We finally became fed up with a certain someone and kicked him out. So, I’m completely taking over this week. You’re welcome.

ANYWAY let’s get started!

As you will soon notice, if you haven’t already, the theme this week is all about change. As more and more people move here for various reasons (Amazon), we have to try to stay ahead of what this means for housing. The majority are young people at an early point in their careers who are unable to afford their own place despite having good jobs. This could open up some serious opportunities for forward-thinking builders.

Since it’s my show this week, I’m going to throw out a few of my own insane ideas:

  • Tiny Homes have been a popular trend for a while now, but we’ve yet to see a Tiny Home master-planned community here with the full amenities of other communities. Attempts throughout the country have been met with a number of zoning issues, but maybe the right visionary could come in and make an argument for these efficient, affordable neighborhoods.
  • Can homes be designed more effectively to be a source of income for their owners and offset some of the cost? Could options be added to make a home more Airbnb friendly or create more functional private spaces for renters within a single home space?
  • The National Building Museum has an interesting exhibit running right now exploring some new types of housing and innovations including “The Open House.” Their Resource Guide is a fascinating read or you can go to their website.

I may be crazy, but I have to believe some of these ideas will become commonplace in just a few short years. What are your thoughts?

Facebook has recently changed the way it functions requiring agents to directly interact in a more personal way and provide original content if they want to be noticed. It’s all in an effort to clean up the “spam bin” most people’s News Feeds have become.

Inman has 10 Facebook features you may not be aware of to help you brave this new environment and thrive in it. Here are a few in particular that stood out to me as especially helpful.

Sendible allows you to preset messages to clients and your circle. Never miss an important follow-up opportunity.

Facebook 360 now lets you add 360-degree pictures and video for another way to showcase a home or event.

Olympia is currently one of five test cities nationwide to be testing the Today In app function, which is intended to provide more locally relevant news and information to users. If you have a hard time thinking about how to start a conversation, this could be a good place to start.

Who knows, maybe one of these could spark a whole new strategy for you.