Living in Contra Costa County

Oh What Happened to G-Mail?

G-Mail is one of my favorite tools. I cannot imagine running my business without it.

They have made some changes; of course I resisted going to the new format until it changed automatically.

I am wondering what other people think of it and if there are any hidden gems in this new format I should appreciate?

I am getting used to it. I do not like the overlapping drop down menus on the left side. Not sure how to describe them and they never seem to work right. Perhaps I will get used to it.

Even before the change to the new look, my G-mail has been running slow for about the last week or so. Has anyone else experienced this?

The Change at G-Mail is On!

For a long time it was an option to make the change, but yesterday was the Day My G-Mail account was switched to the new format.

I notice the cosmetic changes, but I am not sure about more relevant changes to how it might work. Honestly I do not like change just for the sake of change. This kind of stylistic change seems poor to me. Fewer words and more symbols; but I am old and stupid and do not always get the symbols. (I refer to this type of “writing” as ancient Egyptian – hieroglyphics the same sort of stuff they have in airports.)

Have you G-Mail uses noticed the change? What do you think? 

One of the big problems with many syndicated listing web sites is the number of stale listings.  By stale listings I mean something is listed for sale, but has long sense gone into contract, escrow, sold, or otherwise removed from the market.

Many large national Syndicated Sites go in and down load information periodically to populate the list of homes for sale, however, as it is not updated in real time they often have many stale listings on their sites.

As a Broker I make sure that might site for viewing homes is a direct feed from the local MLS market so you can get a better view of what is really for sale.  The feed below is direct MLS feed.

However, there are still stale listings on the MLS due to agents and brokers not accurately updating the status of the listing.  So something shown as for sale may be in contract or pending already.  To help Solve that problem the Contra Costa Association of Realtors published the following new rules:

10.2 Reporting of Sales. Listings with accepted offers shall be reported to the MLS or input into the MLS database as "pending" within 1 day after (with no exceptions for weekends, holidays or postal holidays) of the acceptance, by the listing broker unless the negotiations were carried on under Section 9.1 (a) or (b), in which case, the cooperating broker shall notify the listing broker of the "pending" status within 1 day (with no exceptions for weekends, holidays or postal holidays) after acceptance, whereby the listing broker shall then report or input the status change to the MLS within 1 day (with no exceptions for weekends, holidays or postal holidays) of receiving notice from the cooperating broker. The listing shall be published on the MLS as pending with no price or terms prior to the final closing. Upon final closing, the listing broker shall report or input the listing in the MLS as "sold" within 1 day (with no exceptions for weekends, holidays or postal holidays) of the final closing date. Listings that were not input into the MLS as a result of the seller´s instructions may be input into the MLS "sold" data at the listing broker´s option. If a listing is entered for comparable purposes only, then "For Comp Purposes Only" shall appear in the first line of confidential remarks. For violation of this section, see Appendix A, Citable Infractions

Our MLS generally covers Alameda and Contra Costa Counties with some adjoining areas and outlying listings. 

If you need to buy or sell a home you should use a Realtor to really understand the market and understand the subtle but important facets or buying and selling a home.

In this day and age of rapid advancement in technology often times products are brought to us that are not fully thought out.  Here are some ideas that might make life easier and increase our enjoyment of our high tech items:

1. The phone cord.  How often have you lost your household phone or had it disappear into a kids room?  With phone cord you can attach the phone to the base station so you can always find it.  Furthermore your kids will not be able to take it into the bedroom for long unmonitored phone calls.
   
   
2. Built in TV Controls.  How often do you loose your TV remote?  Well I think they should build the control right into the TV so you always no where to find it.  One of those kids who is no longer in the bedroom on the telephone can now change the channel for you.
   
   
3. Handicapped Cell Phones.  For those of us with fat clumsy fingers they should make bigger cell phones, something huge that cannot disappear in your pocket.  Also get rid of all those confusing gimmicks.  Why text or e-mail if I have a phone right there that I can call with?  (In reality and all humor aside there is a company that is marketing a basic cell phone that is just a phone.)
   
