No Matter How Bad it Gets…

December 25, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

…at least there ain’t no hole in the wash tub.

If you grew up in the late 70′s & early 80′s and had HBO, watching Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas was probably an annual event. I know it was in our house.

Of course Emmet ended up putting a hole in the washtub & his mom sold his tools. Kind of absurd if you really think about it, but it all works out in the end.

& if you haven’t seen them yet, the bloopers are full of muppet sarcasm and definitely worth checking out.


Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to everyone!

Greg Swann does his best Dave Winer impersonation…

December 21, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

… in a post on BloodHound Blog where he blasted both Daniel Rothamel’s recent video (which I posted yesterday), and the RE.net for their cliquish behavior in praising it and promoting it virally.

So I was in my thinking chamber (otherwise known as the shower) this morning, when it dawned on me…Greg is sort of like the RE.net’s Dave Winer. While I’ve actually never met either of them in person, I respect the hell out of both of them. They’re both opinionated, sometimes cranky geniuses who push the boundaries of new media technologies and this approach often lands them in the middle of e-pissing matches.

Pillow Fight

As a result of Greg’s post & the comments on Joel Burslem’s post, a pretty interesting conversation is forming. Lani weighed in over at AgentGenius and even the housing bubble bloggers are getting in on the action.

Which brings us to the real questions; if Swann is our Winer, does that make Glenn Kelman our Jason Calacanis? … and who wants to be Scoble?

Real Estate Video: Jeff Turner & the Real Estate Zebra

December 20, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

A few days ago, Jeff Turner asked us for our thoughts on video and it’s potential uses in the Real Estate space. He posted the question as a video on Seesmic, a service that encourages video interaction and is currently in private pre-alpha, and we talked back. Jeff then took the responses and edited them into a super cool 14 minute video that he posted today on Google Video along with the details on his blog.

Then today, Daniel Rothamel, the Real Estate Zebra came strong with this little video about “How to Sell Your Home”. So simple, yet powerful.


In the coming weeks and months, forward thinking real estate professionals are going to be experimenting with video. Some of it is going to suck, but some of it is going to click and I think Daniel’s video clicks. I’m proud to be able to call these guys my friends.

Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams

December 17, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

As the number of Bay Area foreclosures quickly rise, the number of scam artists out there trying to prey on distressed homeowners in trouble is rising as well. Teresa Boardman of the St. Paul Real Estate Blog shared this video with us the other day and thought that I’d share it with you.

Even though I feel that this ad conveys an important message, I have to add that there ARE honest real estate investors out there who have the resources to create a win-win situation for distressed homeowners who wait until they’re neck deep in the foreclosure quicksand before reaching out for help.

The problem lies in that it’s exceedingly tough to figure out who the ethical investors actually are before signing away your deed. Also, even if someone is acting in good faith; do they have the experience to navigate through a complicated pre-foreclosure transaction?

The gurus smell blood and the foreclosure seminar circuit is booming and along with that comes scores of “investors” with little, or no experience.

It’s important to remember if you feel that you’re beginning to fall behind, the earlier you take action, the more options you’ll have. If you wait, your options will narrow along with any potential returns.

If you’re a homeowner who’s falling behind and is looking for information online, I’d recommend checking out The Foreclosure Report. Local mortgage broker, and all around dynamite person, Mike Mueller put this site together as an online resource for people in your situation. I’ll also be working on assembling resources for you on here, but The Foreclosure Report is a great place to start

Once you’ve done some research online, give a trusted real estate professional a call. Even if we can’t personally help you, we can probably point you in the right direction.

My Choice for Unchained Melodies: Go To Sleep & Wake Up

December 16, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

Over at BloodhoundBlog, Greg Swann has been posting videos of theme song suggestions for the upcoming BloodhoundBlog Unchained conference that they’re putting on in Pnoenix in May.

Here’s a couple of passionate songs & performances that I think would be great choices and ones that I’d like to throw into the mix.

The first one is “Go To Sleep” by Radiohead

and then it’s time to a “Wake Up” by The Arcade Fire

T-minus 5 more months!

The Inagural 30 Day Challenge : Blogging

December 13, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

I’ve heard that in order groove a new habit, you need to do it every day for 30 days straight. Then after 30 days, it just becomes natural and a part of your daily routine.

With this in mind, last night on Seesmic, I issued a 30 day challenge to myself and anyone who wanted to join me. For someone with Social Media Enhanced ADD, this is super tough, but I’m hoping that by committing to doing something and making it public, I’ll be able to see it through to the end.

So for my first 30 day challenge, I’m going to focus on posting to this blog for the next 30 days. My blogging muscle has gotten weak and I need to build it up again.

Anybody want to join in? Is there a good habit that you want to develop?