Townhomes at Boca Bay

The Oaks at Boca Bay. Pretty descriptive, we have been told. The developers of this special part of Topsail Island have demonstrated their stewardship by saving the live oaks that have graced this property for more than 100 years, and by planting additional trees for the future.

The Oaks at Boca Bay will be a small community, further protecting the unique environment. Secluded island living in the heart of Topsail Island, yet providing convenient access to all the amenities in Surf City, Topsail Beach, Sneads Ferry and Wilmington.
Feel more like following greens than following seas? The Golf Digest top rated North Shore Country Club is just a few miles away. The Surf City park, with its boardwalk around the sound, playground, public boat ramps and picnic shelters is the site of many island celebrations and fun for young and old.

Call Rand today (910.352.1414)for the complete information about this once in a lifetime opportunity on Topsail Island or visit www.randburchfield.com or the website at www.bocabaync.com. Oh, and the pricing begins at $289,900., a great opportunity for island living!

Listing your home during the holidays? Here are some ideas!

Holiday Staging Ideas

Curb Appeal
Remove spent plants from the landscape. Freshen up any pots with cold hardy plants. Hang a welcoming wreath on the front door.

Packing Up
As you break out the holiday cookware and decorations sort through items that you don't use anymore. Try to find a new home for them that is not your home! When the holidays are over be sure to pack items carefully so that you won't have to repack when it's time to move.

Time for Some Warm Glows
The holidays are a great time to decorate with candles. Consider grouping all different sizes. Keep fragrances subtle so buyers won't wonder what you are trying to cover up.

Bring the Outdoors In
Take advantage of our mild winter climate that affords us so many green branches to clip and use for natural arrangements. Tie a red bow around the container and group them for instant fresh decorations!

Less is More
Avoid the urge to decorate every nook and cranny of your house while it is on the market! Decorations can distract buyers from seeing your home's features and make the house appear less spacious.

~ Courtesy of our friends at "Exiting - Staged Right!"

How about this view from your balcony on Topsail Island?

Living on Carolina Time ~ October 2010 Newsletter ~ The Burchfield Group

The first weekend of October was glorious! The 2010 RiverFest is in the history books and from all accounts was wildly successful, with huge crowds on Saturday. After a week of record setting rainfall, the cabin fevered folks enjoyed a bright autumnal day by the Cape Fear River.

Lots more events are on the way in October along the Carolina coast. We've mentioned in few of them in our newsletter (see link) and hope you'll come and be our guest!

Living on Carolina Time October Newsletter from The Burchfield Group.pdf

Top Ten Homebuying and Selling Tips for You ~ Tip # 1

Top 10 Homebuying and Selling Tips for Fall ~ Tip # 1

Whether you're hunting for a bargain or trying to close a deal before the holidays, take advantage of the season with these tips. Check back each day for the rest of the ideas!

#1: FALL SELLERS: Play Up the Season

Pleasant weather and richly hued foliage make fall one of the most beautiful times of the year. If you're selling a home, take advantage of it! As your summer plants start to fade, replace them with vibrant mums or other fall-blooming flowers. Tasteful autumn decorations -- like pumpkins, tri-colored corn or a wreath on the door -- can also enhance your home's curb appeal. But don't think the beauty of fall lets you off the hook when it comes to lawn maintenance. Be sure to keep falling leaves at bay with frequent raking, and patch up any brown spots in the grass.

Without breaking the bank, get a few fall-colored decorations for inside your house as well, like inexpensive window treatments or seasonal dinnerware. Fresh decor will make your space seem current and well maintained.

By Shannon Petrie, FrontDoor.com | Published: 8/20/2010

Year End Tax Planning ~ Special Concerns for 2010

Year-End Tax Planning--Special Concerns for 2010

Year-end tax planning is as much about 2011 as it is about 2010. Often, there's a real opportunity for year-end tax savings when you can predict that you'll be paying taxes at a lower rate in one year than in the other. For example, under the right circumstances, deferring a year-end bonus or potentially accelerating deductions into the current year can pay off in a big way. Of course, to effectively plan, it helps to have a good idea of what next year's tax rates will be. Unfortunately, as 2010 draws to a close, 2011 brings some uncertainty in that regard.
Will there be higher tax rates in 2011?

