More Social Integration - Will It Help?

So, I'm a pretty big fan of WordPress for my web sites / blogs but have long wondered if/when/why/how it makes sense to use this Blogger platform for more writing.

Heck, I'm a pretty big fan of G+ and of just about ANY Google product, it just seems like WordPress does so many things, better.

With the new additions to the platform and with Stronger Ties to G+, will more people try giving this platform a real shot?

Since you can now tag people from Blogger, I wonder if some of these improvements are a sign of things to come. Will friends like +Chuck Reynolds or +Greg Taylor ever use the platform? Do you see small business owners with a presence here?

For my industry, I don't see a lot of tools or widgets for use here like we find on WP. I kind of like how you can add photos from Google but they seem to have to be located in the middle of the page and the size isn't easily changed? How do you even "tag" the photo?

As for a home search tool, I doubt we can really have nearly the customization as we do with other options. The widgets can probably be embedded in to the page but there doesn't appear to be custom side bars, custom pages etc.

Does Blogger have any SEO advantages or dis-advantages over other platforms? That kind of stuff is WAY over my head. When you hear of Google products, you just about have to assume there are some advantages. I'm just not sure the advantages outweigh the disadvantages...

South Tempe Gated Community

There is a cool little gated community in South Tempe called Tempe Village where we just took a new listing. The listing is located at 1087 W Caroline Lane and it's a gorgeous home. I like the location, I like the privacy of the neighborhood, the large greenbelt area, the community park and the style of the homes.

Earlier this year, I represented a buyer in this neighborhood and felt they had made a really good decision with their purchase. Given the upward trend in prices lately, I'd say they certainly did.

The home on Caroline Lane that we just put on the market really is immaculate. It's one of those places where you can easily tell that the people truly care about their home. My first contact with the sellers came via a web site lead from NickBastian.com. The owner told me that he would be moving out of state due to a job transfer. One thing that I found to be really cool is the fact that he was specifically searching the web for a local Tempe REALTOR to help sell the home. I love hearing stuff like that. :)

Take a look at some of these photos. I'm sure you will agree that the place is gorgeous.

A Slight Diversion

So, it's been a few days since Lori left for Papua New Guinea. I've been trying to think of an easy way to keep track of this 16 day journey that our family is on but wanted something easy and something that I won't just abandon when she gets back. So, I'll use this...

Heck, I haven't really used this blog for much for a long time, it seems like a great time to change things up around here.

So, for the next 2-3 weeks, I'm going to post some of our family adventures. Yes, we do have lives outside of the real estate business. :)

Day one of Lori's trip was pretty fun. We were all a bit nervous but knew it would be an awesome journey. The PNG crew met at the church around 3pm to pack everything up, weigh bags etc. As soon as they left for the airport, the boys and I got pretty busy. Yep, at 4pm, they went with me to let a contractor in to measure a home for some work that needed to be done. We were home a little after 5, had a snack and then had to meet a notary and some clients at my office by 6. Right after that, it was straight to cub scouts until about 7:30 and then home to do homework, eat a little more and get ready for bed. We crammed a ton in to the hours after mom left but it seemed like a great way to take our minds off of the fact that she had just left for 16 days.

One of the coolest things of the evening happened on our way home. You could tell Cole was really missing his mom already but he said, "I'm really happy for mom." Coming from such a young boy, it was really cool to hear.

The next morning, it got a bit hectic for me. I shouldn't admit this but it was the first time I had ever made their breakfast, put their lunches together and helped get all of their things together for school. We had the " mom is not here, this is a team effort" talk and it went pretty well. The most awesome line of the day was when one of the boys said, " dad, you'll be really good at this by the day before mom gets home." haha, that was so awesome. :)

We were nearly late for school but they made it, my first days was off to a pretty good start. Since it was a 1/2 days at school, grandma picked them up for me as I had work obligations. I came home to a nice meal and we decided, since it was pajama night at the fro yo place, we'd go for a treat. It was a big hit.

Day 2 Mimi picked up the boys from school and they had a bunch of fun with her. That evening we were somewhat mellow but it was a big homework night. They did great, mom! :)

So far, we are having some fun and enjoying a lot of guy time. The pool has been our friend and we has stayed pretty busy. This weekend, is a big birthday party with a school friend and Mimi is taking them. Dad is working Saturday so grandma is coming over for a bit, too. Most of the posts for the next couple of weeks will be short. We know internet connections will be few and far between for mom but we all decided that we want to share some of our adventures with mom almost as much as we want to learn more and hear about her awesome trip.

Don't Ever Forget

Today is September 11th, 2012. Do yourself a favor and go see the  9-11 Healing Field at Tempe Beach Park.

Hundreds of volunteers set up flags for each of the innocent people murdered that day. It is a great reminder that we will never forget.

Moon Before The Sunrise

Just testing out a new photo posting app.:)

Coming Soon - More Random Stuff

So, I just downloaded this new "Blogger" app from my tablet computer and wanted to see how easy it is to post while "on the go."
I'll upload a pic of this new listing we have coming on the market next week to see how that works out.
The web page for the home is found at NickBastian.com on our 3345 E Farmdale page. 
With this new app, I'll probably be sending random photos and thoughts while on the go. For some, it will be pretty boring. I apologize in advance if that's the case. For now, I am going to test some photo uploads and some email notifications just to get the hang of it.

What can I say? I like to try new things. :)