Best Active Rain Blog Comment of 2009 for the Best Active Rain Blog Post for 2008

HA! I'm thinking this is a first and that's always fun... In my Best Active Rain Blog Post for 2008 which was surprisingly featured... there were certainly some pretty interesting comments. I certainly did not mean for the original post to be in any sort of way critical towards ActiveRainers but merely to create some thought on future Best Blog Posts for Active Rain for 2009.

I know... sometimes we are in a little rush to get them points and really don't spend some time taking in the whole message. Kind of Like when I was in College and had to read The Death of Ivan Ilych by Tolstoy... The message really did not hit me until later on in life. Certainly a must read if you have not read it.. (Yeah.. right.. who has time to read this classic in the current society? Yes.. that's another message that I'm sure somebody will pick up on. :) )

I answered all of the comments and gave some rather long comments for those that maybe missed my intended message which had nothing to do with criticsm of content on Active Rain.. just some suggestions.

What's better to write about then all of the incredible challenges we are facing?

My point is that we are in a major generational crisis and what we do determines how we get through it. What you see now May just be the tip of the iceberg and my point is not to share gloom and doom... but share some insight on the gloom and doom and what needs to be done to get through it.

Will Billions of Dollars of Debt Really Help Out? I personally don't think so but that's because I think we are in a major situation because of debt.

Will Wishing for Rainbows to appear in the Dark Stormy Clouds and Dreaming a Little Dream Help Out? Hmm... it makes for some good entertainment to get the mind in a positive spirit.. which can certainly help out during gloomy economic times. The importance of Family and Friends are certainly worth highlighting when you are broke so there is some benefit to this.

Obviously... education of matters taking place to your future potential readers could lead to LIFELONG and loyal clients. What would you rather have? The lifelong client who will always ask your advice on real estate matters... or the wham, bam thank you Maam (or sir) client?

Yeah, I know... some recipe cards in the mail are just great for business and can really make you stand out from everybody else.. (Roll Eyes Here... and I can even throw in a nice Southern Sarcastic Accent if you need me to...LOL!)

Anyways.. to the Comments and some of MY REALLY Long Answers to Expand on My Message: (Comments to the Original Post in Italics with my responses that have in some cases been expanded even more..)

Overland Park Homes & Real Estate:: Michael Russell (Overland Park KS Realty Executives ) 

America will continue to be fleeced unless we find a way to take congress back from special interest groups and rid ouselves of pork barrel spending. The fiscal resposibility of our elected officials is disgraceful.

Right on... but how do we do that? Is it letters to our representatives or is it keeping an eye on your LOCAL representatives and sharing it with your blog readers on what they can do? I'm certainly building up some ammo for Harry Reid.. (and yes I voted for him in the 2004 election... but it's going to BE REALLY HARD for me to do it in 2010 unless some things are changed...Before he became the Senate Majority Leader, he really was Independent and a really nice guy... trust me.)

Susan Neal, Fair Oaks CA Real Estate Broker (Century 21 Noel David Realty)

Hi Paul, Happy new year!  Very interesting post.  I do think you are being just a little hard on ARers if you assume that we get all of our economic info from AR.  There is a lot of helpful info on here, but I don't look to this site for an understanding of world economy.  That is not really the focus of these blogs.  I generally go to other, more specialized, sites and to other publications for that, and get a lot of real estate marketing info here (and friendships and networking, etc).  That is a great photo, with a lovely little girl and a lovely butterfly too.

Susan.. not being hard on Active Rainers.. (did not mean to be hard anyways) and I certainly don't assume Active Rainers get all of their economic data from AR... (but it would certainly be possible if Active Rainers brought up the Economic news more now... would it not??)

The World Economy is in a Mess because of real estate so maybe a real estate focused blog should be the place to go for an understanding of what is taking place?

Thanks for the kind words about my daughter and the Butterfly. How come nobody complements me on how good I look when they see that picture... LOL!!!

Margaret Woda, Maryland Real Estate (Long & Foster REALTORS, Crofton Office)

Wow, you're being pretty tough on us... maybe some ActiveRainers know just as much as you do about what's going on (or even more, perhaps), but prefer to engage in political discussions elsewhere... not on ActiveRain.

Actually I know there are several Active Rainers that know much more then me... I certainly have no idea where the political comment comes in unless you really did not read the post. The National Debt has gone up $6 Trillion Dollars in the Past 6 years and we are going to be adding a lot more to it and that's a political agenda? For the record... in 2004 I voted for Bush and Senator Harry Reid (my state Senator and now the Senate Majority Leader)... The only thing political is all of us snoozing while all of our elected officials were having a hey day and not paying attention to all of our best interests. Don't you think we should change that and just maybe... over 100,000 Active Rain Bloggers could do a post a month to bring these issues up?

Since it's so relevant to Real Estate... why not post it on a Real Estate Blog? (126,635 Real Estate related bloggers times 1 Post a month = 1,519,620 Posts for 2009 which could have a REAL Impact on where we need to go from here.)

Sadly... more people will be able to tell you who won the last American Idol then who the Chairmain of The House Financial Services Committee is.. what he does and what his ties are to some very questionable things that took place to get us here...

Crazy at it is... he got re-elected.

