No, the MLS won't support Firefox...

I recently sent an email request to the DABR MLS to ask them when they will support Firefox. I was politely told that they will ONLY support Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher and have no plans to support anything else. That really got me steaming.

I'm going to be forever locked into using IE to access the DABR MLS. Before I continue, let me tell you that I am not a Microsoft or Bill Gates basher. I use Microsoft Publisher and Access on a daily basis and enjoy using them. But I also use a lot of other programs that are not written in Redmond. I use OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office, I use Firefox instead of IE (with the exception of accessing the MLS) and I use Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop almost daily.

An agent in our office was having fits this week because he had a virus on his machine that he could not get rid of. After countless hours we finally got it cleaned up, but it was an ordeal. One he (and I) probably wouldn't had to have gone through if he was using Firefox. I'm thinking he may be a convert now.

Back to the MLS. Realtors in general are fairly technologically challenged when it comes to computers. Oh, I have met a few that have really impressed me with what they are doing, and when I see a Realtor using a Mac, I know they 'get it' when it comes to thinking outside the box. But even the Mac users have to rely on IE if they want to access the MLS. It's a shame. Most use a Windows PC and just take for granted that all the security issues are a part of doing business. Wake up people, there are alternatives! You just have to look for them!

If you are a Realtor using Firefox or Safari as your web browser and would like to see a change, I suggest emailing the board on a regular basis until the decide to accept the fact that something else does exist, and it's better than what they currently have.

Some Random Ramblings...

I'm fighting the start of a cold and not feeling that great. Kyle and Dana both had it, so I guess it's my turn.

Dana headed out to Phoenix early this morning to visit her brother and take him out to dinner for his birthday. It's sort of become a tradition for her and something she really looks forward to doing. Her great-aunt Faye usually goes with her, but Faye had back surgery recently and didn't feel like making a long flight like that.

I'm listening to a Stevie Ray Vaughn CD while I write this. Such a talented artist taken from us way to early in his life. I've been listening to one of the classical radio stations in the car lately, I think it's 88.1. I really enjoy it, it does take my mind off the days activities if only for a moment. With all the rain we've had the past few days it really improves your spirits to listen to something different like that. If you live in the Dayton area, I challenge you to listen to 88.1 FM for a week during your normal commute time and see if it doesn't improve your mood.

Another thing I enjoy is going to the home page of Bill Atkinson and look at the nature photos he has posted. Many of you might recognize his name from his work at Apple Computers. Well, he's also a professional photographer and has a very user friendly web site to share his work with folks out there in cyber space. I go there a few times a week when I need a short break and can't get away from my desk.

I'm getting ready to start a conversational Spanish class towards the end of the month. It's hosted by my firm and is open to any licensed Realtor. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I never took Spanish in school and as a ham radio operator, I've always had a fascination with languages. Dana speaks some Spanish, she can still say The Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. I'll have to keep you posted and see how it goes.

Have a great day!

David

I am a Happy Camper!

For those of you who know me at all, you know I love Apple Computers. I'm not a Mac bigot, I just think they make wonderful products that are ahead of their time. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Well, if you know anything about the history of the Macintosh, you have heard of Guy Kawasaki. I wrote him an email the other day and he responded to me. Guy was an Apple Fellow and the best evangelist they have ever had. I was re-reading his book 'The Art of the Start' and noticed he mentioned something about boxers (the dog kind) and sent him a brief message asking about his boxer and telling him about our boxer, Holly. I also asked if he had any plans to write any books on how technology can influence the real estate industry. Here's what he wrote:

David,
Thanks for your email. Unfortunately, our boxer died one night. It was very sad. I hope you enjoy yours. No books planned right now, and I don't know much about the application of technology to real estate. I don't think there's a magic bullet. You just have to pound on people, work with those who "get it," and hope that it spreads.
My best wishes to you!
Guy

OK, it may not mean much to those of you who are Realtors reading this who think a fax machine and a cell phone are 'Cutting Edge' technology. But, for those of you reading this who 'get it' as Guy said, you realize that change is imminent. It's going to happen. Why not be a leader in this area instead of a follower? Do you embrace technology or fear it? Will you have to be dragged into the information age kicking and screaming?