Currently, there are six marginal federal income tax brackets: 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, and 35%. These brackets--the result of 2001 tax legislation--expire at the end of 2010. As things stand now, in 2011 the 10% bracket disappears, and the remaining brackets return to their pre-2001 levels: 15%, 28%, 31%, 36%, and 39.6%. Though it would take action by Congress, the president has indicated that he would like to permanently extend the 2010 rates for individuals earning less than $200,000 and married couples earning less than $250,000 (these dollar benchmarks would be reduced by an amount that reflected the standard deduction and exemption amounts), but allow the two highest brackets to return to 36% and 39.6% for higher earners.
What about long-term capital gains?

Currently, long-term capital gain is generally taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. If you're in the 10% or 15% marginal income tax bracket in 2010, though, a special 0% rate applies (in other words, you owe no tax on any long-term capital gain). The same rates apply to qualified dividends received in 2010.

These rates also expire at the end of the year. The maximum rate on long-term capital gain in 2011 will generally increase to 20%, with a 10% rate applying to individuals in the lowest tax bracket (special rules would apply to qualifying property held for five years or more). Qualifying dividends will be taxed as ordinary income. The president has proposed to permanently extend the 0% and 15% rates, with a new 20% rate applying to high-income individuals (those in the 36% and 39.6% tax brackets). Again, though, that all depends on what Congress does in the next few months.
Other considerations

* 2010 Roth IRA conversions: A special rule applies to Roth IRA conversions in 2010 that allows you to postpone paying federal income tax on the income that results from the conversion. Instead of including the taxable income that results from the conversion on your 2010 federal income tax return (still an option if you so choose), you can report half the income on your 2011 return and half on your 2012 return. Whether a Roth conversion makes sense for you depends on your individual circumstances, including your marginal income tax rate in 2011 and 2012.
* Alternative minimum tax (AMT): In a now-familiar pattern, legislation that temporarily increased AMT exemption amounts, forestalling a dramatic increase in the number of individuals ensnared by the tax expired at the end of 2009. Congress is likely to act, but the specifics are uncertain.
* Required minimum distributions (RMDs): The requirement to take minimum distributions from IRAs and defined contribution plans was temporarily suspended for 2009; minimum distribution requirements are once again in effect for 2010.
* Pending legislation: Legislation is pending to extend some popular provisions that had expired, including the ability to deduct state and local sales tax in lieu of income tax on Schedule A, the additional standard deduction for state and local real property tax, and the above-the-line deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses. And additional legislation is likely, too, so stay up-to-date.

Provided courtesy of Taylor Financial

For Sale: 3BR/2BA Single Family House in Sneads Ferry, NC, $259,900

For Sale: 3BR/2BA Single Family House in Sneads Ferry, NC, $259,900

Why We Need the Mortgage Interest Deduction

Why the MID Deserves to Stay

Limiting the mortgage interest deduction would hurt middle-income earners.
By Lawrence Yun | September 2010



We’ve heard increased chatter among opinion makers about the need to eliminate or trim the mortgage interest deduction. The argument goes something like this: Not only would ending the MID create a deep source of money for reducing the U.S. budget deficit, but in the aftermath of the mortgage crisis, the country needs to rethink its favored tax treatment of homeownership.



However, this argument downplays two critical facts. First, home owners already pay 80 to 90 percent of the income tax in our country, and among those who claim the MID, almost two-thirds are middle-income earners.



So, when we talk about the beneficiaries of this tax benefit, we’re talking about households who are the pillars of federal income tax revenue.



We would now be asking them to shoulder an additional tax burden, and also to brace for a 15 percent drop in home values—that’s how much we can expect values to fall as buyers discount the value of the deduction in their purchase offers.



Second, critics who link the mortgage meltdown to our country’s support for homeownership are ignoring the origins of the crisis: unprecedented laxity in underwriting and faulty ratings by credit rating agencies of the securities backed by those mortgages. Through the terms of 17 presidencies, the MID has brought remarkable stability to the housing market.



Yet, critics fail to recognize why our country has been so supportive of homeownership. Academic studies have demonstrated positive social benefits, including lower juvenile delinquency rates and higher student achievement among children of home owners.



Whatever deficit reduction might be realized by taking a carving knife to the MID would come at an intolerably steep price: trillions of dollars in wealth destruction and a new uncertainty in what has long been recognized as a bedrock of our economy.

