I recall some posts about Realtors leaving for other jobs and there were some comments: most were supportive and there was one or few that used phrases like "quitting." I was one of those who supported taking advantage of any opportunities that's best for an individual and his/her family! I'm a firm believer in Opportunities when they present itself. I prepare for contingencies. Having been in the corporate world, before becoming a full time Realtor, I know about the necessity for having back up plans. The corporate world is mean. A person is a number. No more companies that "Father Knows Best" worked for. (I use to watch that on syndication of some sort.) Real estate can be meaner as we are now seeing.With market being tough and being a Contingency Plan minded guy, I reactivated my cor... 10/08/2007

Port Aransas Real Estate... another Paradise Island adjacent to Padre Island (North). Cool places. Little heaven on earth. This is a test. I want to see how this specific Blog will show up on Yahoo & Google search for phrases like Port Aransas Real Estate, Port Aransas Realtors, Port Aransas Homes for Sale. I'll insert that into the Tags.Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire @ 361.215-8612, a RE/MAX Corpus Christi to Port Aransas Realtor, for your home buying, selling, or rent needs.www.Corpus-WOW.com  www.PadreIsland2PortAransas.com  www.CorpusRentals.com  www.BuyMy-HOMES.com 10/08/2007

So, some people would consider wrapping their cars for marketing. And some people just think that having logos and ads on a vehicle to promote their real estate business is tacky. Well, I do know that a ROLLING Billboard does work! Why do you think so many companies spend so much money on logoing their vehicles?Forget tacky... you want business, go for it. Just use something that's easy on the eyes and not offensive. I personally don't believe in having a person's picture on advertisements. Other than the initial cost of getting the vehicle done.... after that it's FREE advertisement for about 7 years (life of a vinyl wrap or lettering).Can you imagine having a PIVO for advertising your business!YOU can be assured that there will be BUNCH of businesses getting hold of those when it's co... 10/08/2007

Here's a FUN one for you.There are many people considering RELOCATION because of Retirement, Jobs, Family, other.Why should a person consider moving to your town and buying a house?Just mention the PLUSES. Let me start. LOCATION:  Padre Island (Corpus Christi, TX), USAPeople should consider moving to N. Padre Island and many areas of Corpus Christi if they are either retiring and/or because they have a job opportunity here. Here are the PLUSES:GREAT Place to Raise a Family!Considering this is a coastal community, it's AFFORDABLE compared to many other cities near the coast. You can get a nice waterfront-canal/beachfront property for nearly 1/3 or less compared to many other areas (East Coast, West Coast, Southeast Coast).Low crime rate. On the Island itselt, there's hardly no crime here... 10/08/2007

I'm curious what type of relationship there is between the market conditions and praying: if possible to determine.Just a simple poll.Are you praying more now? Or,The Just About Same As Usual?For me, prayers are always good any time and I'm praying about the same. 10/08/2007

I see so many sales pitches for extra designations for Realtors. CRS, ABS, GRI, ePro, and this and that.Honestly, are they cracked up to what they are? Let's be HONEST!What percentage of Buyers and Sellers are asking you, "Hey, do you have ABC designation?"Do those companies and employees that offer the courses and designations...  are they merely in the market and new ones entering the "financial market" to make money? Sure they tout that Realtors with their designations make more money than those without. Come on, those agents with those designations have been in the business much longer. We expect them to make more because of the experience, branding, and referral business that they've developed over the many years.The companies that pitch this or that designation are like University... 10/08/2007

Well we certainly see plenty of rain as pictured by the media regarding the real estate market.Now where's the Rainbow?As ALWAYS, things can and WILL only get better! My philosophy in life: "There's always someone in deeper Sugar Honey Ice Tea," so things are NEVER that bad and it can ONLY get better when WE work at it. Of course we have to be Smarter and Work towards where we want to go and be.Having a personal contingency plan is always a must for any profession. Lucky for most of us in real estate, we ONLY report to ourselves and we direct how much we make each day! In the corporate world, people are just numbers and teeth in a big wheel. The teeth can be broken and it will be replaced quickly!Let's keep the faith and build that better PLAN to reach the Rainbow. It's there front of u... 10/08/2007

