So the first thing you're probably thinking is: "Oh great, another SEO topic from Rob..." but the fact is, that good SEO is the only thing separating you from the competition when it comes to the search engines. I promise that everything I write is useful information, so please don't shy away just because it's another SEO topic. If you created your real estate website a few years or even just months ago, it's time to make some changes and update it. Google changes its algorithms frequently, and SEO techniques that worked last year may not be as effective today. Here are some ideas you may want to pursue regarding updating your real estate website's SEO- Are you paying close attention to your site's meta title tags? You never want "home" or "listings" to appear in the url of a page on yo... 11/15/2010

Just handled a real estate lease in Ventura County, California for a homeowner whose former tenant was supposed to "take care of the lawn"... Oh, my, did he take care of it, all right! The homeowner agreed (via former agent - not me!) to a reduced rental amount if the tenant did the gardening. ERG! The yard was brown, dry and dead! There were a bunch of wild, ugly pumkin vines (or something squiggly) growing wild and choking everything else out. A wooden playhouse had been chewed to bits by their dog, as well as the sliding door screens and weather-stripping. Once flourishing trellises are now dry, dead wood.. Perfectly nice trees and shrubs are sad, dry, dead or missing entirely... Wooden fencing is falling down from water damage from a faulty spinkler that saturated one spot, day afte... 11/13/2010

The Colony Townhomes in Westlake Village CA are located on the South side of Westlake Village off of Agoura Road in between Lindero Canyon and Reyes Adobe. Built in 1981-1987 Streets included in The Colony Townhomes: Redcoat Lane Minute Man Way Flintlock Lane Lexington Way Old Colony Way Sales recorded in 2010: 30955 Minute Man Way, 3+3, 1610 sq.ft., 6691 sq.ft. lot, $429,000 4243 Flintlock Lane, 3+3, 1610 sq.ft., 6691 lot, $440,000  Rental Activity in The Colony Townhomes: 1 active listing 3+3 $2750.00/mo 2 active listings for sale on the market currently as of 11/2010 5 properties in escrow currently as of 11/2010 The Colony Townhomes Floor Plans: The Colony Floor Plan - Plan 1 The Colony Floor Plan - Plan 2 The Colony Floor Plan - Plan 3 The Colony Floor Plan - Plan 4 11/11/2010

There are 16 active condo/townhome rental listings in Westlake Village CA as of today, 11/11/2010. Prices range from $1200.00/mo to $4700.00/mo. $2300/mo  Westlake Bay  3+3 $2750/mo  The Colony  3+3 $1950/mo  Triunfo West  2+2 $1895/mo  Village Green 3+2 $1650/mo  Village Green 2+1 $1650/mo  Village Green 2+1 $1695/mo  Westpark  1+1 $2800/mo  Village Green  2+1 $4700/mo  Lake Sherwood  4+4 $3300/mo  Westlake Pointe  3+3 $1485/mo  Holly Grove  2+2 $2195/mo  Hidden Canyon 3+3 $3995/mo  Ben Johnson 3+3 $2300/mo  Hidden Canyon $2100/mo  Hidden Canyon If you would like more information on any of these available rental listings, contact me at 805-750-8896. 11/11/2010

Twitter can be a relatively easy way to create relationships with potential buyers or sellers to your real estate business. Too many people, though, hear about Twitter, give it a try for just a week or so, find it doesn't get them the results they seek -- or they say they just "I don't get it" -- and quit. Don't let that happen to you; don't be among the more than 50 percent of new users who quit Twitter within the first month of signing up. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of Twitter: In some ways, Twitter is like a blog post, only much shorter -- the site gives you a maximum of 140 characters (not words) for each post. So aim to write missives that give information in short bursts. Tweet often, but not too much. Some people seem to post ever five minutes and, really, no... 11/11/2010

Westlake Village CA Real Estate Market Snapshot will give an interested real estate consumer accurate information and a personalized service when a buyer or seller is beginning their research online. From the time a consumer fills out the information and presses "send" a Market Snapshotwill appear in their inbox within 30 minutes. The consumer can then control how often they want the Snapshot to be updated. Daily, Weekly, Monthly... the choice is theirs. The Market Snapshot provides valuable and timely real estate data which addresses at-a-glance answers to questions you may have regarding a particular area you are interested in. Find recently sold comparables in a neighborhood and track them by map. Keep current with active listings in a particular neighborhood. Find out how long it is... 11/08/2010

No Black Tie. No Ball Gowns. No Particular Date. No Special Event. So Please, Please, Don't Show Up! It's not an evert. But it's really Special! Every year for the past 5 years the group THE GREATER CONTRIBUTION has raised funds during the holidays by hosting a NO-SHOW event. The funds go to help WOMEN of the world obtain "Micro Loans", small loans to women in 3rd world countries to help them increase their daily wage from $1.25 per day, to up to $5 per day. A fourfold increase that educates and shelters families. A small donation of $50 to $100 can start a woman entrepreneur on the road to success. Mag in Uganda used to be able to buy only 2 to 3 bunches of bananas each week. Today, with the help of the Greater Contribution, she's buing and selling 15 bunches each week for a profit of... 11/05/2010

