Communitweet

So I started to Twitter... What's a twitter? Is that a body spasm? And it not the phonetic sound spelling for Tweety Bird for "hit her."

Twitter is this e-like underworld I am just really becoming acquainted with, I have heard about it and signed up awhile ago, but did not become instantly engaged. It is a world forum of people posting their thoughts, opinions and links to interesting world facts or personal. I am sure you have heard more about it just with the political campaigns.

Now I have dipped my little toe in that Twitter water and I am not sure what I still think ...

But hey I am willing to give it a try and see what I learn and absorb from other real estate brains and graphic designers to give me perhaps a different perspective ... I am not sure how well I will be received as I am NOT a REALTOR and I am accepting of the fact I am a graphic designer that has been a part of Steve's field for many years now. I am here to advertise and promote well. Do what you are good at and do your best. I am good with people and also at packaging a product and I constantly strive for improvement.

RE: Twitter
I am not sure if I am doing it correctly, but I will occasionally update it through out the day to say where Steve is and what he is doing. I do protect my items posted for now as I experiment with it's use. I find it strange still to post publicly where and what I am doing nor do I find that safe. Although I am still discovering this little world as it fascinates me this mini-rant, bloglike world. You tap into an electronic pulse of random thoughts from all over and strong opinion. I am sure as time passes my thoughts on privacy may evolve with more protective safe public language. I won't be perfect at updates, as I like to have a life. But as I am with everything I go in spurts of availability (just like this blog). My creative brain goes in surges. Steve is steady as they go! Always happy and upbeat.

So if you haven't seen Twitter, it may not be your cup of tea ...

http://twitter.com/rosevillerockln
Twitter has a new face too (like Facebook) and you can do some fun new things thanks to some cool folks.

Other places you can find Steve:
Facebook: Steve_Ostrom

I am guessing the only reason people are trying to find me is for information and quick resource: so do whatever means you find most comfortable.

I am often times at my home office, but during the week it varies as I may be in Steve's office (Coldwell Banker office).

BUT for quick response, call or text Steve! 916-308-2446
But if he is with a client or in a meeting: there are many ways to reach me.

There hasn't been much as far as down time so we are with our family at times. You may hear the occasional girl squeal in the background thanks to some younger bodies in our home. That is life and we don't try to hide. Our life and business are a part of who we are and we hope that is a good fit for you too!

Chat with you soon and have a great weekend. LOVE this weather. WaHooO make the most of everyone.

Sincerely,
Heather O

Seeing Red, but it's Cool!

Cool stuff you already may know about it and a techy item to spice up your email signature:

RedBox baby ... movies when we can do it.

Have you tried out RedBox? It is great. What's a RedBox? It's a movie swapping, crazy, mania kiosik at your local shopping center (whether it's at BelAir or SaveMart or 7-eleven).

Find the movie you want at a kiosik, it is SUPER easy.

I am SURE you have consciously or subconsciously seen their logo while shopping as you daze and stare aimlessly while waiting for your groceries to be bagged. "Wait what swipe my card ... uh sorry. NO I have my canvas bags, no plastic. OooOOh RedBox."

We were doing the Blockbuster thing, but I think with our crazy schedule we are keeping with work, it doesn't make sense for it, nor NetFlix. RedBox is typically in your grocery store or small mini-marts and often near the coin-change kiosk.

Steve and I have enjoyed it thoroughly! Check it out. $1 to rent a movie and have it back by 9pm the following night. PERFECT! I guess you can even reserve a copy online. Return your REDBOX video anywhere.

I know many of you keep crazy schedules, so I thought you might enjoy this scoop if you don't already know about it already. I know my bay area lady friends have been using it for awhile.

Locations: http://www.redbox.com/Locations/KioskResults.aspx?zipcode=95678&radius=5&results=10&address=&city=&state=&vendor=

How it works: http://www.redbox.com/HowItWorks.aspx

Ready to make your e-signature a little more spicey?

