TheTucsonFoothills

taking a fresh look at Zillow’s zestimates

In the past I’ve taken issue with Zillow’s zestimates because I’ve often found them to be wildly inaccurate in zestimating single family home values here in the Tucson Foothills. 
They were either way high or low vs. a home’s actual (and eventual) selling price. 
And then with a straight face they’d cover their bet with a ridiculously broad ‘value range’, e.g., zestimate $740,000 (value range $610,000 to $890,000) Well gosh, give me a dart board and I’ll gladly take my chances. (and don’t miss the caveats, disclosures and ….)

And after deliberately ignoring zillow for some time now, I’ve started checking in with them again. And it looks to me as if they’ve made some real progress and sharpened their game a bit. The zestimates are still hit or miss, but more often it’s closer to a hit than to a miss.
I’ll list some examples in another post soon.

And why did I start checking in with Zillow again. Well at least partly because so-called professional appraisals have become such a total crapshoot – and are so often so far off the mark that they’ve become a real handicap to making a sale. And that’s not to say that we can use Zillow to rebut an appraisal, but just as another opinion – and from what I can see, a more useful opinion than in the past. I must admit.

And of course these wacky appraisals are thanks to the new and improved regulations that now govern who and how appraisers are assigned. Which may result in the appraisal and valuation of the home you’d like to buy being in the hands of an appraiser from Vail or Glendale or Apache Junction, or who knows where  – who has little or no experience in the foothills.
And boy if that’s the case hang on to your hats, because, even with local experience, it’s often tough to do a proper appraisal in the foothills. 

At least when Zillow offers a valuation you’re free to accept it or reject it with no further consequences. But a so-called professional appraisal will make or break your sale.

Here’s some further reading on the appraisal problem >
Flawed real estate appraisals create problems for buyers, sellers, refinancers

and my personal experience with a wacky appraisal,

the problem with appraisals

see thefoothillsToday.com
to find your Tucson Foothills home

hacking your Gmail account the easy way

I received the following email, purportedly from Google, but obviously from some ill disguised cretins who are trying to boost my Gmail account without breaking a sweat.

Dear Valid User,
Our Account users discovered series of illegal attempts on your Gmail account from different IP locations.This is for your own safety to avoid your account closed, you will have to verify your account by filling out your Log-in below by clicking the reply button. Account will be de-activated and erased from our database if no response in 72 hours. We apologies for any inconveniences.
After receiving the information requested you will be able to continue using your Account.

User name:..
Password:..
Date Of Birth:..
Occupation:..
Country Of Residence:..

Yeah sure, no problem, and while we’re at it how about my ss #,

This message came from Gmail Team @ rgjohns@telus.net

Aha,

if you don’t agree with your home’s online valuation, don’t worry, just wait a day or two

Finally, The Wall Street Journal reports on the murky business of Internet home valuations.

Read all about it> From WSJ.com
By ALYSSA ABKOWITZ
How to Figure the Fuzzy Math of Internet Home Values
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zillow’s zestimates is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. So near and dear that I’ve railed about it for years now. Why? Because here in the Tucson Foothills zestimates are not accurate and they’re not dependable and they can be very misleading.

And surprisingly, in the course criticizing zestimates I’ve taken some heat from readers of this blog. And while they didn’t necessarily disagree about the lack of accuracy of zestimates, they still defended Zillow. Why? Because they like Zillow, they like it a lot, for all the other fun and useful tools and information that Zillow brings to the party.

And because until Zillow came along, the Realtor® organization held all the cards and they held them very close and only doled out information as they saw fit and, often, only when and how it served their purposes. ‘It’s a great time to buy …’ho-ho-ho

By putting all that information in the hands of consumers Zillow has changed the game, big time, and in doing so they also forced the Realtor® association to either wake up and get with it or go the way of other dinosaurs.

And that’s all great and good, but I still don’t like zestimates, not for here in the foothills. Because, at best, they’re still hit or miss.

here are a few of my past rants on the subject of zestimates in the Tucson Foothills;

 it’s been awhile, (and things are slow) so let’s check in with Zillow
(check out the comments)

more on zestimates vs reality

and finally,
checking in with Zillow

There are more, but why beat a dead horse.

In a comment to one my posts, a reader (Rebecca @ www.littlered.com) offered what I think is the most apt advice on how to approach zestimates,

“ the zestimate is a fun toy -- a strange barometer not unlike a horoscope that shouldn't have too much stock put in it. when it makes you happy, that's great. but don't let it get you down”

see thefoothillsToday.com
to find your Tucson Foothills home

screwed by Verizon Wireless

I was trying to make calls this afternoon and I could hear everyone I was calling but no one could hear me. All they heard was a jumble of noise that was completely unintelligible.

