BRER Real Estate Marketing Blog

Do you have a real estate marketing tip?  Contact me about writing a guest post for this blog.  Appropriate links to your website will be included.  Impress your peers with your knowledge - you never know when a referral opportunity will arise!

Do you have a real estate marketing question?  If you send me a thoughtful question, I’ll write a blog post to respond.  Appropriate links to your website will be included.  Impress your peers with your search for knowledge - you never know when a referral opportunity will arise!

Happy 4th of July!

Don’t forget that our troops do a great job of keeping the spirit of July 4th alive!  Here are several ways you can show your support: 

Send an email at America Supports You!!

Let’s Say Thanks - Xerox Corporation sponsors this site. Just choose a card design - the designs are donated to the site by school kids - then, write a greeting or choose one that’s already written. Xerox prints the cards and sends them to our troops serving overseas.

AMillionThanks.org - This organization is dedicated to showing support for and assisting our military. You can write letters and drop them off at many locations nationwide. It’s a good idea to check out the website first to review the guidelines for what to send.

“Operation Homefront is one of a select few charities privileged to operate under a  Department of Defense auspices. Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance to our troops, to families troops leave behind, and to wounded soldiers when they return home.  Operation Homefront leads more than 4,000 volunteers in 31 chapters nationwide. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to over 45,000 military families in need.”

Happy Memorial Day!

Don’t forget our troops this Memorial Day.  There are lots of ways to show support for our fighting men and women.  Here are a few. . .

Send an email at America Supports You!! 

Let’s Say Thanks - This site is sponsored by Xerox Corporation.  You choose a card design that was donated to the site by school-age artists, select a pre-written greeting, or write your own.  Xerox prints the cards and sends them to our troops serving overseas.

AMillionThanks.org - This organization is dedicated to showing support for and assisting our military.  You can write letters and drop them off at many locations nationwide.  It’s a good idea to check out the website first to read up on the guidelines for what to send.

“Operation Homefront is one of a select few charities privileged to operate under a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) presented by the Department of Defense.  Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. A nonprofit 501(c)3 founded after September 11, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,000 volunteers in 31 chapters nationwide. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need.”

I know it’s not Whimsical Wednesday, but I can’t wait until next week.  A big thank you goes out to Athol Kay in Connecticut for collecting bad MLS photos and displaying the 24 worst on his blog.

You have to see these.  I know we all see a lot of them, but I don’t often see them all in one place - and Athol has attached some delightful captions to them, too.

I vote for #1 as a truly bad example of an MLS photo.  And, #247 should not be viewed by any home stagers who don’t have a defibrillator handy.

If you remember Get Smart (yes the television show), you’ll appreciate #339.

And, I could go on. . .  but I won’t. . .  Spring has sprung, at least down here in the Saowth. . . have a great weekend, and do

Check Out These MLS Photos!

On March 29, 2008, Join the World for Earth Hour

At first I was confused.  I saw some information about a conservation event sponsored by the WWF.   What, I wondered, did wrestlers have to do with conservation?  Silly me.

WWF is the official acronym for the World Wildlife Foundation.  They are sponsoring Earth Hour, and here’s the official description:

“Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm March 29, 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.” 

Learn More and Sign Up as a Supporter for Earth Hour!

Here’s another opportunity to make a difference, even if it’s just saving one hour of electricity.  How simple is that? 

If you want to see where there are supporters around the world, visit the globe of lights at EarthHour.org.  

Wow.  An hour without electricity.  Besides helping with the environment, it’s kinda fun to think about how to use an hour of total peace . . .

And, the rest of you, too!

We Can Make A Difference!

It’s important all year ’round, but especially important during the Holiday season.  Listening to the radio yesterday, I heard about an organization that assists the families of our military called Operation Homefront.   As stated on their website,

“Operation Homefront is one of a select few charities privileged to operate under a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) presented by the Department of Defense.  Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. A nonprofit 501(c)3 founded after September 11, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,000 volunteers in 31 chapters nationwide. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need.”

I can only imagine the hardship caused to families when so many soliders, some of whom had not planned on extended service, are posted overseas for multiple tours or are wounded.  Operation Homefront gives us a chance to donate time and money to help those most in need.

And, How’s This for a Bit of Christmas Magic? 

Today, I received an email from a gentleman I don’t even know, but here’s an excerpt from it (emphasis added):

I came across your recent blog post mentioning America Supports You, so I thought I’d drop you an e-mail making you aware of some misinformation regarding mail to our troops.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of cards, letters and care packages addressed to “A Recovering American Soldier” (or a variant thereof), are returned to senders. For a variety of reasons-documented on USPS.com, Snopes.com, MSNBC.com article, and on Walter Reed’s Web site-a 2001 Defense Department policy forbids the delivery of generically addressed mail to service members.

Instead, the DOD encourages people to send mail to one of two homefront groups associated with the America Supports You program (http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/wounded_letters.html):

Soldiers’ Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104

Or, for those in the metropolitan Washington, D.C.-area:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
C/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

Both Soldiers’ Angels and the Red Cross will collect, screen and deliver the well-wishes of those who want to brighten the day of a wounded service member who is recovering away from home this holiday season.

Thanks for your time, and happy holidays!

Jonathan Rick
Director of New Media
Susan Davis International
www.SusanDavis.com

Thanks, Jon, for taking the time to pass this information along.  You can read more about the restrictions on mail to the military at MSNBC. 

It DOES Make A DIFFERENCE!

Here’s an excerpt from one of the responses from a soldier who received postcards and a gift box from Let’s Say Thanks:

As I was leaving an un-eventful Valentine’s Day today, one of the mail clerks yelled “Adams!! You have a package!!” A package, I thought to myself. I’m not expecting anything. What could this be? I took the box into my office and closed the door. As I opened the box, a flood of joy came over me as I looked over the cards from you and the young ones, one of my co-workers walked in to see tears rolling down my eyes. I had never received a gift with this much love, packed into one little place from someone that I’ve never known.

As I thought about what the cards talked about with soldiers giving their lives and privileges up to ensure the freedom of Americans, it was nice to know that someone out there does not take it for granted. I don’t know who you are, but you are truly a gift from God. The gift that gives me the drive to serve my country proudly. As you pray that the Lord keeps the soldiers here safe and brings us home, I pray to the Lord that people like you do not die off from this world. Your contributions are nowhere near inadequate. Please never forget what this means to a soldier. Thank you for your love and thoughts.

The Quote Above is From The Nobel Lecture, December 11, 1989 by HH the Dalai Lama