Spec for Uncle Chitos Site
1. MLS data feeds - this is a major data feed for all real estate that is for sale.
2. Theme - simple page
3. Acquia install utilizing tagadelic and apache solr search
4. organic groups for people to post additional non-mls listings - users buyers / sellers
5. "page funnel" that leads to people contacting chito collantes - apcollantes@gmail.com
6. Potentially clean up to Drupal 5 MLS module to "save?" time
I've created a user id for you on cognitivemetaphors.com - apcollantes / password: MMMM4.
I've got 5 interns working for the next 9 weeks that I've personally funded. I have a number of things that they are working on. If they move fast enough, I think they will have the experience and we can have them spend some time on your site at the end. Perhaps you can also buy some of their time once they are back in school to finish things up.
In the mean time, let's go back and forth together you and I on writing a specification for your site. We have to break the work down into small chunks that the 5 can do in 3 day increments since I only have them for 10-15 hours per week. I started a section in my wiki for your site.
http://www.cognitivemetaphors.com/content/cm-summer-internship-2009-commercialpropertiesinflorida
Go here and as a first step, try to edit the article that ties to this link.
I'll ask that you do a lot of the research and a good amount of the business analysis work while I point you in the direction you need to go to give them the proper business analysis to get the job done. You need to break it down more than just giving me an example website. I'd like to help but I don't have enough time to get you where you want to go without that. My suggestion is to start with a business analysis, drive into what's available, see if we can get the interns or pay someone else to fix the MLS module so it works with Drupal 6, join the Drupal real estate community forum and get involved.
An example of work breakdown into "Sprints" is what the kids are doing for dmgjeepwillys.com see:
http://www.cognitivemetaphors.com/content/cm-summer-internship-2009-dmgjeepwilly - see the SPRINT 1,2,3 links.
I would suggest that you also become active in the Drupal real estate community. It seems their implementation of MLS is a bit behind. It's an opportunity to really provide some thought leadership in this area and to hopefully attract some developers to help us out.
1. We need to see if we can tie in to the MLS data feeds. Do you have an MLS account? Do you know what MLS RETS/IDX is? Do you have access to this? I don't suggest that we hand enter property descriptions. This is a waste of your time - do you agree? We can certainly make a nicely formatted listings form if you want more than just MLS.
Community
http://drupal.org/node/286583
http://groups.drupal.org/real-estate
MODULES
http://drupal.org/project/mls
By awjrichards on the 11th of June, 2008
The MLS Module allows for Drupal sites to incorporate real estate listings provided by MLS services as CCK content. It opens the door for access to RETS and IDX based MLS feeds. Currently, you must also have VieleRETS installed in order to tap into RETS-compliant listings. For IDX based feeds, this module includes a simple API for turning csv-based feeds and their images into nodes.
There are a few major issues in the current codebase. I am slowly working to resolve the issues/put out patches/etc., but my workload continues to be very high which is preventing me from devoting much time to this project. I think all of the major pitfalls have been addressed in the issues for this project - please check them out to get an idea of what to expect and some of the necessary tweaks you might need to make.
Version Date Links Status
http://drupal.org/project/home
Home (Real Estate)
By Michael M on the 18th of December, 2007
This is the Drupal home (real estate) module. It allows you to add and search for homes. A variety of modules are included to:
-Display maps
- Manage pictures (gallery)
- Print flyers
- Contact the poster of the home
- Browse home by country, state, city, and home type
- Print-view of homes
- Send homes to their cell phone or email
- and more!
SYSTEMS
VieleRETS (http://www.crt.realtors.org/projects/rets/viele/)
MLS RETS/IDX integration into Drupal
Let me know if you are willing to do it this way. I think we'll get a lot further along if we do it this way. I also need you to tell me when things are not easy enough for you to move forward and then we can discuss what to do to get past that point.
