Tuesday, December 13, 2011

QR Codes for Real Estate - How to Get Leads With These Funky Boxes


If you are looking to implement QR codes for real estate marketing, you first need to look at what you are going to be using the codes for. If you are like most real estate agents, you want to know how to get leads with these squiggly little boxes.

Not only are you looking for people actively looking to buy or sell, but you also want to plan the seed for future prospects and bring them into your marketing pipeline.

If you don't have any listings where you can use QR codes (for virtual tours, etc), then you want to use the codes to capture prospect information, such as name, phone number and email address. You have probably heard over and over again that the money is in the list. Well, it is. You need to build a list of prospects to market to. Build a list and build relationships.

Relationships is what generates income and grows your business.

So how can you capture this information when you are starting from zero?

Here are a couple of ideas for using QR codes for real estate marketing:

· Sweepstakes - work with a local business (let's say a coffee shop) and have your QR code on a little tent card. The customer scans the code, enters in their information and in return their name gets put in the draw for the prize. You determine what the prize is. The more expensive the prize the more people will participate.

· Give away free stuff - put your code up at on the grocery store or library bulletin board. Offer a free ebook or report offering them good information on how to prepare to sell their house. This report could be on decluttering the home and yard, or any topic that you want. Perhaps even one on how you use QR codes to sell their house! Those who are interested are very warm leads. And the cost to you? Nothing.

Whatever you do, make sure that you provide something of value to them. Don't send them a link to your website because that only benefits you. Your marketing should be all about how you can benefit THEM. If you want to build a pipeline of potential clients, build a relationship with these people, provide value, give information, give your time and become a trusted agent that they will call and refer to their family and friends.

Be unique, be original, be a giver. Think inside the funky box. Be original in using QR codes in real estate and you will find that it can be a major source to get leads for your business.

Further information on how to build your business, brand and visibility can be found at Donna M Internet Marketing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donna_M

Friday, December 9, 2011

MSG Exposed



The content of this article has links to substantiate its claims

MSG (a slow poison)
Very interesting

The food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) is a slow poison. MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as "Natural Flavoring."  MSG is even in your favorite coffee from Tim Horton's and Starbucks coffee shops!

I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb.  He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada , and spent years working for the government.  He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America .


In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies.  No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born.

The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese.  They even have a name for the fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats."

When I heard this, I was shocked.  I went into my kitchen and checked the cup-boards and the refrigerator. MSG was in everything -- the Campbell's soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen,Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the "healthy low-fat" ones.

The items that didn't have MSG marked on the product label had something called "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein," which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate.

It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff.  MSG is hidden under many different names in order to fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they don't catch on.  (Other names for MSG are "Accent, "Aginomoto," "Natural Meat Tenderizer," etc.)

But it didn't stop there.

When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items contained MSG.  Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG.  But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough, MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere.

Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant - even the sit-down eateries like TGIF, Chili's, Applebee's, and Denny's - use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing. and gravy.  No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin - their secret spice was MSG!

So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?  As a preservative, or a vitamin?

Not according to my friend John Erb.  In his book The Slow Poisoning of America, he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.

Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more.

A study of the elderly showed that older people eat more of the foods that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobbying group says eating more is a benefit to the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us?

"Betcha can't eat [just] one," takes on a whole new meaning where MSG is concerned! And we wonder why the nation is overweight!

MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products...  It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance..  Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the
pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday.

The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food.  They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it's safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these:

"The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity." Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT , Ribeiro IA. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002.

"Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats." Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro. Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug.

'Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: An animal model of multiple risk factors."  Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima.
AHypertens Res. 1998 Mar.

"Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity." Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki. Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct.

No, the date of that last study was not a typo; it was published in 1978. Both the "medical research community" and "food manufacturers" have known about the side effects of MSG for decades.

Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's.

So what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping this fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see?

Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada .  While he was sitting in the government office, the official told him, "Sure, I know how bad MSG is.


I wouldn't touch the stuff.." But this top-level government official refuses to tell the public what he knows.

The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing issues with their advertisers.  It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their profit margin.  The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price for it.  Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive.