See my same new email signature (e-sig):










How did I make it? Using WiseStamp (seen above-click name to start your own).

So far I love it. I can only use it right now in my Yahoo & GMail account (plus AOL), but hopefully they will add other applications sooner than later. You can add all of your networking places accessible for your friends and people you work with on a daily basis.''

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE: We have been slammed lately. Sorry for the lack o' posts. Steve is a high ranking man now on buyers in Roseville (wa-HooO) and in Coldwell Banker of this area in NorCal.

REOs are still the bulk of our sales. Steve is now a rep for a bank doing bank owned listings. It is going very well.

Ask your questions away as it has been a volatile week for many whether stock related or job.

Home inventory has been fluctuating, but short sales do seem to be the bulk of much of the inventory. Keep in CLOSE check with your loan officer on modifications to loan qualification. ALSO check if they (loan officer) have CHANGED mortgage houses. Also note different loans require different things to be repaired before close of escrow. Ask questions! Know TOO much about what you are doing is really the key to your protection and involvement. Talk to a trusted loan person or please give Ryan Nordby a call! He is really wonderful to speak with and bounce questions off of and also work in conjunction with for your loan. :-)

Give us a call or shoot us an email! 916-308-2446 Steve@SteveOstrom.com

Helpful Friday tip ...

Sometimes help is a call away ...

Seniors in Roseville on fixed or lower income or know someone that could benefit from some assistance (62 & older): http://www.roseville.ca.us/housing/handyperson_program.asp
see the list of services and what factors qualify.

For all of Placer County regarding Senior assistance programs:
http://www.seniorsfirst.org/

For Rocklin Senior fun:
http://www.rocklin.ca.us/government/service_n_facility/education_n_leisure/seniors/default.asp

For Roseville Senior fun:
http://www.roseville.ca.us/parks/seniors/senior_center.asp

Be good to thy neighbor and future ones too ...

Be good to thy neighbor and future ones too ...
Hello Heather Ostrom here.

I wake up today to reading all about all these suggested different websites as tools for real estate agents like Steve or other related fields. Most of them were phenomenal and I love great new ways of packaging real estate related information in a clear and concise way, but yet also relevant to Placer County and not just the Big Cities of the U.S.

So much information to absorb to make educated decisions in every facet of your life when buying your next home. "What are prices doing over the past two years? Who lives in this area? Where can I get the cheapest gas in this area or on my way to work? Is there shopping I need within five miles?" etc, etc. All valid reasons to base your home search on.

So THEN I get a place where you can vent about a BAD neighbor. Say WHAAaat? Sure this site has a place to mention good neighbors too. But is someone really going to google, "good neighbors?" Granted a "neighbor" less savory than others is perhaps not contributing to the community image, but is this the way to resolve it? I am all for venting, when not directly associated with an area.

I will not mention this "neighbor" marking / venting website, but it basically is a place to flog a neighbor or person at a particular location. And there are others like it. You can type a city or address and voila, if someone is or has vented for the positive or most likely negative, you will find it on this site. And there are many blog-like real estate places like this everywhere. And many have a respectful place and usefulness.

I am all for free speech, but this site was a lot for me to swallow. Maybe just me as it sickened me a little the power of marking a home as a negative or giving reason to others to raise their pitch forks and torches of others stumbling across this site.

BUT my question is who really gets punished here when marking bad neighbors? "Everyone" is my answer that lives in that vicinity of the "bad neighbor" in the eyes of a someone reviewing this site for a neighborhood. We aren't talking about a $10 meal, we are talking your investment or perhaps bringing in new, motivated people to improve your area with good ownership and unified beliefs in how to upkeep an area. That is my positive thinking, but I want someone living in my ears that is concerned with whether they live. We are in a new era of savvy buyers, where they have more information at their finger tips to evaluate neighborhoods and great weight comes from personal opinion.

