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Why’d You Choose That Domain Name? | Mt Kisco Realtor

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Let’s admit one thing. We all started this web thing honestly, naively.

Our first site was designed to help people, to fill a gaping void we saw in the online world.

We wanted to do so much good.

Where, then, did it go so wrong? And why? Why did we end up with a website like “www.how-to-earn-money-online.com” that we can barely mention across the dinner table without blushing?

In this post, I’m going to target the psychology behind our seemingly harmless paths to web domination. I’ve been curious for a while about why a few of us start the Zygna.coms and Digg.coms while others go a, well, different path. It all dates back to the mid 1970s, when a man name Albert Bandura, the guy behind Social Cognitive Theory, examined how we seek to replicate success we see in our surroundings and in media, often at all costs. It gets a bit creepy.

Day 1: A new beginnning

It all began with GoDaddy.

“What is GoDaddy?” we ask Google. And Google responds with a full tutorial on GoDaddy.

“Thank you, Google. Now I’ve got my first domain and I have no idea how to use it.”

Well at some point, no thanks to GoDaddy, we find Blogger or WordPress. Your first domain name most-likely had a .blogspot or .wordpress in it. Hello, new blog.

“Wow, this is so interesting,” we think. “I can write posts, post images, create links, and put things in my side bar. And what exactly is a sidebar? I’m going to grow this blog to be huge! I’m getting 100 views a day! Wait, I was tracking my own views. Shut that off. So this actually is difficult … okay, I can handle that.”

We set up our first Google Analytics profile and hardly use it. We’re too focused positioning Adsense ads and garnering Facebook likes.

“Suggest to friends? I think so. Why did he not like it? Not my friend anymore! Write posts, write posts, write posts. Write even more. How am I ever going to have as many posts as that other site? Three a week, that’s it. Must happen. Three great posts of 500 words at least. More coffee. You can do this! Backlinks. Backlins! Need more. Alexa tells me I don’t have enough. Must network. Got one! Got a tweet too! Oh my dear god prepare yourself for traffic! Traffic didn’t come…why not? More posts … more domination!”

At some fateful point after much deliberation we decide to hack off the .blogger/.wordpress and basically think the world will rejoice over our decision.

“Sigh, they don’t. People don’t care. They’re focused on their own websites. Oh well, more networking, more Facebook marketing! Backlinks!”

Day 2: Day 1 got old

At some point in blogging, we become jaded. It just isn’t like it was on Day 1. Our community blog, our niche review site, and our Google Adsense landing page just didn’t work as planned. It wasn’t all we were told it would be, but we did learn in the process.

So, we start a new blog. We suck up our pride. We hobble back over to the computer. We probably woke up later that day because we were up late making it big the night before.

This is where it gets interesting.

The day we start up a second website defines us in our blogging careers.

Why? Because (in case you didn’t realize yet) everyone starts a semi-successful-yet-pretty-mediocre website at first, then moves on to another project. It’s in that second project that we either:

  • show the world we’ve learned from our mistakes and are ready to build something useful, or
  • totally sell out and continue down the path to eventual existential failure.

I’m sorry, but it’s one or the other. Which path are you on?

Maybe you’re on a different path?! If so, let’s hear about it in the comments.

Day 3: Pick a new domain

It may not be on actual day 3 of blogging, but the “third day” in your blogging career is the day you choose your next domain name. On Day 1 you made your first website, on Day 2 you decided to build another one, and on Day 3 you picked this new domain. And on Day 7 s/he rested.

So what did you pick?

The brandable domain

If you picked a brandable domain then I’d like to buy you a beer. I’m proud of you. A brandable domain is something like “Twitter.com”. It’s something like “Coursehero.com” or “Koofers.com”. It’s a brother of “Problogger.net” and a cousin of “Alexa.com”. Its recognizable. It stands out.

It holds its own in a conversation across the dinner table. (Should that be the new standard?)

