ADVANCED ACCESS July 2003 Newsletter

July 2003 Newsletter

"Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air."
- Georges Bernanos

WOW - 12 Million+ Surf the Internet for Real Estate

Research confirms there's never been a better time to have a web presence - especially if you're in real estate. Nielsen/Net Ratings, the global standard for Internet audience measurement and analysis, reports that more than 12 million surfers, or nearly 10% of the online active population, accessed real estate and rental sites to facilitate the home buying and apartment renting process in March 2003. Undoubtedly real estate and rental sites are valuable tools for millions of Americans, enabling consumers to research homes, find a real estate agent, and utilize financial and mortgage calculators.

Patrick Thomas, Senior Internet Analyst at Nielsen, says "Real estate sites enable surfers to comparison shop online for homes prior to committing to a single real estate agent or a single property," He continues, "Real-time listings, virtual home tours and finance calculators make these sites content rich sources and help homebuyers become better informed throughout the search and purchase process."

The best news is that real estate websites are targeting a highly qualified market. According to the latest spring 2003 data release, 22.4% of the real estate sites' audience stated they were "definitely" or "probably" planning to purchase a new residence in the next 12 months. Nearly 32% were "definitely" or "probably" going to move in the next year, while 27% of the audience stated they'd be moving to a different home in the next year.

This report underscores the importance of reviewing your website to be sure it is as complete and up-to-date as possible, so it will be RELEVANT to the millions of highly qualified homebuyers and sellers we know are out there surfing. To read the entire article as reported by RISMedia.com last month, click here.

AA Client Joel Hawk Featured in RISMedia Magazine

Congratulations to Joel Hawk, who was recently featured in RISMedia's July Issue of National Relocation and News magazine. The article, entitled "The Broker Website - an Extension of Customer Service," highlights the importance of providing information that the consumer can really USE in their real estate search.

Joel was quoted as follows, "Consumers today are very sophisticated. Those of us that are in service businesses need to stay in touch with how consumers get their information."

Joel's marketing efforts are really paying off. In 2001, his first full year, Joel did 10 transactions worth some $4.2 million. In 2002, he did 23 transactions and $7.5 million in volume. By May of this year, he'd closed 12 deals, worth $3.5 million. Ten of those-accounting for $3.1 million-came from clients he met through his ADVANCED ACCESS Web site.

Joel realizes that a website alone is not enough to ensure success. "You could have the best website in the world but it doesn't do anything for you if nobody visits it, so you have to market it. Every piece of paper that goes out of here, everything I do, touch or say mentions my website."

And while technology is important, it's only part of the formula for success. "If you can develop that on-line relationship, then you need to stay in touch and turn it into a personal relationship," Joel explains.

To read the complete RISMedia article about Joel and his Internet marketing efforts, click here.

Building our Family with Friends Promotion is a HUGE Success

Our fabulous Building our Family with Friends promotion is in full swing, and so far has been a colossal success! Hundreds of you have referred friends to us, and your referrals are now in the hands of our talented sales team. Many of you have already received a $100.00 Gift for your referrals who signed up for our services. More gifts are scheduled to be sent within the next few weeks. It's still not too late to refer a friend and win. If you send us a name of a friend who purchases our products, you'll BOTH be winners.

Here's how it works: Between now and September 1, 2003, simply complete our online form to send us the name of your colleague and/or friend who might be interested in our products and services for the real estate industry. When the FIRST referral purchases our products, YOU will be awarded a $100 FREE SuperCertificate® redeemable at GiftCertificates.com™. For each additional referral, your name is entered in our GRAND DRAWING for over $10,000 of prizes, AND if your referral purchases our products you will receive a FREE month of hosting added to your contract!

Remember, it's EASY to be a winner in our contest, and there is NO limit to the number of referrals you can send us. EACH TIME you send us a referral your name will be entered in our GRAND DRAWING. The more referrals you send us - the more chances you have to WIN!

ADVANCED ACCESS Staff Celebrates a GREAT Year

Shrugging off the infamous southern California "June Gloom," AA employees gathered together on the first day of summer for a picnic and BBQ lunch at a park in Anaheim Hills. The purpose of our get-together was to welcome the summer season, socialize with our friends from the office, and to celebrate the end of our latest fiscal year - the best year in the history of ADVANCED ACCESS.

Enjoying a picnic lunch of BBQ burgers, hot dogs and salads, the staff also played games, won prizes, and engaged in a "friendly" water balloon fight with their colleagues and family. It was great to see our hard working staff, along with their families and friends, gathered together to share common goals in a spirit of camaraderie. We're so thankful for all of our employees who work hard every day to create products and provide services that are the BEST in the industry. ADVANCED ACCESS employees are energetic and passionate about what we do, and we're fortunate to have them all on our team. Pictured below are a few scenes from the party.

At the picnic, we also handed out some awards that were voted on by all AA employees. Congratulations to all the winners:

Best Overall Employee: Tamara DeVries and Brandon Hagewood
Best Overall Manager: Troy Gregory, Design Manager

It seems just yesterday we had only a few employees and customers. All of us at ADVANCED ACCESS would like to thank you sincerely for your loyalty and your business over the years. We will continue to strive to be worthy of your trust.