Autumn with Topsail | Topsail Historical Society

Autumn with Topsail | Topsail Historical Society
Join us for one of the best fall events on the southeastern coast of North Carolina!

What In the World Is HAFA?

Home Sales Conracts Leap Higher

By Annalyn Censky, staff reporter, April 5, 2010: 12:04 PM ET


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Contracts for the sale of existing homes rose sharply in February, the National Association of Realtors' (NAR) said Monday.

In the single-biggest monthly rise since October 2001, pending home sales rose 8.2% in February. Economists were expecting a 1% decrease.

It was also a 17% improvement over February last year. The unexpected increase could indicate demand driven by the federal government's homebuyer tax credit, NAR said.

Buyers have to ink contracts by the end of April to take advantage of the tax credit, which offers first-time homebuyers up to $8,000, and those who are trading up as much as $6,500.

NAR's report measures signed real estate contracts, but not completed sales, for existing single-family homes, condos and co-ops. Pending home sales are considered a forward-looking indicator since many of the contracts don't result in completed transactions for many weeks or months.

The tax credit is not the only factor driving home sales: Improved consumer confidence and lower unemployment numbers are also likely to push the number higher over the next few months, said Robert Dye, a senior economist with PNC Financial Services.

"A lot of economic indicators are starting to move back into positive territory, and I think we're going to see a good number of homebuyers come into the market to take advantage of very favorable home prices, low mortgage rates and the tax credit," he said.

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Don't foreclose! Do a short sale

This Virginia home was sold in a short sale. A new government program will make these transactions more common.By Les Christie, staff writer March 29, 2010: 2:30 PM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Short sales are the hottest thing going in the distressed-property market, and the trend is expected to get even hotter in coming weeks, when the government starts handing out cash to encourage lenders to close these deals.
"Banks have ramped up short sale approvals," said Duane Legate of House Buyer Network, which connects short sellers with buyers. "They're hiring a lot of the people who once worked in the mortgage-lending industry and moved them over to short sales."These transactions, where lenders allow homeowners to sell their houses for less than they owe, accounted for 17% of all residential real estate sales in February, up from nearly 13% in November, according to a monthly real estate market survey by Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance.
And Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), the country's largest mortgage servicer, has more than doubled the number of short sales it processed in recent months.
Elizabeth Weintraub, a Sacramento, Calif.-area real estate agent who handles many short sales, was amazed at how quickly a recent deal went through. "Bank of America approved it in 24 days," she said. "That flipped me out."
This is a huge change from even just six months ago when the short-sale market was stalled and most people would describe the process has real estate hell. Because lenders stand to lose so much on these transactions, they have been reluctant to make short sales happen, often waiting months before getting back to potential buyers.

Beware: You lost your house but still have to pay

"In the past, many short sales would never come to fruition and the ones that did averaged over half a year to complete," said Chris Saitta, CEO of Equator, which produces short sale software.
"Things would just fall into a black hole and not come out again," added Weintraub.
And even when banks did agree to the sale, the process could be further complicated if the original owner had a second mortgage.
In most cases, the first lender is repaid in full before any money flows to a second-lein holder. And because most distressed borrowers are severely underwater, there's usually nothing left to send on. As a result, second-lein holders are left holding the bag and have been killing many deals.
But that has been changing. For one thing, banks realize that they make out far better financially with a short sale than a foreclosure. "The lenders lose 50% on a foreclosure and only 30% on a short sale," said Glenn Kelman, founder of the real estate Web site Redfin. "And short sales offer a way to get distressed properties off their books quickly."
And on April 5, lenders and mortgage investors will have even more incentives to offer troubled borrowers short sales instead of foreclosing.
Under the new Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program, borrowers will earn a $3,000 "relocation incentive" and servicers will get $1,500 for handling a short sale.
The investors who actually own the mortgage notes will get $2,000 in exchange for sharing proceeds of the short sales with any second-lien holders. And, finally, those second lien holders will receive up to $6,000 for releasing their claims.
Lenders participating in the program must also determine the market values of properties early on and inform the owners of just what price they're willing to accept. Then, if owners come back to the lenders with bonafide offers, they have to be accepted within 10 days.
Equator's Saiita anticipates a short sale explosion in response to the new program. "The challenge will be handling all the volume," he said.
The company has already tweaked its software, which 58 servicers use, to handle the new HAFA rules. And that should help reduce the time it takes to execute a sale, which currently averages 88 days.
The boom in short sales may accelerate the end to the foreclosure crisis by cleaning out the overhang of borrowers in distress and replacing them with more stable homeowners.
Plus, these sales are better for distressed borrowers because their credit scores suffer less. Going through a foreclosure can knock 200 points off a FICO score, twice as much as the penalty for a short sale.  

