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Generation X is a term first made popular by Douglas Coupland and used to describe generations in many countries around the world born during the 1960s and 1970s. Although the exact demographic boundaries of Generation X are not well defined, Coupland used it in 1989-1991, when he wrote his book "Generation X," to describe young people like him. Coupland was born in 1961. The term became used in demography, the social sciences, and marketing, though it is most often used in popular culture. Some of the defining factors used in descripting Generation X stem from social transitions resulting from the decline of colonial imperialism to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War[citation needed]. Another more prevalent factor is a bell curve bottoming out in American births from 1960 through 1980[1], after the American baby boom from 1946 to 1964. A small, often "invisible generation" in the wake of the socially-reconstructing baby boomers, those born in the U.S. between 1964 (often cited as 1961: see Coupland and Strauss and Howe, below) and 1980 received the "X" tag for lack of a defining social identity.[citation needed] As young adults, Generation X drew media attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gaining a stereotypical reputation as apathetic, cynical, disaffected, streetwise loners and slackers,[citation needed] though this reputation only describes a portion of the generation itself. In addition, Generation X is noted as one of the most entrepreneurial and tech-friendly generations in American history[citation needed], as they've driven a majority of the Internet's growth and ingenuity from day one. Google, Yahoo!, MySpace, Dell, YouTube, and other billion-dollar tech companies were founded by people in the Generation X demographic.

The term Generation Y first appeared in an August 1993 magazine AD Age editorial to describe those children born between 19801995.[1] The scope of the term has changed greatly since then, to include, in many cases, anyone born as early as 1976 and late as 2000. Use of the term Generation Y to describe any cohort of individuals is controversial for a variety of reasons. "Generation Y" alludes to a succession from "Generation X", a term which was originally coined as a pejorative label. While Generation Y alludes to that cohort's successive relationship to Generation X, the term Echo Boomers is used to allude to the generation's close tie to the primary childbearing years of Baby Boomers; the term Second Baby Boom is also used in this way and to denote the population expansion that Generation Y represents. The terms Millennials and Internet generation ("iGen") are attempts to give the Gen Y cohort more independent names that are tied with key events and cultural trends that are strongly associated with the generation. No single term is the "correct" term to describe members of this generation. Generation Y are primarily children of the Baby boomers and Generation Jones, though some are children of older Gen X adults. Because of this, there is a perceived tendency to share social views with the Boomers and culture with Gen X, who serve chiefly as their 'older cousins' or even older siblings.

 

 

Younger Investors Getting into Fix and Flips

P1080550Investors who are capitalizing on the recovering housing market are getting younger, according to an article in The Denver Post.  Younger generations are not that interested in working a typical 40 hour a week job, so many of them are trying their hand at real estate investing.

"It requires cash in hand, which disqualifies many young investors." says David Dweck, founder of the Boca Real Estate Investment Club which offers short term loans to investors. Banks typically won't lend money to investors looking to flip homes, so an investor should have enough money to buy the home, renovate it and carry it until it sells. Experts recommend having at least $40,000 to $50,000.  

Read the full story at The Denver Post.com

Creative Commons License photo credit: defythegray




Posted on March 13, 2013 12:22:55 by Blog Author IPTV.Boyz http://www.brokeriptv.com/younger-investors-getting-into-fix-and-flips
 
Best Real Estate Apps

The Top Real Estate AppsReal estate apps accounted for 9 percent of all app usage during the second quarter of 2012, according to Onavo Insights, a company that tracks mobile application traffic.

The top real estate apps for searches, listed by percentage of use are:

1.       Zillow- 38% of users

2.       Realtor.com - 20%

3.       Craigslist - 17%

4.       Trulia - 14%

5.       Redfin - 6%

6.       Homes.com - 2%

7.       Zip Realty - 1%

More and more homebuyers rely on these apps to search for homes.  These sites offer comprehensive listing data which may include open houses, sale and tax histories, estimated values, rent estimates and data on nearby homes. Information may also include links to realtors, lenders and a mortgage calculator.  At Zillow, information also is available for homes not on the market and homes for sale by owners.

Read more at The Denver Post

 




Posted on March 13, 2013 12:02:27 by Blog Author IPTV.Boyz http://www.brokeriptv.com/best-real-estate-apps
 
Go Paperless

Ditch the paper WorkDitch your Day Planner and embrace the digital lifestyle by going paperless in your business, says Meg Herbert for Inman News. 

In an interview with Kerry Melcher, a REALTOR in Phoenix, Herbert finds out how to go paperless in the real estate biz.

Melcher credits the iPhone and the iPad with changing how she did business.  "I needed more hours in my day," says Melcher, "and the iPhone was the real turning point. I am vastly more organized now."

Learning to change her workflow was her biggest challenge, but Melcher says being paperless makes her more efficient. 

How Do Clients Feel About Paperless Transactions?

"Some clients are at first intimidated or bothered by their signature" says Melcher.  But once they are done, she says she's taken more than one client to the apple store afterwards to buy an iPad.

