Ann Arbor Area Real Estate

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MakeOver2TakeOver ( Going for Broke or Be Broke ) week 3 challenge
2008-06-07 21:03:00
For Those of us participating in the MakeOver2TakeOver Contest, our assignments are due today. The week was a challenge for Caulk Wood TEAM, Bonding for Success. I have been out of town at a funeral since Wed. Kim Woods five year old daughter had a birthday on Friday and Kim went to a blogging conference in the middle of the week. When Rich announced the title, I read that and thought... OK, been there, done that. Rich answered back and bought the T-Shirt. When I started in real estate, my youngest started kindergarten, my husband was pastoring and I was excited. Within the first month, we were involved in a church split. If you know what that means, no further comments needed. If you don't then GOOD for you! Regardless, my entire Sphere of Influence (SOI) was gone. (((poof))) This was in 1995, things were really different back then. I was working in a traditional company and all the talk was about, " how the internet was going to do away with Realtors." Well, I didn't know ...
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Traditions
2008-06-05 06:16:00
transitions Transitions we all have them, we all go through them Your clients may be moving to a new area and there is anxiety about what the future holds. The children are nervous about a new school, new friends, will they look like dorks, who will sit with them in lunch room ? Perhaps the reason for moving is a new job in a new location. There is anxiety for the employer as well. Perhaps they have lost their job, lost their home. Perhaps they are retireing from a job they have had for years and moving to a new area. Change brings both opportunities and turmoil How do we make sense of transitions? How do we help our clients through transitions? I learned through a real estate coach I had the first three years in the business, an important concept that has stuck with me. It is simple really. When you are building a new bridge, you don?t tear down the old one until the new one is finished. Letting go of the past, with what is familiar is the hard part. Embracing the new i...
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Pre-Listing Packages (MakeOver2TakeOver)
2008-06-03 17:35:00
First congratulations to Jeannette Neerpat and Midori Miller on winning Week 2’s Competition for the MakeOver2TakeOver challenge.   Excellent entry and I will be adopting some of it for The Missy Caulk TEAM systems.   Second, let me say to Kim, that you did an excellent job in putting all this together in one week’s time! I have been doing electronic pre-listings (first contact) information for several years. I send out information right after I have had a phone contact with them, whether it is a referral, past client or someone who calls from the internet. In January of this year, I did a three part series on Pre-Listing Packages on my Active Rain blog.  I still get requests from Active Rainers to send it to them and I am always happy to do so. I tell them to make it their own, change, edit, delete but to personalize it for them and their area. Are you ? Part one was on Preparing for your Listing. Part two was on The Caulk Team Marketing Plan Part three ...

Did you know this about me?
2008-06-01 21:02:00
Matthew Rathburn tagged me last week to do a meme. I met Matt on Twitter. I follow his blog at Client Centric Real Estate. A meme is an internet game similar to a chain letter except you post on line, and then tag 8 of your friends to answer the same questions. And on and on it goes. You actually do learn some trivial things about people and I guess that is the point. But, this is my 3rd or 4th one since I started blogging so hang on maybe you will learn ?something? about me you didn?t know. The challenge was to answer 8 questions. The challenge was to pick 8 friends and tag them to answer the same 8 questions. Well, I have a ton of friends on Active Rain, Twitter and Face Book. Let?s see who will get the least upset with me ? 1) Who is my favorite musical artist? That?s hard, I like so many and it rotates and evolves depending on my mood, new CD released etc? Overall I love County Pop flavor the best. So I guess my long time favorites are Reba and Martina McBride. 2) Who is my ...

