Website Spotlight: Caliber

Photography is Art.

Hey, it’s Friday…and this post has absolutely nothing to do with real estate, or San Carlos for that matter.    But it has everything to do with amazing photography, and the stories that are behind the pictures (and the lenses).  Ansel Adams once said that he felt photography was not considered an art form by the “experts” of his era, and it was this slight that drove him to become one of the world’s greatest photographers.   Make no mistake, photography IS art.

A few months back, I read about a website that had just been created that was a essentially a collaboration of the work of four very accomplished Bay Area photographers.   Rather than continue to publish their work independently, the group formed a website called Caliber to showcase their collective works.  Much of their work is based on the scenery in San Francisco — who could blame them?  It’s one of the most photogenic cities on the planet.

But a fair amount of their posts are based on the interesting people of San Francisco, most of which are candid shots like the one on the right.  There’s even an occasional series that’s called the $2 Portrait that is simply compelling.   During his daily travels throughout the City, photographer Troy Holden is often asked for money by a homeless or downtrodden person – in return for giving them $2, they agree to let Troy take their picture, and while Troy is shooting their portrait, he finds out a little bit about that person.  The stories are often times amazing, and incredibly sad at the same time.

See the World Through Their Lens.

If you love photography, or San Francisco (or both), you need to check out Caliber. The photography is breathtaking, and the commentary behind the pictures is equally compelling.   It’s a great reminder of why you chose to live near the City in the first place….

In cased you missed it embedded in the post, here the link again:  Caliber.

3 Reasons Why You Should Follow the White Oaks Blog on Facebook…

Become a Fan!

There’s no argument that Facebook is an amazing tool for people to keep in touch with each other. Some experts have been so bold to predict that Facebook will someday replace email as the chosen communication medium. Now THAT’S a big statement. Despite the fact that Facebook can be frustratingly counter-intuitive to use, there’s no doubt it has changed the face of social media forever — after all, hundreds of millions of subscribers can’t be wrong, right?

But much like my analysis of Twitter, it took some head scratching for me to figure how I could use Facebook to add value to The White Oaks Blog.   Enter the Fan Page.   If used properly, Facebook’s Fan Page is much like Twitter in that doesn’t just replicate a blog, but it’s a perfect supplement to it. Think of it as a way to post additional information that wouldn’t necessarily warrant a full-blown blog article.

So here are the three reasons why you should become a fan of the White Oaks Blog on Facebook:

1. Get ALL of the posts from the White Oaks Blog.  Each post that’s written on the White Oaks Blog is automatically syndicated over to the Fan Page, so you don’t miss anything.
2. Real-time information on San Carlos Homes Sold, Pending Sales, and New Listings.   You know all of that great information you get in Saturday’s “San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review” series?  Now you don’t have to wait until Saturday to get it — I post the same info each day as it happens, so they’ll automatically show up in your News Feed.
3. News articles on Real Estate and San Carlos.   I read a ton of information each day on what’s happening in San Carlos, and real estate trends in general.  The fan page is the perfect place for me to post interesting articles that may not warrant a full blog post.

Convinced?  Just click on this link to become a fan of the White Oaks Blog on Facebook, or see click on the “Become a Fan of the White Oaks Blog” widget in the right sidebar.   Happy reading!

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The White Oaks Blog gets a new coat of paint…

Time for a change…

Since I created this site back in October of 2007, I have been using the same background (theme) for the blog with only a few minor tweaks.   While this theme worked marvelously for me, I decided that after nearly two years of the same look and feel it was time to change the site up a bit.   After looking at literally hundreds of different blog themes, I settled on the one you’re looking at right now.  Ironically, this theme was created by Nurudin Jauhari, who also created the old White Oaks Blog theme.  Talk about taking a big circle…

New Structure

The structure of the new blog is what is known as a “magazine style” where the posts are grouped together as summaries.   This allows the reader to glance at a particular topic and decide if the they want to dive deeper into the topic (in much the same fashion that you’d read a newspaper.)  The articles are on all on top of the site, and the MLS home search, links, etc are all on the bottom.  This layout is generally easier to navigate and more pleasing to the eye.   Note that if you subscribe to the site via email or a feed reader, you shouldn’t notice a difference.

What do you think?

But it’s not what I think that’s important…it’s your opinion that matters.  So, what do think of the new look?  Vote on the poll below, or leave a comment on the site. I’d love to know what you think.

