Sitting at metrotex taking an awesome class about blogging to get more leads with Jason Esparza
Email me if you would like the FREE report on 369 things a realtor should blog about.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Great News for The Colony or the “Golden Corridor" of N. Dallas!
Press Release
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Brings Texas Call Center to The Colony
The Colony, Texas, April 27, 2011…Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is locating its Texas Call Center to The Colony, The Colony Economic Development Corporation announced today.
The national retailer has signed a five-year lease for space in The Cascades at The Colony, a 100-acre master-planned, multi-use development located along State Highway 121.
“We are very pleased to welcome Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to The Colony,” said Tom Tvardzik, president of the Board of The Economic Development Corporation. “We have been working with the Community Development Corporation and City Council on this project, and it is very exciting to see that as a result of our collective efforts, a retailer of this stature has made a long-term commitment to our community.”
Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a premier specialty retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware in the United States and Canada and markets high-quality brands through retail stores, catalogs and the Internet.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s location to The Cascades lengthens the list of the many businesses that have recently moved to the Jackson-Shaw development.
For more information, contact The Colony Economic Development Corporation at 972-624-3127 or edc@thecolonytx.org.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Brings Texas Call Center to The Colony
The Colony, Texas, April 27, 2011…Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is locating its Texas Call Center to The Colony, The Colony Economic Development Corporation announced today.
The national retailer has signed a five-year lease for space in The Cascades at The Colony, a 100-acre master-planned, multi-use development located along State Highway 121.
“We are very pleased to welcome Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to The Colony,” said Tom Tvardzik, president of the Board of The Economic Development Corporation. “We have been working with the Community Development Corporation and City Council on this project, and it is very exciting to see that as a result of our collective efforts, a retailer of this stature has made a long-term commitment to our community.”
Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a premier specialty retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware in the United States and Canada and markets high-quality brands through retail stores, catalogs and the Internet.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s location to The Cascades lengthens the list of the many businesses that have recently moved to the Jackson-Shaw development.
For more information, contact The Colony Economic Development Corporation at 972-624-3127 or edc@thecolonytx.org.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Electronic Signatures...Good or Bad?
Provided By Realty Times
Although it is still a ways from being standard procedure, the use of electronic signatures in real estate transactions has become increasingly common. There is a lot to like. Signatures can be obtained quickly. Not needing to go through multiple faxing, document copies are clear and legible. Document storage and retrieval is a snap. And the reduction in paper usage is good for the planet!
Not only that, but electronic signatures are legal, and in most contexts have the full effect of "wet signatures." Almost every state has adopted the 1999 provisions of UETA (the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act), and there is also the federal E-Sign (the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act). The most relevant provisions are to be found in section 7 of UETA:
•A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.
•A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.
•If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.
•If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.
As always, "some exceptions apply." They vary from state to state. In California, for example, electronic signatures can't be used for many landlord-tenant documents, for seller-financing disclosures, or for purchase agreements when the seller is in default. Moreover, there are individuals and institutions who will not accept electronic signatures. Good luck trying to invoke the provisions of UETA or E-sign when your lender says they won't accept a purchase contract with electronic signatures.
Yes, it is true that there are ways around the security features built in by the various providers of electronic signature software. One spouse could give the other his/her codes and passwords. Etc. A moderately clever agent could figure out how to rig the system and create documents purportedly electronically signed by the principals. So? It isn't foolproof. But there's a lot more security around electronic signature protocols than there ever was – or will be – to prevent forgeries of wet signatures.
There are other concerns as well. Some of these were expressed at a recent gathering of real estate attorneys, held in conjunction with the meetings of Directors of the California Association of Realtors® (CAR). Two items in particular were the subject of attention.
One had to do with the authorization of principals for using electronic signatures in the transaction. The governing laws do not provide a particular protocol for this. Parties must provide consent, but no method for doing so is specified. Under both UETA and E-Sign, "consent may be obtained in writing, orally or determined from the surrounding circumstances, including the parties' conduct."
To be sure, the providers of electronic signature software may include a procedure for obtaining consent. And we are all familiar with these – the "click through" method. Probably everyone who reads this has given electronic consent in a similar manner. You know; when you click "I agree" to a terms-of-use statement that may be 2500 words or more. How many people have read any of those all the way through?
Secondly, and curiously, attorneys worried that the practice of obtaining electronic signatures on electronically-transmitted documents results in even further diminishment of "face time" between agents and their clients. This was not just a bit of nostalgia, though there was some of that. It was mostly about the lack of explanation. At the CAR meetings, attorneys spoke of files that contain copies of emails that implicitly say something like this: "Here is the eight-page, single-spaced purchase contract. Please follow the instructions for affixing your electronic signatures and initials. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
It can be bad enough, to be sure, when agents are face-to-face with principals and those principals feel pressure to hurry up and sign documents. But the electronic mode of communication may make it even easier, some of the attorneys feared, to make plausible the defense that, "I didn't understand, and they didn't explain, all those things they told me to sign."
It's nothing new that agents sometimes do not go over with their clients the complex documents that require signatures. But the at-a-distance electronic mode of communication exacerbates the problem. It is something to be concerned about.
