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From Thriving to surviving, pleased with Active rains contribution quotient

By
Managing Real Estate Broker with Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., NHRE# 02863

Friends ask hows the market?  and how are you doing? Maybe both questions are rhetorical but they ask. If you don't have the horse power to throw money around in your marketing budget, my good friends here have allows me to run with their (free or low cost) suggestions, and active rain itself has given me face time and world wide web recognition.

We all grumble at the media, But lets face it the strong will survive and we can't control the negative spin and "the news business".But we do control our own business, livelihood and how we conduct ourselves in public. I'm pretty sure my clients don't want to hear me whine, they want me to tell them it's a good time to buy so they can feel good about that decisions.

 Kudos to people in the rain, As I read free tools for Realtors, S.E.O. & Blogging, and featured blogs I become flush with thanks, where else could I find this level of quality information for free. The week in review keeps me up-to date, the comedy groups keep me cheery, and the friendships I have developed keep me connected with Realtors across the country.

Moving on from here, I can't say this enough we all benefit from our groups collective knowledge, those that choose to join want to share and have taken a steps to survive in the real estate industry. When people I know in the business say "I'm thinking about doing something else", I say I decided long ago I love my work and I am think about how to stay. Active Rain has helped me understand that our bright and ambitious members want to help clients, and by helping this Network they can further their own career and help their clients with new  tools and referrals they can trust (at the same time). We are saying let me help and connect with you and you can do the same for me (and us collectively).

What questions do you have that you were afraid to ask, The greatest benefit of all, is we can search for an answer without everyone knowing we had to ask. When I read a post but don't make a comment don't think I didn't get something from your wisdom. So thank you: Gary, Brad, Bill, Jason, Anne, Val, Sharon, Fran, Laura, Bob, Monica, Shannon, Jerry, and all that contribute to our collect success, sometime you just need a boost to reach the top.

Happy to be in the rain, and staying afloat.. thanks again to my friends, who I now consider colleagues.

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                                                                                                                                                                              Your-White Mountain New Hampshire real Estate Expert

                    steve@alpinelakes.com toll free 800-926-5653 /cell 603-381-7898

                        MLS search and Realtor web site: www.alpinelakes.com

                         My outside Blog: www.steveswhitemountainblog.com

                    Lincoln NH &  Local interest site: www.localism.com/nh/lincoln

    Grafton County NH MLS search

Cat Zwicker, CRS
Desert Sky Real Estate, LLC - Redmond, OR
Down to Earth Service; Out of this World Results!

Steve, I can't agree enough about the value of the friendships and the knowledge available here on AR.  Heck you can just come for a kick in the motivation, or a good cry, but I've actually managed to learn about SEO's, widgets and the benefits of social networking from some of the top minds in our profession and the subjects you can learn about are limitless!

Oct 14, 2008 12:24 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Val, Members as a whole, are so willing to share tips and tools that work. This saves so much time on the trial and error process, let someone else fail before they find what succeeds and then tell me what works I'm not shy and will be happy to run with your winning secret. P.S. thanks personally you have such a good friend from the start. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 12:25 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

David & Lisa-  The two things I know about real estate are product knowledge and the latest information is what separates one agent from most of the others , Active Rain help with a leg up on both counts... I'll be seeing you in the RAIN.. Steve

Charles, Agents that don't ask questions are doomed to failure, some are too embarrassed to ask.. these are ones that guess and are wrong half the time. What a great site to seek competent advice and know when you compare notes you have more than one good answer to choose from. Thanks for your comment. Steve

Joan, Although we have never met, I do consider you a colleague. Not only do we practice in the same state but both have seen the regional market changes and still obviously love what we do for our clients...and what we do for a living. Thanks again. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 01:26 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Sally & David, I read someones post recently that said it takes less muscle to smile than it does to frown, then why don't we all defend the positive and stop going along and adding to the negative conversation, because it's more difficult to defend than it is to go along. thanks for reading my post. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 01:30 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Diane, Thanks for commenting If I could choose my second favorite place to be (besides in the White Mountains of New Hampshire) it would be on a golf course in Hilton Head, I'll look you up the next time I'm there. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 01:33 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Cat, Knowledge is power, those that have it and use it wisely will do very well. That's what scares me about the FBI & CIA, glad I'm on the same side..But I do hear a strange buzz in my phone now and then. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 01:37 AM
Anonymous
Margaret

Steve,

For me the key point in your comment was "Active Rain has helped me understand that our bright and ambitious members want to help clients".  Helping clients is what we pledge to do by agreeing to abide by the REALTOR Code of Ethics.  In times of market stress such as we are experiencing now, providing support to each other to remember our purpose is invaluable.  Thank you for reminding us all that taking care of our clients is our number one priority.

