Caruso's Friday Funny

Ho! Ho! Ho! Even Santa played…

The only real mistake is the one from which...we learn nothing. ~ John Powell

So… this year, I’ll try to do my Christmas shopping early instead of waiting till last minute!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings

Now providing "Short Sale Services"

Call Today for More Info on Our

Marketing Plan

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI
Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 495-8600

Spooky and creepy Halloween decorations don’t help to sell homes...

Not everyone coming to your home is a trick or treater...some may be Buyers! So make your home festive but inviting, this holiday season.


With Halloween less than 30 days away it seems that many homes are getting decorated for the holiday. However, if your home is on the market, the less you decorate the better. Less is more.

Follow these simple rules for decorating and you can still have a Happy Halloween and get your home Sold!

• Do not decorate the exterior of your home with spider webs strung from tree to tree or draped over shrubs. No scary witches, ghouls or bats hanging from the front porch. No signs pointing to the haunted house or dungeon. Most importantly, do not build a cemetery in your front yard! No tombstones, crypts or skeletons should cover any part of your yard. Keep it happy not creepy. Many buyers can’t seem to look past the decorations, and if the decorations make their kids cry, they won’t stay long enough to see the home.

• Less is more. Limit yourself to just one room if you must decorate and keep it simple and happy.

• If you have an annual haunted house or birthday party planned, perhaps you should decorate a few days before and Hold all showings until after Halloween. Lastly, makes sure you put all decorations away and clean up the yard the following day. Your home should be timeless and have wonderful curb appeal.

Make the home look happy and inviting and it just may sell on, October 31st!

We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings

Now providing "Short Sale Services"

Call Today for More Info on Our

Fall into Fall Marketing Plan

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Green Tip of the Day!

With summer’s warm temperatures in full swing, it becomes even more important to be mindful not to waste water – as the average MNWD customer uses 70% more water during the spring & summer months. Here's an easy way to use water more efficiently.



Do you know how often your irrigation controller is set to water your landscaping? Could your sprinklers be running in the middle of the night or while you're at work & you not know it?



Did you know most lawns only need a maximum of eight minutes of watering four days per week to stay green this time of year. Make sure you also verify that the back-up battery is working so your controller doesn't default during the next power outage. And now you know!















We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings







Now providing "Short Sale Services"







Call Today for More Info on Our Fall into Fall Marketing Plan



















And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.



www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com



Best regards,



Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI



Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Take a tour of 12 Westgate, Laguna Niguel

Caruso Funny ~ Dark in Here

A woman takes a lover home during the day while her husband is at work. Her 9 year old son comes home unexpectedly, sees them and hides in the bedroom closet to watch. The woman's husband also comes home. She puts her Lover in the closet, not realizing that the little boy is in there already. The little boy says, "Dark in here." The man says, "Yes, it is." Boy - "I have a baseball." Man - "That's nice." Boy - "Want to buy it?" Man - "No, thanks." Boy - "My dad's outside." Man - "OK, how much?" Boy - "$250" In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the lover are in the closet together. Boy - "Dark in here." Man - "Yes, it is." Boy - "I have a baseball glove." The lover, remembering the last time, asks the boy, "How much?" Boy - "$750" Man - "Sold." A few days later, the father says to the boy, "Grab your glove, let's go outside and have a game of catch. The boy says, "I can't, I sold my baseball and my glove." The father asks, "How much did you sell them for?" Boy -"$1,000" The father says, "That's terrible to overcharge your friends like that. That is way more than those two things cost. I'm going to take you to church and make you confess." They go to the church and the father makes the little boy sit in the confession booth and he closes the door. The boy says, "Dark in here." The priest says, "Don't start that shit again; you're in my closet now." ha ha ha! Enjoy the rest of your day! We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings Now providing "Short Sale Services" Call Today for More Info on Our Summer Lovin' Plan And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection. www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com Best regards, Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Earth Week ~ Save the Butterflies

Butterflies play a critical role in maintaining the health of our environment. They help pollinate fruits, flowers and vegetables; provide food for other animals; and enchant children and adults alike with their beauty and flight. But like many other creatures, more and more butterflies are becoming endangered as the wild places they inhabit are lost to development or as they fall victim to pesticides. Here's what you can do to help bring the butterflies back: Garden for wildlife. Grow plants butterfly caterpillars like to eat. In many cases, these will be plants that are native to your region; they'll attract native butterflies as well. Consult local gardening directories or contact your nearest agricultural extension agent for planting recommendations. Choose nectar-rich plants. Fill your garden not only with plants caterpillars will want to eat, but also with those from which butterflies can drink. Options include buddleia, heliotrope, milkweed, mint, verbena, and zinnias. Build a house. If your yard doesn't provide enough dense foliage to allow butterflies to hibernate and nest, build them a box they can use that offers protection from predators and harsh weather. The interior walls of the box should be rough enough to allow butterflies to grab a foothold. Scatter small twigs and leaves inside to promote hibernation and egg laying, and include thin vertical slats on the front to allow the butterflies to enter and exit. Make sure the box is hung no more than four feet above the ground and has a south or southwest exposure. Put out some water. A shallow dish or birdbath will provide the moisture butterflies need to thrive. We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings Now providing "Short Sale Services" Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...." And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection. www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com Best regards, Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Social Media Refresher Course!

