Luxury Real Estate Blog : Archives for June 2008

Look closely at the Declaration of Independence

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:15:00 -0400

By Yvonne Harvey

With the Fourth of July weekend just around the corner, I can’t help but talk about the Declaration of Independence. And, of course, it all happened in Philadelphia, where we are holding our 13^th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference!

I found some interesting factoids on the famous, or maybe infamous, painting by John Trumbull, simply titled “Declaration of Independence.” As you know, paintings back then were the cameras of today. And this painting today would more likely be in the tabloid section or propaganda fodder. There are so many historical flaws in this painting, that its historical relevance is almost moot.

You may remember, if you read or watched The Da Vinci Code, how you instantly went and looked closely at the painting. Well, this might just make you want to take a look at this one, too. Look under the desk at the legs of our standing forefathers. They seem to be disproportionate to their bodies, especially Thomas Jefferson’s leg.

The painting includes 48 portraits. Of those 48, 43 were signers and 5 who may have been there, but did not sign the Declaration of Independence. Please note there were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Hmmmm… several seem to be missing.

The painting itself was piecemealed together. It is said that John Trumbull carried his canvas with him to take advantage of any occasion which might arise; this would be comparable to our picture phone today. Many of the portraits were painted directly onto the canvas from life between 1789 and 1794, or sketches Trumbull had done in earlier years, i.e. John Adams in 1787 in Paris. If an historian wants to correct me here, please chime right in, but I need to ask this question. Wouldn’t that mean the attendees may appear as much as 18 years older from the date the Declaration of Independence was adopted? If my calculations are correct John Adams was 41 when he adopted the Declaration of Independence, and yet Trumbull sketched him at the age of 52. Just thinking out loud.

It is also historical fact that Trumbull was unable to meet all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence; in nine of the cases the attendees had died before the opportunity arose. In some of these cases he painted from portraits hanging in the “Independence Chamber.” Since then, four of these portraits have been deemed fake. One, in particular, is the so-called portrait of William Whipple who died in 1785, and yet the signer of the painter is St. Memin, who was only born in 1770 and didn’t even come to America until 1793. Historians now agree the portrait is of a Joseph Wipple (note the spelling of his last name is even different Geesh!).

Painter Robert Edge Pine had an unfinished painting “Congress Voting Independence,” which historians agree was more historically accurate than Trumbull’s. And yet, we use Trumbull’s painting in many history books. Pine actually lived in the very building and painted in the “Independence Chamber” It appears that Trumbull embellished the room in his painting with colorful red, white and blue, and even had the wrong furniture. We know this because the actual desk and chair used by John Hancock is preserved in the Independence Hall. Again, Pine’s depiction is much more accurate.

Finally, I find this quite weird, even the Internet is unclear on the spelling of John Trumbull’s last name. Some spell Trumbull, and some spell Trumball. Oy!

Whew! I feel like I just did a whole book report for my teacher. I hope you enjoyed my little rant.

See you in Philly!

Editor’s Note:
Yvonne Harvey is the Events Coordinator for LuxuryRealEstate.com. So when you come and enjoy the wonderful presentations, discussions and networking opportunities at Luxury Real Estate conferences, you know who to thank. History is quite amazing, isn’t it? I love the Founding Fathers and I am always amazed by how much they sacrificed to fight tyranny and establish the first nation of liberty. George Washington is one of my biggest heroes and he is one of the best people who ever lived, in my humble view. The two pictures above are from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Declaration_of_Independence_(John_Trumbull).jpg and www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/images/vc53.jpg.

New LuxuryRealEstate.com member listed among top RE/MAX brokers

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:22:00 -0400

By Robert Lockard

I have some good news and some even better news. The good news is that RE/MAX Cayman Islands just joined LuxuryRealEstate.com, expanding our global network even further into the Caribbean. The even better news is that Kass Canada Coleman, the Broker/Owner of Beachcastles and an agent with RE/MAX Cayman Islands is No. 6 on the list of top international RE/MAX brokers, based on residential commissions paid from January through April 2008.

It’s always nice to hear good news like this. Apparently the Cayman Islands are enjoying a very healthy real-estate market right now. Check out Kass’ website www.beachcastles.com for some in-depth information about the Cayman Islands, in case you’d like to go visit.

Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. Good job, Kass, and welcome to the network! I’d like to include the actual list to back up this claim, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to yet. I hope you don’t mind. The above picture is from: www.beachcastles.com/home/team.php?id=0.

Communicate with your customers

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:27:00 -0400

By Meghan Barry

Today I spoke with Jon Larrance of Perry and Co. in Denver, Colo., a member of the Board of Regents. I had called to thank Jon for completing a recent membership survey that we sent to our entire membership. Jon had a lot of great ideas and constructive feedback.

