Pat Starnes

Yesterday I shared information about the new MLS system adopted by the Jackson Association of Realtors. Today I've learned how to implement one of the features I've seen agents from other regions utilize, and I wondered "How'd They Do That?"

Now I know!

For one, they had a quality MLS. Second, the agents spent a little time learning the enhancements, the bells and whistles, if you will.

Want to see what I learned? I knew you would.

I can now prepare a search, for instance, for waterfront homes for sale and paste the code into my website or blog, like I've done here. So whenever a consumer wants to look specifically for waterfront properties, the information will be up to date, as I've selected only active listings to appear in my search criteria.

Awesome!

How about homes located in golf communities? Yep. Done.

Homes in BOTH waterfront and golf communities? I can do that, too.

The really cool part is that as an IDX subscriber, my contact information is highly visible.

I'm so excited about this new feature and I'm sure buyers and sellers will love it, too.

(I should remind everyone as a caveat that the system is new and some data was "misplaced" during the transfer of information. Some homes for sale may inadvertently be omitted from the search due to the MLS conversion. There are bound to be glitches with an undertaking of this size.)

If you are looking for a specific home you think should be listed, but isn't on my search report, contact me and we'll try to figure out the problem.

Isn't this cool? Being able to save and post specific searches onto your website has a lot of possibilities.

What do you think? Can you see the value?

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Pat Starnes, a Realtor since 1988, specializes in Mississippi Residential Real Estate and can assist you with buying or selling in the Jackson MS Metro area.

Search homes for sale in Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Madison, Ridgeland, Florence, Bryam, or Jackson, MS.

Written and Published by Pat Starnes REALTOR

The Jackson Association of Realtors released their new MLS system a couple of weeks ago. The program, List-It, is provided by Solid Earth, a real estate technology company based in Huntsville, Alabama.

Realtors have been experimenting with the new site since it went "live" on February 5th. As expected, the transition has been challenging, but the new MLS appears to be superior to the previous system and has some quality enhancements that should prove more user-friendly to Realtors and consumers alike.

For the consumer who wishes to search homes in the Metro Jackson area, the prospect can run MLS searches, save searches, set up automatic searches, etc.

A major improvement of our new system is that we no longer rely on zones or numbered areas to search for properties, Now we have the capability of searching by county or zip code. In the past, listings were occasionally entered in an incorrect area which made them harder to locate. Hopefully the search by zip code will be more efficient.

Another vast improvement is the new geo-mapping system. The previous MLS system had a map program that had not been revised in years.

My personal website provides access to the MLS. The address, PatStarnes.com, is easy to remember. Bookmark the site and keep it handy whenever you want to find homes in Brandon, Pearl, Madison, Ridgeland, or Flowood, MS. If you would rather have me search for you, contact me here.

After the learning curve is conquered, both JAR Realtors and consumers should be pleased with the new site.

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Pat Starnes, licensed since 1988, specializes in Residential Real Estate and can assist you with buying or selling in the Metro Jackson area.

Search homes for sale in Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Madison, Ridgeland, Florence, Bryam, or Jackson, MS.

Written and Published by Pat Starnes REALTOR

Looking for a gym to fulfill your New Year's Resolution, or perhaps you've just moved to the area and are looking for a place to work out? Try one of the numerous locations of Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Club. With locations in Jackson, Byram, Flowood, and Madison, you are sure to find a location near you.

Personally, I've been interested in joining a yoga class for quite some time. Today I toured the Lakeland Courthouse because I heard their facility had a yoga program. Depending on your schedule, they have classes Monday-Wednesday evenings, Thursday mornings, three sessions on Saturday, and one on Sunday.

My tour guide led me through the facility where there were free weights, stationary weights, a spin class, 4 racquet ball courts, 4 tennis courts, and a full size basketball court.

They have an olympic-size heated pool that is open year round, and water exercise classes are available as well as swimming lessons.

They offer pilates, aerobics, a hip-hop dance class for those so inclined, and a Silver Sneakers program for members over 60.

Their cardio equipment has flat screen TV viewing mounted to each machine.

Their women's only locker room has a private exercise room complete with a whirlpool and showers.

I was impressed with the facility, and found their prices reasonable. Visit Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Club to find a location near you.

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Pat Starnes, a Realtor since 1988, specializes in Mississippi Residential Real Estate and can assist you with buying or selling in the Jackson MS Metro area.

Search homes for sale in Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Madison, Ridgeland, Florence, Bryam, or Jackson, MS.

Written and Published by Pat Starnes REALTOR

The real estate market in Mississippi, as it is throughout most of the U.S., is competitive. Sellers compete with each other to attract and hold onto the few qualified buyers who are prepared to buy a home during the current economic downturn. Likewise, Realtors compete for listings and buyers to acquire those listings.

If you need to sell a home in the Metro Jackson area, when you list your home with me, it is placed on numerous search engines as well as the new, user-friendly Jackson MLS system. In addition to being listed on my company's site, http://McIntoshandAssoc.com, and my site, http://PatStarnes.com, your home is also submitted to the following sites:

Exposing your home to all available buyers is key in this market, and my marketing plan encompasses every available resource. Over the last few months I've added new avenues to give my clients' properties maximum exposure. (Not all resources are listed.)

Since nearly 75% of all buyers begin their home search on the internet, marketing to internet consumers makes sense.

If you are buying or selling a home in the Flowood, Brandon, Pearl, Madison, Ridgeland, or Jackson area, visit my site, Google me, or contact me directly.

Written and Published by Pat Starnes, McIntosh and Assoc., LLC

Flowood, MS is growing, a fact easily recognized by driving along the retail district on Lakeland Drive (Highway 25 North).

The final quadrant of Flowood's shopping mecca, Market Street, is slated to open in March of this year. Store anchors will include J.C. Penney's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and Michaels. Numerous smaller stores will fill the remainder of the facility.

Market Street will have more than 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Cheddar's Restaurant opened recently at the intersection of Old Fannin Road and Lakeland Drive. Food there is highly recommended and the portion size is generous.

The other three corners of Old Fannin and Lakeland are home to Dogwood Festival Market and Promenade. Anchors along the north side of Lakeland Drive (the Promenade) include Kroger Supermarket, Stein Mart and Target.

Belk's Department Store, Border's, and Pier One are located southeast of Lakeland Drive (Dogwood Festival Market).

Restaurants including Back Yard Burger, Up the Creek, Zaxby's, McAllisters, and Chick-Fil-A are plentiful along the corridor, as are a number of banks.

Lowe's Home Improvement and Hobby Lobby anchor the northwest corner along Lakeland Drive and Lakeland Commons.

Flowood, MS is one of the fastest growing cities in the state and is home to Jackson International Airport, River Oaks Hospital, and numerous hotels and businesses.

Written and Published by Pat Starnes, McIntosh and Assoc., LLC