People learn not just from trying and failing, but from observing, sometimes subconsciously, sometimes for means of survival, what works for our peers.—Albert Bandura

The importance of a brandable domain is five-fold:

  • Unique: It stands out.
  • Recognizable: People remember it.
  • Bizarre: It’s weird enough to generate some intrigue the first time someone hears it.
  • Worth mentioning: People want to talk about weird things.
  • Worth putting on a t-shirt: Yes, you would consider wearing that logo with it’s branded image on a t-shirt.

If you picked a brandable domain I commend you because, while you won’t get immediate “direct match” traffic from Google, you will get many more returning visits because you have a pretty cool concept.

These websites are more likely to get blog comments and will inevitably build larger email followings. They may not be the best at making a quick buck, but they do have a long-term trajectory to success. Props to you for choosing this option!

The keyword-rich domain

If you picked this type of domain, you may want to watch this short video as Matt Cutts talks about how Google is changing the algorithm.

Short summary: A lot of noise and competition exists among keyword-rich domains. Google is altering the algorithm so websites with keyword-rich domains won’t get as much an advantage over similar websites with less keyword friendly domains.

If you picked a keyword-rich domain, this is my advice for you.

  • Check out onlineprofits.com: It’s a successful community that makes online profits.
  • Check howtomakemyblog.com: It’s actually an awesome how-to site by Marko Saric.
  • Check out onlinecolleges.com and literally every other domain name with some variation of the phrase “online colleges” in it. You’ll begin to see just how competitive things are getting.
  • Learn some on-page SEO: It’ll help you immensely against the waves of others like you.
  • Get used to being #2: Hey, look at how well Monster does in the shadow of Redbull.

It’s okay, as a few of these examples will show you. With your keyword-rich domain your blog might actually make that six-figure annual income you dreamed about on Day 2.

However, as time passes I can’t help but think keyword-rich domains will become a dime a dozen, and will get sifted out to the bottom of the blogosphere while unique, original concepts rise to the top. It’s a process that may be happening as you read this.

Why did we choose one option or the other?

We’re human. We don’t want the things we do to eventually lead to failure.

We want to succeed, sometimes badly, and will often consider every means necessary to do so. Sometimes this means selecting a domain we at first would have scoffed at.

Albert Bandura was a renowned Canadian psychologist. He examined the characteristics we learn in our adolescence that leads us to success or failure. From the existing Social Learning Theory, it was known four key factors affect how we learn new behavior: drives, cues, responses, and rewards.

What Bandura found, in plain words, was that those of us who are more aggressive often skip a couple steps to get to the “rewards.”

This can be dangerous.

When our aggression outweighs our engrained moral compass, we exhibit “lapses in judgement,” as Bandura called them, where we totally avoid “cues” and “responses.”

It’s these tendencies which lead us to choose a certain domain and make larger, more long-term business decisions. It’s pretty hard to say a domain doesn’t hold vibes and messages that follow our website throughout its entire existence. So next time you’re sitting at GoDaddy about to make a purchase, remember Bandura and think about the long-term implications of your choice.

Bandura became the endowed chair of social psychology at Standford University in 1974 and is believed to be the fourth most cited pyschologist of all time. Go find more of his related work on Wikipedia.

The Blogger is a 25 year old guy from Manhattan who answers 150 blog questions before breakfast and holds a world record for comment response time. Sign up to his email club if you haven’t already (jeez) and find him on the Twitter.

via problogger.net

Five bargain renovations that add value | Mount Kisco NY Real Estate

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Photo: Thinkstock

Do you have grand visions of gutting your dated kitchen, or maybe blowing out the bathroom walls to create a spa-like retreat? While major remodeling projects such as these can bring value to a home, budget-friendly projects can also deliver a fresh look – and real value for you and potential buyers.

“Something as simple as replacing the hardware in the kitchen can give you a whole new look,” says Paul Wyman, a regional vice president with the National Association of Realtors. Wyman is also an expert at determining if a remodeling project will add value to a home.

Curious which simple projects will give your home the most value? Keep reading to learn about a few affordable facelifts and bargain renovations that could boost your home’s value and add appeal.

