Congratulations ActiveRain! We Are Now Over 100,000 Members Strong!

Congratulations ActiveRain.com for your huge accomplishment!   We are now over 100,000 members strong.  

Matt and Jonathan, congratulations!  2008 has been a stellar year.   Thank you for a fine organization!  You are true visionaries!  

Here is an interesting article I found about our organization on Mashable.com.  I always like knowing how things work, don't you?

January 21, 2008

Social network for real estate professionals ActiveRain has just raised $2.75 million in financing from HouseValues , which is another company that's involved in the real estate market. According the VentureBeat , "The site has been around for about two and a half years, but was thus far bootstrapped. Co-founders Matt Heaton and Jonathan Washburn report on the company blog that they will retain a majority share and control over the company."

While ActiveRain may not be the most appealing based on its aesthetics, it's clear that the company is hoping to provide a great deal of value by way of functionality. The network enables real estate professionals to create their own personal web pages within the ActiveRain network, for self-promotional purposes. Users can place their contact information, website links, video and image content on these pages, and it looks like there are also options to provide things like click-to-call tools on their profiles as well. Other tools take advantage of things that worked like LinkdIn, like referrals and a Q&A session.

HouseValues, the company that has invested in ActiveRain, looks to be an online resource for home values in various regions of the country. Perhaps HouseValues is looking to find a way to become more involved with the social networking realm of real estate? There are several other networks out there, even some from larger media companies like Scripps, that have recently been making moves to become more integrated with online tools-most of these moves revolve around the media aspects that are now available for showing home on the web.

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                      Join The Optimist Group!

I ALMOST MADE IT... SO-O-O CLOSE... OUCH!

My goal was to garner 100,000 points by the time Active Rain touched the magic number of 100,000 members. 

AR finally achieved the 100,000 member status and I have 108,732 points!  Done!

The second part of my goal was to have at least 100 members in the Optimist Group.  We now have 140 members.  Done!

The third part of my goal was to be in the top 100 bloggers.  I am two subscriptions away from achieving that goal... which means:  NOT Done!

The day is not over yet...  If you like reading my posts, please subscribe to my blog and help me reach my goal! 

Thank you for a wonderful journey! 

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection

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GRATITUDE: The Relationship Nurturer

Gratitude is so extraordinarily important in ANY relationship.   Showing your appreciation goes a long way...  Just leaving a card on the table with a heartfelt message of appreciation goes a long way.  I use this a lot with all my relationships.  I leave my assistant an appreciation card with a nice bonus; I do the same for my agents.  My kids get them too. 

Spontaneous notes of affection and appreciation, along with simple, sweet gifts, go a very long way....  Most keep those cards forever.  They are THAT important!  I once found my son's stash of appreciation cards I had given him.  They were in the box with his most treasured possessions... 

By the way, the gifts can be so simple and most of all very personal: a cute little teddy bear (my ex boyfriend still has that on his desk), a framed picture of the two of you together taken on a magical evening, a lovely flower (yes, one!). 

Appreciation cards work especially well when the other person needs a "pick-me upper".  They are magical at any time, of course, but they are extremely potent when the other person is not at their best.  It tells them:  "I know who you are and I appreciate you!"

Showing gratitude and appreciation can be done in so many different ways: from surprising your loved ones with a special dinner in the middle of the week, to flowers sent at the office for absolutely no reason other than to say "I love you!", to little love notes left in a coat pocket.  Go ahead, while this is still fresh, write someone who deserves it an appreciation note right now!  You will be much surprised by the effects of this spontaneous show of affection! 

LIFE'S SHORT...  LIVE IT WELL!                               

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Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection

Integrating Moving Pictures Into Your Blogs

Photobucket.com is the site a lot of the top bloggers here on AR seem to be using for their illustrations and pictures.  It's free; you just have to create your profile.

Playing around in "The Bucket", I noticed several "moving pictures" and started tooling around with them.  

Here is how you can integrate the moving pictures into your blogs.  Copy and paste the code for the desired picture into the HTML portion of your blog - when you post it for the first time, or when you edit it, it's the tab at the upper, left side of your entry screen, right behind the tab labeled "WYSIWYG".  

You apparently have to save the blog by inserting it, then go back into the edit mode and copy and paste your text beside the moving picture.

I am not a "techie", but I just figured it out and wanted to share.  Many of you may know how to do it already.  If so, please forgive my enthusiasm!  For the rest of you, have fun!  I know I will!

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                                  Join The Optimist Group!