It is very important for us to receive honest input from members. We take this feedback very seriously, using it to refine our programs and products. Particularly in a challenging market, service is key. Communication with your customers can help you to provide top-quality service.

Just for fun, I took a look at some of the Perry & Co. listings on LuxuryRealEstate.com. If I ever move to Denver, I think I want this one: www.luxuryrealestate.com/850804

Editor’s Note:
Meghan Barry is the Executive Vice President of LuxuryRealEstate.com. She works closely with CEO/Publisher John Brian Losh to organize a variety of Luxury Real Estate programs, events and services. Like Meghan said, we really appreciate your feedback about our conferences and other services. Feel free to contact your Account Manager to let us know how we can better serve you.

LuxuryRealEstate.com June 27, 2008 Wall Street Journal ad online

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400

By Courtney Jackson

Our latest ad in The Wall Street Journal hit newsstands today. If you aren't able to pick up a copy of this issue, you can view the ad in color at www.luxuryrealestate.com/wsj.

Editor’s Note:
Courtney Jackson is the Print Director for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She works closely with The Wall Street Journal, Unique Homes and a variety of other publications to help luxury brokers gain domestic and international exposure for their properties. Don’t forget to advertise in print as well as online. Publications like The Wall Street Journal are great for reaching specific audiences as well as online readers. Check it out!

Enrique Iglesias falls in love with Malta at MTV concert

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:02:00 -0400

By Dr. Carl Peralta

MTV has yet again chosen Malta as one of the destinations for its summer concerts. This year’s concert was held five minutes away from the 77 Great Estates office in Valletta.

International music artists, including Enrique Iglesias, Lady GaGa, One Republic, The Kooks and N.E.R.D., rocked thousands of foreigners who flew over for this amazing concert in the middle of the Mediterranean.

The artists fell in love with Malta’s sun-drenched island and we are sure LuxuryRealEstate.com’s clients will enjoy Malta, too. We will be more than happy to assist LuxuryRealEstate.com clients to purchase/lease a property in Malta. For more information about the event, please visit: http://isleofmtv.mtv.co.uk/.

Editor’s Note:
Dr. Carl Peralta founded 77 Great Estates in 2003. Business being his chief interest, Dr. Peralta has successfully co-organized many large-scale entertainment events since 1995. Events like this are great for bringing international attention to luxury hotspots. The celebrities at this concert, and I’m sure many of the fans, have received a taste for the beautiful island of Malta, and I hope that this will provide some excellent incentives for them to return. Feel free to share your positive events like this in the LuxuryRealEstate.com Blog.

RSS feeds and you

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:51:00 -0400

By Grant Hermes

“Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.”
~ William Pollard

Nowadays, information spreads and multiplies exponentially throughout the Internet. Who has time to spend hours a day sifting and sorting through endless websites in search of useful and, more importantly, up-to-date news? I know I certainly do not. This is where RSS feeds are a lifesaver for me.

When you see the icon all you have to do is click on it and add it as a bookmark or to a reader of your choice. Try it out by clicking on the “Articles” RSS feed on this blog page (just look for the icon to find it). Now you have a current look at the most-recent posts to the LuxuryRealEstate.com Blog. I personally place all my feeds in my bookmarks toolbar so they’re right in front of me. Another useful RSS feed I use is from RISMedia.com (they have dozens of feeds but I use the Real Estate-specific feed as well as a few others – check them out).

I always saw links for RSS feeds before, but just never clicked on them until this past week. Let me tell you, it is the greatest addition to my Internet browser. In one click, I get a snapshot of a site’s blog posts or articles and, most importantly, if any new ones have been posted. I feel more informed than ever on world news by being able to quickly and effortlessly scan through headlines, and if I want more detailed information it’s just a click away.

Hopefully this will help you narrow down and sort through the overwhelming amount of information out there that’s important to you but which you just don’t have time to sort through.

If you need it…RSS picture is complements of http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA102200751033.aspx

Editor’s Note:
Grant Hermes is the Staff Accountant for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He assists Controller James Hughes with all of the necessary paperwork and accounting to keep LuxuryRealEstate.com running smoothly. This is the first blog entry I’ve received from Grant, and it’s quite a smashing one. RSS feeds are quite helpful in our information-saturated environment, like the quote at the start of this blog entry notes. It doesn’t help to have a huge library if none of the books are correctly ordered or easily accessible to readers. Thank goodness for RSS feeds, which are kind of like a high-tech Dewey Decimal System. And thanks for the explanation, Grant!

John Brian Losh interview on Lakefront Radio a big success

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:54:00 -0400

By Robert Lockard

As a follow-up to my last blog entry, I’d like to report on the interview LuxuryRealEstate.com Publisher/CEO John Brian Losh enjoyed on Lakefront Radio on Friday, June 20, 2008. It went very well, and I have to give a lot of credit to hosts Mary Thompson, Chuck Thompson and Lee Kantor for asking great questions and being a lot of fun on air. They sound like they really enjoy their work.

