· Make a Wish List – Before taking your client to view a homesite, ask them to create a wish list of what they want their dream home to include. Make sure you know how big they want their backyard to be, what kind of landscaping they’re interested in and if they're interested in adding any extra amenities to their home.

· Know Community Rules – It’s important to become familiar with property owner associations to learn what kind of restrictions are in place when it comes to adding certain features like fences or outdoor kitchens. You don’t want to promise your client something that isn’t realistic.

· Tour the Entire Community – Don’t forget to show more than just the actual street they’ll be living on. Get out and show nearby restaurants and shopping centers as well as athletic facilities, schools and churches that make the community special.

· Meet the Neighbors – Encourage your clients to attend a homeowner or property owner association meeting to get engaged with future neighbors and to discuss why they enjoy living in the area. This will help future residents feel comfortable in their new community.

For more advice on showing a homesite and selling land, visit www.bluegreencommunities.com to access additional resources including Agent Express, a referral program that gives you the tools to market land for sale to your clients and the opportunity to earn 6% in referral fees!

1. Facebook – This is the most versatile social networking site for sharing real estate news. By adding available homesites and news about the property to Facebook, you open up the opportunity for conversation. It is also important to connect with current residents in addition to potential ones as they can share testimonials, photos and tips on why they decided to move to an area.

2. Twitter – Twitter is the best way to stay informed on news and information not only related to real estate but also to the communities you’re involved with. You can follow news outlets like Inman and Landflip for land-buying advice, as well as local news outlets and organizations to easily see what is going on in the communities your clients are looking to live in.

3. YouTube – YouTube allows you to show your clients an actual tour of homesites without leaving their couch. Record a walkthrough of the property and highlight the features that make the land unique. Also take videos of the community and nearby amenities that they will be able to enjoy once they move to the area.

4. Flickr – Flickr allows you to create photo albums of properties and developments and share them with colleagues and potential clients. As it's true that "pictures are worth a thousand words," your Flickr albums will no doubt speak for themselves. Be sure to add keyword-friendly descriptions so your photos show up in search engine results as well.

Have you had success using social media to sell land? Share your story with us by commenting below!

Upon purchasing land and building a home on it, it will be evaluated to determine an assessment rate. Tax assessors will look into the value of your home and the materials with which it was built when determining the rate. When you build a home on your land, it will be recognized as an improvement. Another bonus is that the equity in the property will increase as well.

It is important when moving to a new area to ask your real estate agent about upcoming projects in the community that might affect your property taxes. While adding valuable assets like schools, parks and roads to the community are important, you want to make sure you know how it will affect you as a citizen and taxpayer. Consider attending a city council meeting before moving to a new place and take note on upcoming projects and events that your future neighbors are acting upon.

For more tips on buying land and building your dream home, visit Bluegreen Communities’ Land Owner Resources.

When you set out to do your first homesite search, bring along a wish list of features that you hope your homesite will include. Consider if you want to have neighbors or if you’re interested in a more secluded spot in the neighborhood. Also take note of the natural elements surrounding your house including trees, streams or ponds and how it is affected by the weather. Analyzing these features will allow you to plan how you will lay out your house and can help you financially later down the road when it comes to insuring your home.

Lastly, be sure to check that the homesite meets the needs of your family. Consider how many rooms your house will need and see if the homesite allows room for the size of the house you want plus exterior features like a backyard and swimming pool. You want to make the most of your homesite, but you also don’t want to feel constricted once the home is complete!

By investigating and buying the land for your future home, you will have peace of mind knowing the land you chose is a quality homesite. Ready to start the search for your homesite? Visit www.BluegreenCommunities.com to start your search today!

Check out these five tips for creating and maintaining your profile on LinkedIn:

1. Make your profile personal but professional – When creating your profile, make sure you use a professional headshot or photo. This will be one of the first details someone sees! Also make sure your profile includes your skillset, any professional organizations you’re associated with and certifications you’ve earned.

2. Upload your email contacts – Once you’ve created your account, upload a CSV file of your email contacts and invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn.

3. Write and request recommendations – If you have a former colleague you had a good experience with, you can write a recommendation that will appear on their profile. In exchange, you can ask them to write a recommendation for you that will show up on your profile about their experience with you.

4. Join groups – Whether you’re interested in local real estate, home buying trends or buying land, there are several groups you can join that will allow you to interact with fellow LinkedIn users who are interested in the same subjects as you are. This is a great way to network and learn from those in your industry.

5. Stay active – It’s important to check your LinkedIn account on a regular basis to stay involved with groups, manage connection requests and check messages. Be sure to also post status updates on your profile – these can include Tweets from your Twitter account, blog posts or links to properties that are up for sale.

Are you on LinkedIn? How have you benefitted from this social networking site as a real estate professional?

Click here to connect with Bluegreen Communities on LinkedIn.

Dallas real estate insider and blogger Candy Evans is in the know when it comes to real estate news. Her blogs, Candy's Dirt and Second Shelters, share the latest on homes for sale, home buying and design trends and human interest stories. See what Candy predicts for the real estate industry in 2012 and what she looks for when buying land:

Considering the upcoming election and the ever-changing economy, how do you think the housing market will fare in 2012?

I think it will be pretty much the same as 2011 - baby steps of improvement, but nothing dramatic. An analyst at a Wall Street firm predicted a housing recovery in 2012, but I’m not so sure. We still have such a long way to go to get through foreclosures and short sales. Mark Fleming over at CoreLogic, a major index company that tracks sales prices of distressed and non-distressed properties that I think is more accurate than Case Shiller, says home prices continue to decline in response to the weak demand for housing.