99,433... When Will Active Rain be 100,000 Members Strong? Make Your Predictions Here:

When I joined in September of last year, AR had around 40,000+ members.  Not even a year later, we are so close to the 100,000 mark. 

When will we reach it?  Go ahead!  Go on record with your predictions!  Maybe AR will award the winner 100,000 points.  Hint, hint...

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection

Join The Optimist Group!

99,433... When Will Active Rain be 100,000 Members Strong? Make Your Predictions Here:

When I joined in September of last year, AR had around 40,000+ members.  Not even a year later, we are so close to the 100,000 mark. 

When will we reach it?  Go ahead!  Go on record with your predictions!  Maybe AR will award the winner 100,000 points.  Hint, hint...

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection

Join The Optimist Group!

Cool Tech Site... Check It Out!

Does anyone know anything about this site?  I bumped into it and liked it, and wanted to share it with you.  There are some interesting tips on Web optimizing; I found out that banners and links can now be crawled, and that "Google Adsense referral program" is now retired and will be stopped during the last week of August.

eTechBuzz.com

Check it out and let me know what you think about it!

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                               Join The Optimist Group!

Another Sold North Myrtle Beach Real Estate Town Home by Mirela Monte

Mirela Monte is proud to announce the sale of yet another fine North Myrtle Beach Town Home at Robbers Roost.

Robbers Roost, beautifully nestled in the verdant setting of Tilghman Estates is one of the best kept secrets of North Myrtle Beach.  A quick golf cart ride gets you to both the ocean and shopping.  The location is ideal for anyone interested in the easy Beach Lifestyle. 

Tilghman Estates' homes' values reflect the beauty extant here, with million dollar price tags de rigueur.  My buyer clients got a deal indeed.  They purchased this lovely 2BR/2BA Robber's Roost town home (upstairs/downstairs), corner unit for only $ 135,000.  The town home came furnished, with incredible views of the Nature Preserve, and only steps to the tennis courts and pools.  It has both a screened in porch and a huge deck upstairs overlooking the Preserve. 

This was the least expensive town home sold at Robbers' Roost all year.   There were five other sales of identical units ranging in price from $ 168,000 to $ 151,500.  Mirela Monte only represented the Buyers, who are ecstatic about their new home at the Beach.  Yet another Mirela Monte Clients' success story...  You could be next!

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection

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Myrtle Beach Waterway Home: Pre Foreclosure... Save a cool $ 1MIL

Myrtle Beach Waterway Home

This modern, Mediterranean style home is located right on the Intercoastal Waterway.  It is 6,000 sq.ft, 5BR/4.5BA, with 3 Huge decks overlooking the water.  The home is about 87% finished - it still needs garage doors, flooring, railing, kitchen cabinets and counter-tops, light fixtures and appliances. 

The location is idyllic and the views superb.   Only a short golf ride to the Beach, within walking distance to the gym, golf & park, there is no better location than this in the entire Myrtle Beach area.  Did I mention that it's also within minutes of the local airport?   Yes, fly here and be home within minutes. 

If you prefer arriving by boat, that's fine too.  It has a shared dock permit in place. 

Yesterday's price:  almost $ 2Mil.  Today's price:  $ 1Mil.  Builder's loss is your gain...

Myrtle Beach Homes by Mirela Monte             

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Affordable Aerial Photography: Wow, this little gizmo is Impressive!

I've always recognized the value of aerial photography for Real Estate Marketing, but found the cost and bother too intense for my taste.  Now it looks like I'll be jumping into the Aerial Photography arena, with a little gizmo sold on line at Target.com.

It is called the Estes R/C Aerial Photo Airplane and a cool $ 159.98 will garner it along with free shipping, I might add.   This crafty aircraft (can I say that?) can do a lot: 

· Radio-controlled airplane that takes up to 26 fantastic aerial digital photos per flight with a simple push of a button on transmitter

· Giant-size jet with twin engines can reach 1000', climb, dive and by changing respective engine speed; easy-to-control 5-function, 2-stick transmitter

· Flight battery charger, 2 flight batteries and EZ Launch takeoff system included; charges quickly at home or the flying field

· Includes digital camera, computer software, USB cable for easy downloading and batteries for camera

· Recommended for ages 12 yrs. and up; uses 6 AAA alkaline batteries, not included; 40Lx16Wx6H"

• Batteries Required (Sold Separately): 6 D Batteries

Has anyone tried this yet?   It looks pretty enticing. 

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Real Estate Connection                   Join The Optimist Group!