...But what to call it?

Morrigoon · 03-14-2007, 04:01 PM

Okay, so for the last few days or so, I've been mulling over something for my business. I'm thinking of starting a separate blog just to talk about real estate. Not my clients, of course, but, for example, of houses that I've seen, what prices are doing, the characteristics of neighborhoods I check out, perhaps a cool flyer that comes through my junk mail (we agents get spammed like crazy with each other's listings, lemme tell ya, but some of the homes are just gorgeous!). Anyway, I thought I'd start the blog as an enhancement to my online presence.

Now I have two dilemmas: where to do it, and what to call it. I considered getting a separate domain through godaddy and paying for their hosting and blog tools (they seem to have some sort of special going on right now, but heck if I can figure it out!), only, of course, it costs, and I still need a name. My other thought is to either use Google blogger, or livejournal. I combed through the user policy on LJ and can't find anything forbidding having more than one, and the policies against commercial activities seem to be mostly regarding banning you getting your own sponsors, as best I can tell. The advantage to google blogger may be the whole "two blogs" issue. However, I have friends on LJ, and maybe one or two of them would be interested enough to "friend" the second blog, which seems like a good idea.

And before anyone suggests it, I'm not using "realtorblog" because NAR already owns that as a domain, and since they have the copyright on "realtor" I'd rather not piss them off.

I'd like something clever, if possible, but not unprofessional, negative, or exceedingly lengthly. I've considered "HouseLady", but I'm not sure if that's too.... well, too close to housewife.

I could use some help here!

Capt Jack · 03-14-2007, 04:07 PM

how about

"house it going?"
"shack yack"
"good fences"
"Yard Work"

/shrug

dont mind me, Ive been eating sweets all day (insert overfed bloated smilie here)

Morrigoon · 03-14-2007, 04:11 PM

OMG, those are great! More! More!

That's what I wanted, was something with a little bit of humor that doesn't undermine my credibility. I totally love "Shack Yack", except for the implication of low-grade housing. But darnit, it's CUTE!

DreadPirateRoberts · 03-14-2007, 04:13 PM

I was going to suggest "housetalk" but it already exists

Ghoulish Delight · 03-14-2007, 04:21 PM

Hosting it yourself will look more professional than using LJ or Google Blog. I don't know what GoDaddy's deal is, but it's relatively easy to find inexpensive hosting (e.g., the hosting account for LoT through lunarpages costs all of $7 per month). I use GoDaddy to register domain names because they're the cheapest, but do the hosting elsewhere.

Just my .02*

As for names suggestions:
* Blog around the Block
...

That's all I got.

*Full disclosure: The LoT gets a referral bonus for anyone signing up with Lunarpages through the link below. But my advice that it looks more professional stands whether you go with Lunarpages or not

Morrigoon · 03-14-2007, 04:27 PM

I've seriously considered the custom domain thing, and not quite ruled it out yet, to be honest. Especially since some options come with the blogging software. I don't know if it'll be quite as easy an interface as the public blog sites though, has anyone used "other" blog software? Is it all web interface? I won't want to do it if it requires an ftp connection just to update.

If I do the custom site thing, then that means the "name" has to tie it with an overall branding of the site. To which I would eventually splash for the idx connection to the MLS (my current site has it, but it's a "template" offered by and hosted through my company, and the search function sucks, to be hones). I am in the process of teaching myself flash animation, so truly, I could eventually have some flashy professional looking stuff up there. But a lot of this is blue-sky "down the road" kind of stuff, so I'm trying not to let it have more than a reasonable influence on the decision of where to blog.

Morrigoon · 03-14-2007, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRoberts

I was going to suggest "housetalk" but it already exists

Wow, that's very similar to what I was thinking. But where he is almost 100% articles, mine might be 50% articles, 50% flow-of-thought blog posts about the area, or about real estate in general. His looks pretty sharp, doesn't it?

I'm also wondering if I should tie OC into the title somehow, or if that just gets cumbersome?

Ghoulish Delight · 03-14-2007, 04:31 PM

There are tons of blog software options and they are usually very straight forward to manage. WordPress is a popular one (I know mousepod uses it for his site). Everything is web-interface and the look and feel are customizable (either with a simple interface like livejournal has, or far more flexibly if you're willing to delve a little deeper).

Morrigoon · 03-14-2007, 04:32 PM

is OCHouseTalk overdoing it?