So I ran over to the Verizon Wireless store on Oracle Rd & Wilmot and explained the situation. The customer service rep called my cell phone and verified that she couldn’t understand a single word I said. She couldn’t even make out words, just a jumble of noise.

So she smiled and said ‘well it’s under warranty’ .

Technorati Tags: Verizon Wireless

Yes it sure is it’s maybe 6 or 8 months old – an HTC Incredible – a $575 phone. 

Then she told me they don’t have any replacement phones in stock and they’d have to ship it from the warehouse. What! You mean to tell me you don’t have an HTC Incredible in stock and no other store in Tucson has one either. Well we don’t have replacement phones in stock.

No replacement phones. What does that mean. If I wanted to buy one, you’re saying I’d have to wait for it to be shipped from the warehouse.
Oh no, you could buy an HTC Incredible, those are new phones and they’re available.

Oh really.  So I had to do the old ‘let me speak to manager bit’ because I didn’t believe that what I was being told could actually be true. It couldn’t be.

But it is. The manager of the Oracle/Wilmot store said that’s the best they can do. They don’t stock replacement phones, that is used phones. And it doesn’t matter that you’ve been a customer for 6 years, that’s the best Verizon can do.

You see the replacement phones are factory refurbished phones – aka USED PHONES.  That’s right, you sign up with Verizon Wireless, you pay for the new phone along with signing a two year contract, and they smile and are nice, but if you need a replacement phone because yours broke down during the warranty period, you’re out of luck. You  have wait for a used phone to be shipped from the factory.
So now that they’ve got you for two years,  Verizon doesn’t give a damn about you. Is that slimy or what.

Can you hear me now,
_______________________________________________________________

The upshot,
I got up on Saturday morning and my phone worked just fine.  Clear as bell.
After all that!

checking in with Zillow

it’s that time again, time to have another look at Zillow’s zestimates vs. real world prices – the last time I looked was last August.  (it’s been awhile, (and things are slow) so let’s check in with Zillow) And in that time Zillow may have gotten better at this zestimate thing. So let’s see.

I used the following simple criteria in selecting the homes to use for comparison;
-single family homes in the North area (the foothills) of Tucson, sold for $400,000 or more in the last 30 days. Period, no further criteria, filtering or preferences.
And just to be sure there was no cheating or preferential treatment, rest assured,
I was blindfolded during the entire process.  33 homes met the criteria and starting with home # 1 I selected every other home for inclusion in the comparison – so a total of 17 homes. That seemed like plenty.

And to be crystal clear, here is Zillow’s explanation of their Zestimate and Value Range;  A Zestimate home valuation is Zillow's estimated market value. It is not an appraisal. Use it as a starting point to determine a home's value. Learn more
The Value Range is the high and low estimate market value for which Zillow values a home. The more information, the smaller the range, and the more accurate the Zestimate. See data coverage and accuracy table

Now, ta-da, the results;

Address	SOLD for	Zestimate	Value Range
4350 N Camino Ferreo Tucson, AZ 85750	$400,000	$340,000	$279K – $374K
5921 N Placita Tecolote Tucson, AZ 85718	$410,000	$414,000	$348K – $472K
7638 E CMO AMISTOSO Tucson, AZ 85750	$420,000	$394,500	$335K – $454K
5560 N Via Velazquez Tucson, AZ 85750	$425,000	$459,000	$386K – $519K
5288 N Sunset Shadows Place Tucson, AZ 85750	$445,000	$381,000	$312K – $423K
5771 N Camino De La Sombra Tucson, AZ 85718	$510,000	$504,000	$408K – $580K
4054 N Boulder Canyon Place Tucson, AZ 85750	$535,000	$440,500	$379K – $515K
6498 E Paseo Otono Tucson, AZ 85750	$540,000	$502,500	$412K – $568K
6269 N Paseo Valdear Tucson, AZ 85750	$555,000	$597,500	$490K – $687K
5151 E Mission Hill Drive Tucson, AZ 85718	$600,000	None	None
6334 N Pinnacle Ridge Drive Tucson, AZ 85718	$715,000	None	None
6079 E Red Cardinal Tucson, AZ 85750	$715,000	$655,000	$531K – $727K
4625 N Rocky Crest Place Tucson, AZ 85750	$872,500	$668,500	$541K – $749K
7827 N Ancient Indian Drive Tucson, AZ 85718	$1,200,000	None	None
5920 N Via Serena Tucson, AZ 85750	$950,000	$884,000	$716K – $972K
3271 E CAMINO JUAN PAISANO Tucson, AZ 85718	$1,640,000	$1,146,500	$871K – $1.26M
3252 E Camino Boscaje Escondido Tucson, AZ 85718	$1,750,000	$1,106,500	$797K – $1.31M