You can listen to the full 38-minute radio show online.

Mr. Losh discussed the recent sale of Donald Trump’s $100 million estate and some other great news items. He also went into great detail about LuxuryRealEstate.com, the most-viewed luxury real estate website in the world, and several aspects of the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network, including membership requirements. He specifically focused on Atlanta, naming Harry Norman, Realtors, the Board of Regents member in Atlanta, and Jenny Pruitt & Associates, REALTORS® as two prominent members in the area.

As I mentioned earlier, I was really impressed by Lakefront Radio hosts Mary, Chuck and Lee. They were all so easygoing and patient in their approach at the microphone, something I found very refreshing in talk radio. Some shows sound like the speakers are constantly interrupting each other, but these hosts found a great balance in their style. Great job!

Mr. Losh said that some of the finest luxury locations in the world are in South America and East Europe. He also mentioned that his favorite city in the world is Venice, Italy because it’s so quiet, with no cars or motorbikes to disrupt the peace. His favorite city in the United States (besides his hometown of Seattle, of course) is Carmel, Calif., near Pebble Beach, because it’s “popular, but not too popular” and very relaxing.

All in all, it was a great radio show. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to it if you have the time. Be sure to check it out every Friday because the hosts are dedicated to talking about positive real-estate news that can sometimes fall by the way when large media outlets focus so much on negative news. Truly an admirable endeavor!

Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. Be sure to visit the Lakefront Radio website to hear the whole program. It was very nice.

Paris to host 4th Annual Luxury Real Estate International Conference

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:02:00 -0400

By Bente Madtsen

Did you know Luxury Real Estate will host the 4th Annual Luxury Real Estate International Conference in Paris, France January 21st – 23rd, 2009?

The conference will be held at Hotel du Louvre in one of Paris’ finest districts. This is the one conference you cannot afford to miss, whether you are located in the United States, Australia, Thailand, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Spain or any other country in the network.

Meet your peers from other parts of the world, connect with them and expand your business. See the sights, partake in the shopping and feel the luxury of the most romantic city in the world.

If you are interested in more information please feel free to contact me at 206.695.4802.

We look forward to seeing you in Paris!

Editor’s Note:
Bente Madtsen is the Director of Global Services with LuxuryRealEstate.com. She works closely with a number of brokers around the world to ensure that our members benefit from our international reach. Our next conference is the 13th Annual Fall Conference in Philadelphia on October 11-14, 2008. Don’t miss out on either of these upcoming events because they can be quite helpful in unexpected ways.

Relocation & referrals from LuxuryRealEstate.com

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:25:00 -0400

By Janice Ridge

As a member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, you have the opportunity to be included in the referral opportunities that come through our network. We have seasoned staff working with our members to provide value through this unique network of the best of the best in luxury real estate. I also want to remind everyone in our community that we have excellent referral opportunities coming through daily from all over the world for you. In our membership we are happy to help with broker-to-broker, relocation and need-an-agent referrals. We only refer within our network to our members.

As those of you who work with referrals on a daily basis can attest, it is important to know who you can count on to handle the various types of requests that come into a referral department. In that regard, I am calling out to all Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate members to contact me if you are interested in either receiving or placing referrals. To speak more about our referral program and how you can gain value from your investment through LuxuryRealEstate.com, please either email me at JRidge at LuxuryRealEstate.com or call me directly at 206.838.7728 with questions or ideas!

My bio: Janice Ridge is our Director of Membership and Relocation. She is a licensed REALTOR® in California and Washington. She has previously served as a director of relocation in the San Francisco Bay Area for a major residential real-estate brokerage, as well as managed sales and leads for one of the largest online real-estate marketing solutions providers.

Editor’s Note:
Since Janice already introduced herself quite nicely, I will simply comment on her blog entry. Janice is certainly an expert on the subject of referrals and relocation, so I’m grateful to hear her views on this matter. Referrals are extremely useful tools to building your business in ways you might not be able to see on your own. In fact, I wrote an article touching on the subject of relocation and referrals in the winter 2008 issue of LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine.

Rollie Jordan hosts open-house charity for TAPS

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:28:00 -0400

By Brian Langhorst

Rollie Jordan, our longtime member in Cherry Creek, Colorado is hosting an open-house charity cocktail reception at one of her listings in the Denver Country Club. All of the proceeds, including a suggested donation, benefit TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (www.TAPS.org). Please contact Rollie Jordan at rolliejordan@aol.com or 303.336.0336 for more information. Click the link below to view the full invitation in a PDF.