Although it is still a ways from being standard procedure, the use of electronic signatures in real estate transactions has become increasingly common. There is a lot to like. Signatures can be obtained quickly. Not needing to go through multiple faxing, document copies are clear and legible. Document storage and retrieval is a snap. And the reduction in paper usage is good for the planet!
Not only that, but electronic signatures are legal, and in most contexts have the full effect of "wet signatures." Almost every state has adopted the 1999 provisions of UETA (the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act), and there is also the federal E-Sign (the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act). The most relevant provisions are to be found in section 7 of UETA:
•A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.
•A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.
•If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.
•If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.
As always, "some exceptions apply." They vary from state to state. In California, for example, electronic signatures can't be used for many landlord-tenant documents, for seller-financing disclosures, or for purchase agreements when the seller is in default. Moreover, there are individuals and institutions who will not accept electronic signatures. Good luck trying to invoke the provisions of UETA or E-sign when your lender says they won't accept a purchase contract with electronic signatures.
Yes, it is true that there are ways around the security features built in by the various providers of electronic signature software. One spouse could give the other his/her codes and passwords. Etc. A moderately clever agent could figure out how to rig the system and create documents purportedly electronically signed by the principals. So? It isn't foolproof. But there's a lot more security around electronic signature protocols than there ever was – or will be – to prevent forgeries of wet signatures.
There are other concerns as well. Some of these were expressed at a recent gathering of real estate attorneys, held in conjunction with the meetings of Directors of the California Association of Realtors® (CAR). Two items in particular were the subject of attention.
One had to do with the authorization of principals for using electronic signatures in the transaction. The governing laws do not provide a particular protocol for this. Parties must provide consent, but no method for doing so is specified. Under both UETA and E-Sign, "consent may be obtained in writing, orally or determined from the surrounding circumstances, including the parties' conduct."
To be sure, the providers of electronic signature software may include a procedure for obtaining consent. And we are all familiar with these – the "click through" method. Probably everyone who reads this has given electronic consent in a similar manner. You know; when you click "I agree" to a terms-of-use statement that may be 2500 words or more. How many people have read any of those all the way through?
Secondly, and curiously, attorneys worried that the practice of obtaining electronic signatures on electronically-transmitted documents results in even further diminishment of "face time" between agents and their clients. This was not just a bit of nostalgia, though there was some of that. It was mostly about the lack of explanation. At the CAR meetings, attorneys spoke of files that contain copies of emails that implicitly say something like this: "Here is the eight-page, single-spaced purchase contract. Please follow the instructions for affixing your electronic signatures and initials. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
It can be bad enough, to be sure, when agents are face-to-face with principals and those principals feel pressure to hurry up and sign documents. But the electronic mode of communication may make it even easier, some of the attorneys feared, to make plausible the defense that, "I didn't understand, and they didn't explain, all those things they told me to sign."
It's nothing new that agents sometimes do not go over with their clients the complex documents that require signatures. But the at-a-distance electronic mode of communication exacerbates the problem. It is something to be concerned about.
Monday, February 21, 2011
How to Follow KW Family Reunion 2011 on Twitter
Provided By KW Blog
Why follow KW Family Reunion on Twitter? Following an event on Twitter adds a rich new dimension to the experience. With your smart phone in hand, you suddenly have a backchannel into what hundreds of others around you are observing, thinking and doing. Twitter says its mission is to “instantly connect people everywhere to what’s most important to them.” Each day news stories are broken as users around the globe post 140-character updates about events unfolding around them. As a result, Twitter has often been called the “pulse of the world.” We think it’s the perfect tool for you to experience a big event like Family Reunion from as many perspectives as possible.
Vendors will be tweeting special events. Agents and brokers will be sharing aha’s and tips from their breakout sessions. Networks will announce impromptu gatherings. Jokers will be cracking wise about gaffs and goofs. And, of course, the social media team at KWRI will be sharing interesting and informative information as well.
So what exactly do you need to do to tap into this undercurrent of information and entertainment? Who are the best people to follow?
If you don’t currently have a Twitter account, visit https://twitter.com/signup and get started. There is also a Twitter Start Up Guide available on myKW on the Marketing tab.
For everyone else, login to Twitter and search for the KW Family Reunion event hashtag: #KWFR. You can then click the “Save this search” button on the top, right-hand side of your page to save the search. All the popular Twitter mobile apps will allow you to add a column for the same search so you quickly access the stream of event-related tweets.
Here is a short list of notable or official #KWFR Twitter profiles:
1.@KWRI — Amber Presley is our Social Media Manager at KWRI and will be a great resource.
2.@KWRINews – A channel for KW’s weekly enewsletter ThisWeek@KW, managed by marketing’s Laura Price.
3.@MapsCoaching—The award-winning MAPS Coaching team.
4.@carysylvester — Executive Director of Technology at KWRI.
5.@emarks – Ellen Marks is the Marketing and Communications Director at KWRI.
6.@JoelleSenter – KWRI leader and agent technology advocate.
7.@alexismacintyre — Director of Keller Williams University.
