Stories

The industry leading vacation rental software provider adds former vacation rental director and LiveRez partner to drive partner success 

BOISE, Id. –– LiveRez.com, the leading provider of end-to-end, cloud-based vacation rental software, has added vacation rental management veteran Sharon Clark to its growing staff in Boise, Id. 

As director of partner success, Clark will be responsible for working with LiveRez.com’s rapidly growing partner base of more than 500 professional vacation rental managers to spread industry and software best practices, and drive incremental revenue to their bottom line.

“Sharon will be a huge asset to this company as we strengthen and grow the LiveRez.com network,” said Tracy Lotz, founder and CEO of LiveRez.com.

Clark to comes LiveRez.com from Keefe Rentals in Lake Geneva, Wisc., where she spent the past seven years as director of the company’s vacation rental program. In her role at Keefe Rentals, Clark provided professional rental management services to property owners and... (more)

The Dollhouse is now taking consignment appointments for guys. We at The Dollhouse hope this helps more people and families find a additional source of income, through consignment rather than just donating clothes away, sell first, get your money $$$ & donate second.  Whoot! Guys get that cash, WORD !

The Dawg house has begun !!   Same rules apply for guys & the ladies. Consigned clothing must be clean,  in  excellent condition,  by season (Spring/Summer now), and brought in - in a bag. no boxes please. Appointments are needed- boys 20 items max, guys 30 max. Boys 8-16* casual or formal-teens *casual/skater type gear & formal, &- young men/mens. (trendy/ and hip) .. all things trendy...designer jeans, killer tee's, cowboy boots, baseball caps, fedoras :)  as examples.. etc.. however no suits/ business wear and no sporting wear I.E. togs or hard goods...your usual shorts and hiking shoes/ tenny's/ sandals if in mint condition are wanted. Drop off's OK in Ketchum or Hailey... (more)

Hallmark Idaho Properties has just launched a brand new real estate app that allows you to preview “All Local Real Estate” listed in the Sun Valley Board of Realtors MLS on your iPad, iPhone, Droid, Kindle Fire and others.

No download of the app is required as the software was designed to determine the type of device you are using and adjusts the software accordingly.

Touch Enabled

Hallmark’s Shop Local Real Estate app is designed specially for touch-screen devices like the iPhone, iPad and Android phones. Swipe through photos and navigate maps using your touch screen.

Search Options

Hallmark’s app includes the ability to create a new search by location, price, bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet, property type, and sub-type. Additional search options are available via saved searches.

Nearby Listings

For location-aware phones, Hallmark’s app provides a one-click search to show the listings nearest to your actual physical location.

Photo Tour

Hallmark’s app also allows you to view full screen listing photos using the photo... (more)

The Boise-based vacation rental software company releases a state-of-the-art CRM tool to optimize its partners’ communication with guests

BOISE, Id. –– LiveRez.com, the developer of the largest and fastest growing cloud-based solution for vacation rental managers, has released its newest piece of proprietary technology, a state-of-the-art Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool.

By automating a number of e-mails vacation rental managers are already sending their guests (and giving them numerous options for increased communication), LiveRez’s new CRM tool has the potential to save managers thousands of dollars in overhead costs.

“This new tool is just another way we help vacation rental managers run their businesses more efficiently,” said Tracy Lotz, founder and CEO of LiveRez.com, which was founded in Hailey. “We designed this tool with the goal of saving our partners time and money, and helping them increase customer engagement.”   

According to LiveRez.com partner Mark Tolan of Seaside Vacation...(more)

The secondary mortgage market company Freddie Mac has updated its bulletin to servicers of Freddie Mac mortgage loans to make clear that they aren’t to pursue a deficiency judgment against a borrower after a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure if the transaction was processed in accordance with Freddie Mac’s guidelines.

In a deficiency judgment, a lender goes after the borrower to collect the amount of loan that was “shorted” in a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, even after the lender approved the short-pay agreement. State laws apply differently to the practice, but in some states a lender can go after a borrower several years after a transaction closes–sometimes to the surprise of the borrower.

The new language, says the company, reinforces “the requirement that the Servicer, for itself and on behalf of Freddie Mac, must waive all rights to seek deficiencies for short payoffs and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure transactions on Freddie Mac Mortgages that have closed in accordance with the Guide.”

You... (more)

Housing affordability rose to a record high during the fourth quarter of 2011, which means a home buyer’s purchasing power is greater than it ever has been before, according to the most recent National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index.

More information and detail is always available for clients we serve. Hallmark Idaho Properties is a small local company dedicated to "Big Service"   

Both rising sales and lower inventory are creating more balanced conditions, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors®.

To learn more about the "Greater Sun Valley Real Estate Market", please visit our user friendly website.

HallmarkIdahoProperties.com features "Simple 1 click Real Estate Searches" and is in 52 different languages.