Oct 14, 2008 02:06 AM
#39
Pippa Mac
Chevaux Group Realtor, The Woodlands and Spring - The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands TX Real Estate

Steve ... you are right about AR being so many things to all of us!  pippa

Oct 14, 2008 02:53 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Margaret, I do feel it's akin to a doctors oath.. first do no harm. You are right it's easy when desperate to let down the ethical guard.  If we do that we get thrown in to the Car salesmen mentality. I read a blog that said starting down the wrong path leads to acceleration like a snow ball, this post went on to say if you are willing to LIE, then you are willing to CHEAT, once there you become willing to STEAL. so ethics play a larger role in a soft market. Thanks for your comments, I hope others take note. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 03:23 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Pippa,  Social net works are fine and dandy, but more can be learned here and used in our career than any other blog site I have ever visited. Thanks for the comment, we are all in this together.

Steve

Oct 14, 2008 03:31 AM
Ronnie Margolis
KW Kauai - Kapaa, HI
Kauai Realtor - CDPE, ABR, RA - On Top of the Aloh

I echo your sentiments. Just yesterday i saw a new REO listing with some terms i had never seen. Where did i go? Searched AR and found a couple of great responses that helped inform me. Love the wealth of knowledge and experience that gathers on AR.

 


 Click Here  

 

Oct 14, 2008 04:18 AM
Michael Eisenberg
eXp Realty - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham Real Estate Guy

You have said it so well my friend, so much available here in the rain. Soak it all in and let's thrive together

Oct 14, 2008 04:51 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Ronnie, I do feel there are terms and description used in other parts of the country, that I am not aware of. I read a post just the other day about a buyer making multiple offers at the same time, this just isn't done where I am, but it gave me a new perspective that I wouldn't have found anywhere else. So you can teach an old "DOG" like me  some new tricks.. Thanks for your comment. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 05:13 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Michael. The learning curve on this site is pretty easy, no one wants you to fail, and all that are members I have spoken too are willing to help and or advise. It's funny the only time a see a curt comment is when a non-member feels like leaving a pile of Doo-Doo on someones door stop. One other thing with so many group 4,000+  I have found looking at what members I have something in common with helps me seek out the groups match my personality. Thank you my new Friend ..Steve

Oct 14, 2008 05:18 AM
Everard Korthals
---Preferred Lifestyle Advisors--- - Lancaster, PA
Mountain Realty

The Rain is an excellent  place to find information for others in the market who may be struggling to find their niche. It's great that you are using that information as resources to better your business. Hang in there, the market will return shortly.

Oct 14, 2008 06:14 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Castellum Realty, It has always been my plan to stay in business, but rather than combating failure I'm thinking about growth. The Rain gives me many avenues to pursue new business. Thanks for commenting . Steve

Oct 14, 2008 08:09 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

Active Rain has given me so much information.  It is amazing.  I think those on the AR network will not only survive, but thrive in this market.  Steve, I really enjoyed your comment on my Working for Wine post.  That was funny!

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Oct 14, 2008 09:56 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

JenI get a huge amount out of this network, And I have much more fun reading and responding to other peoples posts than I do writing them. Thanks Jen,back to your blog I am constantly asked to do a freebies don't shun them too much. Show you are good at what you do and people wouldn't ask you to do it for free next time. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 11:06 AM
Esko Kiuru
Bethesda, MD

Steve,

Times are tough for so many of us here in the Rain but with the support we get from one another we ought to make it until the sun shines bright again. That's what it is all about.

Oct 14, 2008 03:08 PM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Esko, We are all finding it tougher out there but support and advice of like minded folks has help me tremendously, hope it works for all the members. Steve

Oct 14, 2008 10:24 PM