What are the top apps to go paperless?

 Melcher offers her favorites:

Read more at Inman News.

 

 




Posted on November 06, 2012 07:44:17 by Blog Author IPTV.Boyz http://www.brokeriptv.com/go-paperless
 
The Value of Video in Your Business

_MG_5060According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 73% of homeowners would be more likely to list with agents using video.

But only 8 percent of REALTORS are currently using video in their business. How do use video in your site to attract customers?

Create videos that speak to the customers.  What are your clients looking for? The best videos are ones that educate someone about the latest market trends or about a specific area or region. A "Get to Know Me" video is a good start but using video to position yourself as the expert in your area is really what your clients want to know.

"There are many benefits of video in real estate, if a picture says 1000 words, video says them all." says Stephen Garner, Director of Sales Technology at Grand Canyon Title. "Consumer behavior has shifted - online. You may elect to stick with the same old business card, same old photo, on the same old postcard or flyer and the same old standard approach to (marketing) but with over 98% of home buyers going online FIRST when searching for a home or information and 80% of consumers choosing the FIRST agent they come across when they have identified that need, - you will need a business model that can survive and thrive in the future.'

"Video is an important feature of maintaining a web presence," writes Kathryn Allison on Yell.com, "and it's a highly effective marketing tool." "The inclusion of a video in your website can prove eye-catching and can help to draw in your potential customers." 

Promote Your Business with Video Marketing

There is a reason YouTube is the second largest search engine.  "Submitting videos to sharing sites such as YouTube can help to spread the word about your products and services." she says.  "Links between the two can give a boost to your rank in search engine results, as can the added visitor count if your video encourages viewers to visit your website."

Online reviews are another important aspect of marketing.  Consumers search for local businesses online and 72 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.   Make sure you actively monitor all mentions of you and your business and handle any negative reviews immediately.

Read: Build Your Online Reputation with Consumer Reviews

Video is a great tool to tell the story about your community, local businesses, your success stories and, of course, your listings.  "The best videos tell a story." says Garner. The majority of consumers are looking for content about homes for sale.  See: How to Create a Great Listing Video

See: Show and Tell Your Business Story.

Creative Commons License photo credit: d2s

 




Posted on September 24, 2012 14:56:40 by Blog Author IPTV.Boyz http://www.brokeriptv.com/the-value-of-video-in-your-business
 
Got Insurance on Your Smartphone?

R0018047Now that the new iPhone 5 has been introduced, millions have pre-ordered the phone through Apple or their cell phone providers.  In fact, 2 million people ordered it in the first 24 hours, according to Apple. That's a lot of phones and a lot of chances for those phones to be dropped or lost.

Replacing a Phone can be Costly

Most cell phone carriers now offer insurance that covers theft, cracked screens and even water damage.  According to cell phone companies, one in three phones will become lost or broken. Buying a new phone can cost you hundreds of dollars.

Do You Have Insurance on your Cell Phone?

People carry their cell phones with them everywhere which increases the opportunity for risk of damage from dropping the phone to getting it wet.

Cell phone providers offer insurance, usually through third party vendors and Apple just recently introduced an insurance plan known as AppleCare+.

You must enroll in a plan within 30 days of purchase but no two plans are alike, says Cyrus Sanati on MintLife.com. 

Read the Fine Print

"If you don't know what is and what isn't covered by your plan, then you might be giving yourself a false sense of security." says Sanati. "If you want to cover stuff like shattered screens and water damage, then you need to get a plan that specifically covers accidents." He also suggests checking with your homeowners or renters insurance plans to see if they cover your phone. In many cases they will.

Some insurance plans cover loss or theft.  "For example, if you lost your phone in a cab or it drowns out at sea, and you don't have an insurance plan that covers those unfortunate mishaps," says Sanati. ".... you'll get nothing - nada, zilch."

So take heed of that fact before you take your phone on your next deep-sea fishing adventure.

Charges and Fees

Make sure you know how much the insurance will cost you and how you will be paying it.  Most cell phone providers add it to your monthly bill.

Find out if and when you can cancel your coverage.  With some plans, you can cancel anytime with no penalty but other plans may cost you a cancellation fee.

Is there a deductible?  "If you ever need to make a claim, each insurance plan makes you pay a fee," says Sanati.  "Deductibles can range wildly from as low as $49 to as high as $199 - plus sales tax."

Is there a limit on the number of claims?  "Some (plans) limit you to two or three claims per year, while others limit you to two or three claims for the life of the insurance contract." says Sanati.

"So if you are particularly accident prone, you should go with a plan that allows you to make as many claims as possible." he suggests.

Compare Different Plans

"It is important to compare the out-of-pocket costs of insuring your iPhone against the cost of buying a new unsubsidized iPhone." He says.  "For some consumers, paying for insurance doesn't add up."

Read the full story at MintLife.com

Creative Commons License photo credit: whitefield_d

 




Posted on September 19, 2012 14:30:45 by Blog Author IPTV.Boyz http://www.brokeriptv.com/got-insurance-on-your-smartphone