Real Estate Blog - First ActiveRain -- Buyer Challenge

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First ActiveRain -- Buyer Challenge

**** Rules Modified Friday 5:47pm ****

Folks it is Friday and it is contest time!

This should be fun! One Contest with four choices to choose from!

We have four potential buyers listed below who want to purchase a home in your city. Of the following buyer choices, you only need to pick one of the buyers listed below.

Write your post as if you were writing to the buyer to introduce the area to the buyer and give a brief description of three homes that you think that they would like to see.

Include the following for the buyer that you choose:

The Requirements for the Buyer you want to write about (You can cut and paste from here)
A brief overview of your community (amenities, schools, restaurants, things to do) -- perhaps link to posts you have already written, A link to the City or Town that you are talking about, or links to resources to help the buyer make informed decisions
A selection of 3 homes for the potential buyer with descriptions and why you feel each would be worth the buyer looking at (they do not have to be your listings, but respect advertising rules for your area)
Any advice you would give the Buyer you chose and if you suggest the use of a professional (Mortgage, Title, Insurance, Inspector, Attorney) you must name 3 options, not just one.
Your post should be Professional Category, Visability Public
Must include the TAG: Buyer Challenge (how the judges will find your entry)
the Title Should be: Why You Should Purchase Your Next Home in (Your City)
Please place them in the group <The Active Rain Buyer Challenge Group>
Don't forget to make your post visually appealing !!! You know the things that drive us crazy and that you should NOT do: Wall of Words, poor grammar, spelling errors and visually not pretty... Don't forget to make your post pretty!!!!

What to do you get for entering?

Points -- the amount of points depend on the number of people who enter. The more people that enter the more points we will give each participant! Bonus point for just taking the challenge! Get your friends involved! Come on and take on the challenge!

There will be three winners and each winner will get Featured on ActiveRain and 1,000 bonus points.

Deadline: Entries must be completed by Wednesday, September 12, 2007 12 Noon EST

Winners will be announced Friday, September 14, 2007

Judges for this contest are: Brad Andersohn, Ann Cummings and The Lovely Wife. Now here are your potential buyers for this challenge:

Choice 1 : Paris Hilton

Requirements for this starlet:

looking to purchase a single family home (will consider a posh penthouse)
4 Bedroom/2 baths at least
4,000 sf or greater
Gated Community or enough land to create a zone of privacy
needs decent access to airport as she travels a lot
Must have a pool
Cash buyer, no limits!

Choice 2 - Tom and Michelle Snyder

Requirements for this young couple with 2 young children:

Single Family Home 4/2 bath
1,200-2,400 sf home
2 car garage
Would like to be close enough to an elementary school that the children could walk to school
They are relocating to your city and their company has agreed purchased their existing home already, which will result in $90,000 for a down payment
They want to spend about $400,000 on a home

Choice 3 - Angie and Joe Thompson

Requirements for this couple are a follows:

Looking for a vacation home to retire to in 5-7 years, would like to be able to rent it out when they are not there
They have a home in NJ, worth $500,000 and have $325,000 left to pay on the mortgage
They have two daughters, a freshman and junior in High School
They love the water, and would like to be near water, a lake, river, ocean
Joe loves to Golf and Angie plays tennis
Will need a management company and additional guidance
They have $75,000 to put down, have not been approved yet
They want to purchase a home with a pool, but open to a condo

Choice 4 - David Anderson

Requirements for this man:

He was honorably discharged from the Army last year
He has $10,000 in savings and has a salary of $35,0000 and no debts
He would like to purchase a condo
What are the options for him in your area -- could he dare to dream of a single family home instead of a condo?

Posted by Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Colleen Kulikowski on 09/10/2007 09:04 AM

Comments (77)

Originally posted at: Niagara Falls Real Estate & Homes : First ActiveRain -- Buyer Challenge

77 Comments on First ActiveRain -- Buyer Challenge

SEP

2007

Colleen - Good luck with the Buyer Challenge contest. It is a great idea.

Colleen, this should be a fun contest -- I'm not sure that I'd want Paris moving to our area, but I can think of some good reasons that she might want to move.

I'm right here :)

And looking forward to seeing if the members can give me a bad case of "Rain Brain" ...

TLW...ROAR!

Good luck to all the entries.

Colleen-I am in! Love these contests....

Carolyn -- Thanks! I hope you find time to take it!

Brian -- Looking forward to your post!

TLW -- This should be fun!

Neal -- Thank you.

Midori -- Thanks! I look forward to your entry...

Everyone else -- have a Great day.. I am off to a class and will check in later...

Productive blogging ~ LOVE IT! I'm going out of town for work for the next few days, but I'll be watching.

Colleen, This sounds like a fun contest. My only question is: Why Members Only? That kind of defeats the whole relevant content "thingie" doesn't it?