“While many housing statistics are basically moving sideways, prices continue to correct for a supply and demand imbalance. Looking forward, our forecasts indicate flat growth through 2013,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.

Also, real estate is incredibly regional. Texas continues to fare better than the rest of the U.S. We had no bubbles; our market stayed pretty steady and did not fall like markets in other states.

What do you consider most important when buying land?

Location, location, location! That’s the one thing you cannot change, period. Also, look at the neighborhood and environment. Though you may not have a home or plan to build for a while, you want to be in a strong community with others who are going to take care of their properties and prioritize maintenance to preserve value.

Are you noticing any trends in home building and design?

Yes! I’ve noticed people are leaning towards smaller homes, homes on one floor and there’s also been the resurgence of the ranch. It’s funny: the high rise condos in Dallas built for “downsized” living are too small – folks are buying one and two units and putting them together! We don’t want to be too small, but really, I think we will increasingly see fewer homes larger than 5,500 square feet. Utilities are going to go up, and water for lawns and fountains is getting scarce. We all have to conserve more!

Do you have a favorite real estate app?

I like Trulia, Zillow,Realtor.com but mostly I love my news feeds on pricing!

What’s your favorite spot for Texas real estate?

Dallas, Fort Worth - southwest Fort Worth is gorgeous! But I really love the Hill Country and Boerne. I visited Vintage Oaks and fell in love with the terrain, topography, and the pool and clubhouse! It’s just so calm and beautiful there, and the rest of the world is discovering it.

What’s best about living in Texas?

I am a Chicago girl who was educated in the east, never dreamed I’d end up in Texas. But I LOVE it! I love the climate – sure, we have our extremes, but they do not last. I love the people who are so friendly and unpretentious. And I love the way there are no ceilings – you really feel the can-do spirit here. I also LOVE the real estate and think we have some of the most beautiful homes here, and I think we care about our homes more. Here is a great example of why I love covering real estate! These people moved a 4,000 square foot plus home in six sections, wrapping each in Tyvek like a 98,000 pound ornament, a process that took them 10 years to complete. Are we nuts about our houses in Texas? You bet, and I love it!

Circles: Circles allow to you to categorize your connections into groups based on interests and your relationship with them. When sharing information, you can choose which Circles you post information to making your posts more personal and effective.  For example, create a Circle for clients and share new listings, and then create a Circle for your peers that shares news and market trends that you wouldn't share with a client.  You can also make Circles that are based on location for sharing information about different cities and communities.

Hangouts: Google+ Hangouts allow users to connect with their Circles through video chat. Hangouts are a great opportunity to host a live discussion with a group. Realtors® can use Hangouts to make announcements, host Q&A sessions and have forums with colleagues. Hangouts are also hosted right on the Google+ page so there's no need to download software. All you need to participate in a Hangout is a computer with a camera and microphone.

Sparks: Sparks allow you to follow specific news and stories that are being shared on Google+. Upon creating a profile, you can create your own Spark search terms that will be saved on your homepage for easy access. You can then share information from your Sparks with relevant Circles.

Pages: Google+ recently began allowing businesses to have pages that users can follow and share information from. Once you create a profile, you can set up a page for your business and brand it with photos, links and news as it happens.

Ready to create your own Google+ profile and page? Visit www.plus.google.com to get started today, and be sure to add Bluegreen Communities to your Circles.

If a family member does not qualify for a loan from the bank, there is a chance they could have difficulty making payments on a loan from a parent or grandparent. Be sure to know the financial situation of both family members involved before signing any paperwork. Especially in the case of large loans, lenders are encouraged to watch for gift taxes when it comes to giving a loan to a family member. In addition to paying attention to gift tax, lenders are also encouraged to include a clause on interest rates to be sure that the lender and the home buyer agree that the rate will stay the same or increase after a set amount of time.

Want to see if you and your family member qualify for a family mortgage? Contact your local bank or lending firm, and begin planning your family's dream home today.

- Evernote – This app’s goal is to make sure you remember everything including notes, pictures and voice recordings. Once you create an account, you will have a database available at any time that you can quickly sync to a computer or tablet device.

- Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com – These three are great location-based applications. When you download these applications, you can walk up to an area (or drive by on a boat) and use the GPS tool to look up available listings in the area.

- MyMoby – This application puts your safety first. Invite friends and family to view your location and know where you are at all times while showing homes or meeting with someone for the first time. If you find yourself in an unsafe situation, you can discreetly send an alert to your contacts or alert emergency services to provide assistance.

- Around Me – Need to find a coffee shop or gas station? Around Me allows you to hold your smartphone up facing the direction you’re heading in and tell you what amenities are in the vicinity.

- MapQuest – Nothing is worse than being lost on your way to an appointment. With Mapquest, you can plug in your destination and it will announce directions so you can be focused on the road and not on your phone looking at a map.

- Salesforce Mobile – This application keeps our team organized when we’re on the go. Download this application and you can easily check in on leads and keep track of appointments.

Tell us what smartphone applications you find most helpful!

“We are anticipating further, gradual gains in the builder confidence gauge heading into 2012 due to these pockets of improving conditions that are slowly spreading,” said NAHB Chief Economist, David Crowe.

The national HMI score is based on an average of four regional scores. This month, the HMI rose in three out of four US regions; the Midwest increased by eight points to 23, the Northeast increased by three points to 17 and the South increased two points to 21. The NAHB and Wells Fargo have been conducting the survey for more than 20 years based on builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months. The survey then asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers and compares it to expectations to determine the HBI.