But what can I do about it? I'm just one voice!  What can I do to stop the poisoning of our children, while our governments are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us?

This message is going out to everyone I know in an attempt to tell you the truth that the corporate-owned politicians and media won't tell you.

The best way you can help to save yourself and your children from this drug-induced epidemic is to forward this article to everyone.  With any luck, it will circle the globe before politicians can pass the legislation
protecting those who are poisoning us.

The food industry learned a lot from the tobacco industry.  Imagine if big tobacco had a bill like this in place before someone blew the whistle on nicotine?

If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us and you don't believe what John Erb has to say, see for yourself.  Go to the National Library of Medicine at www..pubmed.com
. Type in the words "MSG  Obese" and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appear.

We the public do not want to be rats in one giant experiment, and we do not approve of food that makes us into a nation of obese, lethargic, addicted sheep, feeding the food industry's bottom line while waiting for the heart transplant, the diabetic-induced amputation, blindness, or other obesity-induced, life-threatening disorders..

With your help we can put an end to this poison.  Do your part in sending this message out by word of mouth, e-mail, or by distribution of this printout to your friends all over the world and stop this "Slow Poisoning of Mankind" by the packaged food industry.

Blowing the whistle on MSG is our responsibility, so get the word out.

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Law Is the Law


THE LAW IS THE LAW!   

I really love this one. This is one of the better e-mails I have received in a long time
 !
  
I hope this makes its way around  Canada   several times over!  

So Be It!
 

THE LAW IS THE LAW


So if the
Canadian   government determines that it is against the law for the words 'under God'   to be on our money, then,   so be it.   

And if that same government decides that the
 'Ten Commandments' are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it.   

I say, 
'so be it,' because I would like to be alaw-abiding   Canadian   citizen.   

I say, 
'so be it,'   because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions. 
  
  I would like to think that those people have the Canadian public's best interests at heart. 


BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE?
   

Since we can't pray to God,
Can't Trust in God and
Cannot post His Commandments in Government buildings
, 


I don't believe that the Government and its employees should participate in the Easter and Christmas
  celebrations which honor the God that
Our government is eliminating from many facets of Canadian
 life.   

I'd like my
 mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, and Easter.   


After all, it's just another day.
 


I'd like the 'Canadian Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, and Easter, as well as Sundays.'
After all, it's just another day.
 

I'd like the
Senate and the House of Commons
To not have to worry
 about getting home for the'Christmas Break'. 
After all, it's just another day.
 


I'm thinking that a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved,
If all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter.
 
  
It shouldn't cost any overtime since those would be just like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be
  
'politically correct'. 

In fact....
 

I think that our government should work on Sundays
 
(initially set aside for worshipping God...)
 
Because, after all, our government says that it should be
 
Just
 another day. 

What do you all think????
 

If this idea gets to enough people, may be our
elected officials
will
stop giving in to the 'minority opinions' and begin, once again, to represent the 'MAJORITY' of ALL the Canadian people.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Listing Status Report Jan 1 - Oct 31, 2011


LISTING STATUS REPORT
1-Jan-2011 TO 30-Oct-2011

  RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY FARM TOTALS
ACTIVE
1285
193
29
25
1532
SOLD
2390
93
50
44
2577
CONDITIONAL
45
6
0
0
51
EXPIRED
1546
236
26
43
1851
CANCELLED
716
41
9
21
787
WITHDRAWN
111
6
1
2
120
 
TOTALS 6093 5751151356918

LISTING STATUS REPORT
1-Oct-2011 TO 30-Oct-2011

  RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY FARM TOTALS
ACTIVE
292
35
12
6
345
SOLD
207
6
8
4
225
CONDITIONAL
29
6
0
0
35
EXPIRED
276
35
3
3
317
CANCELLED
89
5
5
1
100
WITHDRAWN
9
2
0
0
11
 
TOTALS 902 8928141033

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Market to remain Steady says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s third quarter housing report


New home construction is anticipated to see very modest growth in 2012 with an estimated 183,900 housing starts verses the 183,200 estimated by year end for 2011.  Resale of existing properties is set to follow the same pattern with an estimated total of 458,000 transactions over the 2011 number at 446,700.

