Most of us remember our first ride at the county fair or at the carny that would pull through town every year. Mine was at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California. One of the classic rides back in the day was the "Tilt-A-Whirl!" I recall making the unfortunate mistake of porking out on every conceivable fairground junk food before climbing aboard, mustard-plastered corndog included. What resulted wasn't pretty.

What is is about the people running those rides? No matter how loud you scream "STOP THE RIDE!" at the top of your lungs, they're totally oblivious.

Needless to say, no one on that ride, including my Mother, was very pleased about my generosity in sharing my lunch with them.

So what bearing does this have? None really. I just thought it would be an amusing segue!

Well, without any further adieu....

Welcome to the 89th Edition of the "Carnival of Real Estate!" 

The following 'rides' you're about to read are much more thrilling and enjoyable. And certainly not quite as messy!

There were some really excellent submissions for this week's Carnival, making the selection process all that more challenging. But I think you'll agree, we've got some more great examples of quality content real estate articles!

So hop onboard, strap in tight, and let the "Rides" begin!.... 

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"Is There Ever A Sure Thing in Real Estate Investing?" by Scott Roemermann of Investing-Secrets.com

Scott offers up some very practical insights on the fears and risks we all face as 'first-time' investors, and explains the benefits of 'bird-dogging.'

"A Look at the Real Estate Market: Time to Buy?" by the Silicon Valley Blogger of The Digerati Life 

Though not a real estate professional by trade, this California-based software engineer has some pretty astute observations on the current housing market from a clearly savvy consumer's viewpoint. She even recommends consulting with a local real estate professional!

"What Every Remodeler Should Ask Themselves" by Spencer Rascoff, CFO & VP of Marketing at Zillow.com

I've been a big fan of Spencer's writing and enjoy his genuine, 'down-to-earth' style. "I am being ripped off." Classic!

"The 'No-Brainer' Investment" by Joe Manausa of Talahasee Real Estate Blog

Joe touches on a very timely subject near and dear to heart of many of us, "How am I ever going to afford my kid's college expenses?

"Core Values to Help You Survive This Market" by Margaret Woda of RE/MAX Vision, Crofton MD

Margaret serves up some of the best advice for agents on how to navigate today's challenging market, and come out a success!

"Not All Staging Bananas are all Ripe & Ready!" by Craig Schiller of Real Estaging

Leave it to Craig to combine laughter with learning. There's a lot of questionable fruit out there, and Craig helps us to shop wisely!

"Want to Buy a Foreclosure? Read This First".... by Kacey Sides & Andy Hodes of Scenic City Scoop

Besides having a really 'delicious' looking blog, their advice on buying foreclosed properties is extremely helpful. Two scoops or three?

"Another Day, Another Dollar, Another Loonie Listing!" by Lauren Mitchell of LivingintheNeighborhood.com

This Toronto Canada Agent cautions area Sellers on the dangers of sporting the "Dork" Flag! Is that a Canadian thing?

"Ambulance Chasers Attack Realtors" by Gretchen Faber of LifeStyleDenver.com

This friendly rant by Kentwood Companies Broker, Gretchen Faber, is like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Nice job for a budding blogger!

"How would 'House' Solve the Current Housing Crisis?" by Kevin Blasi of Universal Funding Partners

Kevin touts the importance of stressing Borrower Education as a primary cure for our housing woes. Can I get a big 'Amen?' 

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So there ya have it! A great cross-section of both seasoned and budding authors from this past week in the Real Estate Blogosphere. Each of our 'Top Ten W-Riders' will receive their own personalized 'Carnival of Real Estate' badge to proudly display on their blog/websites, courtesy of Mark Flanders of SoundBiteBlog.

Visit the 'Carnival of Real Estate' Blog, sponsored by Zillow.com to review all the past carnival winners. 

Rich Jacobson, ActiveRain Community Builder/Social Media Guy