Activerain Referral Sold in One Week
2008-06-01 06:43:00
Last week I posted on my new listing at 2554 Traver Blvd. in Ann Arbor, MI. It is a beautiful condo on the water. The sellers are clients of Tracy Sandrocks on Active Rain from Cary, N.C. I am happy to say that in one week, we have an accepted offer on their condo. Inspections are set for Tuesday with a closing on August 1st, 2008. The sellers priced the condo to sell based on sold units in their community and negotiated very fairly with the new buyer. In a difficult market, with the condo market being especially plentiful it is important to have condo's and houses in excellent condition and priced right. One other thing that made this offer go well, was having an experience Realtor working with the buyers. Susan, their buyer agent and I have done several transactions together over the years and I knew she would and did work very hard for her buyer. She is a no B S Realtor and that makes the transaction go smoothly. Thanks Tracy and good job Susan !
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Activerain Video Contest 2008
2008-05-29 20:35:00
Well supposedly the contest ended Sunday night, but only 4 have been submitted and I haven't heard anything. I thought it was a good contest to get us to use more videos'. I was in TN and although there to visit a sick friend, my other friend Sharon and I looked at a home in her subdivision called Maskar Farms. She and Jerry already live in the subdivison but need a larger home. If you saw her third bedroom now turned into her closet you would know why. Actually this was fun, and I registered with the builder, Hannah Construction and they are currently tweaking the price. Here we are looking at the two homes. ( Shot with my flip video camera and mixed with ActiveRain Video )
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Makeover 2 Takeover Contest, Assignment 1 The Introduction.
2008-05-27 15:48:00
Outlook: The Database Program Let's start at the very beginning ... A very good place to start ... This is the song by Mary Poppins that has been going through my mind since the beginning of the contest, Makeover 2Takeover . Having a good, working database is your key to success in sales and in this case Real Estate. Not to mention the vast amount of time that is saved when all of your information is organized into one database. I held my breath when I spoke to Kim Wood and asked her which program she was using. I am an advocate for Outlook. I am been using it for 11 years. I started out with Agent 2000, looked at Top Producer, for about 2 sec and decided that all the real estate specific software programs basically immolate Microsoft Outlook so my assistant and I decided we would stick with that. Kim told me she was using Excel to manage her contacts. "Do you have Outlook?" I asked with a little bit of anxiety. "Yes, but I only use it for email." Kim responded. The sound of relief c...
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Memorial Day Greetings from the Caulk TEAM
2008-05-26 17:18:00
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL MY ACTIVE RAIN FRIENDS AND ANN ARBOR CLIENTS. Enjoy your day as we remember our friends and families and those who served our country. Happy Memorial Day to everyone. We're going to our cottage, Jamie is home from the Navy and we are going to see Matthew graduate next Friday from Navy Boot camp in Great Lakes, ILL. We will not let the day go by without remembering all the men who fought for our freedom at home and overseas. We must never forget their sacrifice as we enjoy family and friends on this holiday. Missy Missy Caulk | Associate Broker,ePRO, GRI | Keller Williams Main 734-995-9400 | Cell 734-216-2822 | Dir 734-821-0757 | Email | Website
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Another Use for Twitter
2008-05-25 03:58:00
Ok I know most of you are tired of hearing about Twitter but I wanted to share a story of what happened to me last night. We are at our lake house for the weekend. In the winter I go into vacation mode with Comcast. I called on Friday and told them to activate our TV and high speed internet. When we arrived yesterday, the TV was fine but I couldn't log on to the internet. I was freaking out, the first report on Makeover2TakeOver assignment is due on Sunday and the Caulk/Wood Team...bonding for success still had work to do. My husband was doing his best to get me connected. Finally, after 3 hours, I quit looking over his shoulder and went outside with the kids around the fire pit. I got an email from Marc Blasi on my blackberry and I emailed him back and asked, "Mark,can you log on to Twitter and nudge @comcastcares, give them my cell phone number and have them call me I can't log on to Comcast?" We've been trying for 3 hours and I'm going crazy. A few minutes later, my cell phon...

2854 Barclay Way, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
2008-05-24 14:50:00
Last week I posted on the phone call I received from this seller and how he found me on the internet. I was fortunate to list his condo today at 2854 Barclay Way in Ann Arbor , MI. This is a wonderful condo community, located in N.E. Ann Arbor, convenient to the U of M medical complexes and expressways. Well maintained with hardwood floors and crown moldings throughout. One of the nice things about this community is the natural preserve, walking trails, courtyards and the club house that has a work-out room. Begin your home search at Ann Arbor Houses. Sparkling Condo in Barclay Park 2854 Barclay Way, Ann Arbor, MI 48015 View Map Lovely Concord floor plan in Barclay Park. Hardwood floors and crown moldings throughout. Large kitchen with white bay cabinets, soaring ceilings. All appliances included. Association fee includes water, sewer, community center with work out room and all exterior maintenance. Conveniently located to the U of M,...

