I am always on the lookout for great new WordPress themes to use on client sites, and the ability to customize them is really important. I am by no means a coding expert, although I continue to learn and enjoy the process.

StudioPress offers a whole line of premium WordPress themes, that I love, and are easily customizable. Brian Gardner of StudioPress recently announced that they are taking their line of themes one step further and launching a new WordPress theme framework called Genesis.

Genesis was developed with the new and veteran WordPress users in mind and they have packed this framework full of widgets, hooks, layouts and first rate SEO optimization for ease of use and expandability.

Brian also mentioned that the Genesis theme will not only be the framework for all future StudioPress themes, it will also be used for the current themes as well.

According to the StudioPress blog, some of the widgets included in Genesis are:

• My Tweets – displays an unordered list of your latest Tweets (view widget)
• User Profile – displays the Gravatar of a user, as well as their biography and a link to an about page (view widget)
• eNews & Updates – displays an opt-in box for users to sign up for delivery of your posts by email (view widget)
• Featured Posts – displays post excerpts and a thumbnail to be used in a homepage featured section (view widget)
• Featured Page – displays page excerpts and a thumbnail to be used in a homepage featured section (view widget)

An added feature that I am excited about in the Genesis framework are the 30 plus hooks they have incorporated. This might not mean much to the new WordPress user, however developers and advanced users love these. My site, this one, is run on the Thesis platform which also uses hooks to make adding content to the site easier and flexible (once you get the hang of them).

In a nutshell, hooks are like “positions” of various content on your site. I’ll leave a more in depth explanation of hooks for a future post.

The Genesis theme platform will also include 3 layout options, BuddyPress compatibility, custom thumbnail image sizing and a Child Theme Marketplace (by invite only). I personally can’t wait to get my hands on this theme and look forward to hearing feedback from all you beta testers out there.

Sneak peak of the Mocha Child Theme for Genesis.

For more information about the StudioPress Genesis theme framework visit the StudioPress blog or click Demo to see it in action.

StudioPress does it again. What a great way to start the new year.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear people mention the term “Social Networking”? Does it interest or excite you, or is it your knee jerk response to run the other way? Social networking is something we all do whether we realize it or not.

Have you ever gone out for dinner with friends, and friends of friends you didn’t know, and enjoyed getting to know these new people? (That was a mouth full, but I think you get what I mean). Have you ever attended a chamber of commerce meeting and introduced yourself to other members? Well, these are a couple of examples of the simplest forms of face-to-face social networking.

Online social networking is not much different and doesn’t have to be scary or complicated. With a carefully planned out social networking action plan and schedule, it can be fun and extremely rewarding.

Anyone who owns a business, including real estate professionals, rely on their networks and sphere to build relationships and generate business. Social networking, whether it is face-to-face or online, is something you and your business need to operate and grow.

Social Networking Explained

The gang at Common Craft have put together this easy to understand video to explain the basics of social networking.

There are hundreds of different social networking sites you can join and it can be overwhelming to decide which ones to choose. Select ones that are relevant to you and your industry. For the real estate professional, the first networks to join could be Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and ActiveRain.

There is no need to join all the networks available all at once. Start with the basics and work your way around once your network begins to grow.

As a fan of Brian Gardner and the theme development work he does at StudioPress, I am really excited about their newest premium WordPress theme.

Brian partnered with the crew at MyTechOpinion (Nicole Nicolay, Reggie Nicolay and Chad Johnson) to put together the AgentPress Real Estate WordPress theme for agents and brokers.

The AgentPress theme offers all the same great code, sleek design and features as the other StudioPress themes with a couple of added features for the real estate professional.

AgentPress has incorporated a custom property template that enables you to display each listing as a separate post with all the property details and relevant information laid out in a professional, eye catching, easy to read format. The custom property template includes the following:

• Property Details – Square footage, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, MLS#, etc.
• Additional Features – A section to highlight the properties unique features.
• Additional Photos – Various interior and exterior photos.
• Property Map – A section to embed a Google map of the property.