One of the things we have been dealing with at Exit Realty Partners is getting agents to understand that we are a technology-centric company. We embrace it. We know how to use it effectively, and we implement it. Many of our competitors are focused on the fact we don't pay for print advertising. Well, that's true, we don't. We would rather focus our time, energy and money on tools and training on a medium that is the future of this industry. Information presented in a timely manner is what is important. When the price of a home changes, can you go back and reprint all your adds and magazines hoping to accurately reflect the price? I don't think so. With electronic media, you can.

So as I try to evangelize to my fellow Realtors out there, get ready for the revolution that is happening. You can be part of it and the future, or fade away into the sunset wondering what has happened.

Our Luau was a Big Success!

We worked so hard getting ready for it, it's hard to believe the Luau is over already. We had a great turn out, and thanks to everyone who came to see the office, help us celebrate, and enjoy the food and goodies we had. I think a lot of folks were surprised to see how beautiful the place really is, and all the systems we have implemented. I personally want to thank all of my clients that came by, as well as Angela Richardson and Kristen Schilder who hadn't seen the place since two days after we moved in. I think they were more surprised than we are at how it turned out. A special thanks to my sister Lori for bringing a planter and flowers to help us celebrate. Most important, I want to thank my wife Dana for all her Love and support while we launched this venture. I couldn't have done it without her. And my son Kyle, who now says he wants to become a Realtor and work with me when he grows up. Don't grow up too fast!

I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to post more items here lately, but my business has really picked up again and I have had more than my share of 16 hour days lately. Plus, Kyle started 6th grade last week (yeah!) and I have been working with him, making sure homework is done, forms are signed, etc. I think I dread the start of a new school year more than he does.

I have also started a new policy of offering my clients a 5% listing on their primary residence or single family investment properties that they work with me on. If you or anyone you know is considering selling their home in the near future, please let them know that I can save them a substantial amount of money vs. the 7% listing agreement other agents are now charging. Since my costs are considerably lower by being associated with Exit Realty Partners, I pass that savings onto my clients. Also, if you are a licensed Realtor or someone who is thinking of a career in Real Estate, why not give me a call or send me an email and see what Exit Realty Partners has to offer you? We offer a starting commission split of 70/30 as well as the chance to earn residual income that can put you at 100% or more on each closing you complete. As you can see by the photos were are not a Web MLS type company as some firms are saying we are. We are a full service brokerage and have over 4,400 square feet of office space for our agents to work in. We don't charge monthly desk fees, and offer free long distance and high speed internet connections for our agents. Exit was started in 1996 with the focus on the agent, not charging them fees. Exit only makes money when you make money. I wish I had this opportunity when I was first licensed instead of paying so much of the money I EARNED back to the brokerage!

Stop by our office at 7649 North Main Street, Dayton, OH 45415 and take a tour. See what the future of Real Estate looks like today.

Aloha! It's a Luau!

Exit Realty Partners is having it's Grand Opening Luau on Saturday, August 26th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. There will be music, free food & drinks, door prizes and Limbo & Hula Hoop contests that should be a lot of fun.

We have worked really hard to get the office ready, and now it's time to relax for a day and have some fun with family, friends & clients. We hope to see you there.

Exit Realty Partners is located at 7649 North Main Street, Clayton, OH 45415. Our office number is 937-898-8500.

A sneak peek at the new Exit Realty Partners office.

Things are starting to come along at the office. Our official open date is August 1st, and we are looking forward to it. Our agents and clients will be pleased with what has been accomplished to date. Our business development area hosts three Pentium 4HT computers that any of our agents can use. We also have network drops at each desk space as well as wireless connectivity so agents with their own machines can work anywhere in the building. The pictures don't do justice to the office. It's fantastic!

