Mike Mueller, Social Media.ist

How cool is that?  Cool as the other side of the pillow!

Good Job ActiveRain Buddies!

If you are wondering how or why this is a good or bad thing -
drop either a comment or better yet a video comment and let's discuss this.  I see this as a huge bonus!

Oh yeah, MY outside blog is at MikeMueller.ActiveRain.com
 

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Up to the minute Mortgage Rates Report via Twitter
Check out "The Foreclosure Report" (It's help for homeowners in trouble!)

Get a    or Follow me on Twitter
Up to the minute Mortgage Rates Report via Twitter
Check out "The Foreclosure Report" (It's help for homeowners in trouble!)

Go ahead and say it,

"Do you really expect to create connections with video?"

Oh, I don't know...

Let's say I was working the other day on a loan.
Let's say I had Twhirl quietly running in my system tray.
I happened to notice a tweet pop up from Trulia saying they were going to announce the winners of the Inman Connect Contest LIVE.

The tweet had a link, so I clicked it.
My browser opened up a live video feed from the Trulia Offices in NY.
I went back to work computing debt ratios, while Rudy and Company pulled the names of the three winners out of a baseball hat.
When it was done, I scrolled down a bit and saw that I could leave a video comment.

33 Seconds later I had left a video comment. Easy Peasy.

I happened to mention in my comment that I liked the live video and would look for someone local to create a live streaming video feed with in an open house.

Pam Buda (not an Active Member of ActiveRain but an Active Real Estate Agent) saw that video and commented.

I saw that Pam had commented and commented back (sssshhhhhh... We're connecting)

Rudy saw that Pam and I were connecting and offered up a little help.

Long story short, I just got off the phone with Pam - We had a great conversation (more connecting)  I learned she used to be a Video Producer for 20 years!

It took me longer to write this post than it did to create valuable connections with a local agent who I can work with using video.

Hey, I'm just saying...

This started as a comment reply to Lisa Hill and I realized would be better as a complete post.
3 very different terms to be explained here. 

• Embedded Video (in red)
• Video Commenting (in green)
• Embedded Video Commenting (in blue)

Let's start with Embedded Video.  Sometimes we accent our posts by adding a video. It might be a song, it might be a funny, or it might be something of importance to the article.  Those videos usually live on a YouTube server but because we've embedded them - they show up here.  Jeff Turner's video on embedding video is embedded here.  ( I loved writing that)

That's Embedded Video

Now let's talk about Video Commenting...  (it's different)

Go check out the two posts I linked to...  This one at RCG and This one at Trulia. Scroll down into the comments and you'll see a video conversation parted out in each comment block.  That took a Wordpress plugin and a little code manipulation to accomplish. 

That's Video Commenting!

Here's the original video from Rain City Guide and a "picture" of the comment stream that followed.

Dustin's Original Video (You can watch it because I embedded it here)	Remember this is just a "picture" of the comments, you'll have to go to the post to actually view them

Embedded Video allows us to pull a video from somewhere and show it somewhere else. That's easy to understand. To comment on that video we would need to go back to the original site. Video Commenting is just like text commenting only using a video. It still needs to be done on the original site.

Embedded Video Commenting

Now look at the video above.  See that lady with that funny hat?  That's Embedded Video Commenting. See the difference?  She's right there in the Video.  Guess what?  She's never been to ActiveRain!  She saw the same video embedded somewhere else.  She commented and asked her question "moments" after I posted the video.  Her question and every response is attached to that video where ever it goes, wherever it's embedded.  You can Video Comment from right here and answer her question.  When you do, your Video Comment will be embedded and will show up everywhere this video is - EVERYWHERE!

Think about that for a minute.

Consider the Laughing Baby video.  Over 52 million viewers so far (just on YouTube)  but how many people have watched it embedded somewhere else - like on your sidebar?  YouTube says there are 212 video responses (let's call them Video Comments).  To see those, we'd have to travel over to YouTube and look them up.  To comment using text we'd still have to travel back to the source. 

• Want to tell Jeff Turner he did a great job on that video?  Leave a comment here and he'll never see it. 
• Want to tell Dustin just how much you enjoy Rain City Guide?  You'll have to go to http://www.raincityguide.com.

Does that help explain the differences between Embedded Video, Video Commenting, and Embedded Video Commenting?  I hope so.

It doesn't matter if you like or dislike video, it's here and it's here to stay.

Embed This Video

I prefer you did, but it doesn't matter if you do or you don't.  The conversation will still happen.

