Propertyqube is a free real estate social community which just launched about two weeks ago. The community site allows homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters to share their PropertyLife stories, discuss home improvement projects and connect with and recommend Property Professionals to their trust network. The site allows members to build a network of trusted property resources.

Members of the site can also get answers to property related questions on one of four Conversations Boards, including a dedicated board to Green Living. After looking through the Conversations boards, topics cover the entire real estate lifecycle. Some examples of conversation topics include home improvement return on investment and making your property environmentally friendly.

Here’s a sample homeowner profile.

For real estate professionals, the site is a good way to reach and promote your services to consumers for free. The professional profiles are designed differently from homeowners where agents can host a featured listing, a website link, a blog link along with contact information. Contractors have the ability to host featured projects. Here is a screenshot of an agent profile.

An important feature on the site is the different privacy setting controls. All Real Estate Professionals have public profiles displaying the number of connections in their network by user type (ie. 5 contractors, 2 appraisers, etc) but only those connected to the professional can see the actual individuals they are connected with. For homeowners and renters, each PropertyLife story is public but you must be connected to the individual to see their full profile. Photos also have multiple privacy settings.

A recent entry on their blog indicates that there is new functionality coming soon so it should be interesting to see how their platform morphs over time.

Are you considering the install of a new central air conditioner in your Boston condo? You can save energy and money – and stay cool- by buying an energy-efficient model.

Today’s most efficient air conditioners use between 30 and 50 percent less energy that models from 30 years ago to generate the same amount of cooling. Even if your air conditioner is only ten years old, replacing it may save you up to 40 percent in energy costs.

Consider these factors when shopping for a new central air conditioner.

Proper Sizing – Match the right unit to cool your home efficiently. A unit that’s too large will not adequately remove humidity, and one that is too small won’t cool enough on those oppressively hot days.

Season Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) – This measure indicates the relative amount of energy needed to provide a specific cooling output. Look for a model with a high SEER (much like you should look for a window air conditioner with a high ER). Many older systems have a SEER of 6 or lower. Residential central air conditioners made since January 2006 must have a SEER of 13 or higher.

Unit location, insulation, duct installation, and other factors also affect air conditioning efficiency. An experienced contractor can recommend a system that’s best for your Boston condo.

On Wednesday at 6 a.m. PDT, visitors to the Google Maps website will find a new tab called MyMaps, which allows you to be in the driver’s seat on creating maps using hundreds of mini-applications created by independent software developers to overlay data on top of Google’s popular online map service.

This could take any number of spins, anywhere from mapping out your open house weekend with pictures and video to overlaying your next Boston condo with crime statistics.

To get your started, let’s take a look at a base map of the Bryant on Columbus, and then overlay gasoline prices at nearby stations so you know where to fill up your car:

1. Check out a quick MyMaps of the Bryant on Columbus condo development
2. Once there, click on the MyMaps tab just under the Google Maps logo in the upper left
3. You should now see some options under ‘Featured Content’
4. Click on the checkbox next to ‘Gas Prices from GasBuddy.com’, which should then ask you for a zip code, go ahead and type in ‘02116’, click ‘Find Gas Prices’, and you’re off and running!

If you would like to experiment further, go back to step 2 and click on the ‘Add Content’ button, which will open up many more options. Happy map making!

What has helped you in your Boston condo search? More and more of our clients are starting their search for a Boston condo early in their home-buying thought process, giving themselves plenty of runway to find the right condo.

One of the easiest, and most effective, ways to keep you finger on the pulse of the Boston condo market is to sign up for free Boston condo updates in your email. You control all of the search criteria for these updates, allowing you to develop a handle on the condo market for the specific niche of properties in which you are interested.

Take the next step, and sign up for Boston condo updates today.

Coming to a common area near you, a new Boston condo cleaning company has just launched, Beacon Halls Cleaning Service, LLC. Beacon Halls will focus on common area cleaning for condominiums, apartment buildings, and single family residences in the Boston proper area.

Given the name, Beacon Halls, the company does indeed have a focus on the Beacon Hill neighborhood, however, they service all of downtown Boston, and are capable of handling any size condo development.

The Founder of Beacon Halls Cleaning Service has a Boston property management background, and has first-hand experience with how to serve condo owners and residents alike with professional, prompt, and courteous service.

Based upon my property management experience, there is a real need out there, so what better than to provide a service that puts condominium owners and residents at ease, knowing that when they come home from their day in the city, the main areas of their building show well,” said the Founder of Beacon Halls Cleaning Service, LLC.

For further information, and to schedule an introduction or a cleaning with Beacon Halls, please contact us, and we will put you in touch.