Like it or not it’s still hit or miss with zestimates - some nice hits, but some very big misses too. And in the past I only looked at homes in the $750 and up range. And that may not have been completely fair, because it’s obvious that Zillow is much more on their game at the lower end where, generally, the homes are more alike, even cookie cutter, and getting it right is about as tricky as hitting the broad side of a barn, than they are at the higher end where everything doesn’t stack up quite so neatly.

see thefoothillsToday.com
to find your Foothills home

beware gmail hackers

I’ve had my fill of them lately. A few months ago my gmail account was hacked and I lost all my saved emails – a couple a thousand of them, both personal & business. But thankfully I was able to recover my gmail account.

Then more recently, and for no apparent reason, I had a bout where perfectly legitimate emails were ending up in my spam folder. Which of course I didn’t discover until way too long after the fact. So if you emailed to inquire about me representing you in a mega $$$$ deal and I didn’t reply, it wasn’t me, I swear.

And today this;

> Gmail onlineservice@gmail.com to
johnschneiders@gmail.com
date Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 9:11 AM
subject Email Alert

Dear Email Client,
There was a failed attempt to login into your account from a blacklisted IP.
Kindly login below Click Here <

and when I clicked Click Here I landed here;

on a page that looks exactly like a legitimate Google sign in page,
except for the address in the address bar, which- you probably can’t read - reads ; http://www.clubvanvrijdenkers.nl/logo/gmail/signon.html 
(whatever the hell clubvanvrijdenkers.nl/… is)

instead of something like this;

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=mail&passive=true&rm=false&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%

be careful, it’s no fun getting hacked,

looking for a recommendation

I wonder if anyone has a recommendation for a company that does state of the art electronic home automation, including audio/video & home theatre

I appreciate it, thank you
JS

email glitch

I heard today that some 40,000 gmail users lost all of their saved email.
I love gmail, but g, this is getting to be a regular thing.

It happened to me some months ago, I lost them all, but so far it looks like I’ve escaped it this time. But I have noticed that in some cases, email that is clearly not spam, clearly to me at least, is ending up in my spam folder. Who knows.

So if you’ve emailed me recently and I have not replied, I’m not ignoring you - that is unless you’re trying to sell me something - it’s just that you’ve probably ended up in my spam folder. I apologize. It’s tedious, but I’m going through them one by one and de -spamming you.

I’ve been HACKED

Some cretin hacked into my GMail account last night and got hold of a bunch of names and email addresses and is sending out SCAM emails to friends, family and clients.

The subject of the scam mail is EMERGENCY and it goes something like this or a variation of;

I really don't mean to inconvenience you right now but I made a quick trip to the UK and I lost a bag which contains my passport and credit cards. I know this may sound odd, but it all happened very fast. I've been to the US embassy and they're willing to help me fly without my passport but I just have to pay for my ticket and settle some bills. Right now I'm out of cash plus i can't access my bank without my credit card over here. I have contacted them but they need more verification. I'm just gonna have to plead with you to lend me some funds right now? I'll pay back as soon as I get home. I need to get on the next available flight home.

Please reply as soon as you get this message so I can forward the details as to where to send the funds. You can reach me via the hotel's desk phone if you can, the numbers are,  011447024065511 or 011447024064567 You can also email me via my yahoomail, as I can easily access it here …

______________________________________________________________________________

It’s a SCAM, please IGNORE IT. And I apologize for the inconvenience.
Meanwhile my GMail account> johnschneiders@gmail.com  has been frozen, so no email, no nothing.

However, you can reach me at > johnschneiders@hotmail.com

 

a new look

as you can see I’ve been fiddling with the look and layout  of the the blog. And so far I’m pretty happy with it – except the mountains are all squished and weird, it’s a work in progress.

JS

YEAH!

The setting for links from flexmls has been changed to 1000 from the previously feeble 100.

So no more having to lay out 3 or 4 links. YEAH!

… now a new real-estate listing works almost like a news story,

when the news hits, people flock to read it. The next day, traffic drops off.  Your home listing, says Redfin chief executive Glenn Kelman, “is just another momentary media phenomenon in an ADD-addled world.” 

Good Point

From WSJ.com. Read on about yet another reason why it’s more important than ever to price your house right, right from the start. 
Redfin: For Real Estate Listings, the First Week is Crucial

thefoothillsToday.com
to find your Tucson Foothills home

I was stranded and now I’ve been rescued

I was at the office this morning doing some work on the internet and was, at every chance I got, complaining about Comcast.