As you know social media has taken over. I know I have done posts in the past about incorporating social media into your business, but everyday it’s changing and updating so I thought I would do a little refresher course. After researching though the internet & going over past social media post, here are 30 ways your business should leverage Social Media. 1. Look for Potential Board Members on LinkedIn. This year, go out of the norm by heading to professional social networking site LinkedIn and look around for potential board members. It is always difficult to find a cocktail of talents in a real world scenario so LinkedIn becomes a great repository where you can mine for and find board members. Whether you are looking for executive board members or a board of advisors, LinkedIn has a huge pool of highly skilled and experienced people who can add value to your business. 2. Add Social Follow Buttons to Everything. In the socially connected world of the Internet today, everything your business puts online should be sharable. That means your website, marketing emails, and blog must all have sharing tools for web users to share the material. One big mistake businesses make is to add sharing tools to what they think is sharable. Allow users to print or email your website’s pages. The notion that content is copyright and should not be shared works counter-intuitively to the need to socialize content. 3. Get Creative with using Embeddable Tweets and Facebook Social Plug-ins. Twitter has launched a nifty new feature that allows webmasters to embed tweets in their web pages. The new feature makes it easy to cross-pollinate your web content using social media. The incentive to create tweets that are highly reusable also presents itself, and the perceptive business owner will know that an embedded tweet is great exposure and offers more reach. Using Facebook social plug-ins will also allow you to add your social stream to your website, so visitors can get exposure to your social deployment within your website. 4. Use Storify To Create Stories. Storify is a social media aggregation service that allows you to compile and curate content from across Twitter and then use those tweets to tell a story. For example, if there is an event in your neighborhood that you would like to leverage, then Storify allows you to search for all tweets related to that event and then publish stories that use the Tweets as a basis of knowledge. Storify is also great for compiling product launch follow-up stories, company event tweet streams, and so on. Explore the platform to discover even more uses in a business scenario. 5. Know Your Listeners and Stay Always-On. We live in an always-on world where company listeners are peppered all across the globe meaning there is always someone awake somewhere when you are asleep. Previously, this meant that businesses had to endure blackouts when their part of the world went to sleep. Not anymore because today you can use tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer to schedule social media updates for the times when you are unavailable. For smaller businesses without an international audience, this provides a great way to spread your efforts by letting the software manage your social media updates while you take care of other business. 6. Use Pinterest. Pinterest is social media’s new kid on the block, and it is off to a fast start. The platform has barely been officially launched and it is already rivaling Facebook in driving traffic to businesses’ websites. If your business is not already on Pinterest, then you are missing a huge social media opportunity. For those who may not know what Pinterest is, it allows users to “Pin” their favorite images from across the web onto their Pinterest profile board. Other Pinterest users can then browse these images by category or by profile and discover new things along the way. 7. Engage Existing Brand Evangelists. Many businesses leave this avenue bare when they could be driving engagement through their brand evangelist networks. Do not sit back and let this resource go untapped; reach out and get them involved. Ask for re-tweets or ping backs to your content. Also, get them involved in social media conversations by addressing them directly through tweets, Direct Messages or @mentions. This will draw upon the networks that these brand evangelists have access to as well as create serious goodwill and build your business’s trust bank with your core network. 8. Nurture Leads On Social Media. Social media offers a great opportunity to nurture leads. For many businesses, social media is a place where social things happen, not business-related things, and they end up missing a great opportunity to build their leads. In many cases, leads will engage with the business in a casual way, but it is upon the business to identify these leads and act upon them. Engage the leads and extract as much value from them as you can. Of course, many conservative social media experts will tell you never to “sell” on social media but if done right, lead generation on social media can return some great results. 9. Hash Tags Are Your Friend, But Use Them Wisely. Hash tag marketing, as it is now commonly known, has grown to become the Twitter equivalent of viral videos on YouTube. With correct positioning and a well thought-out tag, hash tags can create awareness and boost engagement in unprecedented ways. The negative aspect to it is that hash tags are often hijacked and used to tweet content that you may not want associated with your business. This is why hash tag marketing has to be done very carefully and monitored continuously to keep things under control. In the event that a hash tag does go ugly, carefully extract yourself from it and let it run its course. Hash tags with a certain level of neutrality are the best in this case. 10. Social Media Intelligence for Sales Prospecting. Lead generation is one thing, but sales-prospecting using social media is one of those oil-and-water things that just do not mix with social media. After all, social media is a place to engage people and not to harass them with sales calls and all such monkey business, right? However, that is the problem right there. Why invest in social media and yet you “cannot” make any sales using the channel? As you build your social media presence, glean intelligence from the conversations you are having and apply them to your sales prospecting strategy. Further to this, soft sell your network using cleverly crafted messages that do not intrude on the users’ social experience. 11. Represent Your Business Well. One thing that lets businesses down is their social media profile presence. They do not take time to create a well-defined and representative profile, and the mess that ensues is that customers are unable to identify with the social presence as a link to the offline presence. If you are tempted to put up your Facebook page or Twitter handle as-is, do not do it. Pay someone to create a great representation of your company or at the very least, use your company logo as your profile picture and not an egg (Twitter) or your glorified self in beach shorts and a straw hat (Facebook). Separate your business from yourself and keep that space well defined and properly branded. 12. One Voice: Not Yours, That Is. You have created your business social media page and everything looks great. On your way home, you feel the urge to tweet about the lousy traffic and because you had signed in with your company handle, you go ahead and tweet using it. #FAIL Keep your personal life off your company’s Twitter handle and only use it when tweeting very well thought-out messages that have relevance to your business and your social media strategy. If you do indeed opt to tweet personal matters, make sure those matters pertain to the business and not unrelated personal goings-on. 13. Keep It Social and Make It Fun. On the other hand, it is very easy to make the company social media image so boring and archaic that driving engagement and interest becomes almost impossible. Socialize your business as much as possible without losing your main goals. This means you have to give your business a human face and a fun and interesting one at that. Try as much as possible to post interesting information and tidbits that will get people talking, re-tweeting and possibly replying. Some excellent examples include posting interesting facts related to your industry or posting how-to resources, two things that have been shown to be very sharable across social media networks. 14. Use a Simple Memorable Handle. Your business may have a very meaningful and complicated name but that should not be what goes up on your social media page. Avoid using business name extensions such as “Limited”, “Incorporated” and so on, as it only goes to make the page stuffy and stiff. Use your first business name and then follow that up with a proper information page that gives a brief but informative bio of your business. Consider it socializing your business much in the same way humans call each other with their first names. Using a simple and memorable name will also make it easy for users to guess what your handle is in the event that they do not know it beforehand. 15. Have Tweet-Ups, Google Hangouts, Etc. Technology has made it easy for businesses to meet up with their customers and followers remotely. If you want to drive engagement, hold Tweet-ups (Twitter meet-ups) and host Google Hangouts on your company’s Google Plus page. This will add extra social media points to your business as it will give your followers some human faces to associate with the business. Google Hangout has especially come to help businesses connect with their followers in a one-on-one manner, something all the other social media platforms do not currently offer. 16. Demand Social Media Viral Interaction. This probably sounds like the days of pop-ups with no “Close” button but it is not, much as the argument is the same. Incentivize your followers to engage with your brand on social media. This can be by using promo codes that are only served on social media or holding competitions that need users to engage on social media to take part. In principle, this will give your followers little choice but to follow your lead, but the incentive bit will tend to soften this principle. Once your followers are in your social space, do not just sit back and count those re-tweets with relish, get in there and engage as much as you can. The point is, after all, to start a wave, which you should now ride. 17. Have a Primary Social Media Management Application. Using technology to manage your social media presence is great but a likely trap you should avoid is using too many tools at the same time. If you decide to use Hootsuite, stick to it, and if you opt to use TweetDeck, stick to it is as well. Using a multiplicity of tools will muddle up your analytics, and you will not be able to create a consistent content narrative for your social media deployment. Another advantage of using one tool is that it is obviously cheaper when you consider that most tools have premium packages. The basic incentive is, however, to keep all your data in one envelope, as it were, and have a seamless experience as you interact with your followers. 18. Have One Primary Channel; Facebook Or Twitter (More Twittering). There have been multiple studies done that say one social media platform is better than the other is for different purposes. It is not yet clear which platform is the best, but one thing is clear, Twitter seems to do better for businesses than Facebook. The reasons are a bit ambiguous but the results do speak for themselves, a reason brands are shifting their efforts to Twitter and leaving their Facebook pages open for cosmetic purposes. Nevertheless, for your business, the reasons go beyond ROI. It also works toward unifying your online voice and addressing one audience as opposed to having dual conversations. 19. Keep Communication Channels Open. Do not be shy to respond to clients or followers, despite the nature of their communication. As long as the content is business related and is not offensive, engage your customers in the conversations they begin. It makes more sense to have such a conversation with the follower than to leave the opportunity to fall to redundancy. Many businesses have realized that social media is actually a brilliant channel for customer care with entire departments being created to handle the steady stream of customer care queries emanating from social media. Take the plunge and include social media in some of your more traditional departments to streamline with new paradigms. 20. Become an Industry Leader. Social media is all about influence, so if you have no influence, no one is listening to you. Design your social media strategy carefully and let the end game be to gain influence within the networks you infiltrate. Brands that come to be known as influencers enjoy the benefits of the network effect where their profiles and messages enjoy large numbers of shares across multiple networks. You can do this by positioning your brand to be an authority in your field of business. However, a more subtle way is to position your business as a truly social brand, something that carries great rewards in the social space. 21. Join the Conversation: Don’t Be Shy, Ask For Re-tweets, Shares. If you want to socialize your business truly, drop the shyness and business face and dive in feet first. Social is all about putting your business out there and being vulnerable. Ask your followers to re-tweet or share content. Email your customers and ask them to follow you on Twitter or like you on Facebook. Go out there and make things happen. In addition, do not be shy to jump into conversations. Let your followers see a social face to your business and this will drive engagement and grow your business community. 22. Use A Blog To Tell Your Story. Sharing is the buzzword today in social media; however, what do you put out there for sharing? For starters, no company website is complete without a blog. Creating a company blog will offer your followers somewhere to find out more about your business when they first land on your site from Google or from social media. The blog will also keep your regular customers interested when they visit the site. Create unique and compelling content for your blog to keep it fresh and do not forget to share the content widely across social media. Company blogs area a great way to tell the world your business is indeed alive and in business. 23. Make It Easy To Subscribe To Your Stories. Now that you have a company blog, you now need to socialize your content and you do this by making it easy for people to subscribe to it. Use syndication services such as Feedburner, Feedblitz or Aweber to create a community of listeners who you can communicate to easily using email or any other CRM channels. 24. Use Facebook and Twitter Ads. Both Twitter and Facebook have launched revamped ads for their networks, and this is one area businesses need to explore diligently. Twitter has launched self-service ads, which makes it easy for businesses to create and serve ads without having to go through a sales representative. Facebook has also launched Facebook Wall Ads that display ads within users’ walls rather than in the side panels. These two will be a great opportunity for businesses to benefit from social media especially as Facebook approaches a billion users and twitter approaches 200 million active users. 25. Location-Based Services Will Be Big. Use Foursquare, Gowalla or Facebook Places to promote your business on a local level. These apps allow businesses to not only map their premises but also attach offers and promotions using the apps. Facebook Events and LinkedIn Events are also a great way to get the word out on product launches and other events, whether on-location or online. Location-based services are only but taking off and the possibilities will continue to emerge with time. 26. Go Local with Twitter’s Advanced Search. Twitter offers a search feature that makes it possible to curate tweets from a particular locality. This can prove useful for a business that is targeting a local market and wants to find out what people in that locality are talking about and what the trending topics are. Google has also incorporated a people search for influential people on Google Plus in a particular search result. This means you can easily find the social influencers in a particular area by using local search and then reaching out to them. 27. Sharable Avatars and Memes. Avatars and memes are big on the Internet today and if your business can create an angle and get into the craze, the possibility that a shared item will go viral is very high. Create fun and exciting memes and avatars, which people can share with their friends and that, do not smack of sales talk. Great memes and avatars that have the company website and details make a great addition to the social engagement effort. 28. Use Fringe Social Media Tools. Known as fringe social media tools, applications such as Eventbrite, wikis, and SlideShare offer a business a great platform to create engaging content, which can then be shared across other networks. It can be said that these do not strictly fall under social media, but they do have social-media-like features such as sharing and following tools, and these can be of great value to a business. They are also more of niche tools and may most benefit businesses that can use them effectively in their business processes. 29. Promote Everything. Many excellent opportunities are lost in social media because businesses neglect to mention important issues going on. For example, a new hire can be tweeted and the newbie introduced to the community. This will also give that employee incentive to bring in their network of friends to the company’s community. Mimicking the human interaction with social media where almost everything is posted to social media, businesses must learn to create conversations out of their day-to-day happenings. 30. Connect Everywhere but Stay Focused. Social media has come to join other forms of communication channels that already exist such as email and texts. This must be appreciated so that social media is not given undue pre-eminence over other forms of communication. Take the necessary steps to engage on social media but as with everything, remember that overkill does more harm than good. Balance your social media and traditional channels to derive the best value from both realities. We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings Now providing "Short Sale Services" Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...." And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection. www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com Best regards, Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Funny ~ Father I Have Sinned....

