We all want to win the lottery.
We all want to have someone take care of that other stuff for us.
We all want our lives to be easier.

Each day we look for the “magic bullet” that will solve all of our problems and help to make things easy. In the world of real estate there are many tools, many companies selling us something — and many distractions. How can we filter through all of that to make our lives easier?

We can turn to those that are one step ahead of us and learn the lesson that nothing comes easy. To make this as easy as possible here is a list of the 5 Tech Tools to Make Your Life Easier:

A powerful IDX. Internet Data Exchange (IDX) is a real estate website that pulls information shared by brokers on the MLS. That makes this a great tool for potential buyers. For all real estate agents this is a must-have tool. With so many people searching online before buying a home, you have to have a site for them to find that has the best possible mouse trap.

A smartphone. It doesn’t matter if this is an iPhone or a Droid (it should be an iPhone) or another smartphone on the market. How can you make your job easy? You have a phone that is your contact management, your GPS, your email, your camera and so much more. Don’t have one? GET ONE!

Smartphone operating systems – image courtesy of author

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A social media management dashboard. A what? It sounds like a long title and all that we are talking about is HootSuite or TweetDeck or something else in this family. Stop taking hours to filter through Facebook and Twitter to hear what is being said. Set up your lists so while you might follow many on Twitter you can hear the few you really want to listen to. This will give you a place to tweet from, and follow postings. Still take a moment to visit Facebook for your actual postings as these dashboards will still impact your EdgeRank, no matter what people tell you.

Social Media Dashboard – image courtesy of author

A blogging platform. There are many to choose from. You can go from A to Z — or in this case from ActiveRain to WordPress. Use your blogging platform as a place to build a following, answer questions, provide information and turn yourself into an expert on your topic(s) of choice. Just a hint to keep this part easy: Stop overthinking and just write.

A tablet. Again this doesn’t matter if it is an iPad or another brand of tablet (are there really others?) — just get your hands on one. These will make your life easier in every possible way. You can turn your tablet into your office away from the office with access to your documents, and the ability to have people virtually sign contracts and to search properties on the go. There are so many other apps that you can add to your tablet to make life easier, and there are many blogs on these out there already.

Maybe you won’t win the lottery.
Maybe you won’t have someone else take care of that other stuff for you.
And even though those things don’t happen, that doesn’t mean you can’t make your life easier with a few simple tools.

Win the Lottery – image courtesy of author

From McIntosh and Gala to Honeycrisp and Granny Smith, apples abound in autumn, bringing a fresh, juicy crunch to classic dishes. These ubiquitous little treats flood our local grocers’ produce aisles, tempting us with rich hues of ruby and garnet, streaked with amber and chartreuse. Unlike other holiday temptations (pecan pie, anyone?), this is one worth indulging—apples are rich in cancer-preventative antioxidant compounds and contain fiber and vitamin C. With a fruit that’s as versatile as it is nutritious, why not incorporate it into every aspect of your fall meal?

Appealing Appetizers
As a fancy first course or a simple lunch, soup and salad redefine a healthy, filling meal. Apples add an unmistakable tang to crisp, green salads, but the apple-, banana-, and cucumber-filledPolynesian Salad with Curry Dressing will add a suprising tropical touch to your meal. With a broad variety of apples coming into season in the late fall, why not just make Paw Paw’s Apple Saladto pair with any savory soup? Speaking of soup, most people wouldn’t think to put fruit in a velvety smooth squash soup, but a few fresh apples add tartness to Mouthwatering Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. In Kale and Apple Soup, just a teaspoon of brown sugar adds an apple-pie flavor to this supremely nutritious soup. Tasty Tart Carrot Apple Soup is perfect for anyone short on ingredients (it requires just three plus salt and pepper) and adds a bright orange splash of color to gray fall days.

Par For The (Main) Course
Think apples can’t be the key ingredient in every component of a holiday meal? Think again—from pearl barley to sweet potatoes, grains and veggies baked with apples will take a traditional meal to the next level. Apples also blend well with spicy curry, such as in Warm Curried Chickpeas with Apples and Acorn Squash with Curried Apples. For a hearty main course, bake up a Yummy Nut Roast—with earthy herbs like basil, thyme, and sage, apples will naturally add a complementary tang to this filling fare. It’s a well-known fact that with holiday meals comes leftovers that somehow taste even better than day one, so don’t waste the rest of that Tofurky! Instead, add some fruit and make a scrumptious Tofurky Apple Grape Salad Sandwich.

Beyond the Apple-tini
Why eat your apples when they can be sipped? Start the day off on the right foot with an Awesome Apple Shake or amp up breakfast with the quintessential flavor of maple in an Apple Walnut Smoothie. Trust us—it beats pancakes any day of the week. As the weather cools down, warm drinks only get hotter, especially those with apples. Sip on some Chai Spiced Cider orHot Holiday Apple Punch to stay toasty—the addition of aromatic cinnamon and vanilla bean is perfect for autumn. And when your holiday party really gets going, make sure to include apples in the essential elixirs, such as in a fruity burgundy Sangria. On the other hand, “Apple Pie Booze” are the only three words you need to say to your guests. It’s hard to resist the temptation to drink your dessert. Or eat it. Or both. Speaking of dessert…

Sweet Endings
Sure, everyone needs a fix of hot apple pie around Thanksgiving, but with such adaptable apples, why limit your dessert horizons? To start, you don’t need to stray too far from pie heaven if you whip up an Apple Puff Pastry, which bursts with soft, sweet apples and crunchy pecans. Or, bake Grandma Jeanette’s Apple Strudel, a recipe from the family of the Spork Sisters—these girls know their stuff when it comes to desserts! Light Applesauce Cake will satisfy any sweet tooth without the use of added sugar. Or, dare to venture into the world of apple mania and bake a Caramel Apple Pizza. We won’t judge.

With literally thousands of recipes and dozens of types, apples are an amazing addition to nearly anything. Don’t be afraid to get creative, as there’s no wrong way when it comes to seasonal apples.

In each Economic Update, the Research staff analyzes recently released economic indicators and addresses what these indicators mean for REALTORS® and their clients. Today’s update discusses housing starts.

• Data on housing starts and permits for construction were released this morning by the U.S. Census. Starts rose 2.3% from last month based on an improvement on the single-family side, while multi-family starts slipped. Strong existing home sales have pulled down inventories and staunched the flow of delinquent properties into inventory. The result has been lower inventories and stronger pricing, both signs needed for builders to move forward on single-family production.
• Permits for construction inched up only slightly, though, again driven by the single-family sector while permits for multi-family construction fell by 3.0%. Regardless, permits for building both single-family and multi-family are significantly higher than in August of 2011, by 19.3% and 39.2%, respectively.
• Construction contributes to economic growth as well as job creation. It is also a reflection of strength in the housing market as builders cannot get financing for a project in a market where supplies are too high, nor would they front their own money for such a project. The economic growth and job creation in turn help with consumer confidence and abet a virtuous economic cycle. While construction is up, it remains at low levels. In the near term declining inventories and restrained construction will help buoy prices and confidence, but a strong improvement in household formation and employment growth could result in housing shortages in the long-term.