   
4. iPad Covers.  Worry about messing up the iPad screen.  Well they ought to make covers that flip down over the screen.  They could even put a key pad in.  In fact it might work better to put the screen right in the cover.  With the cover they could make bigger screens as they are now protected and with a keyboard you would not need all that stupid touch screen software.
   
   
5. Solar Dryers. Many people are catching onto the Green Fad and with Cap and Trade coming this may be one we all need (want it or not).  This is a time tested system that works great, except at night and when it is rainy and cold. 
   

Just some thoughts we had.  What Tech Tools would you like to see?

Even with lap tops and smart phones so we can work on the go almost anywhere, using the lap as a desk, I think most of us still have a work place.

I often hear the term, Work Station, Unit, Cube, and I am sure there are others.  For me it is an Old Fashioned Desk.

Desks come in many types and varieties, most designed as modern computer work stations and often module in nature.  Many desk look nice, but are little more than press board with a veneer over them.

I think for most of us our Desk reflects who we are.  I actual have two that I am fond of.  They are not the fanciest or maybe even the most practical, but I like them.

My favorite desk is an old fashioned teachers desk.  About 15 years ago when doing work as a PI and Claims Adjuster I had an office over a classic bar that must have been about 100 years old.  I was told the upstairs used to be a brothel in the old days.  When I moved my office in there was a lot of old furniture about and I was told I could take some and the old teachers desk is one of those pieces.

I like it because it is big and it is solid.  Real wood and a big top.  In the picture here it is cleaned off as I just set it up after moving.  I can spread lots of projects out on it and still have room for the computer.

My other desk I bought from my brother-in-law when he was moving and did not need it.  It was probably an early computer desk as there is a shelf for a box of paper and a slot for the paper to be pulled through into the printer.  I like it because it is solid Oak and the hutch on top is a nice place to stash junk.  I do not use it as my main desk as I found it too small.  At one point I used it as my stamp desk to house my stamp collection and a place to work on the stamps, but it was not big enough to really spread out on.   Right now I keep it in the living room, more as a storage spot than for actual work.

What sort of Desk do you Drive?

Don't Let this Happen to Your Photos    -    Why is there no Photo here?

I want to make a point about taking care of our photos.  About a year ago my wife's computer began to have trouble.  I told her to back up.  She quickly began to upload all of her photos.  But the computer went before she could finish. 

She got another computer and I procrastinated on taking her old computer in.  When I did they told me the hard drive was damaged.  To even see if stuff can be recovered they need to send it out to a clean room and that starts at $1,500.00.  She lost a year and a 1/2 of baby photos for one of my kids. 

I have the hard drive still and maybe sometime I will have $1,500.00 to spend on this project. Maybe someday the recovery can be done cheaper.

Just a reminder - BACK UP.  Put your photos on line at one of the many free sites you can do this at.

I Got My Google Voice - For Free - And Not Sure it Works for Me! I recieved my much vaunted Google Voice activation notice last night.  I was now at the Front of the Que!  This morning I excitedly set up my account.  I must tell you it is not what I expected.

I thought Google Voice would be something like Skype, allowing me to make internet phone calls.  I did get to pick out a Custom Phone Number: 925-456-Gene.  The idea is for me to give this Google Voice number out to everyone and when they call this Google Voice number all my phones ring (the ones I want); office, home, cell, etc.  . . .  Currently I use only my cell phone for work, so all the calls I get already go where I want.  I do use my home phone with blocked ID for some outgoing calls.  I thought about combining Google Voice with Skype, but Skype charges for phone calls that are not internet to internet.  Not a really good business solution. 

Google Voice a lot of cool tools for Voice Mail, Caller ID, Getting Text and E-mail transcripts of VM, and recording calls.  There is a Google Voice Widget that you can use on your web site and blog to allow people to click and call you direct for free, but it is rather clumsy.  As the caller I have to enter my name and number and click the button; it then dials the callers phone and then when the caller picks up it connects them to me.  By the time you do this you might as well call yourself on the phone.  What would be cool is allowing them to call me over the internet (This may be coming with Google Voice).  The other problem with the Widget is it does not work on my AR Blog and I cannot install it on my outside Blog.  Google Voice also allows me to connect through google and call in the US for free - So what most of us have this with our existing phones. 

