Home Means Nevada Real Estate

Keeping your overhead low in a slow market can be challenging. Below are free software programs that can make your life easier while saving some money.

Documentation

Open Office- Sponsored by Sun Microsystems, Open Office, allows you to create similar documents to Microsoft Works. Included in your free download are text(similar to Word), spreadsheet(similar to Excel), presentation(similar to Power Point), and drawing(similar to Paint). Documents can be saved as an Open Office extension, Microsoft extension, or export directly as a .pdf. http://download.openoffice.org/index.html

Google Docs- Google docs is an online server that can create text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms. The program also allows you to upload present files to be stored online. Though similar to most documentation programs, the online server protects documents from deletion if your computer crashes. Google docs are only available to account holders so sign up at the following link. Google Account Registration

Imaging/Publishing

Scribus allows the user to create documents similar to Microsoft’s Publisher. A great tool for creating listing, open house, and lead generation flyers.

Gimp 2.6- Gimp is a GNU image manipulating program. Similar to Photoshop, it’s features allow you to create logos, or enhance and distort pictures.

IRFRANVIEW is an image resizing software. It allows the user to resize multiple pictures, cut/crop, and draw. Perfect for those listing photos that look distorted on flyers or the MLS.

PDF

Cute Pdf Writer- Great for putting web pages and online documents into send able .pdf files. It’s very easy to use. Once downloaded simply select the “cutepdfwriter” from your list of printers and press OK. The software will then let you save to any file on your computer.

PDF reDirect v.2 – Desktop software that allows the user to combine separate .pdf files into one large file. Remember that email programs have limits on how large an attachment can be to be sent.

Miscellaneous

Roboform is a software program that saves all of your log in information and will auto fill forms. It is password protected so you will own need to remember one password to access all of your logins. The free download includes around 10 free log ins more will require a small fee. I highly recommend this, as it is hard to remember all the sites we have to use passwords to access (i.e. Activerain, NNRMLS, RSAR, email, websites, zipforms…).

Feel free to visit http://download.cnet.com/windows/ to find more free software programs or use our friend Google.

Ricky Beach

Keller Williams Group One Inc.

www.SearchRenoTahoeHomes.com

RickyBeach1@topproducer.com

My second post so be kind.

For all my twitter and facebook friends, I have found a great desktop application to simplify your networking.

Originally, Tweetdeck was a desktop application that allowed you to follow all of your Twitter friends without logging into Twitter. You were given three categories to follow your friends; all friends, replies, and direct messages. These columns allowed you to keep easily keep track of your friend’s updates, especially for those with 100+. Now, Facebook has been added as a fourth column. You are now able to follow all updates from Twitter and Facebook friends without signing in to each site. More detailed posts to follow once I become more familiar with the app. Also, I suggest the TinyTwitter app for blackberry users. It allows you to update both your twiiter and facebook accounts from your phone.  Below are the links to the original and facebook add-on.

Tweetdeck Original for those without a facebook account.

Tweetdeck W/ Facebook Add-on