So if you have fire in your soul and a two foot tall lawn irking you, before you go to the net (e-net that is ... we aren't in basketball season YET) and before you hit that "bad neighbor" tag, or go to any site to rant and name an area where a bad area to live is ... really weigh it's worth. It's permanent and hurtful not only to them but your new neighbors you just lost out on that saw your angry rant online. These are hard and frustrating times for many.

So I guess in support of free support, these sites exists, but I implore all people to make a neighborhood better, casting stones gets you nowhere.

And to leave on a good note, I must say I have some of the nicest neighbors. Some water and maintain other lawns that aren't even theirs because they are good kind hearted people and just want to help out. They see the value in neighborhoods and working as a team. The share with us and help others when they need it. Thank you.

Honey is sweet to share ... so keep the vinegar in a bottle unless you are making it for a tasty salad.

Doing things right ... Heeeeyyyyy!

Did Fonzerelli “heeeeey” or “aaaaaaay?”
Hmmm ....

The kids do come to our client's property closings occasionally and YES holding a juice box and doing a fonzerelli thumbs up is really quite difficult. “Caaannnnot hold juicey and keep thumbsssss up ... must maintain juice pressure to keep on drinking through straw ... loooosing pressure.”

You feel like you did things right or things were a success when you get invited to a BBQ or dinner after a home sale for a client or good friend. I know this may sound weird and could be construed in a numerous amount of ways, but my thoughts are purely innocent. It makes me so happy when someone keeps us in their lives after the sale. It is so strange to be so integrated in their lives and then to almost say goodbye once you hand over the keys and after I force them to take a picture with us. Rare is the occasion that the communication is again like a first date after the close of escrow. “Hey uh ... it’s Heather. You know Steve's wife. Wait you don't remember me? I am real tall ... No I don't have the wrong phone number. Oh you are painting? [ silence ] Okay I am going to hang up now.”

Other times it is like riding a bike and you pick up right where you dropped off. “You want all of us to come over for a BBQ? ALLLlllrighty then! It's on like Donkey Kong.”

I usually try to write quick e-notes, so not to be a weirdo but to keep contact. Thank you to all that have allowed us to be a part of the process and please keep in touch! :-) I love seeing pictures of progress or how you are making the home your own. Seeing your personal touches. It makes me so happy.



Life is busier than it ever has for us. We have enlisted the help of a wonderful lady, Dana Corin to assist with our transactions and I love her dearly. It has been a good move for Steve and I. With growth must come expansion.

With success and a filling schedule. We haven't had much as far as social lives. We think of you all and with school starting back up you know comes the growing pains of readjustment. Plus mix in some soccer and the need for down time with the kids it is a lot to juggle, but we make it work and laugh a lot. We love our little family and we love working with all of you.

Thank you!

First of all, thank you Margaret and family!
Great home and hopefully a great life for all ahead of you.
Thank you for working with us. Margaret found us on the internet!
Wahoo. All those hours make it all worth it. Google and Yahoo have been quite kind to us. Our pictures with the special people we have met are just fantastic. To have so many nice words posted and also this amazing collection of photos from some of the closings is just overwhelming. Sometimes schedules and settings don't allow for photos with ALL of our clients, but we still love them.

Okay stare at this picture ... I screwed up. I have some “photo bombers.” Initially our eldest daughter was and usually is insistent on being in our client “closing” picture. She even found an orange shirt at Target that she “had to have.” She says to me, “MOoooOOmmm I want RosevilleRocklin on my shirt.” I reply, “Hmmm Audrey let's look for a goldfish iron-on instead?” “Awwww Mommmmmm!” .... silence and deep thought .... “Alright .... Okaaaay.” C’mon girl the goldfish is cool. I feel there is no need to be making my daughter a walking billboard. There is plenty of time to advertise on her biceps after she is on the beach volleyball team circuit with the superimposed ads. JOKING! haha

But sincerely the girl loves being with us and helping Daddy. Well come photo time our girl got shy and that is more than fine with me. Yet both mini-O’s still found their way into the picture.

Best of luck Margaret and family in the new home. It was so wonderful to work with and get to know you. Thank you!!!