Download for Free Microsoft's Photo Story 3 and make your own photo-Video what I call SlidVid for slide-video. The SIMPLE to use program creates music too! Go to www.microsoft.com/downloads/ and search for Photo Story 3. Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire @ 361.215-8612, a RE/MAX Padre Island - Corpus Christi Realtor, for Home Buying, Selling, or Rent needs. 10/07/2007

Just curious with the market slow down...Do you hold a second part time job?                                   Let's see who gets the closest prediction on market turn around.When do you think the market will turn around? (As most economist will say it has turned around, plus when the national inventory is at 4 to 6 month supply.)My prediction is.... August 2008.Keep at it!Mr. C. KIM McGuire, RE/MAX Padre Island - Corpus Christi Realtor.www.Corpus-WOW.com   www.Yahoo-HOMES.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.Corpus-RENTALS.com 10/07/2007

Calling On ALL Realtors with Websites! If this hasn't been requested/mentioned before, even then, a good reminder...Calling on ALL Realtors across the U.S. and USVI with websites. WE can make a difference! What other organization and people have such care, the power of the Internet, and can make a difference to protect our kids in our communities? REALTORS!URGENT: If you care as much as I do about protecting kids across the United States, please do the following:Put an AMBERT Alert Ticker on your websites. A ticker is important because it gives up to the minute Warning on child abductions. Minutes COUNT! Put a link for Missing Kids on your websites too. Put a link for local and/or state Sex Offender Database on your sites.PLEASE pass this request onto your fellow Realtors in your areas.... 10/07/2007

If this hasn't been requested/mentioned before, even then, a good reminder...Calling on ALL Realtors across the U.S. and USVI with websites. WE can make a difference! What other organization and people have such care, the power of the Internet, and can make a difference to protect our kids in our communities? REALTORS!URGENT: If you care as much as I do about protecting kids across the United States, please do the following:Put an AMBER Alert Ticker on your websites. A ticker is important because it gives up to the minute Warning on child abductions. Minutes COUNT!Put a link for Missing Kids on your websites too.Put a link for local and/or state Sex Offender Database on your sites.PLEASE pass this request onto your fellow Realtors in your areas. Also, request any businesses within your ... 10/07/2007

Perhaps many of us already know it, but may not come out and just say it....Blogging on ActiveRain is just as effective, it not more effective in Search Engine listing. Depending on how one uses the blog, the entry can help get a Realtor noticed better in the internet search world. Bravo ActiveRain admin, Bravo!Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire @ 361-215-8612, a RE/MAX Padre Island - Corpus Christi Realtor, helping people find homes, sell, or rent. I even list Yachts and Sports Cars! www.Corpus-WOW.com   www.Yahoo-HOMES.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.CorpusRentals.com  10/07/2007

I just responded to another Realtor's Blog about whether to spend money on Billboards to drive traffic to her website.That got me to thinking.... why spend that kind of money when you have a Rolling Billboard already.... YOUR Vehicles.On one Christmas Eve stopping at a convenience store, a buyer from California approached me in the parking lot and asked me if I was a Realtor. Hmmm, my vehicle says it all. I guess it was a polite way of getting my attention. I showed homes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and wrote up a cash contract for $360 k. The deal was completed in about 30 days.I sold another house because of my Rolling Billboard: $300 k. I got several other listings too.Yup, thanks for my Rolling Billboard. Oh, I invested in my own Vinyl Sign maker to logo my Suburban. So, I ch... 10/07/2007