Well it turns out that Long Realty has a Comcast sales rep who amongst many other things, can help with knarly technical issues.

I gave Jimmy a call and related my latest experience with Comcast, and without further ado he was at my house 2 hours later. And bing-bang-boom, had me up and running at high speed in no time.  He was also ashamed for the atrocious service that I got from Comcast.

Anyway, he made things right and thanks to Jimmy I’m up and running and no longer cursing Comcast.

COMCAST internet ‘service’ for the Tucson foothills, 85718

Monday morning 8/16, after a stormy night, my COMCAST internet service was dead. So I tried calling COMCAST but after being on hold for eons I gave up.  So I went to my office to use the Qwest DSL lines, which were up and running, and I saw a COMCAST tech guy in the parking lot. He informed me that internet service was in shambles all over Tucson due to the lightning and storms during the night. And that it would, hopefully, be up later in the day.

OK, mother nature, there was a big storm during the night. So no service on Monday, OK. But on Tuesday morning there was still no service. So I called 1 800 COMCAST customer service to see when service would be restored. They had no knowledge of the storms, storms, what storms. Nope, they had no record of a service outage here in Tucson. Nothing. OK, never mind, but I don’t have service so we made an appointment for the next available time – Wednesday 8/18 between 3:00 & 5:00 PM.

But come Wednesday at 5:00 PM, no one from COMCAST had showed. And no one had called. So once again I called
1 800 COMCAST and went through the whole rigamarole again and was put on hold while they checked with dispatch and eventually was told they were running late – gee whiz no kidding - but they would be here by 5:30 to 5:40. OK fine.

At 6:00 they still hadn’t showed so I called 1 800 again. This time I was told that the technicians were on their way and would be here by 6:30 or so.

Great. But while I was on the phone with COMCAST 1 800, being told that the techs were on their way, the techs called and left me a message that unless I called them right back that they were going home. I called them back as soon as I got off the phone with 1 800 and I got their voicemail and let them know that I’d been waiting 3+ hours and, yes *&%&$$,  I expected them to show. They did not call back and they did not show.

I then spent the next 2 hours on the phone with COMCAST 1-800 trying to get customer service to send someone out. I was put on hold for eternity and, finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and hung up. But I called back again, still hoping to speak with someone who might actually be willing and able to help me. But no, that didn’t happen. Instead I was told the next available appointment was Friday. FRIDAY, wait a minute, lets see if I’ve got this right; I’m without internet service for three days, COMCAST totally blows me off and doesn’t show up for the service appointment and I get pushed to the back of the line and have to wait two more days to see if they’ll show up. Does that make sense. It made perfect sense to the COMCAST customer service rep I spoke with. Actually it made perfect sense to all three COMCAST customer service reps I spoke with.
I went ballistic.

(And btw, my experience with COMCAST is that getting them to show up does not mean that your problem will be fixed. No, no way. Last time I went through this with COMCAST, they sent five different tech guys over a weeks time before they were able to figure out how to restore my service.)

This is my little problem. But it is also the reality of the shoddy service you can expect from COMCAST in the Tucson Foothills, 85718. Buyer beware. COMCAST service is inept and, worse yet, COMCAST does not even care. They just want your money.

COMCAST is a cable monopoly that should not be allowed to exist.
Julius Genachowski, are you listening.   

stranded

big storm last night, comcast internet service still out,

more on zestimates vs reality

Based on the dismal lack of accuracy of Zillow’s zestimates when comparing it’s valuations of foothills homes to real world prices the other day, I thought it would be worthwhile to drop down a notch in price, to $500,000 to $749,999, and see if Zillow does any better at this lower price point.

Presumably, lower priced homes are more similar to each other and have fewer custom amenities and variations, than higher priced homes, and should therefore be a slower moving and easier target for Zillow to hit. So, except for the price, I used the same simple criteria as I did the other day > it’s been awhile, (and things are slow) so let’s check in with Zillow

The criteria;
I ran a search in the Tucson MLS for single family homes in the foothills that sold from July 1, 2010 thru August 12, 2010, listed from $500,000 to $749,999 and sold at whatever price they sold at.

A grand total of 18 homes matched the criteria. But rather than going through all 18, which didn’t seem necessary, I used every other home on the list starting with the first one. So Away we go,

1. 4971 E Avenida Del Cazador Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $429,000
Actual Sold Price - $480,000

3. 2300 E Corte Ingles Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $622,000
Actual Sold Price - $550,000

5. 3900 N Pontatoc Road Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $452,000
Actual Sold Price - $550,000

7. 2430 E Placita Sin Lujuria Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $499,500
Actual Sold Price - $520,000 (BINGO!)