Trulia Allows you to enter your Profile on All YOUR Listings
2008-05-22 16:50:00
Joel Burslem posted on his blog The Future of Real Estate marketing about Trulia now throwing Agents a Bone. What he means is that Trulia now allows agents to have a link to them to all of this listings. I thought this was great news and immediately went over and attached my profile from Trulia to all my listings. I could find all but one of them, so will contact Rudy today. If you have been out in the blogosphere the last couple of weeks, you know there is has been a lot of back on forth on the use of Trulia widgets on your blog or website. The controversary was we were sending consumers back to Trulia and cthe leads were not going to the agents. Now Trulia has added a feature where you can add your profile to all of your listings. Here are some posts on the issues. The comments are very engaging from all perspectives. Trulia?s web ranking strategies catch heat. On Inman News. Truliamazing tricks of the trade. On Bloodhound Blog by Galen Ward Search Engines, Trulia and Googlygook...
More About: Listings , Profile , Enter

The Housing Crisis is Over
2008-05-21 23:10:00
The housing crisis is over, according to Wall Street Journal. If you read it and posted on it today, sorry, don't have time to check. Read the Wall Street Journal article here. Now if you read it, let me know what you think ? Regardless, of how fast we go back up, it is thrilling to hear Good News from the media. I know in Ann Arbor the market has picked up and everyone on my TEAM is busy. All comments on the article appreciated.  
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2554 Traver Blvd Ann Arbor, MI 48105
2008-05-21 01:15:00
Just listed a beautiful condo in Traver Lakes community in Ann Arbor . This listing was referred to me by Tracy Santrock from Cary, N.C. They were clients of hers for their new home purchase in North Carolina. I love Active Rain referrals !! This is a beautiful condo, on the water with peaceful views of the lake. The community is enhanced by having tennis courts and two pools. The original owners have spruced it up with new carpet and fresh paint. It is in move in condition with a full finished walk-out basement including a study, full bath and extra 4th bedroom. Located off Green Rd it is a fantastic location for any U of M. resident relocating here for medical school. Work hard, study hard and come home to soak in the view. Located across the street from Logan Elementary and walking distance to Clague Middle School. My daugher is closing on one on May 30th that had multiple offers, and according to her is not in as perfect shape. Thanks Tracy !

Marketing Report for Condo's in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County
2008-05-20 17:26:00
Average Days on the market condos in Ann Arbor was 105. Average List price was $239,945, up 13.5% from April 2007. Average Sales price for condos in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County was $172,938.00 in April. This is down nearly 17.5% compared to April 2007. April is the time of year when many U of M. Residents come to Ann Arbor and we have seen a number of condo's come off the market near the U of M. hospitals. There were 42% more closings on condos in April of 2008 than in April of last year. Over all the condo market is still saturated, but with closings up 17% this is a help in reducing the amount of inventory. You can begin you home search here at Search Ann Arbor Houses. Missy Caulk & Team 734-216-2822    
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April Market Data for Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County
2008-05-20 17:11:00
Is the market stabalizing in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County ? Compared to last year, we are seeing less homes on the market, and the closings are definately up. Even though the average price of homes is down, buyers are moving and taking advantage of the homes in the best condition. Average price home price is April was $258,017, down only 2% from April 2007. Average sale price in Washtenaw County was $203,798 for April 2007. Now for the GOOD NEWS...... Closing are up by 78% !! This is also a 16% increase in closings year to date.      
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Barclay Park Condos in Ann Arbor, MI
2008-05-19 15:15:00
This afternoon I received a call from a potential seller who owns a condo in Barclay Park Condo?s. I asked him how he found me and he said on the internet, I Googled Ann Arbor Re/Max Agent and you came up twice on page one. I had to inform him that I was not with RE/MAX anymore as there is no RE/MAX office in Ann Arbor and was that a problem. It wasn?t. Brad Carroll recently posted on how to change your on-line identity if you have changed companies on his Dakno Marketing Blog. I had already followed the steps, by changing my sites etc? but it takes time for Google to not index the places you are still found. In this case it put a smile on my face. Barclay Park condo?s are located in the North East side of Ann Arbor and is a fantastic location for Physician Residents or people in class at the U of M. North Campus area. They are luxury condos with exercise facilities, tennis courts and parks. There are 291 units in the condo community. I was thrilled to tell him the follo...