See for yourself - click any of the links below

• New listing in past 7 days
• Price changes in past 7 days
• Bank Owned REOs
• Financial Distressed listings - Short Sales
• By City
• Feature Properties
• And more . . .

Visit...(more)

I wrote a piece on St. Luke's Center for Health Innovation that is being run by Sun Valley resident, Bill Boeger. The article was published in the leading technology publication (TechCrunch) which also gets published on the Washington Post site. Here's the article introduction...


Fifteen years ago the Internet was revolutionizing global communications and computing so companies were looking for the most advanced markets to test their technologies. Locales such as Korea and Singapore portended the future. Today, no less than reinvention of healthcare is taking place. A key question is which locales will provide a similar testbed for healthtech. It’s not always the obvious places.

Healthcare providers such as the Mayo Clinic have been at the vanguard of adopting new technologies and approaches. However, this remains a provider-centric approach and the Mayo Clinic has far more resources than a community hospital or clinic. Ultimately, a broader community-focused effort can demonstrate how new approaches...

Ketchum, ID based business, Lizzy’s Fresh Coffee, LLC has been announced as one of 36 national winners in the “My Business Story” contest, sponsored by American Express and Google.

The winning video was created on http://www.youtube.com/MyBusinessStory - a site built for small businesses to tell their stories and encourage everyone to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday, November 26th, 2011.

“We’re so excited to have been selected as one of the contest winners, and love the efforts behind the Shop Small promotion,” says Liz Roquet, Owner of Lizzy’s Fresh Coffee.  “Small businesses across the country are a core asset to their local communities. I hope people are inspired by the diverse and unique small businesses featured as the 36 contest winners, and make an effort shop at a small business this Saturday.”

As a winner, Lizzy’s Fresh coffee has won a $5000 digital media plan funded by American Express and executed by Google.

The Lizzy’s Fresh Coffee winning video will be featured on YouTube.com homepage... (more)

Whatever your business is, it’s time to start working on a year-end press release to be distributed in mid- to late December. 

Think you don’t have anything to say? Think again. 

Newspapers, radio and television stations, and bloggers are all doing stories on the economy in late December and early January. Experts with views on national and global outlooks are plentiful. Experts on the economy in your community or your industry tend to be few and far between. They aren’t listed in the telephone directory – or almost any other directory – either, making it hard for reporters to identify them.

You are, however, an expert on how your business is doing. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking about possible press releases:

• Do you sell office supplies? How has the past year year been, and what are you expecting for next year? You have valid personal observations on what you are seeing in your business. 

• Do you repair appliances or cars or just about anything else? Are more people keeping their...

Fly Sun Valley Alliance (FSVA), in partnership with the Sun Valley Resort, is once again offering businesses and organizations the opportunity to purchase Transferable Employee Ski Passes for the upcoming 2011-12 winter season.  This popular employee benefit program raises funds to support air service access to Sun Valley.

This year FSVA  is offering three Transferable Business Employee Ski Pass options;

• Basic “All Week” Business Transferable ski Pass for $2600 which allows one employee to ski each day of the season, plus two free ACCESS SUN VALLEY CARDS which offer flight and other local business discounts.
•  NEW!  Basic “Long Weekend” Business Transferable Ski Pass for $2600, which allows two employees to ski each Friday-Saturday-Sunday during the season, plus two free ACCESS SUN VALLEY CARDS which offer flight and local business discounts.
• NEW! GOLD Business Transferable Ski Pass for $5000 which includes over $10,000 in  exclusive perks and privileges including one Basic Transferable...

For the 56th straight month, Nevada continued to have the highest foreclosure rate in the country, where one in every 118 homes received a foreclosure filing during August, according to the latest figures from RealtyTrac.

Nationally, 1 in every 570 households received a foreclosure filing in August.

Meanwhile, five states accounted for 53 percent of the foreclosure activity in August, led by California. In California, 59,383 properties received foreclosure filings last month. The state saw a 55 percent month-over-month increase in default notices.

Idaho currently ranks # 5 with 1 in . . .

Presented by:

George Martin, Jr.
Broker, Graduate Realtor® Institute

Windermere Real Estate
100 North Main Street
Hailey, Idaho 83333

P: 208.720.6888
F: 208.788.3756

Email: george@GeorgeMartinJr.com
Website: www.GeorgeMartinJr.com

Professionally Marketing Real Estate Since 1975

Advice from Jo Murray, principal in Jo Murray Public Relations in Ketchum, is featured in the “Best PR Tips” in the blog “The Entreprenette Gazette.”

Her public relations tip is, “Avoid humor. Get to the point quickly. Editors and reporters are busy and may toss a release that is a play on words.”

The complete list of tips is at http://theentreprenettegazette.com/2011/08/23/best-pr-tips/.