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Same coat, but with a few new buttons…

Click Away

One of the really cool things about blog analysis software is that it gives the author a good idea where people are clicking on the blog, which essentially tells the writer what the readers are finding most interesting and relevant. (Important note: I can’t tell who is clicking, just where…so your privacy is totally safe.) I spent some time this weekend analyzing how people use this site, and what they tend to read the most. The answer was very clear:

Home Sales Data

The most clicked links on this site (by far) have to do with home sales data. There’s a shocker – it is a real estate blog, after all. Whether it’s homes for sale in San Carlos, pending sales, or homes that have already sold, readers want real data on what’s happening in the San Carlos real estate market, and this information is usually not that easy to find. Until now…

New Buttons

While I haven’t changed the background (a.k.a. theme) of this blog in the past 2 years, I have changed the structure quite a bit. It’s akin to putting new buttons on an old coat — I simply haven’t found a better “coat” for this site, so I’ll continue to change the buttons to make it better.  And here are three new ones that you should know about: (go ahead and click one of them)

How to use ‘em…

You’ll find these three buttons conveniently located at the top of the site, right in the middle.   The subject content is pretty self-explanatory, but there’s a lot more information here than meets the eye.  Let’s look at an example:

If you simply click on the “Homes Sold” button at the top, it will show you ALL of the homes that have sold in San Carlos over the past 6 months — in a single click.  Once you’re in there, you can sort by price or by square footage.  Pretty cool, eh?

But let’s say you’re interested in homes that sold only in White Oaks, or just homes that sold for less than $1M?    Got you covered.   If you move your cursor over the “Homes Sold” button at the top of the blog (not the one in this example,) you’ll see a whole array of options magically appear below the button…including “Homes Sold in White Oaks” and “Homes Sold in San Carlos: <$1M” just to name a few.   Simply move your cursor down, and it’s there — all in a single click.

The same principle works with the “Homes for Sale in San Carlos” and “Pending Sales” buttons.   And the data is pulled from a live feed, so it’s always current.   So go ahead and try them out, and let me know what you think.  If there’s a different way that you want the data sliced up, just let me know.

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White Oaks Blog named one of “The Best Real Estate Blogs in San Francisco” by Relocation.com.

Surprise Recognition.

I got a nice little surprise this morning while going through my emails —   The White Oaks Blog was just named one of the Best Real Estate Blogs in the San Francisco Area by Relocation.com, a leading publication that connects consumers who are moving with professionals who can best service their needs.    The editors of Relocation.com evaluated blogs throughout the Bay Area on such criteria as market data, explanatory articles about real estate, and local flavor and chose 7 blogs to share this honor.

Here’s the write-up on their site, as well as a press release from IT News Online:

Relocation.com:  The Best Real Estate Blogs in San Francisco

IT News Online Press Release

In great company…

This was really a surprise and quite an honor because there are so many good real estate blogs that cover the bay area right now.   The White Oaks Blog is humbled to share this honor with 6 other outstanding RE Blogs:

• The Front Steps :  Covering San Francisco real estate, created by Alexander Clark
• The Marin Real Estate Guide, by Ginger Wilcox.
• Absolutely Foster City Blog, (one of my favorite blogs) created by my colleague Jim Minkey.
• Living Well in San Mateo, from Raymond Stoklosa
• The San Mateo Real Estate Blog, by Vicki Moore
• The Marin Real Estate Blog, by Mark Lomas

Thank YOU.

Thanks to Relocation.com for the recognition and the nice write-up.  But a bigger thanks goes to all the readers of the White Oaks Blog.   Your continued readership, helpful suggestions, and overall encouragement were the real reasons behind this recognition.    The site is what it is because of you.

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New Feature: Search Surrounding Communities

Need to look around?

Haven’t found the exact home you’re looking for in San Carlos?  That’s certainly understandable, considering that right now there are only 49 homes for sale in the entire city.  Or, perhaps just want to compare San Carlos prices to those in nearby communities?   No problem – it’s very easy to do this from the site.   Introducing the newest module to the White Oaks Blog…

Search In Surrounding Communities.

I have added a new module in the left sidebar titled “Search in Surrounding Communities.“    Like every other home search that you can do from this blog, there are two key features that most other sites don’t offer:

• Single-Click Search.  When you click on the “Homes for Sale in San Mateo” link for example, you will immediately see a map that shows every home that’s for sale in San Mateo…on the first click.  The search parameters are already pre-defined, so you don’t have to spend 10 minutes filling in a bunch of annoying data fields just to start your search. Just click once and you’re there.
• No Registration Required.     You don’t need to register to use the search (unless you want to take advantage of the email alert system, or you want to customize and save a favorite search.)  It’s free, and you can search for homes in complete privacy.

