RendezVous in Black & White Waxes Exponential...In Terms of 10!

A RendezVous is A Place to Relax, To Learn & Get Together with Friends! 

That being Said Fraiche Aire RendezVous in Black & White Waxes Exponential Tonight.  Exponents of 10 to be Exact.  This is the 10th RendezVous in Black & White Blog Post...a Newsletter that was developed for the Fraiche Aire Group.  It is also the 100th Post of Fraiche Aire Founder, Lola Audu. 

This Blog Posts diverges from the normal format for a brief indulgence....We're highlighting the Moderator's Favorite Blog Posts!  This is a great group to moderate!    This is a 2 Part Post as it would be way too long otherwise, so stay tuned for Part 2 soon!  My Kudos to all of you who have made Fraiche Aire on Active Rain an interesting place in which to Engage & RendezVous!

So without Further Audu...(Pun intended)...we commence with The Favorites List!

Sue Arque writes about "Foreclosures as is..." & shows how creative you can be within a small budget with staging.  I was struck by how Sue focused on an issue which is at the forefront of the real estate industry right now to provide creative solutions.

Karen Hurst wrote a post about being a New Agent & dealt with why anyone would want to use one.  I liked this post because we all were new at one time, and I appreciated her insights and ability to describe in a positive way something that many normally consider as a disadvantage.

Brande Bradford's Post about What Makes a House a Home was written for a contest, but the real winner was the way in which she engaged me in the spirit and fullness of her family's life as it was celebrated on the farm.  I enjoyed reading this post immensely because it celebrated love & relationships.

Debi Braulik's Post on Flat Renee Visit Tacoma was great because until I read this post, I'd only met the Male Flat People.  Flat Renee was a refreshing sight.  She was very busy during her visit to Tacoma.  Proves a good woman is hard to find!

James Brennan,a real estate attorney was one of the founding members of Fraiche Aire.  This post caught my eye then & is still one of my favorites because he wrote about something that most real estate agents prefer not to do & would swear that attorney's never do!  I think you'll find his Post on Making Friend interesting.

When Yvonne Brown wrote about using home parties to network, I could relate.  My career in real estate was launched 12 years ago in a Home Interiors Party.  Women I met through this network of friends remain some of my most supportive clients to this day.  Sometimes we get so caught up with technology that we forget that business will always be about people!

Boy, picking a favorite for TLW was hard.  I've enjoyed so many of her posts.  But if I'm to select one, it would be the post she wrote  which featured a video about  Picking On the Men of Active Rain.  I'm not sure why this post was so funny to me...but it was & will always connect me to the Saturday morning that TLW made me really laugh!  And she was probably soundly asleep in bed at the time!

With so many groups to choose from, I can see why Dana Caldwell uses this "Secret" method to figure out which groups might be worth joining.

Sheron Cardin is a Stager with a passion for Green!  I've been intrigued with how Sheron has merged her passion for environmentalism with her passion for interior design.  This post about making Your Sphere of Influence Accountable had some great suggestions.  Thanks for showing us that Green is healthy in every arena of real estate.

I have always appreciate Sean Caroll's positive attitude.  As a teacher, I appreciate the shared passion of real estate & training students.  In real estate, teaching is something we need to continue to receive & also be willing to share with our clients & peers.  This is why Sean's post about His True Passion is a favorite.

I've never met Missy Caulk, but she's one of my Favorite Bloggers from Michigan!  Missy has a lot of fun on Active Rain, but this blog post speaks of true courage!  With the challenges that we've had in Michigan, Missy showed how a real professional operates by Turning Away from Not 1, Not 2...But 3 Listings in One week!  I just had to read why & how she did it.  Thanks Missy for helping me with the techie stuff too.

I book-marked this post by John Cilladi about FREE courses that were available on-line!  This is an amazing service & if you're a Broker or Agent, you might find it helpful to reference this as well.

Carol Cohen writes a very interesting article about Embattled Real Estate Agents.  What I found most fascinating about this post was the discussion of agents earning salaries rather than a percentage of the commission...Is this a Sign of the Times?  The comments on this post are also very interesting.

William Collins Celebration of 45,000 points taught me something...Celebrate Your Moments Even if No One Else Does!  We did join William in the Celebration on Fraiche Aire, but his Post reminded me that it's important to stop from time to time & remember where you've been so you can really enjoy the process of getting to where you're going.

Lea Deo has an interesting perspective in her post about Googling Clients. This is something I had never thought of, but I can certainly see how it might be helpful, perhaps even necessary in certain situations. The responses to the question she posed were also very interesting reading.  I wonder if the founders of Google ever envisioned all the ways we would create to use their product?

Many times we have no idea the hurdles & obstacles people have had to overcome to be where they are today.  Ethan Dozeman is a survivor.  A horse riding accident left him in a coma, unable to walk for several months.  This Blog post by Ethan's sister is a touching tribute to the journey of healing that she & the family walked through with Ethan.

I loved the picture in the Blog Post by Shannon Elizabeth.  It's a riveting view from which to enjoy a dining experience.  The longer I looked at the image though, I didn't think I'd be able to stomach a meal at this restaurant!  I can see why this picture is one of Shannon's favorites!

