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The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

Phoenix Real Estate - Anything & Everything About It. Plus Random Musings. See all homes for sale in the Phoenix area

A New Beginning for The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

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This is a bittersweet post to write.

It was almost 10 years ago that I started this little blog on a small corner of the Interwebs. Ten years is close to an eon in “blog time.” Since then, The Phoenix Real Estate Guy (or “TPREG” for short) went from a readership of one (well, three or four if you count family) into having over a million unique visitors in its last full year of prime activity. It helped us open a brokerage, and it opened a lot of doors.

‘Twas quite the ride.

Today, I am excited, thrilled, a bit apprehensive and yeah — a little sad in some ways to announce that I’m turning over the reigns to TPREG. Yep, it’s been sold — to three world-class human beings that I’m proud to call friends.

Dean Ouellette, Nick Bastian, and Shar Rundio have agreed to purchase the domain, blog and its assorted attachments and accouterments. Having poured quite literally thousands of hours into this site, it’s not easy to just sell it, walk away and let someone take over.

But I couldn’t think of three better people to hand it over to.

You, oh avid readers, are in terrific hands. I’m super-excited to see what Dean, Nick and Shar will do here, and it’s going to be interesting to watch TPREG come back to life.

The new Phoenix Real Estate Guys (and Gal) have big plans for TPREG, and it’s going to be fun watching what they do with it. Francy and I wish them the best and we hope know they will be wildly successful with it.

Just be careful folks, it’s kind of like turning over my baby for someone else to raise. Be good to TPREG, write for your readership and most importantly, have fun with it! (As I know you will.)

Maybe the new owners will invite me back for a guest post or two…

As I said in the first post ever published here, “who knows what this will bring.” We’re about to find out what the next decade has in store!

 

Photo Credit: Sam MacEntee, CC Licensed on Flickr.

Phoenix Real Estate Guy Turns Seven!

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Seven years ago today, the first post on Phoenix Real Estate Guy was crafted and published.

OK, “crafted” is a real stretch. But it was published on May 8, 2005.

That seems like a lifetime ago.

Since that day some 2,000ish articles have been published here, some of far better quality than post #1, many not. Over 30,000 comments have been left by some four million visitors.

That last number is what blows my mind. I never would have dreamed that many people would stumble across our little corner of the interwebs.

Though I would still write if no one visited, there are few things I cherish more than those that take the time to stop by, read, search for homes, and comment if they feel so inclined. I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you.

I know things have been a bit slow here the last couple of months. Getting a new job, relocating, and having a heart attack all in the span of six weeks has taken up a lot of time formerly devoted to writing. Hopefully things will slow down a bit from here. Phoenix Real Estate Guy is not going away.

In fact, soon you will see some new talent here alongside me. Some Thompson’s Realty agents will be posting, and I should be able to kick in content as well.

I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically thank three people that have done more to help me keep this thing alive than they realize. My lovely wife Francy and two stunning “children” James and Lauren – who were 11 and 13 when TPREG was born and are now adults — have supported me, encouraged me, and been as mystified as I have by the success of the blog. They are everything I live for.  Thank you all.

It should be interesting to see what the next seven years bring!

 

Photo credit: Yours truly. I have no idea how I managed to find a bottle of Jack Daniel’s lying around…

 

The Best of TPREG 2011

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“Best of…” lists are never easy to compile. What constitutes a “best” blog post? Number of comments, Likes, or Retweets? Number of visitors? Ones that make the phone ring with paying clients (YES! But that is virtually impossible to measure).

“Best” is subjective. What one person thinks is a great post, someone else may find to be complete crap.

So with all that in mind, I present you with what I felt was some of the best of the blog in 2011. I used a completely scientific and mathematical algorithm… I virtually thumbed through the archives and picked posts I liked. For whatever reason. Your mileage and opinion may vary.

Some of my favorite posts from 2011, in no particular order, other than chronological…

A life-altering moment. Putting things in perspective

Witnessing the aftermath of a fatal car accident — and one I thought momentarily might involve my son — made me think about things a whole lot differently. This was one of those rare posts that people reached out privately and said how much it moved them.

Does a Physical Office Matter to Real Estate Agents or Consumers?

It’s a subject near and dear to my heart. I’ll argue until the day I die that the answer is a resounding no.

On Presenting at Ignite Phoenix 10. From sheer terror to adrenaline overdose in 5 minutes.

Completely non-real estate related. But presenting at Ignite Phoenix was one of my personal highlights of 2011.

I’m suing you! You are illegally manipulating the Google!

This one garnered a ton of Likes and comments. Some folks still refer to The Google… And no, I never heard another peep from the dipwad that threatened to sue.

What You Can Learn from Lady Gaga

Even at 50 years of age, you can still learn things. This one was a lesson for me in preconceived notions…

The Final Season

It’s my youngest child’s senior year of high school. Lots of memories of “last time she’ll ever…” This one still makes me misty.

The Immutable Laws of Buying and Selling Real Estate

Any post that references Newton’s Laws of Motion deserves a mention…  One of my most stolen posts of 2011.

How Real Estate is Like a Cheeseburger”¦

Probably my favorite title of the year. This is what you get when you “crowd source” a post topic.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Home Buyers

Kicked off a (small) series. Another candidate for most ripped-off of 2011. Maybe ever.

Hacked. Or, how I spent the last 60 hours

Three pretty shitty days. Nothing like thinking everything you’ve poured into your site for the last six plus years may never see the light of day again.

What Clint Miller Taught Me About Life

Clint Miller was a champion among men. We should all learn to live like Clint did. Hands down the most difficult thing to write this year.

The Thompson’s Realty Manifesto

Why it took over three years to articulate our brokerages philosophy in one place is beyond me.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all one million plus of you who stopped by our little corner of the Internet in 2011 (and that number still freaks me out). Without you, this place wouldn’t serve a whole lot of purpose. Your reading, subscribing, commenting, Liking and Tweeting are why we’re here. You, oh avid reader, are appreciated and I wish you a fabulous 2012!

 

 

Who is The Phoenix Real Estate Guy?

The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was started by Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... he liked to say...

Welcome to The Phoenix Real Estate Guy, or "TPREG" as we fondly refer to it.

Read more about Jay and the history here

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