Can you trust Zillow?
September 30, 2007
Ups and downs of the home-pricing Web site
Are you tempted to Zillow?
Fortune magazine says the Zillow Web site is the equivalent of real estate yuppie porn. One real estate analyst claims its houses are vastly overpriced or underpriced. Still another says Zillow has started a real estate revolution!
Actually, sites like Zillow’s can be a starting point for people who want to buy a house or building. If they realize that pricing is a generalization, they can still get an idea of what houses might cost in certain locations.
The developers of Zillow have it right when they say the hunger for information about real estate is infinite. Everyone is curious about the value of their own home, and homes of people they know, and the possible value of homes they would be interested in buying.
Richard Barton, co-founder of Zillow, however, says that the best information about real estate is locked up in people’s heads. The best way to root out the true value of a property is to tap into community knowledge.
Mark Lesswing, a senior vice president of the National Association of Realtors, says real estate agents don’t fear Zillow. They use it as a way to show how their services are more valuable than something people can get free on the web.
Consumers can count on the fact that their agent is familiar with the property and knows what it is worth based on community pricing and other factors, rather than a computer estimate.
Fortune also notes that hiring a real estate agent is like hiring an attorney. You might have every bit of legal information that the lawyer does, but would you want to represent yourself?
The same is true with buying or selling real estate. You might have a lot of information about a home or building, but representing yourself in a real estate transaction could be pretty risky too
Christmas is coming!
September 30, 2007
Paying for Christmas
* Use the envelope trick. Withdraw the money to spend on an individual and just spend that. Or put receipts in the envelope until the budget is gone.
* Think before spending. Ask the store to hold the item until you are sure.
* Plan what to buy with your spouse.
* Get real. Visualize yourself paying the bills.
Financial Planning
September 30, 2007
Do you have a spending plan?
With so many ways to spend your income, it can be difficult to set priorities. Financial planners at Charles Schwab Corp. say this is how to plan.Pay off high-cost consumer debt first. Paying off an 18 percent credit card is like getting a tax-free 18 percent rate of interest on your money. Pay off the card with the highest rate first.After that, save enough cash to live on for three to six months in case of emergency or job loss. And save at least something for retirement.
With a cash cushion in place, invest in your retirement 401(k). Invest at least as much as the company will match.
Put retirement savings before saving for your kids’ college expenses. You can borrow for college costs, but you can’t borrow for retirement.
Don’t prepay your mortgage unless you are saving 15 percent of your income for retirement.
Insurance: Make sure homeowner and auto insurance are up-to-date. A full-time worker should have life insurance equal to six to 10 times their income. Consider long-term care insurance which will help pay for time spent in nursing or assisted living care.
Make a will to ensure that your wishes are carried out. Have a durable power of attorney and a health-care power of attorney.
Workers’ top annoyance
September 25, 2007
Unusual cellphone rings called distracting
The temperature of the workplace was people’s top complaint for many years. In the same location, some said it was too hot and other workers said it was too cold. Fortunately, some thought the temperature was just right.
Very few people think the ringing of someone’s cellphone is just right. In a study by workforce solutions firm Randstad USA, unusual rings were named as workers’ number one pet peeve.
Randstad reports that many rings are particularly obnoxious like fire engine sirens, a fog horn, or a child’s voice crying out. Many people have several rings to identify various callers such as parents, friends, and spouses.
With so many ringtones available online, it shouldn’t be difficult to pick one that doesn’t drive co-workers and customers to distraction. According to M:Metrics, a Seattle-based research firm, 19.8 million mobile-phone users downloaded ringtones in one recent month. About half of them were employed full time.
Part of the problem is with more open workspaces. Some companies pipe “white sound” into open areas to reduce noise. Another factor is the increased number of young people who have grown up with cellphones.
Most organizations require that phones be set on vibrate during meetings and when talking with customers.
We should remember that discretion is best when choosing a ringtone. Consider what bosses and co-workers will think when your phone rings.
Worker Stress
September 25, 2007
Companies take steps to fight worker stress
Some organizations are developing programs that seek out people who are working under the kind of intense stress that stifles productivity.
After three suicides among engineers at French automaker Renault, the company initiated a $10 million program to fight stress. It includes training to reduce negativity, recognizing over-stressed workers, and setting up places where employees can socialize.
In the U.S., General Electric is going so far as to bring comedians into the workplace and is reducing negativity in dealing with workers.
General Mills has introduced personalized services at its headquarters so employees who work long hours can spend more time with their families and less time running errands.
IBM gives workers around the world an online stress test designed by Yale University. At the end of the test, it gives advice on how the workers could reduce stress.
At Yale’s Wharton School, they say setting negative consequences as a tool for motivation is not good for mental health. Workers begin to focus on their weaknesses instead of their strengths.
Need some extra vacation time?
September 25, 2007
Buying extra vacation time
Some companies are allowing their people to buy extra days off during the coming year.
According to benefits consultant Hewitt Associates, workers usually sign up for the days during the benefits-enrollment period near the end of the current year. Typically, the cost of the extra time is deducted from paychecks over the coming year, often in money-saving pretax dollars.
Hewitt reports that Xerox started the program for 2007 and 10 percent of its employees bought additional time off. For some people, time is more important than money.
Veterans have wide range of experience
September 25, 2007
Iraq vets have wide range of experience, qualities
One applicant described in Fortune was part of MAGTF and developed a set of COAs to give to his CO.
To companies that have learned the lingo, military acronyms like these translate to new skilled workers. General Electric recently matched military acronyms to the corresponding codes of the 1,000 positions it wanted to fill.
Home Depot has hired over 50,000 veterans since 2004 and company officials say veterans are “adaptable, talented, highly motivated, creative, and reliable.”
Good customer service is important
September 25, 2007
What makes a customer come back to buy from the same company again and again? A survey by USA Today and Genesys Telecommunications Lab sheds some light on the subject. Their findings:
Good customer service was cited as their reason for buying again from the same company by 48 percent of those interviewed.
Product quality ranked second with 37 percent of buyers giving quality as their reason for coming back.
Surprisingly, price was named by only 13 percent of return buyers.
A product’s brand name or reputation was named by only 2 percent.
Do you love data?
September 15, 2007
Data service Melissa Data provides many free search options, it may become a favorite on your bookmarks. One can search for basic demographic and market data, maps and mailing information, statistics or specific data like SIC codes. There’s a daily limit to your number of “lookups,” so unless you subscribe, you’ll have to keep your information appetite under control. I like to look up house sales, crime statistics and other neighborhood facts - I have to say that it makes me feel good about the town we have chosen for our home. Go to www.melissadata.com/lookups
How to motivate?
September 15, 2007
How to motivate employees? It is really simple!
Create a positive work environment
Support teamwork
Reward creatively
Be flexible
Encourage personal growth and learning
Set and monitor performance objectives AS A RESULT - LET EVERYONE WIN!