 Murray, a former newspaper editor, has been a public relations consultant for more than 20 years. She has offices in Ketchum and San Francisco. Additional information about her public relations firm is at http://www.JoMurrayPublicRelations.com.

BOISE, Id. –– LiveRez.com, the largest and fastest growing management solution for professional vacation rental managers, recently added a number of new features to its industry-leading end-to-end platform. 

“These updates are part of our ongoing commitment to continually developing new technologies that empower our partners to grow and succeed,” said Tracy Lotz, founder and CEO of LiveRez.com, which was founded in Hailey. 

Some of the highlights among the new features include:

• Updated reporting functions
• Vendor management
• Enhanced owner statement capabilities
• Advanced security features
• And an exclusive property marketing tool 

In addition to the aforementioned features, LiveRez.com also rolled out a number of new options for current features. These updates give LiveRez.com partners even more customization choices for the many tasks that the system can handle automatically. 

“We’re excited to offer our partners these new features, and we look forward to releasing even more exciting new features... (more)

Boise, Idaho, August 9, 2011—Idaho-based Syringa Networks today announced an expansion project that will bring high-speed fiber optic network services to five more Idaho communities. The expansion route will include the communities of Bliss, Gooding, Shoshone, Dietrich, and Wendell, Idaho. The multi-million dollar project has been awarded and construction has begun, with completion planned for summer 2012.

The new network expansion will consist of 70 miles of high-count fiber installed underground and connected to the company’s existing 400 gigabit (Gb) backbone network. This expansion will enable schools, healthcare facilities, and businesses with the services and performance they need to compete in today’s economy. By providing these communities with high-speed broadband services and access to the most extensive MPLS network in the state, Syringa Networks continues its commitment to promoting economic viability in underserved areas.

“While other providers talk about investing in the state at large, they tend... (more)

Bidding for the Knob Hill Inn in Ketchum began at $3.1M at the auction held today. Reportedly there were 6 bidders at the auction. The property was bid up to $4.295M to an Shanghai-based American who intends to operate the property as a hotel.

BOISE, Id. –– This past week LiveRez.com reached a significant milestone, as it partnered with its 500th Vacation Rental Manager. Since first offering its software in 2008, the company has ridden a wave of extraordinary growth, and LiveRez.com is now the platform used by more vacation rental managers than any other.

According to LiveRez.com Founder and CEO Tracy Lotz, this growth is a testimony to the company’s partner approach, whereby the business has aligned its economic interests with the many professional vacation rental managers who use the LiveRez.com software.

“This is a significant achievement for LiveRez.com and speaks volumes to the quality of people I work with everyday – both LiveRez.com employees and our many great property manager partners,” Lotz said.

Founded in Hailey, LiveRez.com started with the idea of making it easy for travelers to book vacation rental homes online. That idea grew into the industry’s best all-in-one solution for professional vacation rental mangers. Today, with the combination... (more)

FOR RELEASE: Thursday July 14,2011

The "Buyer Incentive Program" sponsored by Fannie Mae ends on October 31, 2011.

Participating home buyers  can still receive up to 3.5 percent in closing costs from Fannie Mae during this promotional period.

In order to qualify for closing cost assistance the home buyer must make the home their primary living location. If the closing costs are under 3.5 percent only the closing costs expenses are covered and no additional credit amount will be given. Some terms must be met in order to be eligible to receive the incentives.

Fannie Mae Financing Options

Fannie Mae's HomePath Mortgage financing is designed to make it much easier for buyers to purchase Fannie Mae owned properties.

The lender does not require an appraisal and no mortgage insurance is required. However, a homebuyer may still want an independent  appraisal completed and mortgage insurance as part of the transaction.

HomePath Renovation Mortgage Program

Fannie Mae also has a HomePath Renovation Mortgage loan program... (more)

[Update: Currently the most competitively priced luxury, view home in the North Valley.]

Everyone is familiar with a traditional auction. Reverse auctions are a different animal. As a leading real estate site stated, "The popularity of reverse auctions in recent years has increased, as auctions in general are becoming the preferred way of buying real estate and goods of all kinds."

As the name suggests, reverse auctions are those transactions in which the roles of buyers and sellers are reversed. In a traditional auction, also known as a forward auction, buyers compete to obtain a property, with the selling price increasing as the buyers keep raising their bids in an effort to outlast each other. Whereas in a real estate reverse auction, the seller steadily drops their price until they find the price point.

Aside from the distressed property sales, the "reverse auction" is essentially what successful sellers in this tough real estate environment have done. That is, they have steadily dropped their price until the... (more)

According to the 2010 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers released by the National Association of Realtors, Eighty-nine to Ninety percent of all home buyers used the Internet as one of the main sources of information used in their home search process.