Sales of vacation homes rise!

NAR: Vacation-home sales rise

By AndreaBrambila

Created 2010-03-31 11:47

Sales of new and previously owned vacation homes rose last year, while investment-home sales dropped, according to a survey report [2] by the National Association of Realtors.
NAR's 2010 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey includes responses from residents in 1,930 randomly selected households who bought residential real estate in 2009. The association conducted the survey in March 2010 and controlled for age and income.
Vacation-home sales increased 7.9 percent to 553,000 in 2009 from 513,000 in 2008 [3], the report said. The market share for vacation homes rose to 10 percent, from 9 percent in 2008.
At the same time, investment-home sales declined 15.9 percent, to 940,000 last year from 1.12 million in 2008, the report said. The market share for such homes fell to 17 percent, from 21 percent in 2008.
"The typical vacation-home buyer is making a lifestyle choice, with nine out of 10 saying they intend to use the property for vacations or as a family retreat. Investment buyers primarily seek rental income," said Lawrence Yun, the association's chief economist, in a statement [4].
Sales of primary residences grew by 7.1 percent, to 4.04 million in 2009 from 3.77 million in 2008, the report said. With that increase, the share for second homes overall dipped to 27 percent in 2009, compared with 30 percent in 2008.
"First-time buyers were at record levels in 2009, with fewer sales of second homes," Yun said.
A quarter of vacation-home buyers plan to rent out their homes to others, compared to 59 percent of investment-home buyers. Only 19 percent of investment-home buyers hope to use the property as a family retreat. Slightly more investors (18 percent) than vacation-home buyers (13 percent) bought the property for a relative or friend to use.
According to the U.S. Census, the national vacancy rates in fourth-quarter 2009 were an estimated 10.7 percent for rental housing and an estimated 2.7 percent for homeowner housing. While the homeowner rate was not statistically different from the fourth quarter of 2008, the rental vacancy rate was 10.1 percent higher.
"The rental market is soft due to the economy, and investors realize it is much higher risk to secure occupancy in their rental property than in prior years,"said Alexis Eldorrado, managing broker of Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate.

About 8 percent of investment-home buyers vs. 26 percent of vacation-home buyers said they plan to use the property as a primary residence in the future, the report said.
The median home price for a primary residence fell 5.6 percent last year to $185,000, and the median price for investment properties also fell, by 2.8 percent to $105,000. About 15 percent of buyers paid all cash for their primary residences, and this was unchanged from 2008. All-cash buyers made up 48 percent of investment-home buyers, according to the latest survey, up from 42 percent in 2008.
Meanwhile, the median price for vacation homes rose 12.7 percent to $169,000, and 29 percent paid in cash. Even with a rise in vacation-home prices, some Realtors say their clients think now is a good time to buy.
"Ultimately (a vacation home) has been a dream for many, and with the sudden shift in market prices due to the economy, many people realize it is a good time to buy. People are buying today at prices from 10-12 years ago," Eldorrado said.
Regionally, half of vacation homes sold in 2009 were in the South, 21 percent in the West, 17 percent in the Midwest and 12 percent in the Northeast, the report said.
"I would say that (NAR's) data is pretty close to being spot on, with a couple of exceptions," said James Crumbaugh, CEO of Allison James Estate and Homes, which does business in 11 states and deals mostly in waterfront properties, beachfront condos, golf course communities and planned resort communities.
Those exceptions are Florida and California -- both areas whose prices Yun said have become especially attractive for buyers over the past year.
"In Southwest Florida, normally 70 percent of our business is in vacation homes or second homes. Most of these buyers plan on eventually retiring in Southwest Florida. However, the investors have (been) buying up the fire sales among these properties for the last year or so, and I would guess that close to 50 percent of these sales are now investor sales," Crumbaugh said.
"Prices are going up, and as a result the investors have determined that the bottom has passed. We are actually starting to see an inventory problem on the horizon for Southern California and Southwest Florida, so prices should continue to climb," he added.
Loren Sanders, a Realtor at Windermere Exclusive Properties in San Diego County, Calif., has seen a rise in both vacation home purchases and investment purchases. Distressed properties have played a key part in encouraging investment purchases, he said.
"The buy, fix and flip people are making good money, which draws more players."

