Happy New Year Active Rain! Reflections on the passing year 2007...

This ancient African proverb teaches eternal truth. No man, woman, or family is an island. We'd all like to think we live in a place where people care about others -- where people pitch in to help when things get rough -- where it's safe to leave the doors unlocked and let the kids play around outside.

Nobody Is An Island

Sometimes when times get rough it may seems that we are alone all wrapped up in our own worries and hardship. It's pretty awful when you feel like you are all alone and the whole world is against you. Life is a lot easier when you are part of a network of friends and family, a community, a neighborhood.

2007 was a difficult year for the Real Estate Market across the entire country... Most of us were challenged on the professional level and forced to develop our survival skills in order to overcome the hardship. There are many stories of success and failure among us, lessons to learn and wisdom to gain.

Active Rain network came into our lives at the right time and right place. Just when we needed the most help!!! Real Estate community of people connected with each other during these difficult times. We found a family and friends around us. Everybody shared the experiences and personal thoughts on all levels, so everybody was in the same boat ... and that was very therapeutic and beneficial for all.

So people helped each other out. Not only on the professional level but also with the spiritual and emotional necessities.

Life is easier when you are part of a network of friends and family, a neighborhood.

It does take a village, to work with the family and weather the storms of life. If we want that kind of support, the place to begin is with ourselves. You start building a good neighborhood when you yourself decide that you will be a good neighbor. If you don't know anyone on your block, you can take the initiative and reach for others.

This is the story of Active Rain community! Here is where the strengths come from! That way is growing so fast and is here to stay for long time. Because is like no other network we've seen before... It not only a place to meet one an other, grow together and share our wisdom or professional experiences but it is  "our village of friends and survivors" 

You start building a good neighborhood when you yourself decide that you will be a good neighbor.

I don't know exactly where, when or who brought to life Active Rain but whatever was it's been a blessing for our real estate community. Bringing us together and open the gates of a unique place where we feel home, taking care of, understood and loved by our community...

We have an obligation to keep our community strong, alive and successful for years to come. Be good neighbor. United we stand, divided we fall -- cooperation is as important as competition. Maybe, at certain times and places, it's more important.

It is great to be home!