9. 5444 N Maguey Place Tucson, AZ 85750
Zillow says - $393,500
Actual Sold Price - $547,500

11. 6500 N Campbell Avenue Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $746,000
Actual Sold Price - $560,000

13. 4735 N Camino Antonio Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $783,500
Actual Sold Price - $575,000

15. 4210 E Pontatoc Drive Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $743,000
Actual Sold Price - $645,000

17. 5700 N Williams Drive Tucson Tucson, AZ 85704
Zillow says - $527,500
Actual Sold Price - $680,000

Judge for yourself, but I don’t see much improvement, if any, in the accuracy of these zestimates, at this lower price range, vs the results from the other day.

And granted, if we get down to real cookie-cutter homes, I have no doubt that Zillow’s accuracy will zoom into the stratosphere. 
But big deal, at that point, it’s like hitting the side of a barn, and who needs zillow for that.

The other reason I ran this comparison again is because I was surprised, amazed really, to find that no one seems very concerned that zillow’s valuations are so far off the mark.
And I understand, and have no issue with, the other cutting edge and very useful tools and features that zillow does provide. Only the valuations, and only in the Foothills, which I know are very important, and I wanted to run this up the flagpole again and double check.

And maybe it’s just that I’m way behind the crowd on this one. 
Whereas everyone else has long ago accepted that zillow just doesn’t do accurate valuations in the foothills, and they’ve gotten over it and moved on. Is that it?

Maybe. But there are also many other buyers and sellers out there who are not quite as savvy about zillow’s valuations, and are using them to help determine value. And I wonder, to what degree are those ‘off the mark’ valuations (off the mark is, I think, a very kind way of putting it) contributing to the confusion about prices in the foothills and adding to the inability of buyers and sellers to see eye to eye.

We can probably debate that all day long, but one thing I hope we can all agree on is that Zillow’s ‘off the mark’ valuations are certainly not helping things one bit. Nor do I see how incorrect and misleading information can possibly contribute, even one teensy bit, to the empowerment of consumers and greater transparency in real estate transactions. Do you.

thefoothillsToday.com
to find your Tucson Foothills home

it’s been awhile, (and things are slow) so let’s check in with Zillow

and see if, after all this time, they’re still as far off the mark in their valuations of Foothills homes as they’ve always been.

The criteria;
I ran a search in the Tucson MLS for single family homes in the foothills that sold from July 1, 2010 thru today (8/12/10), listed from $750,000 to $1,250,000 and sold at whatever price they sold at. 
That’s it, nice n’ simple, with nothing to complicate things or throw a monkey wrench into Zillow’s sacred secret formula.

A grand total of 8 homes fit that criteria -
So without further ado, here they are, along with Zillow’s Zestimate of their value vs the actual sold price of the 8 homes as reported in the Tucson MLS.

1. 6005 N Pontatoc Road, Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $764,500
Actual Sold price - $747,000

2. 6616 N Los Leones Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $1,082,000
Actual Sold price - $725,000

3. 4210 N Saranac Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $636,000
Actual Sold price - $790,000

4. 6920 N Solaz Primero  Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $610,500 (range $488K – $684K)
Actual Sold price - $840,000

5. 3141 E Crest Shadows Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $751,500
Actual Sold price - $887,500

6. 7915 N Sendero De Juana Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $738,500  (range $583K – $812K)
Actual Sold price - $915,000

7. 3250 E Sun Cloud Place, Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says - $1,140,500
Actual Sold price - $1,000,000

8. 2801 E Plaza Encantada, Tucson, AZ 85718
Zillow says – we won’t even guess
Actual Sold price - $1,149,000

Please note that Zillow provides the following explanation/disclaimer of the Zestimate:
A Zestimate® home valuation is Zillow's estimated market value. It is not an appraisal. Use it as a starting point to determine a home's value.

That’s a good one, a starting point. Try a dart board instead, at least you’ll have a few laughs.

PS- and given the lack of anything remotely resembling accuracy in the very important area of home valuations in the foothills which Zillow, nevertheless, seems to pride themselves on, I can’t help wondering why so many real estate agents continue to advertise on and associate themselves with Zillow. Since doing so is clearly an endorsement of zillow.

thefoothillsToday.com
to find your Tucson Foothills home

possible glitches in home searches

If you are using my web site – www.thefoothillsToday.com – to search for a home, you may encounter errors or missing listings.
We know that searching Ventana CC is returning fewer homes than are actually available and that Fairfield, and possibly others, may be in the same boat.

