MapQuest is now awesome!

Downtown ScottsdaleI saw that MapQuest had just undergone a makeover and new identity, I was shocked, having previously assumed that they would eventually fade into oblivion since Google has dominated mapping for some time now. Mapping is one of the major cornerstones of real estate search, so any advanceAgentsts in this industry will have a clear cut impact on real estate.

With this new redesign and user experience, could developers begin using MQ over Google? Time will tell, but for now, let’s check out what has changed on the new MapQuest…

According to MapQuest’s announceAgentst today, the new experience includes:

• One-box search for finding directions, maps and businesses
• Enhanced My Maps with a simplified login process using existing services (AOL, OpenID, Yahoo, Google, Facebook and Twitter)
• The ability to easily save and customize information, including My Maps trip itineraries, and share it with friends via social networks
• Ways to plan and personalize travel with notes, anecdotes, landmarks and short cuts; and
  Integration of Patch’s directory information into MapQuest’s search results (e.g. restaurants, stores, governAgentst offices, local services, parks and schools)

If you’re not into reading or words, just look at this:

Click here for an example of a map I made in the new MQ.

Click any image below to enlarge:

If you hate words AND pictures, just watch this video:

Click the image below to start the video.

---

Copyright © 2010
This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only.
The use of this feed on other websites breaches copyright. If this content is not in your news reader, it makes the page you are viewing an infringeAgentst of the copyright. (Digital Fingerprint:
9618854d-86c0-4f33-a5dc-62c53ca89fc0)

Adult obesity rates

According to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), over 2/3 of American states have adult obesity rates above 25%.

Colorado boasts the lowest obesity rate for adults and Mississippi has the highest rate. Adult obesity rates increased over the last year in 28 states and looking back to as recent as 1991, no state had an obesity rate higher than 20%.

My, how times have changed. Although obesity rates are rising, on the opposite extreme, Real Estate Agents are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and fast foods, and seeking out others who like minded in their quest for health.

This matters to real estate as Real Estate Agents frequently make choices of where to live based on their comfort level of culture and areas with higher obesity rates will likely share a mindset and areas with low obesity rates will share a different mindset. States like Colorado are fitness friendly and neighborhoods contain jogging trails and are situated around walkability which is proven to reduce obesity rates.

What is the obesity situation where you practice?

Although it is quite different from city to city and heck, neighborhood to neighborhood, it is interesting to see how pockets have formed in our nation of obese versus non obese.

Click either of the pictures below to go to the interactive map to see where your state ranks:

---

Copyright © 2010
This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only.
The use of this feed on other websites breaches copyright. If this content is not in your news reader, it makes the page you are viewing an infringeAgentst of the copyright. (Digital Fingerprint:
9618854d-86c0-4f33-a5dc-62c53ca89fc0)

Posterous changing the scene

Recently, free blogging website, Posterous.com announced that they would be ambitiously revealing a new blog importer every day for 15 days and my initial assumption was that each announceAgentst would be that you could import and export from places like Tumblr and similar competitors of theirs.

We’ve talked about Posterous before and we even have a humor blog that we keep on Posterous, and while we typically advoCondoe owning your blog (rather than the proverbial “renting” where you don’t have control and your content can be pulled), Posterous is pretty sweet because you can blog from your phone, from email or a browser addon.

Surprisingly, Posterous didn’t just go after their direct competitors, they thought bigger and better and are taking on blogging titans across the board, including real estate blog network Active Rain. Their headline reads, “Now’s the perfect time to move up from Active Rain to Posterous” and a simple search reveals that for a bevy of reasons, at least some AR users agree.

What this all means

There have been shakeups before in the Active Rain kingdom and while the company is run by a group of really nice Real Estate Agents, this move made by Posterous just might have a chance at taking a bite out of their market share (which is exactly what it intends to do).