"Nana.." said my teen grandson as I froze in the passenger seat, white knuckled, trying to patiently instruct him to HIT THE GAS or you're going to get us SMUSHED BY THAT TRUCK!..  "You're like driving Miss Crazy!" As I prepare to take my grandson for his THIRD attempt at passing his driver's license exam tomorrow, I remember Jessica Tandy in the movie "Driving Miss Daisy". Hoke says to her "Did I ever tell you about the first time I ever went out of the state of Georgia?" "No, when was that", said Miss Daisy. "Why, just a few minutes ago." said Hoke. I, too, am in new territory. Another go-round teaching a teenager to drive. Giving, then having to let go.. I guess it went alright with my kids, years ago, they survived. I don't remember too many dented fenders or insurance claims. Just ... 11/04/2010

Twitter can be a real marketing dream for a real estate professional. Take the tale of the married couple (note: they aren't Realtors) who decided to quit their jobs and sell their home so that they could then travel the world for three years. They sold their home in the Pacific Northwest this past summer quickly -- in this down market -- and they believe part of the reason they did so is because they set their house up with its "own" Twitter account and then had the "house" tweet about itself. They blogged about it here. The gist of how they tweeted for their house? From their blog: "We did some fun things, like setting up a Twitter account for the house and letting her send out sassy tweets about the experience. (Sample tweet: “Potential buyers are coming over tonight to look at me. I... 11/04/2010

Mortgage Information If you're like most buyers, a home is the most expensive purchase you'll ever make, and you'll probably need some form of financing. There are many lending institutions that offer a variety of mortgage products. Financing options and rates can vary widely, so it is important to do your research and shop around to ensure you get the mortgage that best meets your needs at the best price. I would be happy to refer you to some very good mortgage contacts I have in Westlake Village, or to help you in any other way I can to secure the best possible rate for your home purchase. Use the mortgage calculators below to assist you in making some decisions around financing your new home. Mortgage Qualification Calculator This calculator will help you determine how much money you... 11/02/2010

The Ultimate Westlake Village Home Search! Here you will find a wide variety of useful information and resources designed to help you buy or sell a home more effectively in Westlake Village and the Conejo Valley. From information on the local community, to advice about finding a mortgage or preparing your home to sell, it's all available here. You can also search for your ideal home by viewing current listings with detailed descriptions and photos. Or you can get help determining the value of your home by requesting a report that includes the prices of similar homes that recently sold or are currently for sale in the Westlake Village areas. So whether you're buying or selling, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help you with all your real estate needs. 11/02/2010

Buying a home in a community that has an active Homeowner's Association can be a real advantage to today's homebuyers. Amenities like pools, clubhouses, private parks, walking paths, security gates, external and landscaping maintenance are the major advantages, and sharing major repair costs like roofing and painting can cut the costs in half. However, it is vital for homebuyers in planned communities to review and understand HOA documents completely before removing the HOA contingency in the contract. Since the Homeowner's Association collects dues from each homeowner to provide a certain amount of maintenance and administrative duties, the ultimate financial responsibility of a poorly run HOA can result in hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Here in California, REALTORs do not norma... 11/01/2010

The Bluffs Glastonbury Road Westlake Village CA The Bluffs Westlake Village CA Built in 1981-1986 Streets include: Glastonbury Rd. Goldenrod Ct. Tanbark Ct. The Bluffs Westlake Village CA FLOOR PLANS: The Bluffs Floor Plan Vista Del Sol The Bluffs Floor Plan Vista Grande The Bluffs Floor Plan Vista Hermosa The Bluffs Floor Plan Vista Mesa The Bluffs Floor Plan Vista Sierra The Bluffs Floor Plan Vista Verde Designated Schools for The Bluffs, Westlake Village CA: Westlake Elementary1571 E. Potrero RoadWestlake Village, CA 91361(805) 374-2150Principal: Jeff Rickert Colina Middle School1500 E. Hillcrest DriveThousand Oaks, CA 91362(805) 495-7429Principal: Shane Frank Westlake High School100 N. Lakeview Canyon RoadWestlake Village, CA 91362(805) 497-6711Principal: Ron Lipari For more informa... 10/30/2010