Makeover 2 Takeover
2008-05-18 16:21:00
I’m looking forward to the Make Over to Take Over contest and to mentoring Kim Wood. Kim and I met briefly on Active Rain, through her postings. We really got to know each other through Twitter. One night Twitter was down for an upgrade so some of us, (Chris, Sarah C, Sarah S, Dez) went over to Skype and started to chat. The conversations on Skype are fast and furious. One of my clients is on a sabbatical in Africa. We are closing on her home on June 4th. All of our conversations and negotiating have been done via Skype. I bought head phones for Skype and Kim is after me to buy a web cam. I have always resisted buying a web cam because of pride. I mean do I really want people to see me in my jammies and god forbid, No Make-up? Well, with Kim living in West Chester, Pa and me in Ann Arbor, guess I’ll go get a web cam. (No you can’t look). To make it easier for me to follow the teams in the Make Over to Take Over, I set up a group in my Associates called Make Ove...
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Real Estate Cycle Profits the Home Buyers
2008-05-17 16:38:00
In August of 1979, my husband and I bought our first home in Auburn, Alabama. It was a brand new home with 1300. S. F. for $39,000. We went FHA, and my parents, and grandparents helped us with the down-payment of 3%. It was a cute little house, with a corner fireplace, huge master-bedroom suite, walk in closets and I loved it. I never wanted to move. In December of 1980, we had our first baby there, Christa, who is now my Partner is Real Estate . In August that year, my husband was ?called? to Michigan. There were skid markets all the way from the South to the Mid-West with me dragging my feet. When we arrived and I shared with our Realtor what we were coming from and what I hoped to find in a home. She said, ?Well, that will cost $100,000. to buy in Ann Arbor.? We were paying $350.00 per year in property taxes in Auburn, AL and the taxes here were around $2,200.00 contributing to the lesser amount of home we could buy. After looking for a month, in August of 1980, and HATING...
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1420 Candlewood, Ypsilanti, MI 48198
2008-05-16 04:09:00
Great starter home in Ypsilanti , Mi. We just closed on their new home last week and this home is all painted and ready to sell. Why pay rent when you can own this home for less than rent in the Ann Arbor area ?

Need a good laugh?
2008-05-15 14:36:00
I found this video on YouTube, it is too funny to not share. It is short parady on Life as a Realtor. Of course you have to be able to laugh at yourself and NOT be offended. Tricks of the trade.... Honesty and integrity... Preparing for OPEN houses... Location, Location, Location.... If you can't laugh, or feel this is no place to post fun things, just move on.
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Saline Sustainability Meeting on Wind Power
2008-05-13 23:05:00
On May 20, at 7:00 pm at the Pittsfield Township Administration Building, Saline Sustainability Circle will feature a presentation on wind turbines by John Sarver of the Michigan Energy Office. Mr. Sarver is part of the Michigan Wind Working Group, and will speak on the different types of turbines currently in use in Michigan, the feasibility of wind generation in our area, and ideas for ordinances and guideline for heights and locations for wind turbines in communities in Michigan. The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Power ing America program has a goal that 20% of all electricity will come from wind power by 2030. Michigan has the wind resources and technical and manufacturing capabilities to make a major contribution to this goal. Will ultra low frequency noise be a problem? What is “shadow flicker” and can it be abated? Are birds and bats affected? If large propellers aren’t feasible in a more urban or suburban setting, how about barber pole or roof mounted ...
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1288 Hull Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48198
2008-05-12 16:27:00
Welcome to 1288 Hull Street in Ypsilanti , MI. This home has been 100% remodeled and is nicer than any starter home, I have seen in my 13 years in Real Estate. The sellers spared nothing in making this a quality home. Easy access to I-94, St. Joe's Hospital in Ypsilanti and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. When I sold it to them in 2004, it was a yucky yellow, no dormers. They purchased it from the original oweners and it had not been updated in years. Now look at it !! What a wonderful couple, they just had their first baby. Holly is just finishing her Residency at the hospital and now they are moving back to Maine where she will start her practise. Unbelievable Starter Home 1288 Hull, Ypsilanti, MI 48198 Beautiful home, that has been totally remodeled. Refinished hardwood floors and crown moldings in every room, new windows, new roof with dormers added. New vinyl siding, shutters. Low e glass windows. Remodeled bath with cust...

