southernbc's Blog: All Categories

There was never a more accurate statement made than when it was said " you  harvest what you Plant or (Reap what you Sow)".  Especially when you are talking about community involvement in a tight community group.  As Realtors we are in a position where the opinion of the people in our area can have a significant effect on our overall income. 

I find it advantageous to provide "FREE" services to non profit community organizations or local government when it is easily within my power to do so.  There is a definate light at the end of the tunnel for the Realtor who makes an impression on their community which indicates that it is not ALL about money.  People become more at ease in their approach and the feelings they have of you are not always felt for… Read Full Post

I have to say yes it is, from my vantage point in a small market 5-6 hours from Vancouver (the home of the 2010 Olympics) my observation is that the Olympics have been a key factor driving our Real Estate market into a frenzy.  The Real Estate market on the lower mainland has been building steadily  with properties becoming more and more valuable. 

The people selling in the Lower Mainland are doing so to get out of the rat race.  Many of them are choosing to buy a home in the Okanagan Valley at Kelowna, Vernon, Penticon, Oliver or  Osoyoos.  That trend is fueling the market at little old Greenwood, Midway, Grand Forks and Rock Creek who are only a 1-2 hour drive from their choice of the Okanagan Cities.

As a result of this and an incredibly strong… Read Full Post

Every webmaster and wannabe knows what keywords are and the role they play in search engine positioning. I want to discuss the things that are almost universally missed. I may regret this as many of you compete with me for positioning in some way or another.

I personally take the attitude "let the big dogs fight over the bone I'll eat well out of the bowl while they do". In other words I do not strive to capture the biggest most unniversal keywords such as "Real estate" or "homes for sale" there are reasons to strive for such terms but if you do not optimize for an international Real estate company or directory the majority of the traffic you recieve would find you irrelevant.

I first try to talk in my articles and keywords as a BUYER not a SELLER… Read Full Post

Since the rise of the internet as a popular marketing tool there has been a multitude of people varying from true experts in search engine marketing and positioning to people regurgitating dogma they have read in various forums and websites.

I have no special training in website design or optimization.  I am completely self taught since 1998 and there are holes in my knowledge that you could drive a truck through.  So take my opinion for what it is meant for, and use the thoughts to round out what you already know.  I am NOT an expert in optimization techniques and do not wish to mislead anyone.

It is clear to me that Real estate Webmasters is the real deal, so I wish to share a few of the things I have learned in my carreer of search engine… Read Full Post

Hello all,

If you happen to be looking for property in Canada in general you can start your search here: http://www.mls.ca .  If you need assistance or a referral partner in the Kootenay Real Estate Board's area please give me a call.

Have a Great Day!
Don Mann Read Full Post

It is a daunting job comparing the cost of marketing your own Home vs. utilizing the services of   Real Estate professionals.  How can you acheive a measurement  which will compare all of the variables such as marketing, connections, mls services and internet positioning.

When you take a closer look at Real Estate sold by owner/sellers it becomes apparent that the return to the seller is not increased in most cases while the responsibility of the seller becomes many times increased. Statistically there is only a 20% chance that homeowners selling their own home will accomplish a sale.  While the odds of selling your home are significantly decreased,  the odds are also that in the event that you do manage to sell your home, the sale price (according to… Read Full Post