Colleen: This sounds very exciting. I might just participate. Your "structure/ guidelines" really has helped me write a better Localism post.

Colleen,

This sounds so interesting, I will continue to watch and see, what comes out of this :0)

Tom Weiss

Colleen, this is great! I can't wait to see these challenge submissions!!

I think you may have enticed me to actually participate in a challenge :D

looks like fun

but the mortgage people are left out again

maybe there needs to be a challenge as well for mortgage people to pitch the loans to them

why not add some REAL challenge to both the Agents and the Mortgage people by adding salary credit and some debt calculations... see how many realtors will REALLY prequal them and how many different loan programs come up

David

While I understand your comment, I have to say I've been watching a lot of the carnivals and challenges for something that I could participate in organically.

Also, pre-qual is local. In other words, I don't pre qualify my clients, their lender or the lender we recommend does this. And yes, we wait until we know how much they are qualified for before showing property. Yes, I know how to pre qual for $ amount, but I want pre approval before wasting anyone's time.

I want to do this too but my schedule is out of control!!! We will see what transpires. Looks like another great challenge you put together Colleen!

I'm in

This looks like lots of fun, and a worthwhile exercise. I want to challenge myself to find a home in my area for all 4!

This is what we call CREATIVE!!! you guys ROCK....this should be fun.

This is a great Idea, Good luck,

I'll be watching from over here ~~~>.

This will be fun...you can't win if you don't play! I think I'd go for the Paris Hilton buyer...we're paid on commission right? LOL!

Okay Folks...

Colleen and I have decided to open a group for this contest.

Please tag your entries "Buyer Challenge" and place them in the group.

<The Active Rain Buyer Challenge Group>

TLW...ROAR!

Unfortunately the Snyder's, Thompson's and Mr. Anderson couldn't afford a home here in Calabasas and I'm not so sure we have enough night life for Paris. Calabasas restaurants require their patrons to wear panties in order to get a table, but I guess that's OK, since she doesn't eat anyway. Ozzy Osbourne just purchased a home here, so perhaps it could work out for her.

Colleen,

Sounds like a fun contest....Paris could have her 2nd home here in Palm Springs. She has visited here with her family.

Colleen, I'm in, too. But I agree with Bryant - why keep it members only? The info would be good for Localism.

What a great idea. This could be a lot of fun and I can't wait to read the posts. ;-)

Ciao!

Colleen,

I love the way it sounds. I am in.

Colleen - Wonderful idea! I look forward to the posts.

I think this sounds like fun, but I don't know what "Your post should be Professional Category, Members Only " means. I figured out members only but I can't seem to find the block to check for professional catagory.

Ok -- the jury is out -- Professional & Public

Also, for all those Mortgage Professionals out there -- why not join the fun and write a post on financing options for one of the four options? Ok -- Paris might be a cash buyer, but the other three might be interesting to review...

Tracey -- I didn't think about the afforability issue. If you want to do one of the others, change their downpayment so they can afford to purchase a home.

TLW thanks for creating the group and keeping things running while I was at class. Ann Cummings -- Thank you for agreeing to be our third judge!

get idea, I'm in!

Okay...this is one I have to do....these are challenges that expand the mind and writing skills for me. Thanks! (creates good content too)

Colleen, Wow, one squeak from BB and it goes from private to public. Think of the power.

Bill Roberts

My only issue with doing this "public" is that the challenge requires us to write as if to a 'real person' with very specific requirements this person has. I fully intended on doing that and then slightly revising it and creating a public post with the slightly more palatable and generic post. I am not entirely comfortable doing this public with the current challenge parameters - unless I can clearly somehow state up front what I am doing to the rest of the public.

Bill -- It was the right thing to do, in my haste to get this out, I missed an imporant aspect of this contest an in doing Members only I defeated the pupose of the contest. Broker Bryant was kind enough to point it out! We are all a team, rowing in the same direction! That is what is so wonderful about this place! One of us sees that someone is going off in a wrong direction we just let that person know nicely. I was grateful for the catch....

Colleen - I am eager to take on the challenge! Great idea for a creative post. Off to get mine started.

Yikes!!!!!! I did my entry and the rules changed after it did it. Am I still in or do I have to do a re-write.

Ok... For those worried about confussion, the first sentance should read:

This is a contest entry to the The Active Rain Buyer Challenge

Colleen I am looking forward to seeing how creative the Realtors get on this. We have a bunch of talent on here, this contest should be a good one.

Coleen.... this one should be a real treat to watch! Great idea!

Thanks! No "WALL OF WORDS?" I dont know how to abbreviate a post to this contest. I read the contest rules......that IS a ton of information required to qualify. I did my best and have submitted mine. This is my first attempt at entering an AR contest so....please be kind:).