I looked at things that may be coming from Google Voice.  This includes porting numbers in, but nothing about porting numbers out.  I am reluctant to build a business around a number I do not own and cannot move. 

Google is a great company and I am not going to complain about Free Stuff.  I suspect in the future Google Voice will be something I will be using, especially as new tools and options are added.  Google Voice may work for you now, depending on your current needs.

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If you call me often you will hear some country western going in the background. This is my own personal internet “Johnny Cash” themed radio station. How do I get my own personal radio station? I go to Pandora!

Pandora is an internet radio station service working on what they call the Music Genome project. This involves them analyzing music and grouping it by type and style. The listener sets up stations based on a song or artist. Pandora then plays music that is identified in the same genome. You, the listener can give thumbs up or down to music to further refine and train the station.

My favorite station is “Johnny Cash” but I have been introduced there to other artist like Slim Dusty. I’m not gonna tell you who Slim Dusty is, you’ll just have to go set up a Slim Dusty station.

The advertising is minimal and they do sell music. I love it. Yes you can listen on your iPhone.

Each home is unique and if you want an evaluation of your home please let me know.

If you are interested in Buying a Home or Selling a Home in Brentwood or anywhere in East Contra Costa County, Antioch, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pittsburg and others please contact me. I specialize in helping buyers of Bank Owned Homes. For regular updates please subscribe to this blog.

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This post is for the Real Estate Professional and the Real Estate Consumer. When you get involved in a Real Estate transaction there is a lot of documents to sign. I have never counted how many signatures, initials, etc . . are involved, but it is a lot. Frequently you will be under a tight deadline to sign some of the documents.

In the past this meant someone has to travel or reams of fax paper, with all the associated problems of faxing large stacks of documents.

Now there is another solution; on-line electronic signatures. I use Docusign. It is a very user friendly and secure set up that allows me to send documents out to one or more parties via e-mail for signature. It saves everyone a lot of time, travel and inconvenience. This is especially true as I have a number of out of town clients. Docusign has a lot of features, many I probably do not even know about. But you can do signatures, initials, dates, check boxes, fill in blanks on forms, make custom tabs, etc. .

This is not a Real Estate specific product, so any one in business may have a use for it. I have used it for business out side of real estate. There are a number of pricing plans and they are very reasonable, less than the cost of the gas and the paper.

I have had very few problems having them accepted, and in the few cases where they wanted “wet” signatures they accepted these up front until a personal meeting was possible.

The last thing I will say is that it is the future. Get used to it.

Each home is unique and if you want an evaluation of your home please let me know.

If you are interested in Buying a Home or Selling a Home in Brentwood or anywhere in East Contra Costa County, Antioch, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pittsburg and others please contact me. I specialize in helping buyers of Bank Owned Homes. For regular updates please subscribe to this blog.

Subscribe to Gene Riemenschneider's East Contra Costa Home Blog by Email

I recently blogged on a great free product, Open Office, which is a full office suite and is absolutely free. Link here to that blog; then link to the product.

One of my respondents asked me how it works with Outlook and I had to tell her I did not know as I use G-Mail, a Google product.

is free with up to 7324 MG of storage. It has labels, custom folders, and more toys than I can honestly have time to figure out or use. But the best part is that it can be used with your normal e-mail account to handle your regular e-mail to what ever domain you want to use. You can use it as a central hub for all your e-mail addresses.

The real advantage is that the e-mail is stored on line. About 9 months ago my hard drive crashed and I had not back upped the system for a few weeks (shame on me). I lost a lot of communication. Those e-mails are a big part of documenting my work with people and how I keep track of things. With G-mail it is all on-line. About 6 months ago our Comcast internet was out for about 3 days. I was able to go the library and check my e-mail. I also went and used a computer at the Comcast office once.

This is a great free tool use it. And remember – Fight the Evil Empire (Microsoft)!

Each home is unique and if you want an evaluation of your home please let me know.

If you are interested in Buying a Home or Selling a Home in Brentwood or anywhere in East Contra Costa County, Antioch, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pittsburg and others please contact me. I specialize in helping buyers of Bank Owned Homes. For regular updates please subscribe to this blog.

Subscribe to Gene Riemenschneider's East Contra Costa Home Blog by Email