This is one of the main reasons that a comprehensive online marketing plan and strategy is so important to the success of selling real estate in today's digital world.

In most resort type real estate markets, buyers aren’t local, so this approach to marketing is even more important when selling property in the greater Sun Valley area.

Now it's even more important to spread your online marketing presence since some sites work better than others, i.e. Northeast, Northwest, etc. Company driven sites are great, but in today's market, more is better.

Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist, Homes.com, and of course SunValleyOnline are just a few sites that buyers look at on a daily basis.

Professional photos, virtual tours, viral marketing and email campaigns are just a few... (more)

The Sun Valley Guide magazine is finally the bride, having won a first-place MAGGIE Award last month after two years as the
bridesmaid in editorial competitions measuring the best of the West in magazine journalism.

The winning magazine, a celebration of Sun Valley’s 75th ski season, was from Winter 2010-11. The cover featured the re-creation of an iconic
photo of a skier that was used to market Sun Valley in 1936.

A Sun Valley Suns hockey player stripped to the waist, slid into a pair of ancient skis and posed for the photo remake,
which enticed readers to explore stories of the early days and legendary figures of the Sun Valley Lodge, as well as a report on hunting in Idaho and the sport of
snowkiting.

The Guide publishes three times a year with a Habitat magazine sandwiched between. The Guide was a MAGGIE 
finalist in 2010 and an article on wolves was a finalist in 2009. It is a division within the Idaho Mountain Express,
a twice-weekly newspaper in Kethum whose staff help supply content for the magazines and special...

Do you want to adapt and capitalize on the opportunities presented by today’s economy?  Could you use some strategies for focusing on what will make your business more profitable?  Would you like to see your salespeople not only increase their average dollar per sale but also become agents of your brand’s customer loyalty?
 
The Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce is offering the first of their “Session with a Pro” series hosting nationally acclaimed retail expert, consultant, and business strategist Dan Mann to give a two part presentation to the local community Wednesday, May 11.  Mr. Mann is the president and founder of business consultants, The Mann Group (www.themanngroup.net), a group he formed to share his lessons learned and theories confirmed after a career spent rising from sales associate to vice president of retail for Bachrach (the nation’s largest privately held menswear retailer).  The Mann Group has successfully helped numerous companies of all sizes and scopes gain focus and... (more)

Earlier I have written pieces on the opportunity for the valley for economic development related to what I call "Do it yourself health reform." You can read those articles on health reform if you want more background for the piece below.

The excerpt below is from a TechCrunch (the leading tech site that AOL purchased recently for ~$100MM) article on how small business and startups can help level the playing field while doing their part to drive a market shift that will save them money and lead to healthier employees. It’s part of what I call the Do it Yourself Health Reform movement that I think is at least as important as what is coming out of DC. The full piece is here.

The talent wars that were common back in the late 90′s appear to have returned whether it’s using LOLCats or cheeseburgers to recruit talent. While I love the creativity, when it comes down to making a decision to join a new company, the lumbering tech giants (Google, Microsoft, Amazon,...

The Dollhouse Consignment Boutique is opening a second location in Hailey, Idaho. 618 s. Main St. ( the old Iconoclast Books building)  We are calling the building "The Rainbow's End", because we believe shopping here makes cents :) You will find your special treasures here either in consigned fashion or photography-both in one location- that makes cents and ROCKS!! . Store hours will be Tuesday- Saturday 11-5 P.M. The Hailey store phone # 208-727-7912. Finally and very importantly.. The Hailey Dollhouse will be the 1st bag-less retailer in Hailey. We are going to be 100% recycled and Eco-friendly, so please remember to BYOBags, as we will not offer them to help save on mother earth. Hope ya'll like this.

The new location will feature all of the fashion genre's and games such as our famous "Dice Days" ( Fri. and Sat.) that the Ketchum location offers, woman's, junior's and girl's  (8-16 )consignments. We will offer the best in guest service, the best in fashion  from designer to trendy, and local... (more)

By John Pluntze

Ketchum's The Dollhouse consignment boutique (5th Street and FIrst Avenue/ 726-8332/ http://www.dollhouseconsignment.com ) has always been something a trendsetter for the Wood River Valley, and that much-appreciated trendsetting aspect is about to take several new, exciting turns starting this weekend -- when the shop begins new operating hours (Wed.-Sat. 10-5:30) ... and also begins closing its boutique on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

The impetus for closing the very popular Ketchum consignment shop -- one whose clientele ranges in ages from pre-teens to retirees -- to walk-in customers on Mondays and Tuesdays is two-fold, its owner, Lara Spencer, explained to me recently First, it will allow Spencer on Tuesdays of the first and second weeks of each month to schedule customers to come into the shop for various one-on-one personalized fashion and styling consultation services.

The other is to allow Spencer on the 3rd and 4th Tuesdays (and Mondays,... (more)