73% of homeowners would be more likely to list with agents using video and by 2013, video will be 90% of all consumer Internet traffic. Residential Properties has been producing videos of properties and communities for a few years now. We understand the unique role that video plays in marketing.

Video is a perfect medium for the real estate industry. It is a great way to showcase our neighborhoods and the communities of our beautiful little State.

We recently partnered with WellcomeMat, a video hosting solution specifically for the real estate industry, to deliver our video content.

I am excited to announce that we have launched a brand new video gallery that showcases all of our videos. Our new video gallery enables users to create playlists and browse through our different categories and best of all, our videos are cross-platform and can be viewed on all devices including the iPhone, iPad and Android!

We’re really excited about taking our videos to the next level and hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Our latest property video is of 49 Carousel Drive in East Providence. It’s a beautiful waterfront home on Bullock’s Cove listed by Caroline Butterfield. Check it out and let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below!

Last night marked the final celebration of Providence’s 375th Anniversary. This five month long bash honored the legacy of Roger Williams and his ideals through a number of initiatives, such as the Providence Community Library Summer Series and the Beer Garden Music Series in Burnside Park. We came together one last time yesterday, joining Mayor Angel Taveras at the Providence Performing Arts Center for a Birthday Party. The event featured a birthday cake competition, food truck face-off, and an appearance by Jeffery Osborne. There were also live performances by Deer Tick, Area 401, the ‘Mericans, and the Barr Brothers.

We especially enjoyed the birthday cake competition and the food truck face-off between Poco Loco Tacos, Hewtin’s Dogs, Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ, and Haven Brothers.
Just because the official celebration has ended, we don’t need to stop celebrating. There are a bunch of fun, albeit seasonal events going on in the Capital City for the next month. This Friday, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is playing at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Even more, the Providence Performing Arts Center has Festival Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker coming up in early December, and Trinity Rep’s annual rendition of the Christmas Carol started last week and continues on until December 20th.

These performances are just a few examples of the culture Providence offers. And that culture is something we’re thankful for.

As December approaches, it comes time for the Annual “Little Pictures” art show in Providence. Again this year, Residential Properties is excited to have one of our agents, Catherine McKinnon as a featured artist. For 31 years, Catherine had dedicated her passion for art by creating opportunities for students and communities in Rhode Island. A member of the Providence Art Club since 2004, and a RISD graduate, Catherine’s award winning landscape artwork will appear in the 107th show.

Created in 1880, The Providence Art Club is the second oldest art club in the nation, and has become a historic landmark that defines Thomas Street. The club was created by artists, non-artists, and collectors to integrate art into their community. This year like many, the show has a diverse selection of still life and landscapes, glassworks and even jewelry that will change daily as purchases are made.

This long-standing tradition is a popular holiday exhibit and gives you the perfect opportunity to take home impressive pieces of work. Artists like Catherine will showcase and sell their paintings at affordable prices for buyers. This cash and carry show will take place beginning this Sunday, November 20th, through December 23rd. As a piece of the history of Providence, you definitely should check it out.

Anna Clancy, an RPL agent, has been involved with the Barrington schools since 1997. Over the years, she has served in a variety of functions—helping in the classroom, serving on district wide committees, working with PTOs—but her most recent engagement is with the Barrington Education Foundation. Three years ago, Anna was invited to serve on the Foundation’s Board. She has been involved with BEF ever since.

The Foundation champions educational opportunities within the Barrington Public School District. Founded in 1992 and entirely staffed by volunteers, the organization has raised over $860,000 for the local schools, funding a wide variety of programs, technology, and materials. Through an annual grant cycle, nearly 100% of the raised capital goes to the schools, providing a direct benefit for the enrichment of students in every grade and school in the district.

The organization was formed in reaction to budget cuts by the school committee and dwindling state funds. Barrington is now one of the highest performing school districts in the state. Since the Rhode Island Department of Education started posting district statistics online in 2003, Barrington High School has been commended by the Board of Regents five times, and has exceeded statewide proficiency targets for seven out of the past eight years. In 2006, 2007, and 2009, Barrington students had the highest scores in math and reading testing in the state.

In her time at the Barrington Education Foundation, Anna has chaired a committee that organizes the Rubber Ducky Race, one of the organization’s largest fundraisers. This year, as co-chair of the Allocations Committee, she “has the pleasure of giving money away,” soliciting and reviewing grant applications from the schools’ faculty and administrators. Ultimately, the committee will recommend which should receive funding to the larger board.

Over the years, Residential Properties Ltd. has been very supportive of the BEF—sponsoring events, opening the Barrington office for use during the annual telethon, donating prizes for the duck race. This year, agents at RPL Barrington pooled their resources to make a significant donation to the foundation.

While the BEF was the first to pioneer the concept, many public education foundations have surfaced throughout the state since it’s inception. Counting the municipalities that belong to a larger school district, 22 out of Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns now have some sort of Education Foundation, and many of these organizations have sprung up only in the last three or four years.

The State Department of Education lists this as the first year Rhode Island students scored at or above the national average on all four tests administered by by the federal government on the “Nation’s Report Card,” according to the WRNI Education blog.

We believe that these types of organizations are important to Rhode Island because they consistently impact the educational experience of ALL students within a community.

Nice work, Anna Clancy & the BEF.

As you may know, I’m one of the professionals on the new Fox Providence show The Money Pro$. My last appearance was on the episode about the real estate market, which ran in August. You can catch a replay of my segment on buying in today’s market below.

This Sunday, The Money Pro$ will debut a program on Business Succession Planning. Only 30% of small businesses survive to the second generation, so this is a very relevant issue. Maintaining the continuity of the business for stakeholders including co-owners, employees, family and customers is a major issue for large and small companies, and an important aspect in retaining employment in the state. Owning a family business, the topic is of interest to me. Estate planner Karen DelPonte, Esp. partner at Cameron & Mittleman, LLP., and CPA Greg Porcaro, partner of Otrando Porcaro & Associates, will weigh in on the matter. They will be joined by Russ Towers, Esq. of Broker Service Marketing Group, at the round table discussion.

The Money Pro$ is aired weekly on WNAC 64 at 11:30AM. Check your service provider for the channel locations. As a future programming note, I will soon be in the studio recording the December show. I’ll announce the airing date in the next few weeks.

Here’s a clip from the real estate episode:

Advice: buying in today’s home market: foxprovidence.com

The Money Pro$ provides Southern New England with easily available information on personal finance. If you’re interested in this subject, their website has video from all the episodes, including that of my good friend/radio co-host Steve Tetzner.