I have been busy this week tweaking the duty desk software and running my real estate business. Changing companies has not been the hassle I thought it would be. I have reviewed all of my marketing collateral and made changes, as well as started working on some new ideas. John has inspired me to do a few new things, it's been quite exciting. We are always bouncing ideas off one another. We need to get the office up and running and start implementing.

Chat with you all later.

Sadie is making herself at home!

With all the heat and humidity this past week, I let Sadie in, and she is adjusting well. Holly has learned to deal with it, and seems greatful to have a new playmate. We are glad they are getting along, at first we weren't sure if it was going to work. The cats don't seem to care at all.

Sadie is sleeping with Kyle at nights. He has a queen size bed, so there is plenty of room.

If you or anyone you know would like to adopt Sadie, please get in contact with us. She is very well behaved and is housebroken. She loves people and craves to be around them. You can contact me through my website at www.DavidADavison.com if you are interested.

Wow! Has it been a long time since my last post or what?

If you haven't noticed by the picture yet, I've joined Exit Realty Partners as their Technical Director as well as a Realtor. Exit is the fastest growing Real Estate company in North America and Exit Realty Partners is the 3rd Exit franchise in the state of Ohio! It was very difficult to leave my previous firm, but the chance to be part of this was too good to pass up. Things are crazy, but as usual, I am enjoying every minute of it.

I won't go on like an advertisement here. My homepage is still the same, but the look is brand new. Check it out at www.DavidADavison.com when you get a chance.

We had a stray dog show up last Wednesday. She is a German Shorthaired Pointer we are calling Sadie. To make a long story short, she was about half starved to death, so we got her some food and water, took her to the vet, and now she is living inside with Holly. We contacted a rescue organization to have her adopted and will keep her as long as we can. If you or anyone you know is looking for a GREAT dog that is a real sweetheart, let me know. She is very loving and needs a home. She is current on all shots and is heartworm negative.

Have you seen the Bing site? This is too funny. You have to check it out. Click here to be taken there, and don't worry, it's safe to kids.

It's Friday!

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Good Friday and hope that you have a pleasant and safe holiday week-end.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll post more next week.

Our little girl is growing up...

I could hardly believe this picture myself when I first saw it and compared it to some of the others I had taken in the past. Looks like she is going to take after her father and be a big dog!

We had to change her collar this week because she finally out-grew her old one. It's amazing how fast she is growing. We are glad that she is healthy, happy and playful. I wish I had the energy that she does.


Kyle is on spring break this week, enjoying his time off and getting to sleep in a little later than he normally does. He and I went swimming last night at the YMCA and had a great time. I'm going to stay home with him tomorrow and work on his train room with him. He has decided to build a new 'N' scale layout and we are going to start working on it. He has been drawing designs for weeks now.

Kyle's First Band Concert!

Thursday night was one of those nights you can hardly wait for as a parent. I got to see my son play in his first band concert!!! As someone who grew up in band, it was something I have waited to see for a long time.

The band played very well considering it's their first year. Mr. Baker has done a great job working with them. It was a nice treat to get to hear the high school band as well as the other grades. I think it made an impression on Kyle as well to get to hear the high school band and know what he has to look forward to.

Congratulations Kyle! Dana and I are very proud of you!

What a difference a little time makes! Haven't updated the BLOG in a while and wanted to let everyone see how much Holly has grown. She is a happy, healthy boxer puppy who is SPOILED ROTTEN! Dana and I are already thinking we need to get a king sized bed.

Dana and I have both been really busy with work. It's nice to come home and have Holly wagging her little tail and jumping around when we get there. Last night she entertained us for about an hour chasing her little toys all over the living room and running around in cirlces. She's still not the most graceful dog in the world.

I have an Open House this Sunday at 527 Flanders in Brookville. Click here for information about the Open as well as directions. Stop out and see me.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been under the weather for the past 5 days and haven't had the energy to update my BLOG. I did want to post this picture of Kyle with his dream car. I like it as well, but can't see myself driving it to Krogers or the YMCA.