Lisa goes into the confessional booth at her church and says "Bless
me father for I have sinned, I have taken unfair advantage of the
generosity of a very kind and handsome man."

The priest says "is that you Lisa?"

"Yes Father Leahy, it is me."

"Who was the man you took advantage of?"

"I can't tell you, Father Leahy, because I do not want to embarrass
him."

Father Leahy asks "Was it Sean O'Malley?"

"No father."

"Was it Ken Shaughnessy?"

"No Father Leahy."

"Was it Johnny Gavin?"

"No Father Leahy, I just can't tell you."

Father Leahy says "I approve of your perseverance but you still
have to atone for your sins. Your penance will be to say five Hail
Marys."

Lisa goes back to her pew where her friend Janet asks in a whisper
"What did Father Leahy give you?"

Lisa replies "he gave me five
Hail Marys and three good prospects for a new boyfriend."



ha ha get it? Happy Thursday Active Rain!







We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Explores Google Analytics

Have you tried Google analytics? It can get pretty confusing. However, this is critical to your business and should never be left to “gut feeling” and “herd instinct”, as to where you place your marketing spend. With so much money being spent on marketing and advertising, how do you know which is best: Not necessarily the cheapest monthly spend – nor surprisingly necessarily the one sending the most traffic!.

For any real estate business, whether a one-man brokerage or a large organization, there are two metrics that trump all: visits and conversions. These are the Google stats that help you get to your bottom line, and you need to be actively monitoring them.

I came across a well laid out, step-by-step guide, by Bob Samii on how to use Google analytics to get you started with tracking your conversions, analyzing your marketing spend, and improving your efforts to acquire online customers. So I thought I would share some of the information with you.

1. Set up analytics and include a goal for your bottom-line conversion. For most real estate companies, the key conversion to track would be sales inquiries, unless you offer products or services with payment online. Using the Google search statistics, make sure to set up a custom goal in Google Analytics so you can track leads are from your website such as when a visitor performs a sales inquiry — normally this would be after the visitor hits the “submit” button on a contact form.

2. Include a value for your conversions. If you’re an e-commerce company, it’s fairly straightforward to use web analytics to set a value for each conversion based on the product or service you sold. For a real estate business, you need to define the value of a potential customer.

You can do this by figuring out the percentage of online inquiries you convert into real customers and what the average commission would be. So if your average commission is $5,000 and you convert 10 percent of online inquiries into customers, then the value of each online conversion would be $500 (10 percent of $5,000).

3. Segment your online traffic based on channels you are actively marketing. The most effective way to do this is to create a spreadsheet and include all of your key channels. This would include segments such as newsletter, pay per click, direct advertising, display ads, social media, search engine optimization branded (branded organic traffic), and SEO non-branded.

4. Include marketing spend for each of the channels. Are you running a Google AdWords campaign? Spending money on newsletters? Working with an SEO agency? If so, you want to reflect these costs and associate them with the respective channels so you can analyze where your money is being spent most effectively.

5. Calculate cost per acquisition (CPA). Using conversion numbers and your cost data, you can now calculate cost per acquisition (and income per acquisition) for each of your channels. This is simply costs divided by conversions for a given channel. You will see significant variances between each of these segments, and that’s completely normal.

6. Analyze the results. Once you start collecting this data, you will then be able to understand how you’re spending your money, which channels are most effective, and areas to better optimize and improve. Most importantly, you want to compare month-over-month and year-over-year data and look for red flags (unusual variances in your channels) to have a strong handle to make smarter decisions in your online marketing spend.

Once you fully understand how to use Google analytics, you’ll be surprised at the power it lends to your management decisions. Good luck!



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Stop the noise!

The effect of noise on humans

In humans, it's been shown that exposure to moderately high levels of noise for an eight hour period can increase blood pressure and cause other cardiac issues - even if the person is not particularly consciously disturbed. Noise pollution can also cause gastric problems. Sometimes a person doesn't even realize their body is stressed by noise until the noise is no longer present - they just feel a sudden sense of relief.

Exposure to excessively loud noise over long periods can also lead to partial deafness. Approximately 10 percent of people living in industrialized areas have substantial hearing loss and youngsters in the USA have an impaired hearing rate 250% higher than their parents and grandparents.

Noise also lies at the root of some violence - many assaults and murders can be attributed to a noise issue that spiralled out of control. Where noise is used to irritate or disrupt others, in my opinion it's also a form of assault.

Do you know the effects noise has on the environment?

In nature, noise causes many adverse effects on animals and even plants - here are some examples i have gathered through the internet:

Birds in a city need to call longer and louder than their country counterparts
Birds that rely on hearing to help locate prey are seriously disadvantaged by industrial noise
Noise disturbs feeding and breeding patterns of some animals and has been identified as a contributing factor of the extinction of some species.
Aircraft noise and sonic booms have been implicated as a cause of lowered reproduction in a variety of animals.
Military sonar has been responsible for the deaths of possibly thousands of dolphins and whales.
Even outboard motor noise can confuse some whales and dolphins.
In dairy cows, excessive noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate of milk release
Noise causes increased incidence of miscarriages in caribou
Intense noise can affect growth of chickens and egg production
Canaries can suffer hearing damage at relatively low decibel levels if the noise is sustained
Noise has also been shown to have a detrimental effect on the reproduction of some plants through interfering with pollinator or seed spreading activity.
Traffic noise could be hampering the reproductive process of frogs in metropolitan areas by drowning out the mating calls of males.
When squid, octopus and cuttlefish are subjected to low frequency sound, sever lesions can develop in their auditory structures
Imagine a world without noise

Ever wondered how much quieter the world would be if every single combustion engine was switched off and all electrical equipment shut down for a few minutes simultaneously. After all, noise doesn't really disappear, like all energy it just changes form or dissipates. Given this, even if you're out in the middle of nowhere, does the sum total of all the human-generated noise in the world still affect that area? Finding easily accessible quiet places, really quiet places, where the only noises are those of nature, is becoming increasingly difficult.