In addition, the auto sizing thumbnail management does all the work for you. Upload your main property image once and AgentPress automatically resizes the image for you and sets you apart from the crowd with it’s incredible display.

As with all Brian’s StudioPress themes, AgentPress offers endless possibilities for a real estate website with its four different theme color options and a little customization.

For more information, visit the AgentPress site or go straight to the Demo and have a look.

Wishing you and your families a wonderful Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year.

Don’t forget to click on the “Details” button for a short personal message from me.

Happy Holidays!

Today is Thanksgiving for my friends in the U.S. and I want to wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. I couldn’t be happier to have come across an amazing blog post today with news that has without a doubt given many of us a reason to be thankful.

Not so long ago, I came across a tweet posted on Twitter by a friend and colleague of mine, Laura Monroe of Creative Agent Solutions.com. This “retweet” really hit home for me and after retweeting Laura’s post myself, I immediately followed the link to read more.

I was saddened to read that Lisa, The Domestic Diva, has a teenage daughter Marielle that was hospitalized due to a deteriorating kidney disease. Marielle’s condition was worsening and they were desperate to find a kidney donor. I proceeded to go back in The Domestic Divas’ posts to follow this incredibly difficult journey Marielle, Lisa and their family had been on.

Today is a good day! Today I learned that Marielle is home and happy to spend Thanksgiving with family. Not only that, with thanks to the news of Marielle’s situation going viral, they have finally found a match. Lisa’s news of her daughter needing a kidney donor was spread over the internet via blog posts, Twitter, Facebook and eventually wound up on Fox News.

It is amazing to see that with the passion of family, friends and even strangers, backed by the power of the Internet, news can be spread globally in a matter of days, hours and even minutes. Without the outpouring of support from these people and the ability to reach them via the internet, Marielle may not have received the overwhelming response of donor applications that they did. Donor applications came from all over the U.S., Africa and Saudi Arabia.

I can’t tell you how happy I am for you Marielle, Lisa and your whole family. I wish you all the best in the coming weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Today I am proud to be a part of the second annual Blog Action Day. Each year on October 15th, thousands of bloggers, spanning the globe, unite to bring awareness to one specific global issue. This year bloggers aim to “bring awareness, initiate action and shake the web” about poverty using their own unique voice.

I would like to bring this to your attention. Every three seconds…

…a child dies from extreme poverty and over 1 million Canadian children live in poverty. These numbers are unacceptable and something can be done. Get involved! It’s not hard and it doesn’t have to cost you a dime. Your voice is a powerful and effective tool to get the word out that we must Make Poverty History, our children depend on it.

For more information about poverty in Canada, and globally, visit the sites below. These sites will help explain the little things we can do that could have huge impact on this battle to end poverty.

Make Poverty History

Campaign 2000

National Anti-Poverty Organization

Last but not least. Today is the day that we have chosen to come together as bloggers and voice the importance of the poverty issue all at once, but it doesn’t end there. Starting October 17th through the 19th, there will be events scheduled across the globe to Stand Up & Take Action Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. To find out if there will be an event near you visit the Stand Up & Take Action events map.

Currently there are 123 events registered in Canada, 12 events across Alberta and 2 of those events are right here in Calgary.

Don’t wait. Spread the word and let your voice make a difference in the fight to end poverty.

Don’t wait any longer.

If you haven’t done so already, there is still time to register your blog for Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty. On October 15th, 2008, bloggers around the world will use their unique voice and platform to discuss, educate and bring awareness about this crippling global issue.

We are encouraged to get involved in any way we can. There are numerous was to participate including publishing a post, donating a days earnings and promoting Blog Action Day 2008. Choose one or all methods, but get involved.

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

You can read more on their website at Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty. I look forward to reading and learning from all your posts tomorrow on Blog Action Day 2008.

Yesterday Albertans were reminded that the switch to 10-digit dialing is fast approaching. It was back in 2004 when the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) brought to our attention that we were running out of available phone numbers under the 403 and 780 area codes, and as a result of Alberta’s rapid population growth in the last few years the province is having to implement a third area code (587).

