Bill Cobb's Musings…..It's Called Mid-Life Crisis!

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/ - Win A New Copy Of Gary Vaynerchucks Crush It by Baton Rouge FHA Home Appraisers.

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http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/ - Baton Rouge Real Estate: Greater Baton Rouge Homeowner Should Not Have Added $60,000 Pool In A $150,000 Subdivision

I ran across a situation in the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Market where a homeowner, located in a subdivision where the average home is worth $150,000, installed a $60,000 Gunite Inground Pool recently. Now, their home is on the market and they are about to be taken through the “school of hard knocks” when the appraiser doesn’t give them any more than $5,000 to maybe $7,500 contributory value for their pool. I’ve been appraising now for 18 years and see these types of situation several times per year and just shake my head when I see this happen.

Why only $5,000 to $7,500 contributory value for a $60,000 “gunite” pool? It’s not that “blankety blank” appraiser’s fault. It’s actually the market, the buyers, that don’t reward such expensive overimprovements. And mortgage underwriters that scrutinize the appraisals when appraisers do.

Is It Common For IG Pools In That Market? Let’s venture this thought process in the eyes of the appraiser! You have to look at the overall market and ask if it’s common for $60,000 inground pools to be installed in subdivisions where the homes are $150,000, which it’s not. Then ask yourself if the average owner in Such-And-Such Subdivision has an inground pool and the answer is no. Look at an aerial map for proof. Is it common for any buyer in the general Greater Baton Rouge market to pay more than $7,500 for a pool on an existing home sale where the price of the home is below $200,000? That answer is generally no as well. There may be exceptions, but they would be very rare.

Mortgage Underwriting Questions? What happens if the appraiser gives more than $5,000 to $7,500 on a pool is the underwriters coming back with a request for comps where the market actually gave that much for a pool. It’s at that point where the sale may fall apart because the appraiser can’t support giving the subject home that much value for that $60K pool in a $150,000 subdivision. I’m sure from the photos that it’s a nice pool, but in this national mortgage meltdown market where this loan may be underwritten in New Jersey, Manhatten NY or California or elsewhere where pools don’t carry much value, then giving too much value to the pool may even cause the lender not to want to do the loan and/or throw up red-flags.

There’s two lessons here!

1.) If you plan on remaining in your home until you die, then live it up and build whatever you want in your backyard (ig pools, metal workshop, that covered patio, wood decking, stone walk-ways, etc..).

2.) If you don’t plan on remaining in your home until you die, and your investment dollars must be wisely spent, then be very cautious about installing ig pools, metal workshops, covered patios, wood decks, stone walk-ways, etc.. because they don’t bring much return on investment. The lesson here is not to invest money in the your backyard and expect to receive dollar-for-dollar return on your investment. The lesson is to invest on the home itself before investing in your backyard.

Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser – Bill Cobb! Your Local Home Value “Trust Agent”! http://www.accuratevg.com/

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ - Huge Deer Buck Killed in Addis Louisiana

I received this email below of a huge deer kill in Addis Louisiana. The comment was, “This is one of the biggest bucks that I personally have ever seen, especially in the State of Louisiana.” The email didn’t disclose the names of the hunter.

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ - Easily Add or Embed Video To Websites and Blogs With Easy Video Player

The basic purpose of any business is to gain returns on investments. Whether you have an online business or an offline business, the main objective of your business is to grow and flourish in this troubled economic scenario. People adopt several methods to promote their businesses, but promotional strategies for online businesses are completely different than that offline business. For an online business, your website needs to be perfect and should be able to divert maximum web traffic. The web presence and the promotion of your site should be such that it has a good conversion rate. Your website should be precise and informative helping people to get what they are looking for. Generally, SEO for websites helps your business to get target web audience, as visitors can find your website easily provided your website is optimized for major search engines. But there is another effective promotional strategy that will certainly add value to your websites and blogs. This highly successful marketing activity is adding Video to your Websites and Blogs.

Well, this may sound incredible, but you can improve your business up to ten folds and take it greater heights just by adding video to your websites and blogs. Videos on Internet has gained great significance as more and more people watch the video and then decide to buy your product or service from your website. Video clippings help the customer to know the product better as he can see how the product works. Usually, video helps to improve the conversion rate as the customer is more satisfied about the product and readily purchases it. Adding video to your website attracts the potential customers to your site, thereby improving your business. This happens because the visitor is seeing the product, its operation and its working by himself. He gets the real idea about the product and its utility if the video is informative and made to the point.