What does this mean for the Mortgage Brokerage Industry in Canada? 

With the relatively flat projection it means that we will still see a strong real estate market.  With very moderate growth projected, 2012 is a year where the brokerage community will need to enhance their client communication and marketing strategy.  The ability of the mortgage broker to have strong relationships with the consumer based on providing sound expertise gives us an edge when looking for growth opportunities.  Consumers are more and more seeking options when pushing forward with the largest financial transaction of their lives.  With the banks continuing to push for a market share grab, and the overshadowing uncertainty of the world’s economic climate, the broker channel is uniquely positioned to give comfort with a focus on what is best for the consumer verses selling one product line that is aggressively cross sold.

Consumers in Canada continue to experience credit strain as indicated by a recent Royal Bank report where 38% of Canadians now indicate that they are not as comfortable with their level of consumer debt as they were 12 months ago.  This combined with an ever more aggressive program of pushing unsecured lending by the banks, means that the trend for continued expansion of personal debt will rise.  Place the burden of additional mortgage lending restrictions into the mix and the need for sound advice grows stronger.  Consumer Proposals are continuing to see a dramatic increase as people seek out solutions to their debt woes especially as the banks and other lenders do not offer solutions that focus on long term solutions.

All indicators tell us that keeping in touch with clients with relevant and timely information is the foundation to creating a strong and diverse portfolio of clients.  Being able to offer clients sound advice, and additional options on credit and debt management will become ever more important as we move into the New Year.



Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Giving Thanks to Low Mortgage Rates


At this time last year, sitting around the feast laden table, many economic forecasts indicated that mortgage rates would be on the rise in 2011. Here we are on the fleeting end of the year and rates for the most part have remained at a historical 30 year low.

Although prime rate remains unchanged, a noticeable trend over the second half of the year seems to be the pricing by the mortgage facilitators or lackthereof on any variable rate products offered. This said most lenders are offering prime minus -0.30% to -0.60% of which still remains a ridiculously great rate, should one be tempted to the fate of the variable option, stay tuned for our discussion on fixed versus variable mortgages.

So should you need to search the corners of your mind to find something to be thankful for, here it is - Prime rate has been below 10% since May 1991, and one has to wonder whether or not we will ever see double digit rates lending again.

With increased purchase power, affordability is relatively attainable in the majority of Canadian cities. As more Generation X and Y’s move into homeownership and Boomers are buying the vacation or pre-retirement homes, now is the time to make the leap of faith. Equity and prices have leveled off in almost every major city with of course the notable exception of Vancouver.

Here are some fun facts for you, while we are talking about increased purchase power:

    • 1981 Prime Rate 22.75% based on mortgage of $300,000 and an amortization of 25 years, the monthly payment would be $5460.28
    • 2011 Prime Rate 3.00% based on mortgage of $300,000 and an amortization of 25 years, the monthly payment would be $1419.74
What does this mean to you? With the likelihood that mortgage rates will rise in 2012 now is the time to look into early renewal options, refinancing or making that purchase you have been holding off on.

Constantine Isslamow
T. 705.743.6235
CENTUM Core Financial Inc.
Licence #: 10642

Monday, October 3, 2011

Good to know, especially since rumour has that Canada Post Customer service is headed to India before the New Year



A lot of us do not realize this option is open to us.

Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, charter communications,
health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc. ) and you find that you're talking
to a foreign customer service representative (with an accent, difficult to understand
perhaps in India, Philippines, etc), Please consider doing the following:

After you connect and you realize that the Customer Service Representative is
not working in Canada (you can always ask, if you are not sure about the accent),
please, very politely this is not about trashing other cultures.

Say, "I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada."

The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, But, again, politely say,
"Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada .."
YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN CANADA .

That's the rule and the LAW.
It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to Canada .
Tonight when I got redirected to a Canadian Rep, I asked again to make sure
- and yes, she was from Calgary ....