Bank of America Home Loan Forgiveness

Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 2:45pm EDT  |  Modified: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 7:49am

BofA to offer home-loan forgiveness

Charlotte Business Journal - by Adam O’Daniel Staff Writer

Bank of America Corp. launched a program Wednesday that will offer mortgage-principal forgiveness worth about $3 billion to 45,000 borrowers.
The program will be used with other bank and federal efforts to help struggling homeowners, such as the Home Affordable Modification Program and National Homeownership Retention Program.
Only borrowers already eligible for loan modifications will be considered for the new program. And BofA says it will contact borrowers with the offer because only a limited group of customers will be eligible. The program is intended to serve borrowers who owe at least 120 percent of their home’s value and are more than 60 days past due on mortgage payments.
Any forgiveness will depend on the borrower making on-time payments for up to five years. If the home’s value rises, the amount of principal forgiven may be reduced.
Bank of America Home Loans President Barbara Desoer says the purpose of offering principal forgiveness is to modify distressed mortgages at a better rate and to balance the interests of customers and investors.
“Many homeowners who owe considerably more on their mortgages than their homes are worth are reluctant to accept a solution that addresses only the amount of the payment without an accompanying reduction in the balance due on the loan,” Desoer said. “We believe by first addressing the significant underwater condition of some NHRP-eligible loans, the rates of customer acceptance of HAMP trial modifications and conversions to permanent modifications on those loans will be improved, and the homeowners will be more motivated to make payments.”
Desoer says the new policy “recognizes and addresses the interests of mortgage investors by ensuring that forgiveness is tied to the homeowner’s performance, reducing the probability of a future default under the modified terms, and adjusting the total amount to be forgiven in light of any gains in property values that might occur in an economic recovery.”
Here’s how the new policy works:
•BofA will contact eligible borrowers. No action is needed by customers.
•Borrowers must be underwater on their mortgage by at least 20 percent and be 60 days past due on payments.
•BofA will offer interest-free forbearance for principal loan amounts above the home’s value.
•That forbearance amount will be forgiven at a rate of 20 percent of its initial balance each year for three years.
•After three years, the loan will be reevaluated. Loans still exceeding the home’s value will continue to receive forgiveness. If the home’s value has increased during the three-year period, and the borrower is no longer underwater, then no more principal will be forgiven.
•Borrowers must make on-time payments to remain in the program.
BofA says principal reduction will be the first consideration in a loan modification. Then the bank will consider reducing interest rates if further assistance is needed.
Desoer says Charlotte-based BofA (NYSE:BAC) becomes the first major mortgage servicer to implement such a program. She says the program is needed because many underwater borrowers are reluctant to accept loan modifications unless a principal reduction is offered. But in trials, she says 30 percent of borrowers who declined a loan modification changed their mind when principal reduction was offered.
The new policy is far from a silver bullet for the housing crisis. Only 45,000 borrowers at BofA are estimated to be eligible — about 1.5 million borrowers are 60 days or more delinquent on payments, bank officials say.
Still, improving the rate of loan modifications is an important step for BofA because distressed homeowners who can’t agree to terms of a modification often end up in foreclosure.
“Modifications are better than foreclosures,” says Jack Schakett, credit-loss mitigation strategies executive at BofA.
Customers seeking more information should click here.

Beat IRS at its own game | Real Estate and Technology News for Agents, Brokers and Investors | Inman News

Beat IRS at its own game | Real Estate and Technology News for Agents, Brokers and Investors | Inman News

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What effect will the FCC broadband plan have on mobile marketing? - Mobile Marketer - Associations

What effect will the FCC broadband plan have on mobile marketing? - Mobile Marketer - Associations

What effect will the FCC broadband plan have on mobile marketing?

By Giselle Tsirulnik

March 18, 2010

Mobile industry heavyweights weigh in on the FCC broadband plan

The Federal Communications Commission has submitted a National Broadband Plan to Congress and the ambitious agenda holds quite some promise for mobile marketing and commerce.