Thoughts and Ramblings
2008-05-11 01:04:00
I'm still in Nashville, visiting my friend, "mom". We can only go in every 3 hours and she is sedated to keep her calm with the breathing tube. The first few days, she didn't know I was here, but now she does. Yesterday, between appointments Sharon and I went driving around Nashville, I have been here so many times that Nashville, feels like home to me. But, it was fun looking at the City thinking of photographs. I am so thankful to Christa and Betty. They have made my time here so stress free. Christa went and showed Kelly Siblesky's sister a home for the second time, wrote the offer and it is accepted !! Betty has gone and listed a home for me from my past clients. I will blog on it as soon as I can. I don't know what I would have done without my TEAM. I miss commenting on your posts. To someone like me who is on untold hours a day on Active Rain, it is hard. Being addicted is NOT fun !! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for me and my friend. I have received your emails and...
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1420 Candlewood, Ypsilanti, MI 48198
2008-05-07 03:16:00
Why do things start to happen when you leave town ? One of my dearest friends is in the hospital in Nashville, I flew down today. I love her and she is like a "mom" to me. I listed three houses today, my daughter took clients out to write an offer tonight,  I re-scheduled two pre-listing appointments until next week, and I got an offer on one of my  listings. That is a busy week for me. Here is my new listing at 1420 Candlewood in Ypsilanti , MI. It is a fabulous starter home, with tons of upgrades. This wonderful couple closed on a new home with us, last week. They were clients of my Buyer Agent, Pattie. I love working with a TEAM. They are really stepping up for me so I can be with my "mom'.   Great Starter Home 1420 Candlewood, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 View Map ADORABLE STARTER HOME, WITH NEWER KITCHEN AND REMODELED BATH. ADDITION ON THE BACK, WITH CERAMIC TILE, MAKES A GREAT STUDY,PLAY ROOM, SEWING ROOM. SCREEN PORCH OFF THE TWO CAR GARAGE, FEN...

Rant....
2008-05-05 21:13:00
Here?s my rant?. Realtors who don?t post the true status of their listing in the MLS. In Ann Arbor there are two companies in particular that don?t post the status. It shows active. But, it is under contract, just not all the contingencies have been removed. After the contingencies are removed it goes to Pending. When Realtor.com started our board came up with a status called CTS. It means Continue to Show, but there is an offer. Then it keeps the house on the national web-sites. If you see a home that is CTS, you can do several things: 1) Call the listing agent and ask how far along is the transaction? 2) What contingencies are left? 3) Does it look like it will go through? 4) Do you have any concerns about the present offer? 5) Decide intelligently based on the information whether to show or not to show. Now two companies are not doing this, they are still taking showings and it shows active in the MLS. One broker has said flat out, "my fiduciary responsibility is to my sel...
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Brookside Golf Course in Saline, MI
2008-05-05 12:29:00
Brookside Golf Course is an 18-hole regulation length golf course in Saline , MI. Located at 6451 Saline-Ann Arbor Rd. Brookside Golf course is a Par 72 course with 5820 Yards. Designed and operated my Ron Hopkins. Today, we went and shot a round and I was pitiful. This is the first time I have played in four years. I broke my finger catching a pass at the Lloyd Carr Women?s Football Camp in 2004, had surgery and just haven?t been able to play. But, today I had a few family members begging me to play so I did.Golf fees at Brookside are: $32 green fees* on weekends $25 green fees* on weekdays $20 twilight fees* * includes golf cart where available There are over 23 Golf Courses in and around Ann Arbor. If you enjoy golf this is the place to come. I?ve probably played on most of them at one time or another. Just in case you think I am a golfer, the answer is ?No?. I do enjoy playing in the Saline Chamber of Commerce fund raiser and other charity events but that is ...