Bargain Renovation #1: Reface Kitchen Cabinets

Would you believe that something as simple as replacing dated cabinetry doors could get you a higher return on investment than other major remodels? We didn’t either, until Remodeling Magazine’s 2011-2012 “Cost vs. Value Report” told us otherwise.

If the cabinets in your kitchen are well laid-out, sturdy, and plentiful but unappealing, refacing can be a cost-effective alternative to complete replacement. This process, which maintains the existing cabinetry’s frames and boxes but replaces the hardware and door and drawer fronts, can be just a quarter of the price of installing all-new cabinetry.

What does that look like in hard figures? Kitchen Solvers, a resurfacing company in La Crosse, Wisc., offers the example of a client paying $6,000 to install solid cherry doors on existing cabinetry, rather than shelling out $24,000 to install everything new. That sure sounds like a good savings to us.

Bargain Renovation #2: Install a New Kitchen Countertop

If you adore the luxurious look of a stone countertop but don’t love the high price, there are ways to achieve the high-end feel of granite or marble without breaking the bank.

You can save on granite, for example, by buying remnants from a stone yard, according to a July 2012 Consumer Reports article titled “Get the luxury look for Less.” Or, if you have your eye on marble, a slab from Vermont will cost at least 20 percent less than one from Italy, according to the report.

For a truly budget-friendly option, Consumer Reports suggests that you consider a laminate countertop.

Laminate, which is made of sheets of plastic resin and paper bonded to particle board or fiberboard, could resemble granite or marble with today’s printing technologies, notes Consumer Reports.

Bargain Renovation #3: Update the Bathroom

According to HGTV’s “Maximum Value Projects,” on FrontDoor.com, updating a bathroom is a great way to add value to your home. And it doesn’t take much to make a big difference.

In fact, HGTV says updating the sink and fixtures will yield more value than replacing the countertop, flooring, toilet, or even the tub and shower. To avoid the premium price and save “hundreds of dollars without compromising quality,” Consumer Reports’ bathroom remodeling guide recommends selecting sinks and fixtures with basic finishes.

Looking for more value-adding updates that are gentle on your wallet? Consumer Reports suggests replacing an outdated wall-to-wall mirror with individual framed mirrors over each sink, or replacing stained grout with stain-resistant grout.

Bargain Renovation #4: Boost Curb Appeal With a New Roof

Honestly, who looks at a roof? Homebuyers, evidently. Even if most of your roof isn’t visible from the street, it is still an important aesthetic and functional feature that’s in a prime position to elevate – or squash – your home’s curb appeal.

“When people buy a house, they expect it to have a roof, but if it’s recently been redone, they will really see the value in that,” Wyman says.

Fortunately, for a flashy and durable roof, you don’t have to select a costly specialty material – like slate, tile, or metal. Composite asphalt shingles is the most common material, and it fits easily in many types of budgets, according to HGTV’s “Maximum Value Home Exterior Projects: Roof.”

Composite shingles are now available in a wide range of styles and colors, according to HGTV, allowing homeowners to create a custom look that matches the home’s façade or plays up its architectural details.

Bargain Renovation #5: Add a Deck

Looking for a new living space that will add value to your home? Look no further than the square footage waiting right outside your back door.

In fact, adding a deck to your home could offer one of the highest cost-recoup opportunities, according to the cost-value report. And you don’t have to choose a high-priced composite material. The survey found that decks built with wood actually delivered a greater return at resale than those built with composite material – boasting a 70 percent return on cost, compared to 62.8 percent.

Because deck-building is a potential DIY project – depending on your familiarity with a power saw, of course – savings could be even higher.

“Any type of work you have the ability to do yourself, with quality, makes it a bigger bargain because you’re saving on labor costs,” Wyman points out.

But if your home improvement skills are a little iffy, or you would rather sit back and relax during the renovation, it’s probably best to leave this one up to the pros.

via homes.yahoo.com

FHA changes won’t impact most buyers | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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A bailout for FHA? Don’t bet on it.