The National Broadband Plan’s aim is to connect all corners of the nation while transforming the economy and society with the communications network of the future – a robust, affordable Internet.

“Mobile is essential to the future of broadband,” said an FCC spokesman. “Increasingly, Americans access the Internet from devices they carry around with them wherever they go.

“Carriers report massive increases in data usage over the past several years and industry analysts expect this trend to accelerate,” he said. “If we are not prepared, we will face a shortage of spectrum, the ‘oxygen’ of mobile broadband.

“In order to ensure that mobile grows into the next great platform for innovation in America, the Broadband Plan recommends making 500 megahertz of spectrum newly available over the next 10 years and 300 megahertz in five years.”

According the FCC, if we do not take these steps, we put ourselves at risk of limiting the potential of mobile broadband.

On the other hand, if we take proactive steps now, we will ensure that America is the home of the world’s best mobile broadband networks in the decade to come and will protect the country’s global competiveness.

A looming shortage of wireless spectrum could impede U.S. innovation and leadership in popular wireless mobile broadband services.

More useful applications, devices and content are needed to create value for consumers.

And the nation has failed to harness broadband’s power to transform delivery of government services, health care, education, public safety, energy conservation, economic development and other national priorities.

The broadband plan would have big impacts on mobile marketing and commerce as well.

“Negatively speaking I would say that having more allowance for media will decrease the mobile Internet search engine indexing reliability – in other words Google, Bing and Yahoo mobile search engines will not be able to interpret the true video, sound and image relevance; leaving perhaps the best search results out of the list,” said Phil Robinson, marketing and PR executive at Piri Ltd, Manchester, Britain.

But every cloud has a silver lining.

“Positively speaking the faster broadband would increase the mobile Web site delivery time to users, making mobile Internet media more diverse and deliverable,” Mr. Robinson said. “So, mobile marketers can offer videos and media as part of their mobile site promotions and content.”

The plan’s goal is to ensure that the U.S. is leading the world in mobile innovation by making 500 megahertz of spectrum newly available for licensed and unlicensed use.

This will bring affordable broadband to rural communities, schools, libraries and vulnerable populations and give marketers a whole new target market.

Retailers will also benefit from the broadband plan.

“Upgrading the grid to provide faster and more reliable internet access is a great thing for consumers, online businesses and investors,” said Tim Schulz, senior product manager and general manager of mobile commerce and application platforms at Magento. “Online-retail players will especially benefit from this since the sector is already expected to double to $250 billion over the next four years.

“The impact on the mobile market will be more nuanced though,” he said. “Since mobile browsers can’t yet take advantage of native features within each device until technologies like HTML5 mature, we predict an even sharper rise in the importance of mobile apps to drive mobile commerce.

“These new proposals from the FCC will play well into this strategy since faster speeds mean more smartphone adoption – and more smartphones create a larger market for mobile apps.”

The plan was mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009 and was produced by an FCC task force that set new precedents for government openness, transparency and rigor.

Information for the plan was gathered in 36 public workshops, 9 field hearing and 31 public notices that produced 75,000 pages of public comments.

The debate went online with 131 blog posts that triggered 1,489 comments; 181 ideas on Idea Scale garnering 6,100 votes; 69,500 views on YouTube; and 335,000 Twitter followers.

The task force augmented this voluminous record with independent research and data-gathering.

“The change will be profound,” said Jamus Driscoll, vice president of marketing at Demandware, Woburn, MA. “Just as shopping on personal and work computers accelerated as broadband availability increased, so too will mobile commerce.

However, there are characteristics to mobile that make it likely to be adopted at rates exponentially higher than its PC-predecessor.

According to Morgan Stanley research, adoption of mobile Internet outpaces that of the PC by a factor of eight.

“What this means is that in a few year’s time, we won’t be called the ‘mobile’ Web, it will just be the Web,” Mr. Driscoll said.

“The other opportunity with mobile is that unlike the PC, the mobile device combines the Web—which brings with it virtually unlimited choices in data and applications—with context of the user’s location and preferences delivered into a device that is seen by the user as personal connection to themselves," he said.

“The possibilities just in the world of commerce are endless."

'March Newsletter from The Burchfield Group'

'March Newsletter from The Burchfield Group'