Ghoulish Delight · 03-14-2007, 04:48 PM

I like housetalkOC better, but that seems more similar to houstalk than OChousetalk does.

03-14-2007, 04:01 PM	#1
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	...But what to call it? Okay, so for the last few days or so, I've been mulling over something for my business. I'm thinking of starting a separate blog just to talk about real estate. Not my clients, of course, but, for example, of houses that I've seen, what prices are doing, the characteristics of neighborhoods I check out, perhaps a cool flyer that comes through my junk mail (we agents get spammed like crazy with each other's listings, lemme tell ya, but some of the homes are just gorgeous!). Anyway, I thought I'd start the blog as an enhancement to my online presence. Now I have two dilemmas: where to do it, and what to call it. I considered getting a separate domain through godaddy and paying for their hosting and blog tools (they seem to have some sort of special going on right now, but heck if I can figure it out!), only, of course, it costs, and I still need a name. My other thought is to either use Google blogger, or livejournal. I combed through the user policy on LJ and can't find anything forbidding having more than one, and the policies against commercial activities seem to be mostly regarding banning you getting your own sponsors, as best I can tell. The advantage to google blogger may be the whole "two blogs" issue. However, I have friends on LJ, and maybe one or two of them would be interested enough to "friend" the second blog, which seems like a good idea. And before anyone suggests it, I'm not using "realtorblog" because NAR already owns that as a domain, and since they have the copyright on "realtor" I'd rather not piss them off. I'd like something clever, if possible, but not unprofessional, negative, or exceedingly lengthly. I've considered "HouseLady", but I'm not sure if that's too.... well, too close to housewife. I could use some help here! __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
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03-14-2007, 04:07 PM	#2
Capt Jack check your head Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,174	how about "house it going?" "shack yack" "good fences" "Yard Work" /shrug dont mind me, Ive been eating sweets all day (insert overfed bloated smilie here) __________________ a clear conscience is a sure sign of a fuzzy memory
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03-14-2007, 04:11 PM	#3
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	OMG, those are great! More! More! That's what I wanted, was something with a little bit of humor that doesn't undermine my credibility. I totally love "Shack Yack", except for the implication of low-grade housing. But darnit, it's CUTE! __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
	Submit to Quotes

03-14-2007, 04:13 PM	#4
DreadPirateRoberts Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,483	I was going to suggest "housetalk" but it already exists
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03-14-2007, 04:21 PM	#5
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	Hosting it yourself will look more professional than using LJ or Google Blog. I don't know what GoDaddy's deal is, but it's relatively easy to find inexpensive hosting (e.g., the hosting account for LoT through lunarpages costs all of $7 per month). I use GoDaddy to register domain names because they're the cheapest, but do the hosting elsewhere. Just my .02* As for names suggestions: * Blog around the Block ... That's all I got. *Full disclosure: The LoT gets a referral bonus for anyone signing up with Lunarpages through the link below. But my advice that it looks more professional stands whether you go with Lunarpages or not __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
	Submit to Quotes

03-14-2007, 04:27 PM	#6
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	I've seriously considered the custom domain thing, and not quite ruled it out yet, to be honest. Especially since some options come with the blogging software. I don't know if it'll be quite as easy an interface as the public blog sites though, has anyone used "other" blog software? Is it all web interface? I won't want to do it if it requires an ftp connection just to update. If I do the custom site thing, then that means the "name" has to tie it with an overall branding of the site. To which I would eventually splash for the idx connection to the MLS (my current site has it, but it's a "template" offered by and hosted through my company, and the search function sucks, to be hones). I am in the process of teaching myself flash animation, so truly, I could eventually have some flashy professional looking stuff up there. But a lot of this is blue-sky "down the road" kind of stuff, so I'm trying not to let it have more than a reasonable influence on the decision of where to blog. __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
	Submit to Quotes

03-14-2007, 04:31 PM	#8
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	There are tons of blog software options and they are usually very straight forward to manage. WordPress is a popular one (I know mousepod uses it for his site). Everything is web-interface and the look and feel are customizable (either with a simple interface like livejournal has, or far more flexibly if you're willing to delve a little deeper). __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
	Submit to Quotes

03-14-2007, 04:32 PM	#9
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	is OCHouseTalk overdoing it? __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
	Submit to Quotes

03-14-2007, 04:48 PM	#10
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	I like housetalkOC better, but that seems more similar to houstalk than OChousetalk does. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
	Submit to Quotes