Noise is very much underrated when it comes to environmental issues. We have our "turn out the lights" days, "don't drive" days - I'd love to see a "no noise" hour initiative. Unfortunately, most people don't know what quiet is and if we don't teach our children, they will never appreciate the concept of a noise-free experience.

Our usual reaction to dealing with noise is to add more noise - for example, turning up the TV or yelling. We simply don't know what we're blocking out, and what we don't know, we don't miss.

Playing your part in reducing noise

Noise is something we can all do something about; whether it's fixing a faulty muffler on your car, turning down our music a little so our neighbors don't have to listen to it or making the effort when out in the wild not to yell and shout unnecessarily. Here are some other tips for noise reduction:

Cell phones ringing annoy the hell out of many people - keeps yours to the lowest level practicable
If you have to raise your voice to have a conversation, something is wrong; so see what noise sources around in your immediate environment that you have control over.
Discourage your dogs from barking unnecessarily for extended periods. Barking dogs feature heavily in disputes between neighbors.
Institute a quiet time in your household's routine
Make special efforts to keep noise to a minimum at night and early in the morning as these are times when people are trying to unwind or sleep
Believe me, very few people want to hear your music, no matter how cool you think it is. There's other ways to make social statements that are likely more effective and will have a more positive response :)
If you do want to turn your stereo up; ensure the doors and windows are closed and reduce the bass levels as bass travels even through brick walls quite easily.
If your lifestyle is a particularly rowdy one, consider planting more shrubs and trees around your property. Not only will this reduce noise affecting your neighbors, you'll provide shelter and food for animals and also play a part in greenhouse gas reduction.


We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's *EASTER* OC Happenings

NORTH COUNTY





ANAHEIM
Nothing to report

BREA

Nothing to report



BUENA PARK

TOMORROW Saturday, April 7, 2012 starting at 8:00am is the annual Spring Eggstravaganza! Breakfast starts at 8:00am & the Program begins at 9:00am. Come be a part of the "Egg-citement" this spring at Buena Park's very special Spring Eggstravaganza! Activities include stage entertainment, children's crafts, field games, a petting zoo, moon bounces, visits with the Spring Bunny, and of course, the candy scramble for children 12 years of age and younger. Come early for a special Pancake Breakfast starting at 8:00 am sponsored by the Buena Park Noon Lions.

CYPRESS

TOMORROW Saturday, April 7, 2012 starting at 10:30am is the annual Spring Egg Hunt & Flash Light Egg Hunt! The egg hunt is for ages 11 and under ONLY, and that begins at 10:30am. There will be crafts, activities, food, egg hunt with toy and candy filled eggs, visits with the Easter Bunny (Please, don’t forget your camera!). Don't be late, this event starts at 10:30 SHARP! The event takes place at Oak Knoll Park (5700 Orange Avenue). AND starting at 8:00pm is the Teen Egg Hunt for ages 13-18. Be sure to bring a flashlight and basket for an egg hunt in the dark! This event is held at Arnold/Cypress Park (8611 Watson Street (meet at Cypress Park bldg)). For more information you can call the City of Cypress - (714) 229-6780.

FULLERTON

Nothing to report

GARDEN GROVE

Nothing to report
LA HABRA

TOMORROW beginning at 6:30am is the annual Spring Family Eggstravaganza! This event includes a pancake Breakfast, games, bounce houses, crafts. Here is the schedule of events 6:30 a.m. Pancake Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Game booths, inflatable jumpers, arts and crafts, a mini health fair, and visits with the Easter Bunny will begin. 10:00 a.m. Egg Hunt begins. The event takes place at El Centro-Lions Park. For more information you can call (562) 905-9700.

LA PALMA

Nothing to report

PLACENTIA

Nothing to report

STANTON
Nothing to report
WESTMINSTER

Nothing to report

YORBA LINDA

Nothing to report



CENTRAL COUNTY


COSTA MESA

TOMORROW, Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm is the annual Easter Festival and Treasure Hunt! Bring your baskets for a free treasure hunt from 10 am - 2 pm. There will be a FREE gift to the first 500 kids in line! Face painting, photos with the Easter bunny, Easter crafts and puppet shows. The event takes place at The Orange County Market Place (88 Fair Drive - Orange County Fairgrounds). AND on Saturday as well from 9:30 am - 12 pm is the Egg-Citement 2012 which is FREE and open to the community! Enjoy a morning in the park with your friends and neighbors. There will be Easter egg hunts done by age group, pony rides, a petting zoo, bounce house, concessions sold by local school groups and much more! The event takes place at Tanager Park in the Mesa Verde neighborhood of Costa Mesa!

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

TOMORROW from 8:30-11:30am is the annual Easter Egg Hunt! The event includes free crafts, carnival games, bounce houses, egg hunts, and more! Egg hunts will run continuously from 8:30-11:00am.Enjoy a pancake breakfast for $5 per person or get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny ($2 per picture). The event takes place at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center & Sports Park (16400 Brookhurst Street). For more information you can call 714-839-8611.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

TOMORROW April 07, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. is the Annual Easter Hunt! The City of Huntington Beach, Community Services Department, and the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club present the 22nd Annual Easter Hunt! This event will feature an Easter hunt, game booths, entertainment, exhibits, and refreshments. Come early and enjoy a day at the park with music and events for the whole family. Easter Bunny photos, snacks and other refreshments will be available for purchase. The Easter hunt is open to children up to age 8. Please have each child bring a container for their treats. The hunt will take place at Huntington Beach Central Park. For more information you can call 714-536-5486.

IRVINE

TOMORROW is the last day for the Irvine Park Railroad Easter Eggstravaganza. At Irvine Park Railroad's Easter Eggstravaganza, children and adults can ride the train through beautiful Irvine Regional Park. Children ages 2 through 12 can participate in an Easter egg hunt. Each egg is filled with candy or a prize. Easter egg hunts begin daily at 10:00 AM and tickets may be purchased to participate in an egg hunt at a specific time. Please bring an Easter basket for each child that will be participating in the Easter egg hunt. Irvine Park Railroad also offers Easter baskets for sale. Tickets must be purchased on the day of the event in order to receive a wristband for the Easter egg hunt. Children can also meet and have their picture taken with the Easter bunny (visit web site for cost). Other activities include hay rides, Easter cookie decorating, face painting, carnival games and a lot more. Additional Irvine Regional Park activities inside of the park include Irvine Park Rentals' paddle boats and Wheel Fun Rentals® bikes (single surrey bikes, deuce coupes, choppers, beach cruises and more), the Orange County Zoo and pony rides. Visit web site for costs and full details.

LOS ALAMITOS

TOMORROW, Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 9am to 11am is the annual Spring Carnival! This event includes egg hunt, family style carnival games, face painting, bounce house and more. This is a FREE event located at Laurel Park. For more information you can call (562) 430-1073.

NEWPORT BEACH

TOMORROW is the last day for EASTER BUNNY PHOTOS! Children are invited to have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny in the spring garden on Atrium Lawn from 11am to 6pm daily. Packages begin at $14, and families are permitted to use their own camera for a photo with the Easter Bunny at no charge (limit one shot per family). The Easter Bunny will be at Fashion Island Mall. For more information you can call 949-721-2000.