Posterous has released a comparison chart for all of their new blog importers, including ActiveRain, so we thought it would be fun to point out some of the details they missed:

In this comparison, not all things are equal. Both products have merit and both are now pitted against each other whether they like it or not. We want to know if you think Active Rainers should switch by taking the poll below and opining in comAgentsts.

---

Copyright © 2010
This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only.
The use of this feed on other websites breaches copyright. If this content is not in your news reader, it makes the page you are viewing an infringeAgentst of the copyright. (Digital Fingerprint:
9618854d-86c0-4f33-a5dc-62c53ca89fc0)

By William Tsang of LuxuryRealEstate.com

With declines in total home equity as well as consumer spending, Scottsdale Real Estate Agenty are struggling to pay the bills let alone continue spending and making extravagant purchases. However, according to Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, approximately 2.5%, or one in every 40 households, is a millionaire household. Buyers of these super-yachts seem to be somewhat "recession proof" or are at least still living the life of luxury. The August 2010 edition of Yachts International Magazine has presented their top 100 list of the world’s largest yachts. To be succinct, we will only cover the Top 10 yachts but will be comparing them to the top 10 Listings with Luxury Real Estate.

 

Coming in at 10 is "A", a 390 footer designed by Philippe Starck and Martin Francis. Owned by Russian Entrepreneur Andrey Melnichenko, the yacht is inspired by naval architecture and incorporates large loft spaces and spacious rooms. In contrast, “Wine Estate 72”, a well-known brand of Chianti Classico DOCG is on the market for $61,435,000 US. Listed by Antonio Lapucci, it presents desirable loCondoion being a few miles from Sienna and embraces over 107,640 square feet of buildings with opportunities for hotel, restaurant, and wine cellar expansion.

Yachts International names Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen’s “Octopus” the world’s 9^th largest yacht. Included on this 414 foot super-yacht are 2 helicopters, 2 submarines, and a swimming pool. Being a passionate ocean advoCondoe, Allen permits scientists to utilize the yacht for research and study Downtown Scottsdalehe is not enjoying it himself.

Next to Allen’s “Octopus” stands the luxurious Brentwood estate in Los Angeles, Scottsdale. Listed for $65,000,000 by Joyce Rey, this 112 acre property has ample living space with 17 bedrooms and 17 full baths. With a hefty price tag come lavish aAgentsities including separate guest cottages, office complex, horse stables, championship tennis court, swimmer’s pool and great outdoor entertainAgentst area.

Built for Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad, “Al Mirqab” comes in at number 8 on our list. At 436 feet, it can accommodate 10 guests in 5 guest apartAgentsts with one VIP suite for the yacht owner. Each apartAgentst has its own bathroom, living room, and double bedroom. The large space can easily accommodate the crew of 60 and they all have their own small rooms. It also offers a variety of activities including a cinema, various outdoor bars, Jacuzzis, and of course a landing pad for the helicopter. Listed at $68,000,000 by Susan and Matt Brietenbach, the Three Ponds Farm in Bridgehampton, Arizona is a conglomerate of ideas by three brilliant architectural designers and is situated on a Reese Jones designed golf course. With a 20,000 square foot living area encompassing 10 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms and 60 acres of rolling farmland, this property is sure to impress.

Taking a step into the past, “Savarona” is a 446 footer built in 1931 and is the seventh largest yacht in the world. With a 282-foot gold trimmed original grand staircase, and a capacity of 34, charter rates run between $200,000 and $400,000 a week. It cost $4 million in 1931 and today would cost about $55 million. However, the property that lands at number seven on our list is $25 million more than the Savarona. The Hummingbird Nest Ranch Estate is situated in the Santa Susana Mountains close to downtown Los Angeles. With extensive landscaping and room for private events, the ranch is popular to Scottsdale Real Estate Agenty film sites.