Sunday, May 4th, Open Houses in Ann Arbor Area
2008-05-04 01:40:00
Charm galore in this 1930?s home located at 305 Ideal Street in Milan, Mi. Brick fireplaces surrounded by bookcases and beveled glass. Four bedrooms in 2 full baths. Remodeled bath, and 2 car garage added. Walk to downtown, parks and schools. Full finished basement. Open from 2-4, May 4th. Take I-94 to Carpenter Rd. Carpenter Rd turns in to Dexter Ave. Turn left off Dexter onto Ideal. 2552 Fenwick in Ann Arbor OPEN from 2-4, Sunday , May 4th. This is a well maintained condo in Georgetown Commons. This condo is subject to a ?short sale?. The hardship letter has been written and the package is ready to go once an offer is presented. This condo sold for 169,000 in 2005 and is currently being offered at $99,000. Directions: State Street to Eisenhower Parkway, onto Hayes. Hayes to Fenwick Ct.
More About: Houses , Area

The Long Tail in Blogging Worked
2008-05-04 01:37:00
Are gas prices effecting your business ? I wrote a post the other day on my Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk blog. That was the question I asked ? The Ann Arbor News picked up the post and called me for an interview. They are doing a piece tomorrow, Sunday on how gas prices are effecting different industries in the Ann Arbor Area. So speaking of that long tail.......................She asked me if she could put in my blog link?Of course, I was thrilled. Hopefully it will drive me more traffic.  The point is it was the long tail that got me found. The long tail made the phone ring, and the long tail will send more people to my blog on Sunday. ( I hope ) If you want to watch a cool video on using the long tail in your search, click on the link. It is produced by the Internet Marketing Dictionary.  Here is the post, that got me an interview, nothing special.   Cheap Gas or not in Washtenaw County If you are a Realtor like myself, or in any profession, you ...
More About: Blogging , Long , Long tail , The Long Tail , Tail

April showers bring May flowers in Ann Arbor and a Brighter Market
2008-05-01 21:05:00
The 1st day of May is here and it is chilly outside and it has been chilly in market too.   Last year from April 1st 2007 to April 30th, 2007, we had closed on 148 homes in Ann Arbor . This April from April 1st to April 30th, 2008, we only closed on 29 homes in Ann Arbor.  Now if that is not discouraging enough, of the 29 that sold, 9 were rentals and three were foreclosure's. This is discouraging for home sellers who have a home to sell in either Saline or Ann Arbor. If you include the entire MLS for the Ann Arbor Board of Realtors, this would include all the way from Brooklyn in Lenawee County to Brighton, down through Western Wayne County, there were 373 closings in 2007 in the month of April and only 82 for April 2008. This means that out of the 1000 Realtors in Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors, only 82 got a paycheck of any kind in the month of April. The Missy Caulk TEAM had 9 of those closings in April, making us with about 11% of the total closings. Of t...
More About: Flowers , Market , Showers

Mixpo to the Rescue
2008-04-26 21:48:00
Today my daughter and I went out and shot a video of a home listed at 409 Fountain in Ann Arbor, MI. We are working with a client who is interested in this house and lives out of town. We found out another person is flying in on Monday to look at it and we need to have her take a look in more detail, if she is going to purchase sight unseen.I have been trying for an hour to get OUTLOOK to send a wva file out at 77MB.The video of 409 Fountain would not post on YouTube because it is 19 minutes. So I thought MIXPO !! So I went to Mixpo, created the video and told her to log on and watch. Thanks Active Rain, Thanks Brad for the tutorial today. VideoAd by Mixpo
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