be passionate, so blog about things you truly enjoy. Find a voice tha... 06/05/2010

Thinking About Quitting Your Social Network? Six Tips Every User Should Know   RISMEDIA, June 2, 2010--Facebook has been under fire for the changes made to its privacy model last month, yet despite the latest privacy and control settings announced this week by Mark Zuckerberg, some groups are rallying users to boycott or even delete their profiles on Facebook on May 31 and June 6 in protest. For those who are not ready to completely delete their profile or are perhaps too emotionally invested in their account, there are less extreme options to consider. Here are six tips to consider:1. Never share your password with anyone - Not even your best friend or significant other2. Watch the digital crumbs you leave behind - Remember: your photos, videos, comments live forever on the Web. Don't ... 06/04/2010

5 Tips on How to Be More Efficient   By Stephanie AndreRISMEDIA, June 4, 2010-Are you as efficient as you could be? Staying organized is an important key to managing your time well. Tons of time is wasted on poor time management and bad organizational skills.Here are five tips on how to be more efficient, courtesy of Score.org: 1. Don't start your office organizing by shopping for containers. Survey what files and books you need to store, measure them, then go to the store.2. File, Act or Toss papers and emails instead of letting them pile high on your desk. You should be able to make a decision immediately as papers cross your desk.3. Take advantage of electronic devices such as smartphones, email and database file management to categorize work.4. Choose the calendar system that's bes... 06/04/2010

Tax Credit Boosts Pending Home Sales, but Analysts Say It Won't Last   By Alan J. HeavensRISMEDIA, June 3, 2010--(MCT)--The state of the U.S. housing market, and its immediate future, came into sharper focus Wednesday through economic reports centering on the now-expired federal tax credits for buyers.April 30's deadline for the credits helped boost pending home sales for the third consecutive month, the National Association of Realtors said, citing data reflecting signed sales agreements rather than closings, which lag one or two months behind.The index the Realtors' group uses to measure pending sales rose 6 percent in April, to 110.9. That was just shy of the 112.4 recorded in October, when buyers were rushing toward the Nov. 30 deadline for the first tax credit, and 22.4 percent abo... 06/03/2010

Banishing Self-Doubt Can Be As Simple as Thinking Positive   By Liz ReyerRISMEDIA, June 3, 2010--(MCT)--Question: I know I'm good at what I do, but sometimes I just feel over my head. How can I maintain my self-confidence?Answer: No matter how good you are, nagging self-doubt can haunt you. But you can take steps to keep it at bay or defuse it.THE INNER GAMEStart by addressing negative inner messages. Perhaps they once served a purpose, preventing unsafe risks. Or they may be echoes from your upbringing. No matter how benign they once were, now they're out of date. Thoughts that hold you back need to be released so you can move forward. But don't beat yourself up. Thinking "I'm so stupid for doubting myself" isn't going to help.Pay attention, too, to whether your diminished confidence e... 06/03/2010

6 Habits of Highly Successful Real Estate Agents   By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, June 3, 2010--All successful real estate agents/brokers share many common attributes and this is what makes them successful. While the industry continues to test the patience of real estate professionals across the country, it is important to remember that successful agents are those who focus on the things that need to be done in order to get business. While this may be easier said than done at times, in order to find success in today's market, agents must do the things they don't like to do such as, cold call, seek out people whose house has recently expired in the MLS, talk to FSBOs and convert them to listings. Raymond Modglin, the face behind RealEstateMonkey.com offers the following habits that all succes... 06/03/2010

Common Property Tax Exemptions By: Barbara Eisner Bayer Published: September 28, 2009 Property tax exemptions are available to many homeowners, but you'll need to do some legwork to find them and lower your property tax bill. Progress $ K Save Money Med $285/yr (15% exemption) Effort Low 4 hrs (research/paperwork) Investment Low $0 Depending on where you live, you may quality for tax exemptions when you fix up a residential property. Image: Veer Nobody likes paying a dime extra in taxes. Yet when it comes to property tax bills, some homeowners pay too much simply because they aren't aware of the common property tax exemptions that exist in most communities. Many exemptions aren't automatic. You'll need to determine for yourself what they are and whether you qualify. Contact your local t... 06/01/2010

3 Simple Steps to Creating Your Ideal Income   By Maya Bailey, Ph.D.RISMEDIA, June 1, 2010--Are you interested in creating your ideal income this year? Are you tired of waiting for things to get better? Are you feeling like you have so much more potential than you are currently using?Imagine for a moment achieving your ideal income. What would that look like and feel like? What would you be able to do that you can't do now?Ask yourself what are the things you need to be doing right now to manifest that? Do you need to find a way to raise your motivation? Do need to stop procrastinating? Do you need to stop avoiding marketing? Do you need to be more accountable to yourself?If you want to learn a simple way to create your ideal income, then read on...Step I : Get clear on what you do wan... 06/01/2010

10 Ways to Improve Your E-mail Copy   By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, May 22, 2010-One of the quickest and easiest ways to stay in front of your sphere of influence is through e-mail. While it may seem simple enough, sending an e-mail goes beyond hitting the ‘send' button. If you are looking for simple ways to increase the chances that your e-mail is read and creates the results you're after, paying attention to your e-mail copy will help you achieve these results. The experts at Business Know-How offer the following tips to improve your email copy in order to get the best possible response from your next e-mail campaign. 1. Subject line - Your e-mail subject line will determine whether or not the rest of the message is ever read. Remember to keep it straightforward. Be sure to start your sub... 05/30/2010

For Your Clients: Moving This Summer? Check Out These Tips   By Stephanie AndreRISMEDIA, May 28, 2010-Within the next month, the kids will be out of school and for a lot of families, it might just be time to move. Moving brings an entire new set of stresses and tasks. Check out these tips for moving, courtesy of Move.com. It might just help save your clients a bit of time, stress and heartache. 4 weeks from move date: Get organized and start notifying the right people and companies that you'll be moving soon and give them a date to forward or terminate service. Start looking for licensed and professional moving companies, moving guides and relevant coupons.Tip: If using a professional mover, get quotes from multiple moving companies to get the best deal that is right for you and your n... 05/30/2010

Existing Home Sales Up in April      Low prices and interest rates working together with the expiring Homebuyer Tax Credit resulted in a 7.6 percent increase in existing home sales in April, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors on Tuesday. Inventory levels remain above those of a balanced market, and prices have started to rise in some areas. "The upswing in April existing-home sales was expected because of the tax credit inducement, and no doubt there will be some temporary fallback in the months immediately after it expires," said Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist. Transactions for all residential property types were up 8.47 percent from March and up 20.03 percent from April 2009. Median prices showed a gain of 2.2 percent from March and 8.5 percent from... 05/29/2010