See pending sales, too…

Since I added the pending sales link for San Carlos, it has quickly become one of the most visited links on the site.  So I’m happy to be able to provide you with the same information for other cities as well.

Here are the community links that you’ll find in the “Search Surrounding Communities” module.   Go ahead, check ‘em out..

Belmont:

• Homes for Sale In Belmont
• Pending Sales in Belmont

Redwood City:

• Homes for Sale in Redwood City
• Pending Sales in Redwood City

San Mateo:

• Homes for Sale in San Mateo
• Pending Sales in San Mateo

Menlo Park:

• Homes for Sale in Menlo Park
• Pending Sales in Menlo Park

Burlingame:

• Homes for Sale in Burlingame
• Pending Sales in Burlingame

Have any additional communities on the Peninsula that you’d like to see?  Just send me an email, or post a comment below and I’ll include it on the site!

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Website Spotlight: The U.S. Geological Survey.

We’re Shakin’ and Bakin’…

Even though we live in “earthquake country,”  as we were reminded of recently with the marking of the 103rd annivesary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake, we sometimes forget that signifcant earthquakes happen around the world…each and every day.   It’s simply amazing how much seismic activity takes place around the globe, and of course, when we’re due for another shaker around here.

The New USGS Site.

I hadn’t been on the US Geological Survey site in quite a while.   I recently jumped on when I saw a Twitter update about the recent 6.0 quake in Mexico City.  I was impressed with how they have changed this site — they use all kinds of cool technology such as RSS Feeds and Google Earth to enable you to see what’s happening around the world.  And believe me, there’s lots happening.

If you use a feed reader to get your news, here’s a great feed that informs you about every significant earthquake over magnitude 2.5 around the world: USGS:  M2.5 + Earthquakes

I don’t know why, but this is has become one of the first things I look at when I view my Google feed reader.   If you prefer the more traditional approach of viewing the website, here’s the link:  USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

Either way, check out what’s happening around the world.  You’ll be surprised at who else gets their share of earthquakes besides California…

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(”Spotlight on Cool Websites” is an occasional series that will highlight a particular website that I think you’ll find interesting.  Links to these websites can be found under the “Great San Carlos Websites” link at the top of the site. )

Got a great website that you’d like to share?  Send me an email with the details…

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Website Spotlight: TechCrunch

It’s All About Tech.

I can’t recall how I stumbled onto this site, but TechCrunch is an absolutely amazing resource of news about technology.  But not just any technology — it’s technology that’s relevant to the average technology user, stuff we use everyday.    They’re on top of the latest innovations in Social Networking (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc…) as well as the tools and gadgets we’re hopelessly attached to (Google, iPhone, Mac’s and PC’s, Android, Palm Pre…)   I read this site every day, and I never fail to gather some gem of useful information that helps me with this site.

They’re On It.

The content on TechCrunch is written by a host of staff writers along with a few guest authors.   One thing that strikes me immediately is how plugged-in this group is.   They seem to be extremely well connected with the companies they follow, and often times are one of the first to break big news stories.  For example, they were the first source I found that tipped the world to Cisco’s intent to purchase Pure Digital (the maker of the phenomenally popular Flip Video camera.) The aforementioned article was on their site two full weeks before the purchase was officially announced.  Nice scoop…

Right to the Point.

Aside from the outstanding content, I’m a big fan of the “get to the point” structure of their articles.  I often refer to it as “USA Today” style — few paragraphs, no circular or redundant writing.   That way, you get the pertinent details, and you’re on to the next article.   It makes for a quick read — and that’s good because….

It’s a Fire Hose of Information.

The best way to read this site is through a feed reader (the same way that many of you read this site.)   The only word of caution is that you need to get in the habit of reading it daily, or your reader will get bloated quickly.   This team puts out 20+ articles on a daily basis, and they’re all worth reading — so you’ll want to stay on top of it.

To get TechCrunch, simply click on their logo at the top of this post, or this link right here –>   TechCrunch

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(”Spotlight on Cool Websites” is an occasional series that will highlight a particular website that I think you’ll find interesting.  Links to these websites can be found under the “Great San Carlos Websites” link at the top of the site. )

Got a great website that you’d like to share?  Send me an email with the details…

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