We all know that the real estate market is tough all over the country. As a home buyer, that doesn't mean that you have to sit on the fence waiting for more price drops and hope for interest rates to drop further to get a GOOD deal!Why buy now? Here's an answer:SIMPLE: YOU want to get into a house! The desire and want has to be there to make a change from your current situation. If you're UNSURE, then just sit tight until you want to seriously do something. Otherwise, looking around and "window shopping" and getting a Realtor to drive you around everywhere looking at homes is going to waste everyone's time.There are PLENTIFUL of realistic Sellers and Realtors in the market today. They see the "Buyer's Market" on the news every day too. So, working with a Good Realtor, they are going to ... 10/07/2007

I was told by a local mortgage broker that FHA has tightened and may do away with or significantly RESTRICT down payment assistance programs.Has anyone else heard of this?If catching fish was so easy, then everyone would be taking home a prized fish. Just like real estate, it takes perserverance, commitment, and knowing the waters to get into the reward Zone for hard and smart work.Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire @ 361-215-8612, a RE/MAX Padre Island - Corpus Christi Realtor, for your Home Buying, Selling, or Rent needs. I bend backwards for my nice clients. Cheers. www.Yahoo-HOMES.com   www.Corpus-WOW.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.CorpusRentals.com   10/07/2007

Looking for a good domain?I've got so many that I've invested, that I don't have time to develop all of them.How about BuyMY-HOMES.com for your domain?If interested, then please send me an email.Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire today @ 361-215-8612, a RE/MAX Padre Island - Corpus Christi Realtor, for your Home Buying, Selling, or Rent needs.www.Yahoo-HOMES.com   www.Corpus-WOW.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.WATCHmyHOMES.com   10/07/2007

Yup, Realtors are making their way into having videos shot of their listings. With the success of YouTube, mySpace, Yahoo, Google, Yuwie, metacafe, and kazillion other sites for posting profiles, pictures, and videos.... why NOT catch up and post videos of your listings?Ah, technology... the "How do I question." Well shooting videos could be the simple step. Most of us probably have shot those home (family) videos one time or another. The tougher part for most may be the "How do I get it from the movie camera to the internet?" Here's the nuts and bolts in summary:Get a Digital Movie Camera. This makes it much easier to get the movie onto the Computer.Download the movie onto the computer using "Firewire" or "USB" cable that came with the camera.Next, edit the movie using Windows Movie Ma... 10/06/2007

Do most Realtors merely click away using just any camera or do good numbers have the proper investment in the right camera equipment to show off the properties?A good Realtor should be knowledgeable enough about photography and lighting to ensure that photographs of the properties are displayed as best as possible in MLS, Flyers, hard copy ads, and web pages. One of the most important things that a Realtor should have is a wide angle lens. Using a normal depth lens of 55 mm will not do justice in capturing both the exterior and interior, especially the interior. A wide angle lens of 18 mm (focal lenght) should be the maximum used. Using a "Fish Eye" lens or a cheap lens that's supposedly a wide angle lens will distort the image and give a round - aspherical look; an eye ball look. Using... 10/06/2007

Can you say "DEFRAG?" No, it's not a gender biased - homophobic word. It's a technical term for Defragmenting (cleaning up) your computer's memory - hard drive. Do it once per week and you'll be able to run your computer more efficiently and save your computer from early extinction into the dumpster or recycling (if your community has electronic recycling program). Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire, RE/MAX Realtor, @ 361-215-8612 for all of your Selling, Buying, Renting, Investing, and Flipping needs. www.Corpus-WOW.com www.Island-LOVERS.com www.Yahoo-HOMES.com www.myFirst-HOMES.com www.Flip-Me.com WATCHmyHOMES.com in development... realty video listings. 10/05/2007

Picures say a thousand words! Padre Island is the year round place for great beaches, boating, and fishing! Did I mention Great fishing?Contact Mr. C. KIM McGuire @ 361-215-8612 for a piece of affordable paradise. Island Waterfront-Canal Homes for $275,000 to $450,000 average. Dry lot homes from $169,000 to $250,000. Prices have never been this low for a very long time. I represent clients from California to New York to Florida!www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com   www.Island-LOVERS.com  10/05/2007