And what’s the practical significance of the steps the agency announced last week to avoid a meltdown? What impact will they have for homebuyers and sellers who rely on FHA for affordable financing?

Less than you might think if you read some of the dire reports on Friday’s news: FHA’s capital reserve ratio to support its single-family and reverse mortgage programs plummeted to -1.44 percent, according to an independent audit, representing a negative economic value of more than $16 billion.

You may have also read that in response, the FHA plans to raise its annual mortgage insurance premiums from 1.25 percent to 1.35 percent early next year, and revoke new borrowers’ ability to cancel their premiums once their loan balances hit the 78 percent LTV level.

The agency also is going to expand pre-purchase counseling efforts for applicants with low credit scores and minimal down payments, and step up efforts to promote short sales to seriously delinquent owners who are likely headed for foreclosure.

Taken together, the changes don’t appear to be a big deal for most buyers who opt for FHA loans. In fact, you can argue that what’s not being changed is far more noteworthy than what is:

  • Minimum down payments will still be 3.5 percent. The agency resisted demands that it boost the minimum to 5 percent.
  • There will be no risk-based pricing on premiums, another demand by critics. FHA will continue to its one-price-for-all system in which low-risk borrowers essentially subsidize the premiums of higher-risk borrowers.
  • Underwriting will continue to be generous on key items like debt-to-income ratios.

Whereas Fannie’s and Freddie’s automated underwriting systems cut off applicants who have back-end (total debt including housing) ratios much above 45 percent, loan officers tell me FHA sometimes allows them to push through back-end DTIs in excess of 56 percent, and even front-end (housing) ratios of more than 45 percent.

None of this is changing because, in the words of Bob Ryan, a senior adviser to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, “we don’t want to overreact” to an audit report that may have exaggerated the gravity of the agency’s situation.

The audit report used house price projections that did not reflect important gains in recent months, for example, and did not take full account of revenues being generated by the agency’s high-performing, low-loss recent books of insurance business.

David H. Stevens, immediate past FHA commissioner and current CEO at the Mortgage Bankers Association, told me it’s doubtful FHA will need a cash infusion next September from the Treasury because “they (the leadership at FHA) have all next year to replenish the fund” with additional tweaks to premiums, increasing the pace and productivity of REO dispositions, and restructuring the ailing Home Equity Conversion (HECM) reverse mortgage program to cut losses.

Continuing increases in home prices will help out a lot, since depressed home values in the 2008 and 2009 vintages of FHA originations have plagued the agency and created the bulk of its current problems.

The decision to retain the 3.5 percent minimum down payment was especially key, said Stevens. FHA can raise or lower premiums anytime, “but once you raise the down payment (minimum), that would be difficult to chip back.”

More importantly, raising minimum down payments would exclude large numbers of first-time buyers with good jobs who are solid credit risks, but simply lack the cash to make the type of down payments required in the conventional marketplace.

Turning away qualified applicants because they couldn’t come up with another 1.5 percent in down payment cash would be an abandonment of FHA’s traditional mission of opening the door to homeownership for moderate-income families, especially first-time purchasers and minorities.

In some local markets, FHA finances well over half of all purchase loans. In the first three months of 2012, it held around a 32 percent market share of new purchase loans nationwide.

Another step FHA didn’t announce last week but soon will: reining in seller concessions to buyers to help pay for closing costs and lender fees.

Seller concessions, like the now-prohibited seller-funded down payment assistance programs that were commonplace in 2004-2008, can distort transactions by cutting buyers’ initial stakes in the property to zero or even negative equity, and have been linked to losses to the insurance fund.

Though FHA has proposed a tiered system that would lower maximum contributions for many sellers to 3 or 4 percent and restrict the current 6 percent maximum to low-balance loans, it has not yet published a final rule.

When I asked FHA Commissioner Carol Galante on Friday for an estimate on the timing of the final rule, she rolled her eyes, lamented the frustrations of jumping through the bureaucratic hoops required to get a new federal regulation onto the street, and said “soon.”