A person who was using my site alerted me to this issue. Thank you. And the tech crew has now been trying to unravel it since yesterday morning. So please stand by.

ain’t that the truth,

Chris Fountain, a Connecticut Realtor and blogger extraordinaire,
talks about why sellers should listen and learn from “unvarnished” comments about their property rather than just getting pissed.

And gee, doesn’t that make sense.

Readers’ comments

we want our Rappatoni

From all the agents I’ve spoken to, and I’ve spoken to many, feelings about the new flex mls system run the gamut from ‘Why the &$^&$%did we switch to this’ to ‘I hate it’. Beyond that there is very little disagreement. I work out of the Foothills office of Long Realty, the busiest, most productive real estate office in southern Arizona. And I’ve yet to meet one agent who is positive about the switch to flex. Not one. At best, everyone seems to be enduring it as if it were a punishment we somehow deserve.

And I’m fairly certain that other agents throughout Tucson are also unhappy with, or maybe even hate, flex.

If so, please, write in and let’s hear. A simple thumbs up or down will do. Let’s get something going. But if you’ve been complaining about flex, yet still refuse to step up and speak out, then forgetaboutit.

the new flexmls system

OK, it’s been 2+ weeks since we converted to flexmls.
How’s it going.

We want to hear everyone’s opinion, from both Realtors and the public. And hey, if you’ve got a gripe and you let us know, maybe we can get it fixed.

And if you haven’t tried it yet, the public search is at http://www.tarmls.com/

Then click Comments at the bottom of this post and fire away. 
Thank you.

ta-da

The new public mls search site from flexmls and the Tucson Association of Realtors® is up and running as of today. One day earlier than promised. You can find it here> http://tarmls.com/

And already a reader has weighed in with his opinion of the site. 
I’ll post his email here, in the hopes of getting the ball rolling, and look forward to others letting us know what you think.
(just click> Comments at bottom of this post, and fire away) 

Bruce wrote;

John
I am not a realtor, just a old banker trying to research and buy a home in Tucson.  The new MLS system is a major step backward (from a consumers standpoint); maybe realtors have more bells and whistles.  In my industry, to survive as an independent community bank, you have to be on the cutting edge in terms of technology to both retain customers and reduce costs.  If TAR’s moved to the new system to save money, they got what they paid for, an inferior product!  The old system had more search options, ran faster, and was more intuitive to use.  If there are some ‘great tools’ out there with this system, make them available to sophisticated buyers trying to use them.  If what that is available with the public options is it, too bad for the prospective buyers.
When you live over 1,000 miles away and are trying to research the options available by area (now only 3 choices) and in a house (about 1/3 of the search options as before), it gets real frustrating.  Maybe we should look at other areas where the data are more readily available.  Transparency, access, and speed of delivery of relevant information over the internet is what customers demand in the 21st century, not a striped down inferior product such as ‘flexmls’ offers.  Did the committee selecting this product miss the internet as an important channel to market and sell their products?
bbm
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Though it appears in the Comments section, I thought it only fair to prominently post an opposing point of view, so here’s Jim, a reader who seems to be enjoying the new flexmls system,

This new MLS search site seems faster to me, especially when using the map in conjunction with search criteria. I've been using the old system for a year now and was frustrated at how incredibly S-L-O-W the map refreshes were. This new format will take some getting used to (as all things do) but in just an hour or so, this 50 year-old didn't find it all that challenging. I think this new MLS search site has potential to be more useful to this buyer. I definitely wouldn't be writing it off so soon. BTW, John, I've been meaning to compliment your blog for some time. I've enjoyed it for many months now and look forward to your take on listings I've seen and homes I've visited. It is refreshing to read your unabashed commentary. 

Jim
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please, let’s hear more,

change for change’s sake?

I’ve been absent from the blog today because, unfortunately, I’ve spent more time with the conversion to our new MLS system than I ever imagined I would. More time trying to learn the new system –
it is complex - and more time working with a handful of other agents trying to identify ‘features’ that we think need to be changed.

By the time we’re done we’ll have spent countless hours changing the new system to make it look more like the one we already have, and like.

If you’re an agent in Tucson we’d love to hear what you have to say about your experience with the flex system and your opinions regarding the conversion to flex.

thank you,

I first wrote about the flex conversion here, which started a little firestorm > regarding the new flex mls system that we are moving to  -ps- be sure to check out the comments

just to be crystal clear

It has come to my attention that some readers of this blog may be under the impression that homes that I mention here are my listings.

In fact they are not. Please note, unless otherwise clearly stated that a listing is mine, I assure you, it is not. As a matter of fact, as of 12 midnight tonight, February 15, 2010, I do not represent any sellers and will, for the foreseeable future, only represent buyers of homes in the Tucson Foothills or anywhere else in the Tucson metro area.