8.@Swanepoel — Stefan Swanepoel is a keynote speaker at Family Reunion, author of Surviving Your Serengeti and Principal at RealEstateTrends.
9.@KCKatalyst — Kevin Carroll is a speaker at Family Reunion, founder of the Katalyst Consultancy and author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.
10.@DanielPink — Daniel Pink is another keynote speaker at Family Reunion, and author of Drive, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, & Free Agent Nation.
11.@TechSavvyAgent — Chris Smith is a guest speaker and co-creater of TechSavvyAgent.com.
12.@BenKinney — Ben Kinney is a KW OP, MegaAgent, IMSD founder, co-author of the book soci@l and an agent technology leader.
13.@mayaREguru – Maya Sabot Paveza, a real estate social media and technology leader, is another guest worth following at the event and beyond. (edit: Maya will not be at Family Reunion after all-sorry if I got any of your hopes up that you would meet her!)
14.@DotLoop, @Market_Leader and @KWeEdge – For lots of great info on the KW eEdge sessions.
15.@BethTorrence, @KevinLKauffman, @Mizzle, @ChadHyams, @AllStarMom3, @Seychelle912, @SueAdler & @Liz_Landry – Because they are smart, tech savvy KW associates that have taught me much and are also a lot of fun.
Of course, I’ll be tweeting about all the of the above from @JayPapasan. There are literally thousands of KW associates on Twitter every day, building relationships, sharing information and prospecting for referrals and clients. This list is far from comprehensive! I’m sure I’ve missed lots of KW stars. Please share. Who will you be following at #KWFR?
Why follow KW Family Reunion on Twitter? Following an event on Twitter adds a rich new dimension to the experience. With your smart phone in hand, you suddenly have a backchannel into what hundreds of others around you are observing, thinking and doing. Twitter says its mission is to “instantly connect people everywhere to what’s most important to them.” Each day news stories are broken as users around the globe post 140-character updates about events unfolding around them. As a result, Twitter has often been called the “pulse of the world.” We think it’s the perfect tool for you to experience a big event like Family Reunion from as many perspectives as possible.
Vendors will be tweeting special events. Agents and brokers will be sharing aha’s and tips from their breakout sessions. Networks will announce impromptu gatherings. Jokers will be cracking wise about gaffs and goofs. And, of course, the social media team at KWRI will be sharing interesting and informative information as well.
So what exactly do you need to do to tap into this undercurrent of information and entertainment? Who are the best people to follow?
If you don’t currently have a Twitter account, visit https://twitter.com/signup and get started. There is also a Twitter Start Up Guide available on myKW on the Marketing tab.
For everyone else, login to Twitter and search for the KW Family Reunion event hashtag: #KWFR. You can then click the “Save this search” button on the top, right-hand side of your page to save the search. All the popular Twitter mobile apps will allow you to add a column for the same search so you quickly access the stream of event-related tweets.
Here is a short list of notable or official #KWFR Twitter profiles:
1.@KWRI — Amber Presley is our Social Media Manager at KWRI and will be a great resource.
2.@KWRINews – A channel for KW’s weekly enewsletter ThisWeek@KW, managed by marketing’s Laura Price.
3.@MapsCoaching—The award-winning MAPS Coaching team.
4.@carysylvester — Executive Director of Technology at KWRI.
5.@emarks – Ellen Marks is the Marketing and Communications Director at KWRI.
6.@JoelleSenter – KWRI leader and agent technology advocate.
7.@alexismacintyre — Director of Keller Williams University.
8.@Swanepoel — Stefan Swanepoel is a keynote speaker at Family Reunion, author of Surviving Your Serengeti and Principal at RealEstateTrends.
9.@KCKatalyst — Kevin Carroll is a speaker at Family Reunion, founder of the Katalyst Consultancy and author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.
10.@DanielPink — Daniel Pink is another keynote speaker at Family Reunion, and author of Drive, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, & Free Agent Nation.
11.@TechSavvyAgent — Chris Smith is a guest speaker and co-creater of TechSavvyAgent.com.
12.@BenKinney — Ben Kinney is a KW OP, MegaAgent, IMSD founder, co-author of the book soci@l and an agent technology leader.
13.@mayaREguru – Maya Sabot Paveza, a real estate social media and technology leader, is another guest worth following at the event and beyond. (edit: Maya will not be at Family Reunion after all-sorry if I got any of your hopes up that you would meet her!)
14.@DotLoop, @Market_Leader and @KWeEdge – For lots of great info on the KW eEdge sessions.
15.@BethTorrence, @KevinLKauffman, @Mizzle, @ChadHyams, @AllStarMom3, @Seychelle912, @SueAdler & @Liz_Landry – Because they are smart, tech savvy KW associates that have taught me much and are also a lot of fun.
Of course, I’ll be tweeting about all the of the above from @JayPapasan. There are literally thousands of KW associates on Twitter every day, building relationships, sharing information and prospecting for referrals and clients. This list is far from comprehensive! I’m sure I’ve missed lots of KW stars. Please share. Who will you be following at #KWFR?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
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