Today was the closing on my house: SOLD! I am happy to complete that chapter and move on to the next (with a little profit to boot). To celebrate all that I learned by being a homeowner over the past two years and nine months, and as promised in my previous real estate article, here are some of the specifics that might be of interest to the budding real estate mogul, like what I spent money to fix up and what made the biggest difference in presentation to give buyers that feeling of, “this is the right house for me.” It is worth mentioning that my house sold promptly after I made some relatively inexpensive but significant upgrades to the kitchen and master bathroom (see numbers 1 and 2 below). At the bottom of this post, you will find before and after photos of the master bathroom to give you a sense of the difference that simple changes can make.

Here are my top five recommended upgrades, in order of “wow-factor bang for your buck”:

1) Faucets & Knobs
2) Light Fixtures
3) Interior Paint
4) Exterior Paint
5) Carpets

Note: counter tops and kitchen flooring would be on the list where necessary, perhaps in place of carpets or exterior paint, but I did not do those upgrades on this house.

Here are the details:

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Early last year I developed an extensive design document for a site that would be a MySpace for MMO gamers, specifically targeting World of Warcraft subscribers. A couple differentiators were features such as user profiles based on the in-game character (rather than the subscriber’s person), and a plug-in that would automatically transfer in-game character information to the site and keep the character profile current. After much planning, and even some development of an early prototype, I rested the idea due mostly to concerns surrounding adoption rate estimates and revenue potential.

Enter Napster creator Shawn Fanning and Rupture. If I could have waved a magic wand and ordered my brainchild created in an instant, Rupture is pretty much it. Fanning appears to have identified most of the major components that are likely to make a social networking site successful in the MMO market. There are still some pieces that Rupture would do well to implement, such as a “real life” section in the profile where users can optionally post photos and information about themselves. At first glance Rupture looks great, and it will be interesting to see how it is accepted by the MMO community.

If you have not yet watched the video of Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone, do yourself a favor and go watch it here (just click the “Watch iPhone Introduction” button, as I am not able to link directly).

I found another good article today about the impact that the Apple iPhone on the entire consumer device market, which is remarkable considering that it will not even be in the hands of the public until June 1st, 2007. This is the true spirit of capitalism, and I am excited to see it. It will also be interesting to see what happens with the lawsuit over the name iPhone, that evidently Cisco has owned the rights to since 2000. This could end up being a marketing headache for Apple. If they do end up renaming the device, I will venture to guess it will be “iFone” or something akin. “iPod” is a rather meaningless name, yet oddly descriptive, so I was surprised when Apple chose to use such an uninspired descriptor as “phone” in the name.

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After yesterday’s unveiling of the Apple iPhone, I have been seeing lots of information, photos, more photos, and videos of what looks to be the proverbial gauntlet throw for the mobile hardware industry. I have but three words to express my joy: it’s about time. I keep looking down at my Motorola Q, currently resting on my desk, and smirking about how antiquated it suddenly seems for a device that launched only a few months ago… not to mention its endless problems, from tactile design flaws to crippling software bugs; like the one where it decides randomly about once a week that it does not want to charge when I plug it in before bed, making for a four-letter-word ridden situation the following morning when I am greeted with a critical battery warning. I will trade this Q in a heartbeat for what looks to be a beautifully thought out savior in a mobile world of rushed development cycles, sub-par product designs, and frustrations that extend far beyond the occasional dropped call. I have not traditionally been an Apple fan, but this product has the potential to make me into one. The thoughtful use of sensors on the iPhone is just one of a thousand examples showing that Steve and the gang have a clue, and that the iPod was not a one hit wonder for Apple’s success in the mass market. One final thought: the US has notoriously been behind Europe and parts of Asia by about three to five years in the mobile world tech curve. Could this be a turning point?

It was the best of markets, it was the worst of markets… ok, actually, it has been the worst of markets, and my house has been on it for nearly ten months. As of New Years Day, it is officially under contract! What a great way to start 2007. The close date is set for the end of the month, and I will sing and dance once that is final and I have a check in my hand. The crazy part is exactly what happened the day of the offer…

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