Colleen - I think this will be a really fun contest and I'm looking forward to all of the creative entries. Thanks for asking me to take part as a judge!

You come up with some really creative contests, and this is another great one!

Ann

Thanks Colleen. And I thought it was because of my power:)

BB has the power!

I look forward to the creativity involved here.

Hi Colleen,

This one sounds like fun, now lets see how creative we can all get! Thanks :)

Great idea for a contest. Should be easy enough to find something for Paris in Las Vegas, right?

Neat idea, Colleen. Given the buyers, adn the prices in my area, it looks like the choice of candidates is pretty slim. Should be fun...the thoughts are churning.

Jeff

SEP

2007

Very creative idea. Good exercise in looking for actives in my area for these buyers.

Wow! Great! Awesome!....Incredible idea!

Jeff -- Go ahead and change the parameter of downpayment of one of the choices to be able to give you something to work with.....

Everyone.... Good Luck at this challenge! The entries are starting to show up so definately check out the group

The Active Rain Buyer Challenge

Don't forget to to make sure that you enter! The more people that enter, the more bonus points that members get for entering the contest!

SEP

2007

Well teach me to go away for a couple of days.... I return and yet again more homework... I swear I am going to enter one of these contests.... Great concept... maybe it will help with my "writers block"... Have a great day!

Go for it!

Colleen,

Sally sent me here, and my only question is the requirement for Pretty.....if we do not have pretty places for sale, would this still qualify....I work out in the desert, not the golf club, green grass and palm trees desert, but the brown dirt one ?

Help, can I still enter with the criteria, and homes available ?

Absolutely... I was referring to your post needs to be pretty... No wall of words, layout appealing....

Have fun with this!

Thank you, I am now 1/2 done, and should have it posted by this evening :)

SEP

2007

I am with Tracey, only Miss Paris fits the price parameters for my area. Glad to hear I can change downpayment and other info. I have a crazy week, but I am going to try my best to find the time to join. Worthwhile and fun!

Just a note, Paris bought a home today, so all of you selling to her are out of luck :)

Colleen,

Just noticed the contest today! I am off to a three day seminar. I will do my best to participate in this contest. Sounds really intereting and it looks like it does need some research. What a challenge!!

The idea of a contest is intriguing - It will be very interesting to see how many members participate. If I can get away from business challenges this week I plan to give it a try.

Karen

Looking forward to all the entries! There are already some great ones!

Good luck to everyone participating

Have to do this! Thanks!

What a great idea...I hope to see more of this!

COntests....I lOVE contests. I am a professional Athlete...I like to win! Just started in with Active Rain last week, so I'm finding this contest alittle late. Gotta go...put my thinking cap on.

Great idea. I can't wait to see the submissions. I too will put my cap on and see what happens.

I'm in. Paris may have bought a home today, but she may rethink her decision after she reads my post...

SEP

2007

Everyone --- I am so sorry I can't answer each and everyone of you... So looking forward to all those that enter... It will be so much fun and think about it!

POINTS! Everyone that enters gets a Localism feature! Everyone who enters gets bonus points (The number grows with the number of participants!!!!!!!! Get your friends in on it!) And there are 5 Winners instead of 3! Just think of all the fun!

I think the only one who could afford to buy what they are looking for in Summit County Colorado would be Paris. It wouldn't surprise me if she already owned something here.

Hi Colleen, I've joined the contest. This was a really good exercise. The Ah~ha for me was in seeing that this kind of letter to a potential client totally blows most real estate e-mail responses "out of the water." Prior to this contest, it would never have occurred to me to compose something like this. Now that it's created, the content can be re-worked for a variety of situations. Thank you very much. :)

SEP

2007

I actually got mine in on time! This was a great one Colleen. Now I go read the rest of them.

There are a lot of great entries in this contest - love reading them all and I wish everyone good luck!!

Ann

Wow--this is becoming huge....perhaps this should be a monthly contest!! Great Idea Colleen!! I made it finally and submitted the entry. Hope I did it right!! Let me know if I am missing anything per the 'rules'.

SEP

2007

Awesome contest! Although I just heard about it until just now, I'm eager to start writing! This is the sort of thing that crashes the writer's block down and opens the creative floodgates! Sweet!

Great Idea.. nothing wrong with a little competition!

Hope everyone has lots of fun!

SEP

2007

Deadline is this Wednesday! There are a bunch of great entries!

SEP

2007

Colleen,

I think I got it tagged and put in the correct categories. Can you let me know if my entry doesn't show up? I was a little confused by the Professional category, but I think I have it right.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/208651/Why-You-Should-Purchase

I put my link here in case it doesn't show up where it should. If this is unacceptable, please delete my comment, but let me know by email if it didn't make it to the right place.

Thanks,

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