Imagine what would happen if every Canadian Citizen insisted on talking to only
Canadian phone reps, from this day on.

Imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of Canadian jobs that would need
to be created ASAP.

If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this -
see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.

Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude
to a foreign phone rep. You will get correct answers, good advice, and solutions to your
problem - in real English.

Why the U.S. was downgraded:



• U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
• Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
• New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
• National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
• Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000

Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

• Annual family income: $21,700
• Money the family spent: $38,200
• New debt on the credit card: $16,500
• Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
• Total budget cuts: $385

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

1-999-910-0152


Received a call from 1-999-910-0152.  I was told that they were working together with Microsoft and that I had several bad viruses in my computer and it was about to crash.  I right away started to laugh on the inside. 

The lady of the phone sounded like she was calling from India.  Not being able to contain myself any longer I began to laugh out loud.  I asked how did she get my phone number and she told me when I set up my computer with Microsoft I gave them my phone number.  She would not allow me to phone back because there was no guarantee that I would get her on the phone.

I then asked is it not more important for me to remove the viruses then ensuring she would receive credit on the phone.  Did not matter, I had to deal with her and only her.

To make a long story short I told her that I had a Mac computer so what she has told me thus far was a complete lie.  Needless to say she hung up.

If you get a similar call, just tell them you have a Mac computer and they won't know what to do.
Cheers.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Hydro Smart Meters

If you like smart meters you’re going to love this - more smart meter tax





 
Soon you are going to have to pay for the privilege of having it    forced on you, plus, you guessed it, you are going to have to pay HST   on the extra fee. But not until next year – not something you are   suppose to know about before an election.
 
At least the smart meters were made in Ontario right? Nope made in Korea.   Korea IT Times.
  http://koreaittimes.com/story/15485/smart-meter-shipments-totaled-174-million-units-worldwide-during-1st-quarter-2011
 
 Buried on a footnote on page 1-102, of volume 2a of the 2010 Ontario    Public Accounts is a revelation that Dalton McGuinty’s Minister of    Energy quietly approved a request from the Independent Electricity Systems Operator to apply to the Ontario Energy Board for a new tax called Smart Meter Service Fees.


Page 13 of the Independent Electricity System Operator’s 2011-2013 Business Plan confirms that the Dalton McGuinty Liberals are already budgeting to collect $33 million per year in Smart Meter Service Fees beginning in 2012. Over the next four years, this would cost Ontario families $132 million to run the smart meter super computer.
 

This new Smart Meter Tax will be applied to smart meter hydro bills above and beyond the higher costs of ‘time of use pricing’. Already under Dalton McGuinty, hydro rates have gone up 84 percent and 150 percent for homes with a smart meter, not to mention the $1 billion ($200 per household) price tag that came with installing smart meters.
 
We all need to ask the questions and vote on Thursday October 6. 

Call Centres

Call Centres - The law in Canada
                 
Good to know, especially since rumour has that Canada Post Customer service is Headed to India before the New Year
             
A lot of us do not realize this option is open to us.
             
Any time you call an 800 number(for a credit card, banking, charter communications, health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc. ) and you find that you're talking to a foreign customer service representative(with an accent, difficult to inderstand/ perhaps in India, Philippines, etc),Please consider doing the following:
 
After you connect and you realize that the Customer Service Representative is not working in Canada (you can always ask,  if you are not sure about the accent), please, very politely this is not about trashing other cultures
 
Say, "I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada ."
 
The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager,But, again, politely say, "Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada .."
 
YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN CANADA ..
 
That's the rule and the LAW.
 
It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to Canada .
 
Tonight when I got redirected to a Canadian Rep, I asked again to make sure - and yes, she was from Calgary ..
 
Imagine what would happen if every Canadian Citizen insisted on talking to only Canadian phone reps, from this day on.
 
Imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of Canadian jobs that would need to be created ASAP. Let’s slow down and possibly reverse some of our unemployment problems.
       
If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this - see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.
       
Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep.  
           
You will get correct answers, good advice, and solutions  - in real English.
 
If you agree, please tell 10 people you know, and ask them to tell 10 people they know....etc...etc