Perrysburg, Ohio makes list for hottest zip codes for rising home prices!

This just in, according to Zillow.com via the CNBC website. Click the link below for more!
http://www.cnbc.com/id/33733815?slide=2

The New Lucas County Arena at Night

This is the latest, greatest thing to come to downtown Toledo and it’s opening soon! I’ve already got my tickets to see the Walleye hockey team play their first home game ever. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 @7. Click here to get your tix! See you there!

Need tix to HBA Parade of Homes?

The Toledo HBA Parade of Homes wraps up this Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. It’s a scattered site parade in Ohio and Michigan. You go to the homes you choose. If you’d like tickets, let me know how many and I’ll drop them in the mail to you. It’s just one more service I offer. =0) So… Before I run out… and so I’ve got time to send…
PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 @ 5 PM.

Dates October 2, 3 and 4, 2009
Times: Friday 5-8pm, Saturday 1-8pm, Sunday 1-6pm
Tickets: $5 or Purchase Half-Price tickets at Toledo-area* Menards Locations! (Holland, Oregon & Toledo-North) <—-or know someone like ME and let me know by Tues!

Email me at Jody@JodyZink.com

For more info including a list of homes and locations click here.

This photo makes me want to get a dog

When I get email with about 500 FWs in the subject line, I normally delete. This one managed to slip through the cracks. It makes me warm and fuzzy. Just thought I’d share.

My Twitter buddies, in mosaic fashion.

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Twitter helped me close a tough real estate deal

I’ve used Twitter since early 2008, back when it was mostly geeks and before it began going mainstream. People on the outside looking in don’t quite understand it, and my trusted advisor and tech guru Ed Hunter has decided, it’s almost impossible to explain to the average person. While the Twitterverse can be overwhelming to say the least, it’s best to simply think about it as a tool to connect with other human beings and potentially build relationships.

Case in point: Clients often ask their Realtor to refer them to a reputable lender, someone they can trust who will get the deal done quickly and honestly. I have a few trusted people I refer locally. In this case, I’m an advocate of patronizing local business; after all–real estate is local and I like being able to “drop-in” and meet face to face with people I’m doing business with. It helps with accountability. In my community of real estate professionals, companies such as Lending Tree and Quicken Loans have poor reputations of doing this. So when a buyer of one of my listings deserted a local lender to work with Quicken Loans, both agents in this transaction (myself and the buyer’s agent) gasped and prepared ourselves for an even greater uphill battle. It turned out to be just that. Our Quicken contact had dropped the ball with mis-communication, unanswered calls and emails for over a week, and we were running out of time.

In my frustration, I tweeted, “Just say no to Quicken Loans. There’s nothing QUICK about it.” At which point, I received a response via Twitter from none other than Quicken Loans. Although unfortunate it came to that point, I was impressed by this. Kelly LaVaute of Quicken Loans offered to help. After explaining to her the situation, I received email from the VP of Mortgage Banking, Tim Berkmeier and even a phone call from Marketing Director, Matt Cardwell assuring me the issue had been taken to the highest level in the company and that we would make our May 28th deadline to close the this deal.

Quicken delivered on their promise and we closed on time with no more big hassles. Whether I would go out of my way to refer them to a client remains to be seen. I understand that no one is perfect and things happen out of anyone’s control. I am, however impressed that Kelly picked up the ball and ran with it, using a cutting edge tool such as Twitter that many people dismiss as frivolous. Kudos to Quicken Loans for “getting it.”

I was pleased to see that my exchange with Kelly at Quicken Loans via Twitter became a topic in a speech given by influential blogger, Steve Rubel at the MediaBistro conference June 2-3, 2009 in New York City. My conversation was mentioned in the Internet News and Marketing Pilgrim. According to Mr. Rubel, this isn’t customer service, it’s branding. I believe him. If this is the future, it’s best we pay closer attention.

Lone flower spotted in backyard-a sign of hope

HOPE, that is-that the furnace can soon be turned off, grass will become green and coats will no longer be necessary. Real estate activity also increases during this time and for many reasons. BTW, I hope this photo isn’t too shameless about promoting the Indiana Hoosiers. It truly was an accident. Truly.

Using a Realtor versus going it alone on WTOL

When I met the reporter for this, she’d tried finding an unrepresented seller (FSBO) to speak with her for the story.  Each one she’d called had already listed with a Realtor.  Thing is, the majority of unrepresented sellers do.  Once realization hits on how involved the work is, it’s then they understand the value a Realtor can bring to the transaction.  

Click the link for video of the story that aired mid-March, 2009.  Brought to you by Toledo’s News Leader. (WTOL 11)

http://budurl.com/5cst

Friday’s Omelet! (Kids, I think it’s my best work yet)

And the bowl of fresh fruit should give me a little extra credit for my critics.

“I’m a PC” guy, John Hodgman spotted at Border’s

 

ANN ARBOR, MICH-Ann Arbor was one of many stops for Hodgman’s book tour for his newest release, “More Information than you Require.”  I managed to snap this paparazzi-esque photo with my iPhone. He’s a minor TV celebrity, you know.  Apple CEO Steve Jobs made him famous overnight with the “I’m a Mac” TV spots which first aired last summer.  I’m now following him on Twitter.