An Update on our ADVANCED Server Network

We all know that computers have changed the way we all work, communicate and make everyday decisions. That's why our Information Technology "IT" Department plays a vital role in understanding how changing technology needs to evolve to meet YOUR changing business needs. To allow for growth and technical change, and to help us perform more efficiently and effectively, we are committed to providing a cutting-edge IT Department that is among the leaders in the industry today.

Many of you have asked us about the capabilities of our server room. Pictured to the left is Scott Johnson, Director of Software Engineering, inside the special room with a vast network of computers that host your websites. Our server room has expanded through the years and will continue to grow as we store more websites on site.

ADVANCED ACCESS has made a significant financial investment to ensure our websites are stored on the most state-of-the-art equipment available on the market today. Why is this important to you? Reliability and performance are essential in maintaining a website on today's Internet. We believe we offer the best services available for the money you spend.

Our server room is kept at a constant 67 degrees Fahrenheit (on its own separate air conditioning system,) and is designed with a single entrance and firewalls. Access is controlled by a biometric thumbprint ID system. ADVANCED ACCESS personnel are "on call" 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on a paging system in case of any system interruption, and we have offsite backup facilities.

Currently we have over 50 servers on-line in our Internet Data Center. These servers perform many vital functions including hosting of the Classic and Deluxe sites as well as many that perform back end processes, store customer data, and handle our internal accounting and customer service departments.

At ADVANCED ACCESS, our commitment is to provide the highest quality equipment and service to ensure your website is always online and available to your clients and prospects. For complete information about our Internet Data center, click here.

Brett Sackett Uses the Internet to Help Find His Lost Family

After a 12 year search, AA client Brett Sackett, at age 44, recently met his siblings for the first time. The quest began on a golf course in 1992. Brett always thought he was an only child, but he learned he was adopted on the day he got married more than 10 years ago. Last month, Brett's search finally ended as he discovered five siblings across the country. Each one had been raised as an only child of different adoptive parents.

"I had a great life before I found out I was adopted," said Brett. "But it's going to get so much better. I was raised as an only child. Now my kids know they have aunts and uncles. I finally have a picture of my family. We've got so many branches, we're going to have a family shrub, not a tree."

Brett's adoptive father, who raised Brett in Oklahoma and has since passed away, gave him the first lead. Brett was born in Long Island, NY and he thought he might have two siblings who were also given up for adoption. He chased this information for more than 10 years, writing the State of New York and filling out countless forms to uncover his adoption and birth records. His attempts were unsuccessful.

Last year Brett started digging in Oklahoma for his records. He spoke to court clerks and judges, he left messages, filled out more forms and wrote letters. Then, in May of this year, he found out he was born "baby Louis" to Joseph and Julia Ruscavich.

Brett turned to an Internet "people finder" directory and found six matches for "Ruscavich" in New York. After calling a few names, he got his first big break, which eventually led to the discovery of FIVE siblings living across the country. As it turns out, one of his sisters had been looking for him for 20 years. Three of his siblings made the trip to Temecula last month for a joyful reunion. As Brett says, it was a good thing his name was "Ruscavich" when he turned to the Internet to search. "If it had been a name like "Smith" I would have never found my brothers and sisters." he said.

Brett's reunion with his siblings was covered by the local news, and was then picked up by publications across the country. We're so happy for Brett and his newfound family, and we send him best wishes for many happy reunions with his siblings in the years to come.

Employee News: Weddings and Engagements Abound at AA

Love is in the air here at ADVANCED ACCESS. During the past few months we've seen more engagements and weddings among our staff than we have in years. We thought you might want to know a little more about the happy couples:

Scott Johnson & Jennifer Elparin - Married March 20, 2003

Scotty and Jenn met at a mutual friend's party in March 1998. When we were first introduced to the lovely and vivacious Jenn, we knew that she was the perfect complement for Scotty, our intelligent and resourceful Software Engineer, who has been with us almost since the very beginning. Scott is in charge of the team that runs our server network here at ADVANCED ACCESS. Jenn is in management training at the Claim Jumper, a popular restaurant chain. Whenever Scotty spoke of Jenn, he truly "glowed," and we figured it was only a matter of time before he popped the question. Scotty proposed to Jenn in romantic San Francisco (Jenn's favorite place in the world) on the Golden Gate bridge at sunset. The couple was married in March at a beautiful and elegant ceremony under a gazebo in Brea, California and they are now living at their home in Anaheim Hills.

Milton Vasquez & Juanita Puentes - Surprise Wedding on June 25, 2003

Milton Vasquez, from our Design Department, met his future wife, Juanita, in February, 2002 at a church picnic. During a group prayer months later, the couple felt the chemistry as they held hands. Milton asked Juanita out 5 minutes after the prayer ended, and Juanita accepted. Last August, at a red-light of an intersection, Milton asked Juanita to be his girlfriend, and she nearly scared him to death as she jumped up and shouted "YES!" As they shared their first kiss, two green lights passed before they left the intersection, and cars were driving by telling the couple to get out of their way.

