| First is a classic tale of a story
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| | not being like everyone else.
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| submitted by a Real Estate Company with
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| | My corporate identity and my corporate
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| multiple offices that had contracted for
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| | colors were very important to me, and the
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| a Web Site to be developed. The Web Site
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| | subject was just not up for discussion.
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| development firm was an established
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| | This infuriated him. He did set things up
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| company with good references in the Real
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| | under my own domain, though'. However,
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| Estate industry. The site was developed
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| | strange as it may seem, the name I'd
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| to the satisfaction of the franchise
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| | picked out all along, had just been taken
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| owners and they sat back anticipating the
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| | by someone on the outskirts of my trading
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| results. Nine months later with thousands
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| | area, just weeks before I applied for it.
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| of supposed "hits" and very few inquiries
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| | Had I gotten it in the first place, I
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| they began to examine the site that had
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| | would have it now. I'd used the name in
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| been designed for them. They found that
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| | other types of media, and a huge
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| the site had never been submitted to the
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| | franchise Realtor decided he would
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| search engines and that it was not
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| | register it, in case I ever wanted to
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| "keyworded" for the cities that they
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| | "BUY" it back from him.A similar horror
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| serviced. They had not been getting the
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| | show took place with the ISPs --- their
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| detailed log reports which they should
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| | servers were continually going down. Had
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| have and had not had a search engine
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| | to move four times before I found a
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| performance analysis on the site.
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| | compatible group of people with whom I
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| When they confronted the Site Developers
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| | could work. AMAZING. Everyone wants to
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| they were told that changes in the
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| | argue. Everyone is an expert. They charge
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| industry were responsible for the poor
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| | huge set up fees, and people who are not
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| performance and the site had to be
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| | "in the know", need to really be careful
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| redesigned because of this. Of course
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| | about signing those kinds of contracts.
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| this is ridiculous. As professionals
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| | Some keep on charging my AMEX cards,
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| they should have kept up with industry
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| | sporadically, after months of no charges.
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| changes. Not only that, they never did
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| | Trying to get that rectified is another
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| submit the site to the search engines.
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| | nightmare.
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| To date, they had already paid more than
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| | All I want to do is sell real estate. I
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| $75,000 for the site development and
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| | have spent the better part of the past
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| administration. They were locked in. So,
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| | year and a half "working" on the Net.
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| they agreed to pay an additional $5,000.
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| | Indeterminable costs in $$$, and much
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| To correct the problems caused by
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| | more in nerves.
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| "industry changes". Two and a half months
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| later their redesigned site is coming up
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| | A true horror show, that finally is, in
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| on the search engines. It is still not
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| | spite of itself, finally producing
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| key worded for the cities they service
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| | excellent results. Not lots, but I am
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| and the corrections continue.
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| | good at weeding and feeding. Response
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| This story is not a unique one. Today,
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| | time is "everything", as you say on your
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| there are middle school students who can
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| | site. I, for one, believe this is
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| develop a Web Site. This does not mean
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| | absolutely business on the cutting edge
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| they fully understand the Internet and
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| | of the future, and we are now,
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| how it works. A Web Site is a key
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| | fortunately, positioned to take advantage
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| business element that requires knowledge
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| | of the way that business will be
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| of the business, sales and marketing and
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| | conducted from here on in.
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| all the facets of business management. It
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| | I have made some valuable new contacts
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| also requires a broad-based knowledge of
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| | in the industry, we belong to three
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| the workings of the Internet.
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| | network communities, and look forward to
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| The greatest problem that we see is a
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| | exceptional success from here on in. Our
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| lack of knowledge on the part of the
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| | site was written up in the Canadian Real
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| businessperson who is considering a Web
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| | Estate News newspaper which is delivered
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| Site for his business. Without an ability
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| | to all real estate offices across Canada.
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| to evaluate the competency of a Web Site
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| | Many Realtors made contact as a result of
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| Developer the businessperson is at a loss
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| | that article, too.
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| to make a qualified judgment. There are
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| | I was at a meeting for the Real Estate
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| many people who have developed numerous
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| | Council of Ontario recently, and was
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| Web Sites but there are few who have
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| | informed by the President that he'd just
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| created sites, which produce the intended
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| | returned from an Air Canada flight, on
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| results.
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| | which he'd read an article about my web
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| From a realtor in Tucson we hear that
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| | success. Not realizing he'd be seeing me,
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| she has been getting regular inquiries
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| | he didn't keep the article. I am now
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| from the Internet and has a client flying
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| | trying to locate a copy.
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| in from Japan. After a year on line and
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| | This from Bob Jurgensen in Manassas, VAI
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| with listings in and her own web site she
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| | average about 3-5 requests a week for my
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| has a regular flow of inquiries from
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| | "free relocation kits" and about 1 in 10
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| around the country.