 First Neighorhood Westlake Village CA   Built in 1966-71   Streets Included in First Neighborhood Westlake Village CA:   Village School Rd., Village Center Rd., Deerpark Ct., Hartfield Ct., Baronsgate Ct., Crownfield Ct., Bainbrook Ct., Shropshire Ct., Bedfordhurst Ct., Royceton Ct., Benchley Ct., Lyndbrook Ct., Royal Glen Ct., Grenville Ct., Kingspark Ct., Watergate Ct., Foxmoor Ct., Allenby Ct., Wolsey Ct., Coolhaven Ct., Regents Ct., Beaconsfield Ct., Greengate Ct., Belham Ct., Yorkfield Ct., Sevenoaks Ct., Henley Ct., Knightsgate Ct., Guildhall Ct.   Park located in First Neighborhood Westlake Village CA: Berniece Bennett Park 31800 Village Center Rd 4.9 acres Parking Children’s Playground Pavilion Walking Path Picnic Tables School located in FirstNeighborhood: White Oaks Elementar... 10/30/2010

While Google may be the most used search engine by just about the entire planet, you can't forget about others such as Bing. (Microsoft's "new" offering in search engines) Bing continues to grow its market share. Computerworld.com reported in July that Bing's search engine share had grown from 12.7 the month before (June) from 12.1 percent in May. Google had 62.6 percent of all search traffic in June, but Bing's growth is still...growth. In addition, the announcement earlier this year that Bing and Yahoo! will merge in an effort to compete with Google will only help Bing grow even more by the time the merger is complete in 2012. So you really shouldn't/can't ignore Bing. Here are some tips to help you optimize your real estate website for this search engine: Go to Bing's Webmaster Cente... 10/29/2010

If you've done your due diligence and created a well-optimized website for your real estate business; if you continue your online marketing with e-mail marketing, blogging, and social media marketing via Twitter and Facebook, there's still one more thing you need to do to get more people to come to your site - market your site offline. Here are a couple of ideas on how you may do so: Your website and e-mail address will go on your business card, of course, but many people never read business cards. You may meet someone at a networking event, politely give them your card when asked, your new acquaintance then will glance at the card briefly before putting it in a pocket or purse...and then never look at it again! Try this technique instead: When you give someone your business card say so... 10/28/2010

You're tech savvy. You have LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook accounts. You've even set up your own blog on Wordpress and you accept ads. Good for you! Seriously! You're way ahead of most people. Truly, you are. We're not being facetious. You really are way ahead of the curve. But should you create, and optimize your own real estate website? We don't necessarily think so. Now, marketing your business on the Internet isn't rocket science. We're the first to admit that (just ask our college physics professors). It's easy enough to use online keyword research tools to come up with different keywords for your RE site. You can then optimize your site for those keywords and then perform terrific off-site optimization by tweeting, posting to Facebook and on your blog. It's not hard, but it's not... 10/27/2010

Arlas Homes Westlake Village CA- Westlake Village Real Estate - Arlas Homes Tract is located Northwest of the Lake in Westlake Village, North of Westlake Blvd. off Triunfo Cyn. Rd. Arlas Homes sits adjacent to Triunfo Canyon Park.           The Arlas Homes Tract Westlake Village CA was built in 1973. Streets included in the Arlas Homes Tract Westlake Village CA are: Parts of Triunfo Canyon, Sandpiper Cir., Nettlebrook St., Raintree Ct. and Sorrelwood Ct.   Arlas Homes Tract Westlake Village CA recorded sales in 2010: 1969 Nettlebrook 4+3, 1836sf, 7500sf lot $675,000 916 Sandpiper Cir. 4+3, 1916sf, 6900sf lot $677,500   Arlas Homes Tract Westlake Village CA 2010 Rental Activity 4+2 $2900/mo 4+2 $3050/mo 3+2 $2500/mo 3+2 $2500/mo Designated Schools for Arlas Homes Westlake Village CA: Wes... 10/26/2010

  A pay-per-click (PPC) campaign can be a terrific way to bring visitors to your real estate website quickly. You should be prepared and able to spend a few hundred dollars, however, and you also should set an amount over which you won't go. Otherwise PPC can become very expensive very quickly. Decide if you're going to conduct a PPC campaign with just Google, or if you'll also (or only) run a campaign with Bing/MSN, Yahoo! or another search engine. See if you can find where your top competitors are conducting their campaigns and consider doing yours there, too. As you build your keyword lists, be sure to use variations on your keywords. You may find that these bring you a good amount of traffic and don't break your budget. Track your results. Change the keywords you use in your campaig... 10/26/2010

We talked in an earlier blog about how to conduct a good PPC campaign. This post will help you write PPC ads that get results. Perhaps the most important thing about your little three-line ad (they're also called "listings") is the headline. You have just five words to grab a searcher's attention, so use them wisely. You can use a headline akin to "Sherman Oaks Homes for Sale," but don't be afraid of creating a headline that offers a benefit to the person who clicks: "Free Virtual Tours Sherman Oaks." The two lines below your headline -- the description -- gives you more room to tout. You really shouldn't use more than 25 words, however, so you're going to have to be succinct. Succinct with benefits. Here are some examples: "Affordable Sherman Oaks homes. Free consultation with 25-year ... 10/25/2010