Besides the fact that we will most likely be heading into 2004 price levels shortly, we are also switching mls vendors.
For the general public, switching mls vendors may not be noticeable at all, but for me it is “The End of the World…as I know it.” because I will no longer have access to hand calculating statistics for King County or any large area like Zip Code.
The New Matrix system will work on any browser, so I can carry the mls around on an iPad…I’m happy about that. But I will have to devise an entirely different method of conveying market strength and weakness using the new system in smaller quantity analysis.
Maybe not the end of the world…but clearly the end of the world as I know it.
You’re a window on the world Ardell. Somehow it- and we- will go on. Good Post! J-
I’ve been spending some time in the new system, Jerry. But so far it feels like an episode of “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” All flash and no substance. It will be interesting to see what happens to the broker site feeds when the old system goes down for good.
I feel a lot of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” coming down the pike. Right now they are still running the two systems side by side.
I have to go in to the system and hand count the sales etc . Our system is fairly simple and doesn’t let you sort by Postal code – only by the pre-determined areas (which are too big) . I could go on for days.
Paul,
I know it’s not funny, but I’m envisioning someone asking how many homes are on the market and the agent saying, let me see…1,2,3…1001,1002 🙂
Same in my business- any time I find something that works well for me and/or my clients, it’s changed or discontinued. Plumbing fixtures, especially. JG
Jerry,
I was talking to a builder a few months ago, and he mentioned that it is difficult to build a custom home in a bad market, as production of better materials in quantity discontinues. So everything of good quality becomes “a special order”, driving up the price on anything a quality builder would use. So while the price to build as to labor cost has gone down, with many wanting the job, the cost of materials above standard quality inhibits overall savings in a weak market.
When many and more custom homes are being built, the availability of better materials, that were discontinued as “in stock” items, increases.
LOL, funny title (and very cathcy, I must say). Ardell, as any of your followers/subscribers already know, you’re a tough, smart cookie and you’ll find ways to revolutionize the new system (just don’t break it!). Cheers.
They shut down the old system yesterday…so it’s sink or swim time…
Kind of ironic…our company is switching to Optimal Blue tomorrow morning and although I’m told this is going to be a huge improvement for me…it’s a new system I get to learn for pricing and locking in rates.
I went through an “its the end of the world as I know it” moment on Friday… I’m posting rates tomorrow on my blog and I’ll see what it’s like w/the new system.
From the LOs I’ve DM’d about it, I’m told I’ll love it…but it’s not what I know…
Ardell,
If the Matrix system is anything like the the one I belong to, they have a great export function, you can export all that information to excel and let it do the counting & arranging for you.
Craig,
I think you are right, but the max # of properties I can crunch numbers is now 500 vs 10,000. So County stats will not likely be “doable” at all. I’ll just have to devise different methods to get to the same place I once did.
I just got into the old system to calculate % from list price to sold price, so looks like I currently have access to both systems…but that won’t be for long and every day access to the old system gets one more day outdated…since no new information is being implemented there.
There is hope…we are sending our “complaints” about what we are missing from the “old” system and attempts are being made to change the new system to accommodate those things. Kind of like when you buy a new laptop and it won’t do everything your old one did unless you work on it and add programs and features.
People are liking it from the consumer side.
One excellent new feature by the way, is the ability to search by all schools you like. You can do one search for multiple Elementary Schools, as example, without having to do those one at a time. I plan to do some stat posts on home prices by school rankings using two different school ranking sites. Many people want to buy the best home they can with the best school they can afford, so that should be a topic of interest to many.