This month? “No.” December? “I hope so.” But even when finalized, the rules will almost certainly give real estate brokers and lenders time to adjust.

So bottom line: 6 percent seller concessions are likely to be available for purchasers into the early first quarter of 2013. After that, they’re history.

via inman.com

In Westchester, 12,600 Con Ed Customers Without Power | Mount Kisco Real Estate

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From Con Edison:

NEW YORK – Con Edison, aided by utility workers from across the United States and Canada, continues to replace utility poles, string wires and install transformers to restore service to those affected by Hurricane Sandy and this week’s Nor’easter.

As of 5:30 p.m., Con Edison reported approximately 28,000 customers out of service. There were about 12,600 customers out of service in Westchester County; 8,700 in Queens; 5,100 in Brooklyn; 1,400 in the Bronx; 400 in Staten Island; and fewer than 100 in Manhattan.

Con Edison has restored service to more than 1 million customers since Hurricane Sandy, which was by far the most destructive storm in company history, struck the New York area. Crews are working around the clock to restore the remaining customer outages this weekend.

Many of the outages still left in the company’s service area involve small groups of customers.

It’s been a massive job. Crews have replaced 60 miles of electrical wiring and gone to tens of thousands of locations to make repairs or tend to emergencies.

The company is also working with the New York City Buildings Department to expedite the restoration of an additional 35,000 customers in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens whose electrical equipment may have been damaged by flooding and cannot be safely re-energized without repairs by an electrician.

The customers requiring inside-the-premises electrical work are not listed on the Con Edison Outage Map or included in the total number of outages reported by the company. Con Edison and the New York City Buildings Department are collaborating to guide customers through the process of repairing their own equipment. For information, click here: http://www.coned.com/es/Energy-Services-Flyer.pdf.

The safety of customers and workers remained Con Edison’s highest priority, as crews responded to thousands of downed wires and hundreds of blocked roads.

Customers can report downed power lines, outages, and check service restoration status by computer or mobile device at www.conEd.com. They also can call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When reporting an outage, it is helpful if customers have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power. Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available.

The company urges customers to pay close attention to reports from city and municipal officials. Important information will be posted on www.conEd.com.. For instructions on how to report an outage, click here:http://bcove.me/6sx1yox5.

Con Edison offers the following safety tips:

·       Never operate a portable electric generator indoors or in an attached garage. Be sure to place the generator outside where exhaust fumes will not enter into enclosed spaces. Only operate a generator outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area, away from air intakes to the home. The generator should be protected from direct exposure to rain and snow.

·       Use extreme caution before going into a flooded basement. Know whether there are electrified services or unsanitary conditions and wear high rubber boots. Also, know how deep the water is and probe it with a wooden stick, if necessary, to gauge the depth. Keep children out of basements where there is water.

·       Do not go near downed wires. Treat downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water.

·       Report downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.

·       If your power goes out, turn off all lights and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored.

The company is in constant communication with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services and company personnel are working closely with city and municipal emergency officials. Con Edison is also getting strong assistance from numerous state and federal agencies.

via yorktown-somers.patch.com

Mount Kisco NY Real Estate | New home sales shoot up 5.7% in September

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New single-family home sales rose 5.7% from August to September, with 389,000 homes sold last month, according to the  U.S. Census Bureau.

That is up from 368,000 sales in August and 27.1% above year ago levels when only 306,000 units were sold.

The median sales price of a home in September hit $242,400 while the average price hovered at $292,400.

“September’s rise in new home sales is another sign that homebuyers are becoming more willing and more able to splash out on a new home,” research firm Capital Economics said in response to the report.

The number of new homes for sale at the end of September reached 145,000, which reflects a 4.5-month supply of homes at today’s sales pace.

Econoday called the jump in home sales the best annual rate increase since mid-2010 when the market was still benefitting from homebuyer tax credits.

“September’s gain is convincing and is led, with a 16.8% jump, by the South which is far larger than all other regions combined,” Econoday said. “Supply, at 4.5 months for the lowest reading since 2005, is very tight and is limiting sales.”

via housingwire.com