Furthermore it is not, and never was, my intention to lead readers to believe that I am ‘advertising’ other agents listings on this blog.
I thought it was crystal clear, but apparently it is not, that my only purpose has been to provide information, along with my opinion, that may be helpful and useful to those who are interested in Tucson Foothills real estate and choose to read this blog. Be they buyers or sellers.

I apologize for any misunderstandings.

Please add your comments, point of view and criticism as you see fit.
I look forward to hearing all of it.

some things are just not worth fixing

The other day I upgraded my laptop from Windows Vista (which was working just fine) to Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft. And it all went very smoothly, everything works perfectly, except my Hewlett Packard all-in-one printer/fax/scanner/copier.
For some reason it didn’t make the transition too well. Suddenly the HP and the laptop weren’t communicating.

So I spent some time on the HP site searching for a solution. 
And oddly enough, there was no official HP solution to be found, but I did find a bunch suggestions in the HP user forums. I tried a few and none worked so I wrote to HP tech support.

They responded promptly & pleasantly with simple, detailed instructions; download this patch – uninstall that software, download this other software and install it, restart and you’ll be on your way.
Cool.

After doing that for about 3 hours it still didn’t work. Not so cool.
So I emailed the HP tech guy again to let him know. He got back to me right away, apologized that his first solution didn’t work and cheerfully suggested that I take the following steps to resolve the issue. And, as far as I could tell, he did so with a straight face.
Get this.

Hello John,
Thank you for writing back to us and providing us an opportunity to serve you again in this matter.
I appreciate your efforts that you have performed in troubleshooting the issue. I regret to note that the issue remains unresolved even after performing the recommended steps. I apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Solution
=======
To resolve the issue please follow the steps listed below:
Step 1: Uninstall the All-in-One software.
Step 2: Disable the firewalls and antivirus.
Step 3: Clear the temporary files.
Step 4: Turn off the 'terminate and stay resident' programs.
Step 5: Install the All-in-One software.
Here are the steps in detail:
Step 1: Uninstall the All-in-One software
===================================
Please uninstall the All-in-One software using the below steps:
1.  Click Windows Logo à All Programs à Accessories à Run.
2.  In Run dialog box, type “%temp%” and press OK.
3.  In opened Temp folder, open any folder starting with “7z”.
4.  In opened ‘7z” folder, open “Util” folder.
5.  Open “CCC” folder.
6.  Run “Uninstall_L3.bat” (32-bit) or “Uninstall_L364.bat” (64-bit).
7.  Continue with the un-installation wizard.
Restart the computer to make the changes effective.
Step 2: Disable the firewalls and antivirus
==================================
Perform the below steps to disable the firewalls and antivirus which might be blocking the HP installation files which might result in incomplete installation:
To disable the firewall in windows 7, please follow the steps given below:
1.  Click the Pearl button (windows) located at the bottom left of the screen, and then on Start Search type "windows firewall" then press      [Enter].
2.  Under Control Panel, select Windows Firewall.
3.  When the Windows Firewall window appears, select Turn Windows Firewall on or off at the side bar.
4.  When the Windows Firewall Settings screen appears, select Turn off Windows Firewall then click OK.
5.  Click  cancel button(x)  to exit the Windows Firewall Settings screen.
NOTE: If you need to turn on the Windows Firewall again, you can follow the steps above to come back to the Windows Firewall Settings screen to turn on the Windows Firewall.
To disable the anti virus software, please follow the steps given below:
On the bottom right corner of the screen right click on the icon of your anti virus software and select the option disable.
Step 3: Clear the temporary files
================================
Perform the below steps to use the Disk Cleanup Utility in Windows 7 to clear temporary files to free hard disk space on the computer.
1.  Click the Windows icon (  ), click All Programs , click Accessories , click System Tools , and then click Disk Cleanup . The Disk Cleanup Utility window opens.
2.  Disk Cleanup Utility analyzes the hard disk, and then displays a report containing a list of optional Files to delete . Click the check boxes next to unnecessary files, and then click OK .
Step 4: Turn off the 'terminate and stay resident' programs
===================================================
Turn off the 'terminate and stay resident' programs:
Perform the steps to temporarily turn off Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs.
Background information: When the computer starts Windows 7, TSR software programs automatically load. TSR programs activate computer utilities, such as antivirus software, but are not required for the computer to function. TSR programs can interfere with product software installation.
1.  On the Windows taskbar, click the Windows icon ( ), type msconfig in the Search Programs and Files box, and then press Enter . The User Account Control windows opens.
2.  Click Continue . The System Configuration window opens.
3.  Click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup check box.
4.  If there is a checkmark next to Load Startup items, click the checkmark to remove it.
5.  Click the Services tab, and then click Hide All Microsoft Services (at the bottom of the Services tab).
6.  Click Disable All , and then click Ok .
7.  Click Restart . The computer automatically restarts.
Step 5: Install the All-in-One software
===================================
Install the All-in-One software from the below weblink to avoid any improper installation due to the corrupted All-in-One software CD:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=mp-76229-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&os=4063&product=1153491
NOTE:  Clicking the link may give an error indicating it is invalid. Please copy from "http" to "1153491" and paste it in the address bar of browser, then press Enter Key.
Installation Instructions
---------------------------
Internet Explorer:
1.  Click the Download only button.
2.  When a new pop-up window appears, click on the Run button.
Note: Make sure the printer is not connected to the computer before running the file.
Note: Depending on your connection speed, the file will take some time to transfer to your computer.
3.  If an ""User Account Control"" pop-up windows appears, click the Continue button.
Note: The file is compressed and may take time to extract and run.
4.  Follow the on-screen instructions.
Firefox:
1.  Click the Download only button.
2.  When a new pop-up window appears, click on the Save File button.
Note: Depending on your connection speed, the file will take some time to transfer to your computer.
3.  When the download completes, double-click the most recent file to start the software installation.
Note: Make sure the printer is not connected to the computer before running the file.
4.  If an "Open Executable File?" pop-up window appears, click the OK button.
5. I f an "User Account Control"" pop-up windows appears, click the Continue button.
Note: The file is compressed and may take time to extract and run.
6.  Follow the on-screen instructions.
Now check the functionality of the All-in-One.
I believe this information will help you to resolve the issue. However, if the issue persists or if you find any difficulty in troubleshooting, please reply to this message with the results. I will be happy to assist you further.
We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to provide you with superior customer service. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for being one of our most valuable customers.
Have a Nice Day.
Sincerely,
Rodney K
HP Total Care.
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This is just too funny. When I first saw it I thought he was kidding but, no, he was serious. It’s so absurd I roared with laughter. 
Screw it, some things are just not worth fixing. On to Epson. Cnet.com says they make some very good all-in-ones that are also Windows 7 compatible. Imagine!