Any new numbers in Alberta will now be given the 587 area code, regardless of where in Alberta you reside.

Starting yesterday, Albertans were receiving a prerecorded reminder when making local calls that said:

The local number you’ve dialed, must be preceded by its area code. Your call will now proceed. For future calls to this number, please dial the area code.

This recording is simply a message to remind us that we should be taking the necessary steps, now, to reprogram our cell phones and phone systems, prior to the mandatory 10-digital dialing taking effect on September 8, 2008. It’s going to take some getting use to, this 10- digit dialing system, so I will be reprogramming my phones now to save any hassles come September.

Alberta isn’t the only province having to switch to 10-digital dialing. British Columbia has also added another area code (778) and will be forced to 10-digital dialing on September 8th.

On a final note, I thought it important to also mention that all three digit dialing (211, 311, 411, 611, 811 and 911) in Alberta and British Columbia will remain the same.

Don’t wait until September to have your phones reprogrammed. Start now and prepare yourself for the switchover.

Photo by *hitetiger

I am excited to announce that this Friday, May 9th, 2008, I will be a guest on Real Estate Radio USA along side my colleague, and friend, Laura Monroe of Creative Agent Solutions.com .

We have been invited to discuss the nitty-gritty details about Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA’s) and how Real Estate Professionals, like yourselves, can benefit from partnering with a REVA.

We hope you will join us, with Barry Cunningham and Barry Johnson, on Friday, May 9th at 5:00 pm Eastern for a fun filled show answering all your burning questions about Real Estate Virtual Assistants. Laura and I are excited and honored to be a part of the first Real Estate Radio USA show featuring REVA’s as their guests.

See you Friday!

Viruses, blue screen of death and day after day of little quirks are finally behind me. In recent months, a friend of mine, Jeff Turner, President of Real Estate Shows, had encouraged me to “leave the dark side” and make the switch from my PC to a Mac.

I had been considering this switch for a while and had some concerns in doing so. First of all I am a creature of habit and a change this big was a little unsettling to me. I had always been a PC user and had never even tried a Mac before.

After numerous emails back and forth with Jeff, combined with my own extensive research, I came to the realization that making the move to a Mac could only enhance the way I work on the computer as the Mac had so much to offer. I knew however, that this would take a lot of commitment on my part to familiarize myself with all the new processes, but I was up for the challenge and extremely excited about it.

A second concern arose for me as I became aware that as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant I work with a number of programs that are not Mac compatible. This was ultimately going to be the deciding factor for me and whether or not to make the switch. I was pleased to find out that there was an easy way to overcome this obstacle. I was introduced to a program called Parallels Desktop 3.0 that allows you to run Windows (Linux and more) side-by-side on the Mac. This was the answer I was looking for. I could now run all the non Mac compatible real estate programs simultaneously via Parallels Desktop 3.0.

I should also mention that the new Mac OS X Leopard comes with a program called Bootcamp that will allow you to do the same thing, however it is not without its limitations (for me). With the Bootcamp program you are forced to shut down the Mac system and reboot in Windows in order to use the Windows system. They can not be run side-by-side through Bootcamp. Although this would be a viable option for some people, I decided that spending the $89 CDN for Parallels Desktop 3.0 to run Mac and Windows simultaneously was well worth the investment to maintain a steady, uninterrupted flow of work.

So if you are a Realtor and have considered switching to a Mac, and have had the same concerns about running your real estate programs; know that there is a way.

I am happy to say that after months of research and sitting on the fence, I have officially left the dark side. I am now a “beginner” Mac user and the proud owner of a fabulous new iMac desktop system (Mac OS X Leopard).

In the coming weeks I am going to chronicle my experiences with my new Mac through tips, tricks and tutorials about the things I have learned (and am still learning) and how to make a seamless switch from a PC to a Mac.

If you are a new Mac user or are considering making the switch and have any specific tutorial suggestions, please let me know and I would be happy to try and work them in.

Stay tuned!