ORANGE

Nothing to report



SANTA ANA

TOMORROW, Saturday April 7, 2012 from 12:00-4:00pm is the annual Easter Displays, Cookie Decorating and Tea with Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society! Put on your best Easter bonnet and join us for a special spring Open House at the Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle house. Included with your tour of this 1889 Victorian gem are delicious tea and Easter sweets, and displays of vintage clothing and Victorian Easter cards. Join in our Easter cookie decorating event; unleash your creativity as you embellish your own cookies to take home! Join in an old fashioned “guess the number of jelly beans” contest for a chance to win a special prize. Admission: Adults $5, Seniors & Members $4, Students K-12 $3. The event is located at 120 Civic Center Drive.
SEAL BEACH

Nothing to report

TUSTIN

TOMORROW from 8:30am - 11:30am is the annual Easter Egg Hunt! Bring a basket or a bag to collect all the treats! The hunt starts at 9am.There will also be a bounce house, petting zoo and pony rides. The event takes place at Tustin Sports Park (12850 Robinson Dr., Tustin). For more information you can call 714-573-3326.

VILLA PARK

Nothing to report




South County


ALISO VIEJO

TOMORROW , Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 7am-11:30am is the Community Spring Celebration & Pancake Breakfast. This annual celebration includes Egg Hunts, Visits with Peter Rabbit, Face Painting, Bounce Houses, DJ Entertainment & Arts & Crafts. Pancake breakfast 9-11 in Town Center. For more information you can call 949-243-7411.

DANA POINT

TMORROW, April 7, 2012 from 9-10am hop on down to Dana Point and enjoy a morning of fun spring time activities, which include: Children's Games, Petting Zoo, Easter Bunny Visits and a Egg/Candy Hunt for ages up to 10 years. Don't forget your cameras and empty basket to hunt for the goodies! The event is located at Pines Park & Sea Canyon Park (34941 Camino Capistrano & 33093 Santiago Drive). For more information you can call 949-248-3530

LAGUNA HILLS

TONIGHT, from 8-9pm is the Late Night Flashlight Egg Hunt! Bring your flashlight and prize bag for an eventful evening of annual egg hunting! The Laguna Hills Sports Complex will become a hidden adventure filled with hundreds of eggs. Each participant will be entered into an exciting raffle to conclude the evening! Ages: 7-14 two separate hunts for 7-10 & 11-14 yr olds Fee: Resident $5, Non-Resident $7. To register or for more information you can call (949) 707-2680. ALSO tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 10-11am is a morning of fun and adventure! Join us for springtime crafts, an egg hunt, and pictures with Mr. Bunny. Children will have a ball with all the springtime egg-citement! This event is for ages 6 and under ONLY. For more information you can call (949) 707-2680.

LADERA RANCH

Nothing to report

LAGUNA BEACH

Nothing to report

LAGUNA NIGUEL

TOMORROW 4/7/2012 from 9am-12pm is the annual Bunny Blast! Make crafts, get your face painted, play games, jump in the bounce house, visit the animals at the petting zoo and watch a fun show! You can also saddle up for a pony ride and visit the Easter Bunny who will be strolling around (bring your camera). There will be food available for purchase. There WILL NOT be an egg hunt at this event. Cost is $7 for children (ages 3-12), and $1 for adults (13 and older). Pay admission at the event. Parents should determine if this is an age appropriate activity for their children. All activities may be canceled if it rains on event day. Recreation Hotline for event updates - 949-362-4351. AND – OPEN HOUSE on Saturday at 15 Emerald Glen, Laguna Niguel from 1:00-5:00pm. Stunning Ocean Views from the 1st & 2nd floors, Private Spa, Ocean View deck, & a chance to ask Michael Caruso all your Real Estate Questions! For more information you can call 949-753-7900 or visit www.15EmeraldGlen.com

LAKE FOREST

TOMORROW Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm enjoy a fun filled event for the whole family with a day of activities including game booths, crafts, face painting, giant Ferris wheel, petting zoo, pony rides, balloon artist and egg scrambles. There will be entertainment for everyone with a strolling magician, DJ, live music, Alice and her Wonderland friends will be there too. Be ready for surprises, and bring your camera to take pictures with Nectar the Mad Hatter and Hoppy the spring bunny. So hop on down early to partake in all the fun! For more information you can call 949-461-3450. AND Saturday from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM for the Spring Skate Egg Hunt at the Park. Come and visit the Skateboarding Bunny, play in the jump houses, and participate in fun crafts. This is a family friendly event and great for the young ones! The Park will be closed to riding during this event so it will be safe for all to enjoy. Eggs will be hidden throughout the Skate Park and will have small prizes inside each one. Please bring your own basket. The Egg Hunt starts at 11:15 am sharp, so please don’t be late or you will miss it! Depending on overall turnout, participants may be limited in the amount of eggs they will be allowed to collect. Fee: $5 donation per person. For more information you can call 949-461-3450.

MISSION VIEJO

TOMORROW Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. is the annual Easter Garden Party! This FREE event is open to the public and will have something for everyone. The celebration will include an “Eggstravaganza Hunt”, bunny farm; face painting, photos with the Easter bunny, and a “Basket Bonanza” for all ages. The bunny petting zoo area will include a large spring garden party display featuring the Easter bunny and fun photo cutouts for the whole family. One complimentary photo will be provided to each family. The “Basket Bonanza” giveaway, for all ages, will include a chance to win one of five different baskets and one lucky bunny will win a brand new iPad. The event will take place at ‘Kaleidoscope’ (27741 Crown Valley Parkway).
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA

Nothing to report

SAN CLEMENTE

TOMORROW Saturday, April 7, 2012 is the annual Easter Eggstravaganza!
It’s the great big FREE event that you have been waiting for and you don’t want to miss! Start the morning with a delicious plate of pancakes, prepared by the San Clemente’s Kiwanis Club (for a nominal fee). Oddly shaped activities, enormous entertainers and one great BIG egg hunt! Visit with the huggable bunny, wander through the Path of Random Facts, play games and enjoy the day eating scrumptious snacks (for a nominal fee)! Arrive on time for the BIG hunt, from newborns up to 10 years! The event will take place at Vista Hermosa Park (987 Avenida Vista Hermosa). For more information you can call 949-361-8264. AND on Saturday at 10am is the Community Easter Brunch sponsored by the Family Assistance Ministries, in partnership with the City of San Clemente. The brunch is open to needy individuals and families. If you are in need or know someone that is, stop by the Family Assistance Ministries at 929 Calle Negocio to pick up an invitation for this event. Walk-ups with no invitations also accepted. If you would like to volunteer for the event or would like to donate food, filled Easter Baskets and filled plastic eggs please call 492-8477.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

Nothing to report









*As seen in orangecounty.net & ocregister.com



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's *Laguna Niguel* Closed Sales Report!

Is the market is improving or at least stabilizing!? We provide the latest market updates regularly, as well as personal consultation of market direction…

The Laguna Niguel Closed Sales Report for FEBRUARY:

The Laguna Niguel Closed Sales Report for Homes Sold in the 0-$500,000 Range:

2012 43 listings closed escrow
2011 27 listings closed escrow

The Laguna Niguel Closed Sales Report for Homes Sold in the $500,000-$1,000,000 Range:

2012 25 listings closed escrow

2011 25 listings closed escrow

The Laguna Niguel Closed Sales Report for Homes Sold in the $1,000,000+Range:

2012 5 listings closed escrow

2011 6 listings closed escrow

Does a sales report tell the whole story about market environment, consumer sentiment and the value of your home? Is it time to sell? Is it time to add a property to your investment portfolio? Is the market changing, and in which direction?



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

For Sale: 4BR/4 1BA Single Family House in Laguna Niguel, CA, $1,589,000

For Sale: 4BR/4 1BA Single Family House in Laguna Niguel, CA, $1,589,000

By 2020....

By 2020, 80 million American will be over 65 years of age, 1/3 of household age 65 to 74 will be headed by women. Realtors should market to senior housing needs for seniors which include:



-Convenience to grocery stores and medical facilities

-Access to public transportation

-Homes that are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant or designed for aging-in-place

-Proximity to social centers, libraries, universities





We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's reasons to buy a NEW home!

Many of your clients may still be considering a foreclosed or short-sale home instead of buying new in order to save some money. But while the up-front cost may be lower on a foreclosure or short sale, buyers may pay in other ways. Here are four reasons for considering the purchase of a new home.



1. Easy Purchase Process. Homebuilders often have new homes available for immediate move-in. Those homes may also come with savings and incentives that could make them a good value. Plus, homebuilders typically have preferred lenders who can provide competitive financing rates as well as help your clients close on a home faster than some buyers who purchase a short sale.