Milton proposed to Juanita in June at the same intersection, and she accepted. During their kiss they stopped traffic once again, and Milton decided he just couldn't wait for a long engagement. On June 25, 2003, Milton & Juanita both asked their supervisors for permission to leave an hour early, and they were married at the Santa Ana Courthouse (this time they didn't stop traffic.)

Justin LaJoie and Danielle Cordova - Married July 12, 2003

Justin and Danielle have known each since Junior High, but back then neither one was impressed with the other. Things changed 4 years later, when a mutual friend set them up and they had a great time. They've been together ever since. After Justin graduated from college he began his career at ADVANCED ACCESS as a programmer, and worked his way up to be Director of Information Technology. Danielle was completing her MBA at UCLA and they bought a house together. Danielle graduated, and Justin thought after 8 ½ years it was about time to propose. The couple was planning a vacation to Sweden to visit Danielle's family and friends, and Justin thought it was a perfect opportunity to ask her to marry him. During their holiday they were surrounded by family so Justin had to carry the ring around for 7 days before an opportunity presented itself. They were walking through a park on the water's edge in Stockholm in 10 degree weather as they made their way through a foot of snow. Justin dropped to one knee and asked Danielle to marry him. Her immediate reaction was to start crying, and people across the street started clapping. After a few seconds Justin reminded Danielle that she hadn't yet given her answer. After she said yes, Justin gave her the ring and the couple went directly to a party where they met her entire family as a newly engaged couple.

Jane Ellsworth & Robert Purcell - Wedding Set for November 2003

Jane Ellsworth, Sr. Vice President, met her future husband Robert Purcell through mutual friends five years ago. At that time Jane was actually being set up with another guy, but Robert decided he should intervene and be her date instead. The date must have worked out fairly well, because they've been together ever since.

Currently Jane and Robert have a long distance relationship, as Robert works for American Airlines and he was recently transferred to the Pittsburgh area. Jane's schedule demands that she spend a lot of time in airplanes herself, as she develops relationships with speakers and associations across the country. With Robert's airline connections, they manage to find time together as often as possible. Robert was born in Samoa on a small island in the South Pacific, and was raised in Hawaii before moving to California. He graduated from Rio Hondo College, and was part of the coaching staff (receiving coach) at Mt SAC for several years. Jane and Robert's favorite things to do together are Sunday brunches at Dukes and taking quick weekend vacations, courtesy of American Airlines. Football is Robert's passion, and he and Jane have been known to fly across the country (and once to Hawaii!) just to see a college football game. Their wedding is planned for November 28 of this year where they'll be taking both immediate families on a cruise and will be married on the ship.

Mike Weeks and Angie Cummings - Wedding Set for July, 2004

Mike Weeks, Inside Sales Manager, and his fiancee Angie Cummings, were one of many "AA Couples." Angie was hired first, and Mike was brought on board two months later in Customer Service. Mike transferred to our Sales Department, and worked his way up to Inside Sales Manager. (Angie has since left us to go into the real estate industry.) Mike and Angie have known each other since they were freshmen in High School. They met the very first day of Mikey's freshmen year. He was brand new to the school and Angie was one of the first people to speak to him in French class. They started dating as Sophmores, and always considered each other as best friends. When Mike was a junior, they started dating more seriously and have been together ever since. After Mike graduated in 1997, the couple moved out to California and bought a house together. They have been together over 7 years now. On the day he proposed, Mike took Angie to a beautiful beach in Laguna, California - one of Angie's favorite places. Their wedding date is July 31, 2004 and Angie created an engagement/wedding website - click here to read more about the happy couple.

Kevin and Sarah Herzer - Married in November 2002

Kevin and Sarah Herzer, another one of AA's in-house couples, were married in November in Laughlin, Nevada. Kevin is in our Customer Support Department, and Sarah is in MLS Services. They met 5 years ago, when Sarah was a senior in high school and Kevin had already graduated. Sarah was working at Souplantation, and Kevin was a customer. The second their eyes locked there was a spark. Sarah says that she knew from that moment he was the one for her…little did she know Kevin felt the same way. Ever since then, the couple has been inseparable. As Sarah says, "In a way it sounds fictional, because many people out in the world don't believe in "love at first sight". I sure do. Call me a romantic but I can't wait to tell our children."

Angela Desiderato and Nick Durment - Wedding Set for Spring, 2004

Nick Durment, a Manager in our Marketing/Promotions Department, and Angela Desiderato from Customer Support, first met in November 2001. Nick's best friend is married to Angela's best friend, and since they were introduced, they've been inseparable. Since Nick and Angela both work for ADVANCED ACCESS, they spend a lot of time together. Even when they are out of the office they're usually together doing fun things such as spending time with their family and friends. Nick surprised Angela with his proposal on March 5, 2003 at a celebration of their one year anniversary. Angela was expecting some kind of a surprise, but she had no idea it would be of this magnitude. The couple is excited about their commitment and they look forward to their wedding in the Spring of 2004.

June 2003 | Back to Main Page | August 2003