Nick Bastian's Blog

Yesterday, I got an email from a friend that tried to find me on-line. He was at work and didn't have my contact info with him. Being a software engineer, he automatically knows to "Google" my name to see if he can find me.. Part of his email is as follows.. links added by me :-) 

Hi Nick, Wow, you're an easy man to find. Google search 'Nick Bastian' and sure enough.."Just call Nick"!          A friendly reminder that you helped me sell my furnished condo in Augusta Ranch a couple of years ago. Hope business is still going well. When you have some time, please give me a call or let me know what time is good for you....

This reminded me of a great post by our friend Mike Jones ( Mike in Tucson ) titled Zoom Zoom! Zero to first on Google in 60 Days! The post got a lot of interesting comments about tag lines etc.. While it is true that the general public might not know to type in our name or "tag line" ie: Mike in Tucson" or "Just Call Nick!" there is obviously a benefit to people being able to find you.. Potential new clients might want to see if you have a web presence, past clients can easily access the info etc. etc.. AR, web sites, blogs, Ezine Articles etc. etc. can all be very useful when it comes to marketing and to "branding."

If any of you great agents across the country know someone thinking of moving to the beautiful "Valley of the Sun,".. Please feel free to tell them to "Just Call Nick!" :-)

In just about a year from now, Light Rail will be a huge benefit to ASU and to ASU students commuting between the Downtown Phoenix Campus and the Tempe Campus. With the ease of traveling between the 2 facilities and the many new housing and entertainment choices along the line, many of us will undoubtedly appreciate the added convenience. Students are a perfect fit to use and ride the light rail as life around both of the two campuses will be easily linked. From concert venues like the Marquee Theater near the Priest / Washington stop to sporting venues like the Suns and the Diamondbacks near the 3rd St / Jefferson stop to the proposed "Jackson Entertainment District," it will be easy to live, work and play within these two booming areas. Of course, these areas will also see much more interest from many other valley residents, vacationers, convention center visitors etc. This is just the tip of the iceberg.. Stay tuned for more information about many of these upcoming areas and "life on the line!"    

I read a couple of interesting articles recently about this coming holiday season. One mentioned the typical Thanksgiving meal costing families 30% more than last year, the other article mentioned that many families are in great need for assistance this holiday season.

As Realtors, many of us are very involved in our communities and are able to meet many new friends each year. To me, this is one of the many benefits of our profession.

Most of us have a large database of people within our communities. In addition to sending newsletters and magnets, how about offering another service once in a while? Community service.. Over the years, I have found that many people want to help others, they just don't "have the time." I get a great joy out of our annual "Turkey Drive" and offering to help others donate to needy families. I'm sure many of you are involved with local or national charities as well. If you haven't had an opportunity to do so, give it a try.. You will really enjoy it! Your communities will enjoy it as well..

Happy Holidays!

The City of Tempe will be hosting a Veterans Day Parade along Mill Avenue this Monday beginning at 10 AM. The parade begins at the Gammage Auditorium, continues North to Tempe Beach Park. Members of our Fire and Police departments, scout troops and the Tempe High Band will all be participating. My wife and I will be taking the boys down to the parade and hope to see a large turn out for our veterans.

There will be a ceremony at Tempe Beach Park to honor our veteran's after the parade. One of the many things I love about Tempe is the community aspect. There really is a great mix of people from many walks of life. All of us should remember to honor those who serve and who have served our great country. May God bless America AND our troops!

If you would like to learn more about our great City of Tempe, feel free to visit my web site and remember to "JustCallNick!

This morning, I attended an "Open House" showcasing the new residential project called Newberry Terrace which is located just South of Apache and East of Rural in Tempe. The future Dorsey / Apache stop for Metro's light rail project is just a short distance away.. Homes range in size from 1376 to nearly 2400 square feet and current pricing begins near $280k and goes up to the $400's. Their B and D plans consist of single family homes from 2-4 bedrooms while the E and F plans consist of loft/town-home style units with attached, common walls. This is a nice in-fill project with a couple of "common areas" that are well landscaped and look pretty good. The two main streets for entering/exiting the community are wide enough to accommodate parking and drive through traffic which is nice for this type of density. The City of Tempe appears to be very excited about Newberry Terrace as evidenced by City employee comments and the fact that the Mayor attended this mornings "festivities." (coffee, juice and some pastries were provided) Several other projects are being developed along this part of light rail line. Stay tuned for more info on other happenings along Apache in the near future. We will be constantly adding lists of projects along the entire line.

For more information about Tempe Real Estate, please feel free to call Nick Bastian at 602-803-6425 or visit our web site for details.