As I was walking into a BBQ the other day, the thought "I wonder what we'll be talking about" zipped across my mind.  They all know I'm in the mortgage biz, we have an active foreclosure and a short sale in our neighborhood.  Naturally I figured the conversation might be centered around those two houses. 

My point is, you never know where the conversation is going to lead.  While you might expect it going one way, sometimes it turns and goes a completely unexpected direction.  This isn't wrong.  In fact, just having the conversation, any conversation, is a good thing.  Has that happened to you?  Sure it has.

Hey all you Mortgage Brokers, Mortgage Bankers, Loan Officer's out there!
I know you are seeing this.  I know you subscribe to my feed.

This is your official invitation to converse about any and all things mortgage related.

Embedding this video on your blog or website will take nothing away from you and your message.  Instead it'll invite others to your BBQ and liven up the conversations.  Embed or just comment.  Let's get the conversation rolling.

 

What conversation?

Any conversation!

What are the Rules? 

No Rules! 

• Anyone can include this on their own site (really).
• Anyone can comment.
• Anyone can ask a question.
• Anyone can answer a question.

"Can the Lender really do that?"

"How can I get this client approved?"

"What's up with my appraiser?"

"Will the Fed's lower rates?"

Mortgage Brokers, Mortgage Bankers, Loan Officers, Real Estate Agents and even the public are all encouraged to participate.

If you need technical help embedding this, or replying to this, just ask.  Mike912Mueller@gmail.com

 

Get a    or Follow me on Twitter
Up to the minute Mortgage Rates Report via Twitter
Check out "The Foreclosure Report" (It's help for homeowners in trouble!)

I know this article is a departure from the typical Mortgage and Real Estate, but like all mysteries it has a twist at the end (a Real Estate Twist!).

Friday night, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending a small community theater performance.

The Mystery Plays

The play was at the downtown Walnut Creek Theater, The Lesher Center for the Arts in the small and intimate "Knight Stage".

I'm not a theater goer - maybe a couple a year if I'm lucky.  My wife on the other hand has a deep association having been a stage manager for many years.  She's also one of those people who read mystery novels (at least one a week), so this was right up her alley.

I don't want to give away the plot but this much I can tell you.   One play, two stories, somewhat connected.  You'll be sitting on the egde of your seat for some very intense parts played by some very good actors. 

Speaking of Actors...

Lynne Elizondo, Ryan Terry, Beth Bemis, John Hale, Sean Bryan and Bill Clemente all did an excellent  job.  This was Directed by John Allred, but unlike other plays that I've been to, he was there, working to make sure everything was just right.

I'm not sure if it was the intimate setting (small wrap around theater with 5 rows of seating), or the intensity of the performance, or a combination of both, but the play really worked!  Can I step off my Mortgage soapbox for a moment and suggest you see this play?  You bet!

Performances: June 13^th through July 5th
(No performance on June 15^th or July 4^th)
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m.
Sundays at 2:15 p.m.
Saturday Matinee at 2:15 pm on July 5^th

Tickets are available HERE

Oh yeah, the real estate twist. 

One of the six actors, Bill Clemente is also a full time Real Estate Agent in Walnut Creek. 

For your Real Estate needs I recommend you find him here, here, and here.  However...

I also recommend you find him here on the stage!

Go See This Play!

Get a    or Follow me on Twitter
Up to the minute Mortgage Rates Report via Twitter
Check out "The Foreclosure Report" (It's help for homeowners in trouble!)

WARNING:  If Video makes you squeemish, this isn't going to be for you. 

Stop!

Go back!

You are going the wrong way!

Still here?  Good! 

Seesmic has a great product that allows video commenting embedded directly into the video.

You can comment directly from the embeded video, and your Vcomment then shows up in the stream (to the left).  Everything in our western world runs left to right, so why didn't they put the newest to the right?

Anyway, spark up the video camera and let's see if this works...

Play the video, Leave a comment or better yet leave a video comment by using the red reply button (top right or in the middle)

Get a    or Follow me on Twitter
Up to the minute Mortgage Rates Report via Twitter
Check out "The Foreclosure Report" (It's help for homeowners in trouble!)

Yesterday I listed three reasons why I'll continue to reach out to customers on the internet.

Get a    or Follow me on Twitter
Up to the minute Mortgage Rates Report via Twitter
Check out "The Foreclosure Report" (It's help for homeowners in trouble!)