Big Changes Coming for The Zebra
December 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I’m going to be making some pretty big changes here at RealEstateZebra.com over the next few days. Since I am likely to be up to my neck in code, I won’t be writing any new posts until calendar turns to 2008.
Not to worry, things may look a little different by then, but the content will still be exceptional. Heck, it should even get better.
So, have a good one and take it easy until I see you in the New Year.
In the meantime, prepare for 2008- The Year of The Zebra
The Dangers of Blogging in Black and White
December 21, 2007 | 14 Comments
Okay, so yesterday I posted the first episode of “Real Estate in Black and White.” Over all, I think people liked it. I am working on some new episodes for the future.
When I first showed it to my wife, Kari (also a REALTOR), she loved it. Actually, the idea for using “The Girl from Ipanema” as the soundtrack was all hers. Truth be told, she is usually the inspiration or source of most of my best content. Being the very loving (and also very witty) person that she is, she decided to do a little “remix” of my first episode.
She has titled it, “The Dangers of Letting Your Husband Blog.” The ugly mug is mine, but the storyline and the slides are hers.
Those of you who know Kari will find her humor in it right away. Those of you who don’t know her will wish you did. As if I needed another reason to love her.
Oh, and in case Greg was wondering, this one really IS for the RE.net blogosphere.
How To Sell Your Home in Black and White
December 20, 2007 | 34 Comments
I am pleased to present the first episode of “Real Estate in Black & White.”
Episode #1– How to Sell Your Home
I hope you like it. If you do, I encourage you to share it with everyone you know.
Real Estate In Black and White
December 20, 2007 | 1 Comment
I am going to start doing what I hope will be a regular series of video posts entitled, “Real Estate In Black & White.”
Why, “Real Estate in Black & White?” Well, I’m glad you asked–
1) There are some issues in real estate that are black and white. They really are that simple. I want to share with people a memorable way of thinking about them.
2) The old rule– KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Nothing is more simple than black/white.
3) I’m a Zebra. If you need further explanation on that one, you may have a tough time with the series :-).
Episode #1 will be arriving shortly. Just to give you a hint, it will be entitled, “How to Sell Your Home.”
I hope you enjoy. If you do, I hope you pass it along to all your friends.
The Zebra Roams the Streets of the Big Apple at InmanConnect NYC
December 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I didn’t get a chance to go to InmanConnect in San Francisco earlier this year, so I went to the NAR convention instead. I didn’t want to miss the next Inman Real Estate Connect in New York City in January, so I committed myself to attending. As luck would have it, I was lucky enough to receive an invite to participate in one of the panels during the conference. That is pretty cool.
So, if you want to see the Zebra live and in the flesh (and talking about videoblogging) you can find me at Inman Connect NYC on Wednesday, January 9th on the panel, “Beyond the Written Word: Videoblogging and Podcasting.” I sorta mentioned this briefly last week. The discussion will be moderated by Jeff Turner, and I’m sitting on the panel with some great people:
Douglas Headings
Rachel Natalie Klein
Michael Price
It should be fun.
I’ll also be covering the entire conference via video, courtesy of Joel Burslem and the folks at InmanTv. They are allowing me and a few other bloggers use of Flip video cameras and charging us with getting whatever interesting video and interviews we can. THAT will most certainly be interesting. More details to come later.
So, if you haven’t signed up to attend Inman Real Estate Connect NYC yet, there is still time. And if you couldn’t think of a reason for attending before, perhaps the prospect of seeing a Zebra in the city will do it for you. 
CVS Pharmacy Coming to Fluvanna (Video Proof)
December 14, 2007 | 4 Comments
There has been a lot of talk recently about the CVS pharmacy that was rumored to be coming to Fluvanna County. I believe that I first heard the rumor about two years ago. As things got closer, there were numerous county meetings, and even a bit of a flap over what Fluvanna is going to do with its very first permanent traffic light.