This promotional strategy has gained immense significance in the world of online business. Business owners are developing new and better quality videos that reveal all the details about the product just by viewing the video clips that are attached to your website or blog. But there are certain things to keep in mind before you add video to your website or blog so as to get target audience to your website and improve conversion rate considerably:

- Firstly, your video clipping should not be too long. Three are people who can load it due to slow dial up and if your video promotion is too long, they may get bored and lose interest.

- While adding video to your website and blogs, check that it is informative and encouraging. It should be enough to pass the relevant message to the customers. It should add value to the product or services you promote. Moreover, it should be clear to hear and understand, and the picture clarity should also be perfect.

- The video play can be automatic or can start by clicking on the image. The choice is yours. Usually, if the person is really interested will click on the picture to see how the product works. Or it can also happen that if your video starts working automatically, the customer might be more interested and would get converted easily. But for some it may be annoying as there are a few people who love to read about the product without any disturbance.

- Lastly, you need to add the latest information in your video. People don’t like to watch or hear stale news. So try to make your video creative and unique with something different yet interesting.

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http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ - Casy Hibbard: Five Hottest Ways to Use Customer Stories in 2010

I found Casey Hibbard’s new post to be both interesting and helpful: Five Hottest Ways to Use Customer Stories in ’10. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Video….it’s all changing the way we live and interact with people. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I sat down to watch TV, don’t have the time and there’s not much morally good for the soul on TV anyway. But, I will say that from 2008 through 2010, I am building deeper and broader relationships and at least keeping more intouch with those I’ve met much more frequently.

Click on Casey’s photo at top right to visit her profile. This is as posted from the Web 2.0 Blog Feed Post and is quote below:

“Ever walked through the living room when someone else is watching TV (on your way somewhere else), and just had to stop right there and watch? I’d be willing to bet it was a compelling story that drew you in (if it wasn’t some sultry hamburger ad). Humans have always told stories and it’s still the best currency for communication. If anything, we rely on stories more than ever to be seen or heard in a sea of messages. What’s changed are the media we use.

So what’s hot now in sharing customer success stories and case studies?

Here are my 5 predictions for the hottest ways to use your stories in ‘10. Drop a comment on your top ways.

1. Blogs
An estimated 77% of active web users read blogs. They’ve proven to be powerful drivers of search engine traffic. Even better, those following your blog are interested in your particular topic, giving you the perfect target audience. Share your best customer stories on your blog – either in full or linked back to the full story on your website.
Focus on the customer’s experience and path to success, not just tooting your own horn.

Here’s a great example.

And finally, be sure to get the customer’s permission before you publish anything with their name on it.

2. Twitter
Enticing Twitter content gets fresh eyeballs on your blog or website. A decent percentage of my own web traffic comes from Twitter. Customer stories are among the more interesting pieces of content you can share. Mention a compelling customer story and link back to it on your blog or website. Several of my clients regularly Tweet their customer stories, proving to be a source of new traffic to their sites. Be sure to give it a compelling headline, and keep the Tweet short to encourage Retweeting. Remember to follow what has become Twitter protocol of sharing more helpful links/Tweets than self-promotional ones.

3. Video
Video continues its hot streak. Consider capturing short versions of your customer success stories and comments on video, or use video technology that allows viewers to navigate to chapter marks. Some surveys indicate two-thirds still prefer written stories, but if possible, have multiple ways that your audience can consume your stories. Then post the videos on your website, blog, YouTube (the third largest search engine) and other sites like Viddler.

Check out more video tips here.

4. Sales Conversations
Sure, you may have your video and written stories nicely displayed everywhere.
But you don’t really know whether those powerful stories have reached the right prospects. Make sure those hot prospects know your best customer successes. Encourage sales reps to tell them in sales conversations. To that end, communicate clearly and often to reps where your customer case studies and success stories reside on your website or intranet. Discuss those stories in sales meetings. Do everything you can to ensure that when a rep talks with a prospect, she knows just the perfect story to mention in conversation.

5. Awards
I’m big on awards these days – after seeing some Fortune 500 companies jump at the chance to tell their stories for awards opportunities.
Why? We all like to be recognized for our efforts. Your customers are no different.
If they’re doing cool, best practices things, and your solution helps with that, find relevant awards programs and ask their permission to submit them.
You might be surprised how on board they get for an awards submission when they might not publish their story as a case study.
If your customer wins, their story gets natural publicity through the awards process.
Also, once you have all the juicy details, ask if you can make that public on your website.