2. Quality Assurance. With a new home, there are typically no repairs or surprises. New homes are generally protected by warranties from the builder, so your clients may avoid large out-of-pocket expenses from repairs right after purchase. Plus, they’re built to the latest housing codes.



3. Latest Technology. New homes are often built with modern conveniences like home automation that the typical resale home may not include. New homes may utilize the latest green building technology, so they can be energy-efficient and save on monthly utility bills.



4. Many Choices. Homebuilders offer a wide variety of choices that may not exist in the resale market. For instance, there’s a growing demand for homes designed for multi-generational living. This concept can include a completely separate, full private suite in addition to the main home, and is designed specifically for dual living arrangements.



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Friday Funny ~ Pet's can be smarter than you think...

A lady was walking past a pet store when a parrot said, ''Hey,
lady! You're really ugly!" The lady was furious and continued on
her way. On the way home, she passed by the pet store again and the parrot once more said "Hey, lady! You're really ugly!" She was incredibly ticked now, so she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and kill the bird. The store manager apologized profusely and promised he would make sure the parrot didn't say it again. The next day, she deliberately passed by the store to test the parrot. "Hey, lady!" it said. "Yes?" "You know."



ha ha ha! Happy Friday!







We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Never Sleeps ~ Spring Forward to Water Efficiency

As winter begins its transition to spring, the weather will soon become warmer and our water habits will start to change. It’s natural for MNWD customers to use more water in the warm spring and summer months, but it remains critical all year long to use only the water you need. Follow these four simple steps this spring to become more efficient with your water use:



1.) Tune-up your sprinklers: Make sure your timer is set to only water a maximum of three days per week, replace any broken sprinkler heads and adjust the spray so there is n overlap or watering of your patio or sidewalk.

2.) Add California-Friendly plants to your garden: As you begin to replant this year’s garden, make sure to add in California-Friendly flowers and shrubs. These plants come in a wide variety of attractive colors and sizes and use very little water.

3.) Check for leaks as part of your spring cleaning: Make sure to look for leaks inside and outside of your home as your spruce things up for the warmer months ahead. One leaky toilet can waste enough water to fill several swimming pools!

4.) Apply for rebates: MNWD offers rebates for the purchase of a wide variety of water-efficient products. Visit www.MNWD.com to learn more.



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Funny ~ Job Ad Meanings

Ever wanted to know what is behind those standard phrases in job ads?

It is all being revealed now, just read on...



The real meaning of words in Job Ads



COMPETITIVE SALARY:

We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.



JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY:

We have no time to train you and you'll have to introduce yourself

to your co-workers.



SEEKING ENTHUSIASTIC, FUN, HARD WORKING, PEOPLE:

....who still live with their parents and won't mind our

entry-level salaries.



CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE:

We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up; well, we don't

shave around here and wear our tats with pride



JOIN OUR DYNAMIC TEAM:

We all listen to nutty motivational tapes.



MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED:

You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.



SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED:

Some time each night and some time each weekend.



DUTIES WILL VARY:

Anyone in the office can boss you around.



MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL:

We have no quality control, so you better get it right



COLLEGE DEGREE PREFERRED:

Unless you wasted those four years studying something useless like

philosophy or English.



NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE:

We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal

formality.



SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE:

You'll need it to replace three people who just left.



PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST:

You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.



REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS:

You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or

respect.



GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want, and

then do



ha ha ha!



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Never Sleeps ~ The Carmel Creeper

The California plant of the month is the Carmel Creeper! Want to add a burst of color and fragrance to your yard? Plant the Carmel Creeper. These beautiful, aromatic and hardy plants are a member of the lilac family, and have a place in even the most water-efficient gardens.



Carmel Creeper can fulfill almost any need in your garden. It can be pruned short to be used as ground cover and it can reach heights of up to 6 feet tall if allowed to grow, making it an ideal hedge. Carmel Creeper is available with blossom colors ranging from white to lavender and dark blue. Whatever the color of the blossoms, they are strikingly set off by a background of lush, dark green leaves and fill your garden with a lovely lilac aroma.



Because Carmel Creeper is a California native, it requires only minimal care and almost no water once it is established. It will grow best in your garden in an area that has good drainage and full to half sun. Carmel Creepers blooms come to life in the spring, so now is the perfect time to add it to your California friendly garden!



Quick Facts:

Season: Spring

Size: Up to 3 ft. wide, 6 ft tall

Color: White, Violet and Blue Flowers

Water: Low

Sun: Full to half sun



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Tips for Using Electricity Safely

1.) Extension cords are for temporary use



2.) Replace cracked, frayed or stiff electrical cords



3.) Don’t hide electrical cords under rugs or any carpets



4.) Immediately unplug any electrical appliance that gives you a shock



5.) Be wary of the smell of hot insulation or wiring and of electrical outlets that feel warm to touch



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Tips for Using Electricity Safely

1.) Extension cords are for temporary use



2.) Replace cracked, frayed or stiff electrical cords



3.) Don’t hide electrical cords under rugs or any carpets



4.) Immediately unplug any electrical appliance that gives you a shock



5.) Be wary of the smell of hot insulation or wiring and of electrical outlets that feel warm to touch



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Touches on the Millennial Generation....

RECENT GENERATIONS FOCUS MORE ON FAME, MONEY THAN GIVING BACK



Young Adults Less Interested in Community Issues, Politics and Environment, Finds New Research



The times are changing, and not necessarily for the better when it comes to giving back to society, according to 40 years of research on 9 million young adults. Since the baby boomer generation, there has been a significant decline among young Americans in political participation, concern for others and interest in saving the environment, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. “Popular views of the millennial generation, born in the 1980s and 1990s, as more caring, community-oriented and politically engaged than previous generations are largely incorrect, particularly when compared to baby boomers and Generation X at the same age,” said the study’s lead author, Jean Twenge, PhD, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of the book, “Generation Me.”



“These data show that recent generations are less likely to embrace community mindedness and are focusing more on money, image and fame.” The study was published online this month in APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The findings did show that millennials were more likely than baby boomers or Generation Xers to volunteer during high school and to say that they intend to participate in community service in college. However, the authors contend that this trend is most likely related to schools’ requiring community service for graduation, which has been cited in numerous studies. The desire to save the environment, an area considered to be of particular concern to millennials, showed some of the largest declines, with three times as many millennials as baby boomers at the same age saying they made no personal effort to help the environment.



Fifty-one percent of millennials said they made an effort to cut down on electricity use to save energy, compared to 68 percent of boomers in the 1970s. Twenge and her colleagues analyzed data from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study of high school seniors, conducted continuously since 1975, and the American Freshman survey by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute of entering college students since 1966. Both surveys included items on life goals, concern for others, and civic and community involvement. In the American Freshman survey, the proportion of students who said being wealthy was very important to them increased from 45 percent for baby boomers (surveyed between 1966 and 1978) to 70 percent for Generation Xers (surveyed between 1979 and 1999) and 75 percent for millennials (surveyed between 2000 and 2009).



Likewise, the proportion who said it was important to keep up to date with political affairs decreased, from 50 percent for boomers to 39 percent for Generation Xers and 35 percent for millennials. “Becoming involved in programs to clean up the environment” decreased, from 33 percent for boomers to 20 percent for millennials. “Developing a meaningful philosophy of life” decreased the most across generations, from 73 percent for boomers to 45 percent for millennials. “These data suggest that the 'Me Generation' label affixed to the baby boomers was unwarranted. In comparison to the proceeding generations, the boomers look significantly more selfless,” Twenge said. “The generational trends toward more political disengagement, less environmental concern and more materialistic values could have a meaningful impact on society. It will be interesting to see how millennials are affected by the recent recession and whether future generations will reverse the trends. ”



# # #



Article: “Generational Differences in Young Adults’ Life Goals, Concern for Others, and Civic Orientation, 1966-2009,” Jean M. Twenge, PhD, and Elise C. Freeman, MA, San Diego State University; W. Keith Campbell, PhD, University of Georgia; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, online.





Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office and at http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-ofp-twenge.pdf




We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Touches on the Millennial Generation....

RECENT GENERATIONS FOCUS MORE ON FAME, MONEY THAN GIVING BACK



Young Adults Less Interested in Community Issues, Politics and Environment, Finds New Research



The times are changing, and not necessarily for the better when it comes to giving back to society, according to 40 years of research on 9 million young adults. Since the baby boomer generation, there has been a significant decline among young Americans in political participation, concern for others and interest in saving the environment, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. “Popular views of the millennial generation, born in the 1980s and 1990s, as more caring, community-oriented and politically engaged than previous generations are largely incorrect, particularly when compared to baby boomers and Generation X at the same age,” said the study’s lead author, Jean Twenge, PhD, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of the book, “Generation Me.”



“These data show that recent generations are less likely to embrace community mindedness and are focusing more on money, image and fame.” The study was published online this month in APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The findings did show that millennials were more likely than baby boomers or Generation Xers to volunteer during high school and to say that they intend to participate in community service in college. However, the authors contend that this trend is most likely related to schools’ requiring community service for graduation, which has been cited in numerous studies. The desire to save the environment, an area considered to be of particular concern to millennials, showed some of the largest declines, with three times as many millennials as baby boomers at the same age saying they made no personal effort to help the environment.



Fifty-one percent of millennials said they made an effort to cut down on electricity use to save energy, compared to 68 percent of boomers in the 1970s. Twenge and her colleagues analyzed data from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study of high school seniors, conducted continuously since 1975, and the American Freshman survey by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute of entering college students since 1966. Both surveys included items on life goals, concern for others, and civic and community involvement. In the American Freshman survey, the proportion of students who said being wealthy was very important to them increased from 45 percent for baby boomers (surveyed between 1966 and 1978) to 70 percent for Generation Xers (surveyed between 1979 and 1999) and 75 percent for millennials (surveyed between 2000 and 2009).



Likewise, the proportion who said it was important to keep up to date with political affairs decreased, from 50 percent for boomers to 39 percent for Generation Xers and 35 percent for millennials. “Becoming involved in programs to clean up the environment” decreased, from 33 percent for boomers to 20 percent for millennials. “Developing a meaningful philosophy of life” decreased the most across generations, from 73 percent for boomers to 45 percent for millennials. “These data suggest that the 'Me Generation' label affixed to the baby boomers was unwarranted. In comparison to the proceeding generations, the boomers look significantly more selfless,” Twenge said. “The generational trends toward more political disengagement, less environmental concern and more materialistic values could have a meaningful impact on society. It will be interesting to see how millennials are affected by the recent recession and whether future generations will reverse the trends. ”



# # #



Article: “Generational Differences in Young Adults’ Life Goals, Concern for Others, and Civic Orientation, 1966-2009,” Jean M. Twenge, PhD, and Elise C. Freeman, MA, San Diego State University; W. Keith Campbell, PhD, University of Georgia; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, online.





Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office and at http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-ofp-twenge.pdf




We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Friday Funny ~ The Mafia

This guy, Artie, gets tired of working so hard and not getting anywhere, and seeing all these guys in the Mafia in their fine three piece suits and fancy cars, decides that he has to join the Mafia.

He goes up to one of the guys and says, " I want to join the Mafia."

The guy answers, " You ever kill any one for money?"

Artie answers, "No."

The guy says, " Well, you either got to be born into the mafia, or you gotta kill somebody for money."

So Artie says, " How much will you pay me?"

The guy says, " I'm not gonna pay you."

Artie says, " C'mon, just pay me a dollar so I can get in."

The guy says, " Okay, I'll tell you what. You kill somebody, tell me about it, and if I see it in the morning paper, I'll pay you a dollar."

Artie says, " Oh thank you, thank you!" and heads off on his mission. He goes to Ralphs Supermarket, sees an old lady pushing a cart, and decides that she's lived a full life, goes up to her, grabs her round the neck and chokes her to death.

The bag boy sees him, and chases after him. Artie realizes that he can't out run the bag boy, turns around, grabs the bag boy by the neck and chokes him to death.

In the morning paper the headlines read, " ARTIE CHOKES TWO FOR A DOLLAR AT RALPHS!"





ha ha ha ha ha ha! Happy Friday Active Rain!





We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Happy 3rd Anniversary Michael!

Michael Caruso owner of Michael Caruso Real Estate Group has been recognized by the prestigious Institute for Luxury Home Marketing for the 3rd year in a row on his performance in the million-dollar and above luxury home market within Orange County, California “Real Estate professionals who have earned admittance to The Institute’s Million Dollar Guild not only have specific upper-tier market knowledge, but they also understand the unique needs of affluent buyers and sellers and recognize the importance of being discreet,” said Institute President Laurie Moore-Moore.

“Whether you’re buying or selling a multi-million dollar property, you can depend upon The Institute’s Million Dollar Guild members to have the competencies necessary to help you meet your objectives.”

“To have this recognition of my accomplishments in serving Southern California is an honor,” said Michael Caruso. “It has strengthened my commitment to the community and its residents and I can proudly offer my Luxury Home Marketing expertise to the upper-tier homes throughout Orange County.” Members of the Million Dollar Guild are Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialists (CLHMS) who have documented their success in assisting affluent buyers and sellers with million-dollar properties.

The recognition is awarded by the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing which trains real estate agents in the luxury home market and awards international designations to those who meet stringent performance standards.

Michael Caruso is an award-winning real estate Broker and 2007 President of the Orange County Association of Realtors, specializing in the Southern Orange County market in Residential Sales, Buyer Representation, Luxury Home Sales, Relocation Services and High Rise Condo Sales. Michael Caruso boasts 3 decades of experience in Real Estate Sales and Real Estate Development/Management. Michael has owned his own Real Estate Brokerage since 1994 after working many years for large franchise brokerages and being ranked at the pinnacle for Sales and Service. He has served on numerous California Legislative and Professional Standards committees and on various committees for the National Association of Realtors.

Michael is an ardent community volunteer and has served on the Executive Advisory Board for California State University at Fullerton. Special skills include listening to clients, continuing professional development and serving the community and surrounding area.

For current information on the upper tier market, contact Michael Caruso at 949-753-7900 or e-mail Michael@MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com. Visit michaelcarusorealestate.com and carumic.featuredblog.com for market information, listings, and more.

About The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing exists to help real estate professionals around the world provide high quality service to buyers and sellers of luxury properties. Institute members have completed special training to build expertise in the marketing of upscale homes and estates and those who meet performance standards may earn the prestigious Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation. Information and an international membership list can be found at CLHMS.org. Members are also listed on the Wall Street Journal’s RealEstateJournal.com website.





We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Still Guessing…Leaning Toward The Positive

The U.S. housing market will begin to mount a turnaround this year, building toward a solid recovery in 2013, according to a forecast by the chief economist of a homebuilding industry trade group. The outlook by National Association of Home Builders Chief Economist David Crowe all call for U.S. sales of new homes and single-family home construction to improve this year compared with 2011, when they hit record lows. The forecast still leaves new home sales and construction well below levels of a healthy housing market, however. That reflects the severity of the industry's downturn, and suggests the housing market could be years away from full health. "I'm looking at 2012 as sort of a ramping event to get a much more solid recovery in 2013," Crowe said in a telephone interview. The economist, who gave his forecast at the trade association's annual conference in Orlando, Fla., sees sales of new, single-family homes climbing 19% this year to 360,000. Next year, he expects those sales to rise a whopping 40% to 505,000. Crowe's outlook also hinges on unemployment staying below 8.5% and the economy adding more jobs. And he's assuming that tight lending requirements will ease this year, enabling more homebuyers to qualify for financing. Source: Investors Business Daily We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings Now providing "Short Sale Services" Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...." And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection. www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com Best regards, Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900 We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings Now providing "Short Sale Services" Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."

Caruso's Pre-Cleaning!

Spring is almost here so why not start your spring cleaning early - Start by PRE-cleaning!
- REDUCE the amount you have to clean by going through the closets, drawers, and shelves where clutter lives. Chances are there are a few shirts with the tags still on or books you read years ago and haven't picked up since... Donate them!