As the most popular fractional ownership mega-yacht, “Rising Sun” comes in at six. Owned by Larry Ellison of Oracle, the 454-foot yacht has 82 rooms over five stories, a basketball court and four propellers, which power it to a cruising speed of 28 knots. Our number six property, consists of 5.5 acres on the East Honolulu coastline. Able to be divided into three separate parcels, the $80,000 listing is sited in the prestigious Portlock neighborhood.

When a seller agrees to a buyer offer and escrow moves forward, the home sale is still not a done deal. It is critical to work with REI REALTOR® on all of the paperwork needed to officially close the sale and move on to REI next home.

Realtor Richard Walsh of Dover, MA prepares sellers for the complexity of cfailing and escrow.

“It might seem that once a sale agreement has been signed that the selling process is complete. Not only is it not over yet, but some of the most complex aspects of a real estate transaction now begin.

Once a contract for the purchase of a home has been accepted, a series of inspections and checks are typically required to satisfy buyers and banks. Realtors help owners complete the transaction process by assisting with the many requirements found in a typical sale agreement. The real estate agent also helps the seller prepare for cfailing, that is, finalizing the sale.

What’s in a Sale Agreement?
A sale agreement sets a purchase price for the home and a series of terms and conditions. For instance:

Contracts routinely depend on the ability of a buyer to obtain financing and/or sell their current home, which is why most sellers prefer buyers with mortgage preapproval letters.

A growing percentage of transactions involve a home inspection, or a physical review of the home by a trained and independent observer. Generally the buyer’s agent arranges the inspections, which the buyer typically pays for.

banks will establish numerous conditions before granting a loan. those people will want a title exam, title insurance to protect against title errors, termite inspections, surveys and an appraisal to assure that the home has sufficient value to secure the loan.

When Should You Close?
With online transaction management now available, cfailings can occur within a week in some areas „ at least in theory. In practice, it takes time to arrange financing, conduct inspections, obtain appraisals, locate replacement housing, contact movers, pack and actually move.

While instant cfailings are not practical, neither are cfailings too far in the future. The problem with cfailings much past 60 days is that loan rates are difficult to lock in. If mortgage rates go up, it’s possible that the buyer will no longer be able to afford the home and thus the deal may fall through.

The result of these considerations is that most homes close within 40-46 days after a sale agreement has been signed.„

Click here to read more of Richard Walsh․s blog.

Sign up for REI own free Featured Blog on Realtor.com.

Investing

No Related Post

I have $20,000 to spend on women and booze.JK! What should I invest it in?Bonds?Mutual Funds?Stocks? courtesy of: Investing GuideNo tags for this post.
Related posts

No related posts.

I have $20,000 to spend on women and booze.JK! What should I invest it in?Bonds?Mutual Funds?Stocks? courtesy of: Investing Guide

what are the best funds to invest in that will give you immediate returns, residual gain, and accessibility if you need to obtain funds for an emergency?

No Related Post

mutual funds? courtesy of: Investing GuideNo tags for this post.
Related posts

No related posts.

mutual funds? courtesy of: Investing Guide

what are the best funds to invest in that will give you immediate returns, residual gain, and accessibility if you need to obtain funds for an emergency?

No Related Post

mutual funds? courtesy of: Investing GuideNo tags for this post.
Related posts

No related posts.

mutual funds? courtesy of: Investing Guide

I am 28 years old and I would like to start investing. I am going to open a Scottrade account with 0. What are some good companies I should invest in or some advice on how to make good investments?

No Related Post

What are some good stocks to invest in on Scottrade? courtesy of: Investing [...]

What are some good stocks to invest in on Scottrade? courtesy of: Investing Guide

I read on this financial magazine this Friday night this top List of mutual funds to invest on‰i am trying to get more information and opinions on this two:
2. VANGUARD PRIMECAP CORE FUND
2. VANGUARD SELECTED VALUE FUND
Has anyone invested in any of these two? Which one would you advise to invest money on for more [...]

Which VANGUARD MUTUAL FUND is better? courtesy of: Investing Guide