From the beginning, I was a skeptic. I still remember how long it took for the Food Lion grocery store to be built (newer residents assume it has been here forever). It was talked about for YEARS before it was ever built. Based on that experience, my response to the CVS talk was “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Looks like I’m going to have to start believing.
The video above was taken from the parking lot in front of our Strong Team REALTORS office this morning. The CVS is being built right next door. So there it is, real proof that the CVS is coming. It should be interesting, and I will keep people updated on the progress here, since I know some of you don’t live in the area full time. I wouldn’t want you to travel down here and be surprised by a shiny new pharmacy.
Now, what about that traffic light? THAT is the real story.
What Do You Want to Know About Video and Real Estate?
December 12, 2007 | 5 Comments
Jeff Turner is moderating a panel at the InmanConnect NYC in January about the power of video blogging. Here is a question he posed to the community at Seesmic (a video-blogging site):
I found the post interesting, since I am sitting on the panel. Here are my thoughts:
As many of you are aware, I have been doing quite a bit with video lately. Now I want to open the question up to the readers here. What questions do you have about video and its application in the practice of real estate? What experiences have you had?
SHARE!
Facebook Groups Offer Insight Into REALTOR Psychology
December 12, 2007 | 8 Comments
When I first joined Facebook a few months ago, I created two groups in my local geographic network (Charlottesville, VA). I titled them “Charlottesville Area Home Buyers,” and “Charlottesville Area Home Sellers.” The purpose of the groups is to give people who fit into those two categories a place to go where they can share information and experiences, along with asking questions and such.
To date the “sellers” group has 1 member other than myself. The “buyers” group has 9 members other than myself. All of these members are REALTORS.
Aside from the obvious fact that my groups haven’t exactly worked as I intended (no problem, I can work on that), I am interested in what the groups stats have to say about the current state of the psyche of REALTORS. The interest in the group for prospective buyers is almost 10x greater than the interest in the group for potential sellers.
Thoughts?
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine Makes a Stop in Fluvanna county
December 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Governor Tim Kaine visited Palmyra this morning to attend a dedication ceremony for the newly-constructed Pembroke-Pettit bridge across the Rivanna River. The bridge opened in October, and the old bridge has now been completely removed.
The ceremony was well attended by Fluvanna County residents and members of the Fluvanna County Government. There was a definite excitement in the air as everyone awaited the arrival of the Governor. This was a monumental day for Fluvanna County, as visits from the Governor are rare, especially when we aren’t in campaign season.
The Governor spoke at length about the planning and effort that went into the bridge construction project, specifically highlighting the cooperation between the state and the Fluvanna Historical Society, along with the special environmental considerations that went into the design of the bridge. The new Pembroke-Pettit bridge is a centerpiece of the county’s continuing plan to provide scenic and recreational areas to be used by the county’s visitors and residents. Being a long-time resident of Fluvanna, I can say that I am proud of the new bridge and the new era of county history that it ushers in.
Speakers for the ceremony included Fluvanna County Supervisor Marvin Moss and the outgoing Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Cecil Cobb. You can view the video of their remarks here.
The video above is mostly of Governor Kaine. I also edited his remarks just a bit for the sake of time. You can view photos of the event here.
2007 Fluvanna County Toy Lift
December 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Today was the day for the 2007 Fluvanna County Toy Lift. The toy lift was coordinated by Dr. Ed and Denise Lauterbach. The Toy Lift took place at the Food Lion shopping center just outside Lake Monticello. The weather may have been chilly, but Ed, Denise and all of the volunteers made sure that the atmosphere was warm.
At the time we stopped by to drop off her toys, I was able to interview Denise (that’s her in the video with her sister) and ask her about the toy lift. All of the toys are given to children in the Charlottesville area. The toys are given to children in Fluvanna first, and then spread throughout the area. Ed and Denise have been coordinating the toy lift for a few years now, and each has been more successful than the last.
The toy lift is a great way that the citizens of Fluvanna County can show their support for the neediest members of the community. While the toy lift for Fluvanna is over in 2007, I encourage all of you to come out next year, or to visit a toy lift in your area and make a donation.
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