- REUSE what you find in the spring cleaning process! Your stock pile of old shopping bags can help you reorganize your closet, and you can cut down on waste by cleaning with those old towels rather than paper towels.


- RECYCLE stacks of magazines and old electronics.



Make a green cleaning kit.

Homemade, non-toxic cleaners will save cash, the environment, and your health! Follow these easy recipes to start cleaning greener today.

- ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
o ½ tsp washing soda (available at most hardware stores) OR 2½ tsp borax
o 1 - 2 drops of liquid soap
o 2 cups hot water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake until washing soda/borax dissolves. Add a few drops of essential oils for a bit of aromatic grime fighting! Bonus: Lavender and tea-tree oils are also natural antiseptics.

- GLASS CLEANER
o ¼ - ½ tsp liquid soap
o 3 tbsp vinegar
o 2 cups water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake. Bonus: The soap in this recipe will cut the wax residue left behind by commercial cleaners you may have used before, letting even more sunshine through your windows!

- SOFT SCRUB
o ½ cup baking soda
o Enough liquid soap to create a mixture the consistency of cake frosting
This recipe is perfect for cleaning your bathtub - it rinses easily and will not leave grit. Tip: Add 1 tsp vegetable glycerin and store in a glass jar to make the scrub last. Otherwise, only make as much as you need each time.


Go Green!!!



We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Says Watch the Big 3 ~ Employment, Housing and Europe…

We are halfway through the first quarter of 2012. The big question in everyone's mind is whether the economy continues to grow from here, or does it slow down like it did during the spring and summer of 2011? Remember, only a few months ago we were talking about the danger of a double dip recession. A stronger finish to the year ended that talk, but still many analysts have been predicting some sort of slowdown in 2012. What could prevent such a slowdown and keep the economy on pace to strengthen through 2012? We have already introduced the "big three" factors we will be watching. Not necessarily in order or priority, these factors are employment, housing and Europe. The numbers regarding employment are encouraging. First time unemployment claims last week hit the lowest level in nearly four years and employment growth was strong in January. The first set of January economic releases thus far have been mixed, however the data on housing starts and first time unemployment claims reported last week was very encouraging because of the importance of housing and jobs as two sectors of the "big three."



If the economy keeps producing job growth, then home sales will keep rising and housing will become a positive factor with regard to economic growth in 2012. Economic growth is also the only factor which can pull Europe out of its crisis. All the austerity measures by themselves can't pare down their deficits without growth. Therefore, the key to whether the economy will continue to grow from here is actually the economy itself. Consider a rock rolling down the hill. Last year the rock hit a bump and slowed down. However, the faster the rock rolls, the less likely bumps will be able to slow it down. A stronger economy is self-sustaining. We believe that the economy has reached an important juncture. If growth accelerates from here, it will be harder to stop the rock. The rock is not rolling downhill fast enough now to overcome all the obstacles, however we are not far from that happening and the first half of 2012 will be crucial in measuring the speed of the rock.





We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings
Now providing "Short Sale Services"
Call Today for More Info and our "Spring Thing...."
And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Funny ~ You've Got Mail

A man was in his front yard mowing grass when his beautiful, blond, female neighbor came out of the house and went straight to the mailbox. She opened it, looked inside, slammed it shut, and stormed back into her house. A little later she came out of her house again, went to the mailbox, again opened it, and slammed it shut again. Angrily, back into the house she went. As the man was getting ready to edge the lawn, here she came again. She marched to the mailbox, opened it and then slammed it closed harder than ever. Puzzled by her actions, the man asked her, "Is something wrong?" To which she replied, "There certainly is! My stupid computer keeps telling me I've got mail!"



*Blondes please do not take offense, its just a joke & my wife & children are all blonde :).



And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso's Green Tip of the Day ~ Remodelers Most Used Items

If you are considering a home remodel try going green with your remodel! The National Association of Home Builders surveyed re-modelers to find out the energy saving items they installed most often in projects during the fourth quarter of 2011. Here are the most

installed energy savers for a home remodel:

•Low E Windows
•Upgraded Insulation
•Insulated Exterior Doors
•Argon Gas Windows
•High-Efficiency HVAC systems


And that's your green tip of the day!



And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso Never Sleeps ~ Hard VS Soft Credit Inquiries

Do you know what a Hard versus Soft Credit Inquiry is?



Consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report once a year, available through sites like CreditKeeper.com, AnnualCreditReport.com or IdentiryGuard.com. While the credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com is free, it doesn’t include a credit score. For this, consumers must pay a nominal fee.



When a consumer asks about their own credit score, it’s considered a “soft inquiry”, which doesn’t impact their FICO score. Credit card, insurance companies, banks, and others can also make soft inquires, in order to identify consumers for marketing purposes.



In contrast, “hard inquires” for a consumer’s credit history are made if you apple for a loan, a mortgage, or open a new credit card. Depending on other factors, too many hard inquiries could have a negative impact on a consumers FICO score.







And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Attracting Business through LinkedIn with Caruso!

I came across this question on articleserver.net & after reading the question I thought to myself, you know what, I have the same exact question!

"I am a real estate agent and I am not sure how LinkedIn can help me since it is a business to business platform and I am targeting consumers and homeowners. Should I be focusing just on Facebook which is more consumer oriented? And, if I should be on LinkedIn, how can I best utilize it to help me obtain more business and clients?"

So I thought I would do some research and see how I could answer that question not only for myself but for everyone else who may be confused with LinkedIn.



Media Professionals - A recent study showed that 92% of all journalists are on LinkedIn which is more than any other social networking site. This means that you have more access to individuals who are looking to quote experts like you or publish articles regarding your industry and how you can help your prospective clients. By reaching out to these journalists you can develop meaningful and valuable relationships as they will come to think of you as the expert in your field and ask for your information when they are putting together their next piece. This extra publicity will give you more exposure to even more prospects and enhance your credibility so prospects will want to buy from you.

Referral Sources - Through LinkedIn you can build and enhance relationships with key influencers who can provide you with access to prospects you would otherwise not have known, met or done business with. A referral source is a valuable tool because it is a third party endorsement and they can act as your sales agent as they want to give their customers and clients more value.

Larger companies that offer products or services that are supplementary to yours - Smart companies are always looking to increase their revenues by giving their clients and customers more value. Think of the different companies and organizations that can add your products or services to their own at a premium price - and use LinkedIn to build relationships with the different company's executives.

Then you need to figure out who would be the best referral sources, key influences, types of media and companies for you to connect with. For example;

* Divorce attorneys - In a divorce couples often have a house to sell. Couples also have other traditional real estate assets that often have to be sold in a divorce. Plus, at least one of the parties in a divorce will need to relocate - meaning they'll need to buy a new house.
* Local bankruptcy attorneys - who have clients who have no other choice but to either short sell or go into foreclosure
* Accountants - who can refer clients to sell their residential or commercial properties to avoid further liability and eventual foreclosure
* Financial planners, estate attorneys & probate attorneys - who want to give homeowners relief from their unexpected financial burdens
* Banks - who want to sell their foreclosed properties in the shortest amount of time with the highest net to them

Make sure you create a LinkedIn profile that is written for the referral sources and media you want to attract starting with your headline. In the headline, identify the audiences you want to connect with - and why they should want to connect with you. In your summary, explain to referral sources how you can be of value to their clients and customers and how your relationship will help them.

The key to LinkedIn though is to stay on top of your referral sources' and media professionals' profiles. Once you figure out who your best key influencers, referral sources and media types, start doing your research on LinkedIn and make connections. When you make a new connection, invite the referral source or media professional to your LinkedIn group where you provide tips, tools and articles. Every time you are published, featured or quoted in the media you should be announcing it to your connections and group members. This will show them that you are a valuable resource and keep you on top of their minds. So when a referral source has a client needing your expertise, they'll think of you. And, when the media needs an expert to quote- they'll come to you.



How do you use LinkedIn to market yourself & have you ever gained business from LinkedIn?



And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900