New to our print collection: The over 45 crowd - AKA boomers and their elders - numbers nearly 70 million. And while people in this broad group are at different stages in life, many are ready and willing to buy a new home - either downsizing after the kids leave for college, preparing for retirement, or even looking to get a second home for vacations. Just what features and amenities attract these buyers to a community or even an individual property? Are they looking for large yards, walkable communities or 'green' houses? In this book researcher Margaret Wylde presents her study of the 45+ crowd to help developers and agents get a better handle on the right designs, home features and amenities to attract this large demographic group. Findings are presented for 4 age brackets, regionally, and by martial status. If you're trying to get a handle on where this group is going, this book is an easy-to-read introduction.

The resource above is available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800-.874-6500 for assistance.

Posted on August 5 at 11:34 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

In 2005 New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman wrote in his bestselling book The World is Flat (also available to members through our library) that location was becoming less and less important as global communications revolutionized how people interact and work. Friedman says we can just as easily innovate and create from a cabin in Idaho as a desk on Park Avenue.

Richard Florida responds in his latest work, Who's your city, that while technology may make it possible to live anywhere, where a person choses to live does matter. Global creative forces are much spikier than flat with significant economic growth concentrated in large regional mega-cities. So while communication and technology means that engineers could live on a farm in North Dakota, more often than not they will be found in Silicon Valley, Austin, Tokyo, London or one of the other global tech hubs.

Continue reading "The world is not so flat" »

Posted on May 23 at 11:02 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)

You've read Information Central's Top Tech Tools: It's All About Social Networking report, but you'd like more direction on blogging or making use of LinkedIn to reach your customers? You've come to the right place!

Take a look at the social networking ebooks now featured in the Virtual Library eBooks Collection: I'm on LinkedIn, Now What? (Adobe format), How to do Everything with YouTube (Adobe format), Videoblogging for DummiesTM (Adobe format), Podcasting (OverDrive audio), Blog Marketing (Adobe & Mobipocket format), How to Make Real Money in Second Life (Adobe & Mobipocket format), and many more titles are available. The eBooks Collection is available for free to NAR members and staff only.

Posted on May 1 at 10:00 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (0)