What are your predictions for the hottest ways to use customer case studies and success stories right now?”

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – Easy Video Player Hostgator Installation Help. In this video, Bill Cobb explains how he was able to install Easy Video Player on his Hostgator hosting account.

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – Wordpress Video Blogging and Easy Video Player 2010. In this video, Bill Cobb explains how he was able to install Easy Video Player on his Hostgator hosting account.

Check Out The New 2010 Easy Video Player Here!

Christmas At Bethlehem Gulch Video First Pentecostal Church Denham Springs

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – The Passing Of A Legend – Jim Rohn. On Facebook this morning, I learned of Jim Rohn’s passing. Wow! What an incredible man and his incredible story shared with millions. When some walk through life, they leave BIG footprints. Jim Rohn was one of those people that made a difference.

Please be sure visit: http://tribute.jimrohn.com/ . While there, take time to watch the 13 minute video tribute to Jim Rohn’s amazing life and his message. You will be missed, Jim Rohn! And, thank you to Pat Guttery for introducing me to Jim all those years ago!

Bill Cobb with Jim Rohn in Anaheim, CA at the 2004 Jim Rohn Event!

I was reminded this past week of Jim Rohn’s message by a U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Seargent! I was appraising his home for a transfer and obviously from the accomodations on his walls, he had accomplished much in the Marine Corps. When I told him how proud I was of his accomplishments and his service to our Great Country, he thanked me and stated that his two greatest accomplishments in his life were sitting in that Living Room – his wife and son! Jim’s message was to accomplish all that you can in life, because of what it will make in you, but to also treasure your family along the journey!

Bill Cobb with Pat Guttery and Larry Miller in Anaheim, CA at the 2004 Jim Rohn Event!

Here’s a snippet from “The Passing Of A Legend“:

“With great sadness we share that Jim Rohn, our mentor and friend, left us December 5, 2009 for a better place.

Over the past 18 months, in his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis, Jim assured us with a smile that all is good, that he would fight until the last breath, yet he had no fear as to what would be next. Jim’s faith was as much a part of his life as his desire to inspire and challenge us all to be the best we could be and to live our dreams.

Jim’s courage in his final months and days were a testament to his message that we should all fight the good fight. He never gave up and never gave in.

Jim Rohn touched millions of lives over the past 46 years through his seminars, books, articles and CDs. He always stayed long after an event to shake hands, take pictures and sign autographs. He loved making a difference in people’s lives, that was his passion and inspiration. Yet he was also a private man who kept a small, loyal and caring inner circle. He was a tremendous friend to those who knew him.

Harold Dyke, long time close friend of Jim’s for over 55 years said it best, “As Jim is ending one life he is simultaneously being birthed into a new life. One that he has talked about over the years and anticipated with great joy in his last remaining days.”

Kyle Wilson, long time colleague and friend of Jim had this to say about his mentor, “Jim Rohn was a great human being. Jim had the rare ability to take any concept or idea and then frame it in such a way that the rest of us could see it more clearly. His wisdom and insights positively affected everyone he touched on some level and to so many of us it was in an extraordinary way. But even more impressive was Jim Rohn the man. He possessed style and charisma, yet was humble, kind and understated to all who knew him. I find myself every day reflecting, benefiting and passing on the wisdom and ideas that are rooted in Jim’s message and wisdom. Jim is irreplaceable on every level. I will miss him beyond words, but am comforted as I know he was, that his message and legacy will live on and positively change millions of lives over the years to come!”

Someone once said “when you are born you enter the world crying while everyone else is rejoicing and when you die hopefully you have lived such a life that everyone will be crying while you are rejoicing”. Jim Rohn lived such a life.

Jim’s family asked us to thank all of you for your concern, prayers and love toward their father and grandfather, which has been so evident during the past 18 months.”

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http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – This is a video that was sent to me, you gotta see the last 2 minutes of this video……AMAZING!!! The YouTube description states, “Lafittefishing.com this is a video shot by Capt. Scott Poche while fishing a charter trip in the Gulf of Mexico Sept.2nd 2009. These Redfish were schooling right off the coast just south of Lafitte…”

A Louisiana Fisherman With His Trophy Redfish Caught on A “Fly”!