Secure Your Doorbell, For Pete’s Sake
What is your doorbell's password? Is TFA an option? Do you have two-factor-authentication turned on? You should. Even on your thermostats (see: Family Says Hacked Nest Cam Terrorized Them With Fake Ballistic Missile Alert) In 2018, I represented sellers with solar systems installed, Nest and EcoBee…
Who Owns the Thermostat’s Data?
Have you ever read the terms of use that come with a Nest or an EcoBee thermostat? I hadn't. (I don't have one) Who owns that data? How is that data transferred/deleted? How might it affect the current homeowner? As Realtors, might we soon add…
Blockchain and Real Estate
Q: What is a blockchain? A: “The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.” I admit; I don't yet fully grasp blockchain. But I know it's going…
Open Data in the City of Charlottesville
The Open Data workgroup last night put on by Smart Cville (disclosure, I'm on their board, and I spoke briefly) was fascinating, not only for the insight provided by the City of Charlottesville folks demonstrating the tools available, but also the depth of information available at the…
Recordings in the House
I remember several years ago showing a house, as we do, making honest and critical comments about the house (my folks ended up buying it), when we looked up, saw cameras, and realized we were being recorded by the sellers. We stopped talking. Being able…
Alexa – Where are the Sellers Moving?
A simple tip for owners of Amazon's Alexa (or Google Home) - consider pressing the "silence" button before you leave in the morning, before your house is shown. And ... require a code when ordering things from Amazon. You don't want someone coming in and…
(Urban) Planning for Self-Driving Cars
I don't know the answers, but it's worth the conversation and awareness. How are Charlottesville/Albemarle/Central Virginia planning for self-driving cars? They're coming. Uber swallows self-driving truck startup Otto for $680 million Columbus’ smart city win may lead to autonomous trucks Local smart city planners want big…
Robots and Real Estate
I just got back from a great two-day conference at the Virginia Military Institute, Ethical Dilemmas in the Digital Age, and my mind is reeling a bit, so I'm sharing initial thoughts/notes so I can reference them later. Hopefully, you'll find value in them as…
Goodbye, IDX
IDX. Internet Data Exchange. For those not actively involved in real estate, that means (pretty much) "showing homes for sale on a broker website." Now, I recommend searching for homes in Charlottesville at the Nest Realty site. I could be convinced to keep the search here…
Trying out a Matterport in Charlottesville
I'm trying something new; while I'm not the first in Charlottesville to try marketing a house via Matterport, I'm one of the first. Sometimes cutting edge is better than bleeding edge. Thoughts on this Matterport walkthrough welcomed. The house is not quite ready for the market*, but…