I haven't gotten to watch hardly any of the Olympics. Although I'm not much of a sports fan, I do enjoy the Winter Olympics. Dana, Kyle and I did watch the mens hockey team Sunday in their match against Sweden. Even though they didn't win, it was an exciting game. Both teams played extremely well. A few weeks prior we saw the womens hockey team play against Sweden. Again, it was a well played game, with Team USA winning that one.

My messy office and my Award!

As a Realtor, I'm lucky enough that I can work a lot from home when I need to, but to look at the mess that I call an office, it's a wonder I'm not looking for misplaced items all the time. Actually, it's been a lot worse than it looks now. I have been on a mission to get things organized and keep them organized. Just not enough hours in the day.

Above is the award I recieved for my 2005 sales. I did skip the awards banquet though and Dana and I had dinner at Applebees with her father. I'm having a tough time deciding if I should hang it up in my home office or at the Big Hill office? Decisions, decision....

Oh, I heard a good one last night from my wife - 'I would rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than driving with Ted Kennedy any day'. Enough said.

Here are the photos we took last Wednesday when Aunt Louise came to visit. We were able to see her a few times while she was visiting. We stayed up later than we should have Wednesday night talking and telling jokes. It was a blast! We were really glad she came down to see us.

It's already Wednesday, this week feels like it is slipping by really quickly.

Today alone I have had 5 different people stop by to gripe about the cold weather. It's Ohio, It's February, it's supposed to be cold. Get over it. Look, we had some unseasonably warm weather the past few weeks, just appreciate it. You can't do anything about it so get on with your lives.

My Aunt Louise is going to be staying with my parents for a short visit. She's coming in today and I can hardly wait to see her. My uncle Tony passed away in December and I haven't had a chance to see her since the services. She and Tony were the kind of relatives that you always looked forward to seeing and having a good time with. Of course, I'm kind of lucky that most all of my relatives are that way (am I lucky or what?). I'm glad Dana got to meet Tony last year and appreciate his sense of humor. He always had a joke or funny story, and I swear I never heard the same joke twice. He was a World War II veteren, and seemed to have an endless supply of stories about the war, good and bad. I will really miss him at family reunions, but will always have fond memories of him.

We are still fighting with Wayne Dalton to get our garage door either fixed properly or have it completely replaced. Stay tuned for further developments on that.

Another Monday, the week-ends seem to go by so fast. Spent time with Dana shopping for a new photo printer on Saturday. She got a new HP printer, although I don't remember the model number. Then we went to Barnes & Noble to get coffee and a book for me. We met her father for dinner at Applebees and went home to watch the movie 'The Great Escape' on PBS (one of my favorite movies). I have to confess, I skipped the Big Hill GMAC awards banquet (and I was getting an award!) but from what I have heard, Dana and I had a much better time.

On Sunday I had an open house in Brookville, which was pretty busy. My parents came over for dinner and stayed a while to visit. They hadn't seen Kyle (or Holly) in a few weeks. We had a good time. My dad is getting ready to teach his first financial planning class at his church and is pretty excited about it. He's spent a lot of time to put some great material together for it. It should be a success.

Been a while since I talked about music or my guitar(s). Since my posting a few months back, I have since added a new amplifier. Got a Line 6 amp, and it is really cool. Lots of built in effects (check out Kyle jamming on it with his Strat!). Oh, and I had to add another picture of my Les Paul. I should thank my wife Dana for getting me interested in playing again and getting me a Guitar Port a while back(You are the best Sweetie! I Love You!).

If you are like me, music is probably one of the most important things in your life. I misplaced my iPod mini yesterday, and thought I would go crazy until I got it back (I got it back just a little while ago, thanks Rick!). I honestly don't think I could go to the YMCA and work out if I didn't have it with me. It's also great to listen to at night when I'm working in my home office and don't want to wake Kyle or Dana up.

If you are in a local band and performing anywhere in the Eaton Ohio area in the next few weeks, let me know. Dana and I are always looking for new fun things to do.

Tuesday night and Kyle is helping Dana cook fish for dinner. We got some Talapia from Trader Joes and it was great. Dana made a fantastic chili sauce to put on it. Holly is right there in case something hits the floor.