PS- I did write to Mark Hurd, CEO of HP, because I thought he might be interested to know the kind of service advice being dispensed.
We’ll see.

a picture is worth a thousand words

but thanks to new MLS rules restricting the use of MLS photos, you’ll be seeing a lot fewer of them on this page and other places too.

I can’t imagine what the purpose of this new rule is, or what onerous activity it’s intended to curb – that was not explained.
Just,

Effective November 1st, you will no longer be able to copy photos from the MLS. If you wish to use a photo found on the system, you will need to contact the listing agent.

I also wonder, since the new ruling says nothing about copying photos from sources other than the MLS - and since the photos from the MLS show up on dozens of public web sites - is it OK to copy them from there, the public web sites.

Like this one. It’s a dead ringer for a photo that’s also on the MLS, but I didn’t get it from the MLS, I got it from a public web site.

Who’s to know. And again, what onerous activity is this new rule intended to curb.

A QUICK ABOUT FACE; 
It's just a few hours after posting this piece and the MLS has decided that it will NOT prohibit the copying and use of photos from the MLS. And this time with an explanation:

After further review, it appears that we may not have to disable the Copy Picture function. This action was proposed due to potential liability issues for MLS, but after talking further to legal counsel the liability may not be great enough to warrant the change. As of now, there will be no change on November 1st.

Now I'd like to know what 'potential liability issues' they speak of. Any attorneys out there who might shed some light on that issue.
 

a new MLS for Tucson

The leadership of Tucson Association of Realtors – the group responsible for making the big decisions for the Tucson real estate community - recently announced that we’ll be getting a new provider to dish up our MLS info. And while it won’t be a minute too soon, the changeover to a new system – with new & better technology, a new interface and lots of new bells and whistles, we’re told and I hope - is sure to cause plenty of frustration and confusion among the ranks. To say nothing of the myriad technological hurdles and glitches that are sure to accompany the changeover.

So when they do get around to making this change – for some reason they haven’t told us when - you may need to be extra kind and patient with your favorite Realtor.

But hey, as we speak, our current Rappatoni MLS system, such as it is, is down again. Dead, can’t log on. Could be just another routine outage, or maybe a little extra poke in the eye from the folks at Rappatoni for bidding them adieu. 

So, unable to search for what’s happened since yesterday and therefore nothing to report, I loaf.

Gmail is down

Google’s email service, Gmail, is down. IS UP AGAIN

Nothing coming in, nothing going out.

If you’re trying to reach me, call or text or wait.