Join me for #housechat on Twitter

Join me for #housechat on Twitter!

Hi Everyone, this is Tina Jan.  I'm very excited to host the first-ever #housechat on Wednesday December 15th, 2010 (5pm PST/ 8pm EST).  


Since this will be the first Twitter chat, I'm sure things will be a little meager.  However, this might not be a bad thing because everyone will get a chance to try it out and get their feet wet.  Ever since I joined Twitter and started tweeting, I've found that it's a great way to find others who are interested in the same things that I am.  In this case, houses, real estate, property, buying and selling homes, short sales, and foreclosures.  If this goes well, I may start hosting this weekly.  If I can't manage it, maybe I can find some willing volunteers to help moderate the chat.  Real estate is about community, after all.  This new phenomenon of social networking online (that my broker is always talking about) can be open to all willing and interested people.  So if you're intrigued, please come join me!  I would love to see you there!

How do I participate in the upcoming #housechat?

1. Get a Twitter account (http://twitter.com) if you don’t already have one.
2. On Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 at 5:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time) log on to Twitter and start chatting away (including the #housechat hashtag in the text of your tweet. The chat will last approximately one hour.
3. The moderator of the chat (in this case, me) will tweet the questions that guide the discussion. Don’t worry, I’ll label the questions “Q1,” “Q2,” etc. and I’ll repeat them several times.
4. Chat and respond away, so have fun! Please offer your own real estate wisdom, happy experiences, and home-related comments.
5. During the last five to ten minutes we can introduce ourselves, plug our sites, and promote listings or businesses etc.
6. Also, if you’re shy, you don’t have to contribute to the discussion. Just type the “#housechat” hashtag into the “Search” on Twitter and refresh every minute or so.  You will be able to read the chat happening right before your eyes.

How do I follow along or contribute to the discussion in a #housechat?

With every tweet you want to contribute to the discussion, type in #housechat at the beginning or end, it doesn’t matter.  When you search for this #hashtag (#housechat) in Twitter and refresh the search, voila… you will see a stream of tweets shared by your fellow #housechat tweeters.  Depending on the number of participants and how fast they tweet, the stream make flow pretty quickly, but that’s okay.  You can always look back at the stream after the chat is over to catch any valuable links, photos, or advice your fellow house-chatters may be sharing.

How does the numbered question thingy work in a Twitter discussion?

During the chat one or two people may moderate the chat by sending out a discussion question every ten minutes, or as needed. They label these questions with a number. For example if I ask people Question #2…the following exchange might take place

@tinajan: QUESTION POST -  Q2) What features would your dream home have? #housechat
@HomeOwnerSmith: Q2 beach views, home theater, and gym #housechat
@SuperRealtor123: Q2 - separate guest house for MIL! #housechat

If you get lost during the #housechat discussion, always look for the text “QUESTION POST” when scrolling through the recent chat/tweet history.

What are the questions for this week's #housechat?

For those of you who like to prepare in advance… I’m posting them here.


Q1) Introductions - Who are you? Where are you from?
Q2) What features would your dream home have?
Q3) Do you like or dislike your neighbors/neighborhood and why? 
Q4) What are your current or future home remodeling projects?
Q5) What do you like about your home?
Q6) Do you rent or own your home and why?


Do you have questions or topics you want to add to the chat?  Tell me what you want to talk about by DM'ing (Direct messaging) me on Twitter or emailing me at tinajan@gmail.com!

Heavily inspired by #knitchat on Twitter.  Thank you "Cloudy with a Chance of Fiber" for the idea and the directions that I've modified from your blog.  Hope you don't mind me adapting/"stealing" this wonderful idea from you!

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~Tina Jan~
DRE# 01505855
Coldwell Banker Kivett-Teeters
1655 E. Sixth St.
Beaumont, CA 92223
Work: 951-845-5520 Ext. 105
Fax: 951-845-4916
Cell: 909-446-2666
Toll-Free: 1-877-TINAJAN
tina.jan@coldwellbanker.com
www.tinajan.com