Google Has Two New Map Features: Terrain Maps and Collaborative Maps.

The terrain maps will certainly be of benefit to anyone who needs to present a topographic lay of the land, but the collaborative maps feature may prove to be an even more useful tool. The ability to create your own custom maps has been available from Google maps for a some time now, but these new collaboration features may result in greater benefits. Collaboration creates conversation. Invite your readers to share their favorite restaurants, places to hike, etc, and give anyone who stumbles on your map the right to add their favorites. And be sure to get specific with the map, as they do in the example in the Google announcement linked above. Or, you could decide to simply collaborate with others in your office to control the content and show off your local knowledge.

The map below was created to test the collaboration tools. I’ve shared collaboration rights with two cousins and an uncle, and they can invite others to collaborate as well. The map is embedded here and interactive, so click on the icons and see how it all works.

Grafton, WV: Places To See, Things To Do

View Larger Map

If you have ideas about how to use these new collaboration features, don’t be shy. Share!

There’s a sad little house, newly on the market. I previously listed and sold it, and now it’s been foreclosed. I hated to see that, the family that bought the house loved it and had such hopes for their future in it. I guess it happens, and I hope they’re OK.

The little house is listed for sale as-is, with no disclosures because the bank that now owns it knows nothing of it’s condition or past.

But I know. I learned that house inside and out. I loved that little house and worked to help it have a good family. I see the pictures of it online now, empty and discarded. That is not how it should look.

I got a call from someone about one of my listings last night and he mentioned that house as well. He wondered if I could find him more information on it, too. I told him I could do even more. I could send him a Real Estate Show of how that house was supposed to look. I told him about the changes made to the house within the last few years, the quality of the work and the attention to detail. It’s a little house, but it was treated BIG.

And then I sent him the Show, so he could almost walk through that house as it could be again. There’s the kitchen, clean and bright. The yard on a sunny day looking ready for play. Extra pictures show details of the leaded front door, the pantry and the tall cabinets. This is a sweet little house looking it’s best.

We’ll go look at the house, and maybe he’ll want it and maybe he won’t. But I think my Real Estate Show will give it a good chance. Even though it’s not my listing, I want that little house to have a good family again.

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Today, Trulia announced the addition of 400,000 foreclosure listings to their index of more than 2 million searchable homes for sale. These additions were accomplished via partnership with RealtyTrac.

“In response to increased consumer interest, we are excited to introduce integrated foreclosure search capability on Trulia.com,” said Trulia co-founder and CEO Pete Flint. “At Trulia, we recognize that the foreclosure process is an extremely complicated one for both buyer and seller. By adding foreclosure data to Trulia.com, we are providing a one-stop destination where consumers can locate properties, research their local market and get qualified advice from local professionals on the complexities of buying a foreclosure property.”

“Trulia.com is one of the most innovate real estate sites on the Internet, and we’re excited to have them as a venue for RealtyTrac’s foreclosure data,” said Rick Sharga, vice president of marketing for RealtyTrac. “We believe this partnership will benefit consumers using Trulia, whether they are specifically looking to buy a foreclosure or whether they researching foreclosure trends to help them make an informed decision about buying a resale property.”

According to Kelly Roark, Vice President of Industry Development at Trulia:

• Foreclosure properties are highlighted by specific stage – pre-foreclosure, auction or bank-owned – to help educate consumers about the multifaceted foreclosure market.
• The increase in listings volume provides a better user experience, which drives up consumer traffic and opportunities for properties to be seen.
• More opportunities on Trulia Voices for real estate professionals to provide expert advice regarding foreclosures, especially since more than 10% of Trulia Voices questions relate to foreclosures – above both open homes and FSBO questions.
• More chances for agents to demonstrate their expertise in the foreclosure process and in handling complex home transactions.

Syndication to Trulia’s search engine is one of several options available to you when you create Show Flyers at Real Estate Shows.

Beyond The Written Word: Videoblogging And Podcasting, one of the sessions at the Bloggers Connect Workshop, will be moderated by Jeff Turner, President of RealEstateShows.com. The session will be held on Wednesday, January 9, 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The panel for this discsussion will include:

• P. Morgan Brown, Chief Operating Officer, New Day Trust Mortgage
• Douglas Heddings, Senior Vice President, Prudential Douglas Elliman
• Dave Nelson, Founder & CEO, TalkShoe
• Mike Price, President, ML Broadcast

This Thanksgiving we’d would like to encourage you to make your greeting personal.

We suggested use of stock photos for Thanksgiving greetings in the past. But as we did with this year’s Halloween greeting idea, this thanksgiving we’d like to encourage you to choose a few photos of the things you are thankful for and use them in a short greeting to your friends, family and clients. This is a perfect use for a 30 second Show.

Here is an example:

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Of course, you could always opt to take some photos of your family gathering, or a local Thanskgiving Day event, and send your Real Estate Show greeting out the day after Thanksgiving. Just remember to make it personal.

It’s all about relationships.