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| | ever communicates back in any form. Most
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| We continue to get e-mail from Realtors
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| | do provide phone numbers but few return
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| around the country. There are many
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| | calls and I usually get voice mails. (Bob
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| Realtors who are just learning about the
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| | has stopped sending out the kits to every
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| Internet and making the adjustment from
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| | request, he contacts people first now)
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| the "snail world". At first it is hard
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| | In spite of this seemingly poor rate of
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| to get accustomed to the speed of the
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| | return, I did sell 11 homes and almost $2
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| net. E-mail is transmitted to recipients
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| | Million in sales off the Internet in
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| in a matter of seconds. People who have
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| | 2005. I tracked my sales last year very
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| been active on the net for a while come
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| | carefully because it was all new to me
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| to expect a response from others within
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| | and I wanted to know what works and what
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| 24 hours. One is not surprised when a
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| | doesn't.
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| business responds within hours to an
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| | My first contact was an Air Traffic
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| e-mail. The businesses that are
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| | Controller from Boston moving to this
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| seriously "doing business" on the web
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| | area (Dulles) and we began a dialog. He
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| often respond within an hour. So, for
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| | came down alone and I gave him a tour the
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| those of us who are just starting a to
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| | day he interviewed for his new job. Then
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| market our Realtor services on the
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| | two weeks later he returned with his
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| Internet, this concept of speed is
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| | family and we went out to do some serious
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| something we have to adjust to. Those of
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| | searching.
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| us who do not make this adjustment will
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| | Right after this family bought, he
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| fall by the wayside as more aggressive
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| | passed my email address to another friend
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| and attentive companies give customers a
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| | in Boston, who visited my site and also
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| faster response.
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| | requested a relocation kit. Bingo...
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| Ouch! Three Web Designers and $$$
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| | another sale a few weeks later. Between
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| over 1 1/2 year
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| | these two guys I had a referral from each
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| Signed up with a web master who had done
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| | and that's a total of 4 sales in about 3
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| a nice, clean site for a nearby local
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| | months. (A new ATC facility opened at
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| Realtor. I did not know the right
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| | Dulles recently and they had to staff it
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| questions to ask, so I signed up with him
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| | so many are coming here from other parts
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| too. He was in the northwest states.
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| | of country.)
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| Turned out that he did "cookie-cutter"
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| | That's not all, this year these same two
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| sites, and didn't like it at all, when I
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| | controllers have each sent me yet another
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| had too many creative ideas. He was a
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| | referral and one is coming in August to
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| very nice "person" but did not,
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| | "take the tour", the other most likely in
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| absolutely did not, want to follow my
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| | October. So that's a total of 6 sales
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| instructions. Also, he told me I
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| | (hopefully) in less than two years off
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| absolutely did not need my own domain.
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| | basically ONE HIT on my site.
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| After several months of begging,
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| | There have been several others, mostly
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| pleading, and stamping my feet, because
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| | military and/or government employees. Not
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| he never made any of the requested
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| | sure why, but I guess they use the I-net
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| changes, such as marking listings SOLD, I
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| | daily. Coupled with the fact this area
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| couldn't deal with it all any more. So, I
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| | (DC-Northern VA) is a major gov't area,
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| switched to someone else who came
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| | keeps them coming I guess. I seem to have
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| recommended. Although' his work was good,
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| | the most success with gov't and military
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| and delivered on time, he was "extremely"
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| | types.
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| expensive for any tiny little thing done
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| | Sacramento Realtor had 15 Million in
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| after the initial site was up and
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| | Internet Sourced transactions
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| running. Also, he decided that he had
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| | Dave Vandermyden, of Pacific Coast
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| become a "consultant" and took it upon
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| | Realty, is one of the top Realtors on the
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| himself to "run my life". Made changes to
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| | net. In his second year on the Internet
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| the site without being asked, took it
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| | he originated more than 15 million in
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| upon himself to "alter" my colors --
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| | transactions from the Internet. With
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| which are a major part of my identity,
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| | four websites consisting of more than 130
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| without consulting with me first, added
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| | pages he has dominated the Sacramento
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| links to places he thought should be on
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| | market on the net. His activity includes
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| my site, and on and on it went for
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| | referrals to a network of San Francisco
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| several weeks. When I stamped my feet,
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| | Realtors that uses to fill the needs of
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| and insisted these things be removed, it
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| | inquiries he receives for that area.
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| took weeks to make those changes.
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| | During the first quarter of 99 Dave has
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| He also informed me that studies had
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| | averaged about 25 inquiries per
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| been done (this has been done in most
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| | week.Written for
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| forms of media for many years) saying
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| | By James Christensen
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| that the only recognizable colours on the
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| | Real Estate Expert and educator. Our
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| Net are red, white, and blue. Well,
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| | training site offers a valuable service
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| that's wonderful, but part of my success
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| | to individuals looking to get into the
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| over 17 years is due to being "different"
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| | Real Estate industry.
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| which is also "recognizable" by nature of
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