I can really, really relate to Jennifer Fivelsdal post about finding a good hairdresser.  You have to be a woman of color to appreciate the full depth of meaning in those words...but all the Sisters will Say AMEN!  I have an excellent hairdresser & I had never thought of doing a post on her...but she certainly deserves it!   Visit Up Town Elegance Hair Salon for the Best Hair Care, Kingston has to offer according to Jennifer.

I don't know how long it would have taken for me to notice a Gold Star if Mark Flanders had not been kind enough to point it out in a comment.  Don't ever assume anything when you're dealing with Newbies! :)  Mark's post about Whether Active Rain Is Real also doesn't assume anything.  At a time when Mark was laid low, the Active Rain community rallied in support in a way that was incredible.  This post was a favorite because it marked the return of one of Active Rain's well loved contributors!

James Frazier makes some good points about "Electronic Communication."  It's easy to be misunderstood when you are face to face...on-line communication without the benefit of sight or sound complicates the matter even more.  I found this post to be a helpful reminder about being careful in written communication to ensure  that you're saying what you think you are.

When Gina Dougherty wrote about "Self Help At Ross Department Store", I thought  that if there was a Ross in Grand Rapids, Michigan it would be my kind of store.  I love books & I love decorating.  Anytime you can go into a store & get books & inexpensive beautiful items...well, I would plan on spending money just about every single time!

Reading Eloise Gifts' blogs will force to learn how to spell Albuquerque without looking.  I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it.  I enjoy reading about this dessert haven that Eloise writes about with such passion, but one of my recent most favorite posts was her Meme.  It was so interesting to read about her international experience including her visit with royalty!

I can think of very few forums which one could have reached out to answer this question that Sandy Gliecher asked about Commercial Real Estate.  I know how intimidating it was for me to do my first commercial transaction...it was very difficult to find anyone willing to work with me.  What a Gift Active Rain is...to be able to ask a question & have people willing & ready to assist with advise.

Kristie Hahns' article about What Underwriters Really Do is one of the first examples I have seen which clearly defined what happens behind the scenes to create a saleable loan or perhaps better stated fundable loan.  I appreciate these types of posts from professionals in other fields.

Angela Haralson takes some of the most gorgeous pictures!  This one of a home with the caption Sail Into the View is Breathtaking!

Maria Harts' post about 25 Things You Learn When You have a Son is one of my favorites because I can relate!  Boys actually do some of this stuff!  They ARE different from girls!  I know...I've got 2 of them.

Tricia Jumonville asks a question which is going to become increasingly important...Is Technology Good or Evil.  Technology & its gadgets can literally sweep up time into a vacuum...you wonder where it's gone!  But at what price?  Are we sacrificing relationships to be ensconced behind a computer screen.  And why is it so addictive anyway?  These are powerful & necessary questions & that's why this post is chosen as one of my favorites.

I had never heard of the term "Light Pollution" until I read Renee Kokoszka's article about it.  I had no idea that Light Pollution wastes 5 Billion Dollars annually.  This article was chock full of stuff to think about & learn & though I read it some time ago, remains a favorite.

Heather Kramers post must be one of the most unusual family activity posts that I've ever read...A Frog Walk!  Actually this educational offering teaches children a lot of things about several different species of frogs.  Now if you have boys...you can understand why this would be a favorite...OK some girls like frogs too.

Dealing with Immigrants is a topic close to my heart & is probably the reason why Evaristo Lacerda's blog post is one of my favorites.  His common sense approach which respects differences in culture & perspective is a helpful primer for anyone who has clients from a different culture or heritage.  Goodness...it's a good primer for life period.

Edite Liepina could write for David Letterman's Top 10 List!  This post about the benefits of her participation in the Active Rain Network is insightful & therefore one of my favorites.  She was asked to do a presentation to 2 offices in her brokerage...as I looked at the list she compiled, I could understand why.

This short & sweet post about Referrals by Joe Long is good...and very interesting.

I appreciate honesty.  When Ava Lugg blogged about the frustrations of being continually asked to refer business, I could relate.  Sometimes, you simply want to say...Does The Service You Will Be Providing to Me Come With A Buyer???

Laurie Manny has refined SEO to a fine art!  I have to be careful not to get lost exploring the links in her blog or website.  There is so much interesting material...you want to go to Long Beach California just to see this place she blogs about with such passion.  One of my favorite posts was about Reverse Prospecting...You've never heard of this...Well, this is an Awesome Example of how to Leverage a Prospecting Opportunity to the Max.  Read it & Learn!

Conclusion of Part 1....

Hope You've Enjoyed Reading.  I thank all of you for the experience that you've been a part of creating on Active Rain.  I am astounded that I had that much to say...100 Posts!  Often written late at night when things were quiet & I could think, I was often surprised at how a post turned out.  I know from reading many of your post, that many of you must have had the same experiences.  RendezVous would not be complete without the perennial cup of Tea...usually reserved to savor along with the names of our new folks..however, we're taking liberties...so we indulge here!