I'm not suggesting that Active Rainers don't know anything.. I'm merely suggesting that Active Rainers share these things a little more for all of their readers and what it means for real estate.

Above All Financial Services -Pennsylvania Mortgage Broker

I'm reading the comments and shaking my head at some of them.  I think you are raising an important topic here about what we need to do to change the industry and the economy and some people are either ignoring the point or getting mad.  It is hard to get a good discussion going on this type of topic on AR.

Also agree that this was not a surprise to those who stayed informed.  It always amazes me when I hear people in the business state things like there was no way anyone could have known the maket could collapse.

Michelle

MY POINT EXACTLY and you certainly got it. Thank you so much for checking out the Peter G. Peterson Foundation site and please share it because there is a real mess brewing that will make today's problems look like a walk in the park.... unless the message is spread and we start making our officials accountable with real questions. We have blogs.. I think my readership for all of my blogs was over 20,000 for 2008 and I'm sure there are some real estate bloggers who have had much, much more.

Thanks Michelle and you will have a Great New Year.. :)

Melina Tomson, M.S. Salem Oregon Real Estate Specialist (Tomson Burnham, llc)

I guess it depends on your expectations for AR.  Matt Heaton and Lenn Harley have done a lot of blogs about what's going on, but most people are on AR to generate business.  People can go to WSJ, NYT, or Bloomberg for economic information. They can't go there for local neighborhood info.

I am a business woman and I need to do things that generate business for me.  Writing about the bailout (which I have done briefly on my other blog) will not bring me a buyer.  All I have to do is analyze my keywords and it is crystal clear to me how people use my blogs.  Local real estate and neighborhood information reigns.

I agree that many people don't really understand the magnitude of what is happening in our economy, but I'm not sure the general purpose of AR is to be an active discussion.  All of us have to be efficient and effective in 2009 in order to make the money we want. 

I read.  I learn. I have discussions with MY CLIENTS about the economy. I can't afford to spend my precious time on AR talking about the economy.  Discussions about the economy don't bring me business.  Action does.

Yes... ACTION Does wonderful things but I pretty much disagree with everything else you wrote.

Very Interesting comment. I'm certainly not suggesting that everybody change what they are doing... Just maybe adding a little more to it on future issues that will effect your business whether you like it or not.

Yes... I certainly know Matt Heaton and Lenn Harley have done some fantastic posts about the bailout and have asked hard core questions (my tribute to Lenn... Ha Ha!) about what led to having to bailout everybody in the first place.

Ever stop to consider that if there were more posts like Matt's and Lenn's that maybe... just maybe there would not be a need for so much damage control?

"People can go to WSJ, NYT, or Bloomberg for economic information."

Just like they have for several years. I see nothing but beneficial opportunity for insight and analysis when these same stories are digressed on by a local real estate professional and what it could mean to their local real estate market in the future. These same media outlets had some stories about the irrational market behavior back in the bubble days but they were largely ignored, not shared or even distributed by real estate professionals IMO.

Other Blogs Certainly Picked up on it.. Just some examples that come to mind:

Bigger Pockets

Nice Quote from the Blog Post taken: -  

"Thanks for everything Mr. Greenspan (and all others who could have done something about this, but were too busy getting fat off of the booming housing market at the time)!"

Buffet Calls for Real Estate Slowdown May 2006 - Certainly news worth sharing

Congratulations Wall Street December of 2006 - I think it's worth reminding people of how much money these same bailout recipients were making when the times were good. How About a $50 Million Dollar Bonus?

There are certainly many, many more to pick up on and share and that's precisely my point to the whole post.

When I clicked into AR yesterday.. I think it's safe to say there were less then 1% of any blog posts picking up on some issues currently taking place on real estate that are in the major media outlets:

Treasury Answers Bailout Quetions - CNNMoney 12/31

The Ballooning Bailout - Fortune Video 12/31 - Funny but not...

Oversight Panel to Treasury Bailout Efforts Lacking - CNNMoney 12/10

21 Dumbest Moments in Business 2008 - Fortune Magazine

Real Estate Crystal Ball 2009 Seattle - Seattle Real Estate News -- I only bring this one up because this is the first time I've seen somebody mention the following quote and it is a major issue:

"Jason Bloom, president of the Washington Association of Mortgage Professionals, said 30 percent of consumers who could get a mortgage in 2007 cannot now because of tightened lending guidelines."

That's probably going to have an impact on the recovery... don't you think?? Yet this is the first person I've even seen mention that.

8 Really, Really Scary Predictions for 2009 - Fortune Magazine -- I really liked this quote from Sheila Bair -- The FDIC Chairman (Chairwoman)

"We will dig out of this. And when we do, I hope for a back-to-basics society - where banks and other lending institutions promote real growth and long-term value for the economy, and where American families have rediscovered the peace of mind of financial security achieved through saving and investing wisely. We need to return to the culture of thrift that my mother and her generation learned the hard way through years of hardship and deprivation. Those are lessons learned that the current crisis is teaching us again."

That's what I harp on everyday. True Real Estate Investors know this and I'm suggesting Real Estate Bloggers should probable teach more of these basic concepts so we can get back on track.

Sheila Bair also points out the following:

"To be sure, borrowers, brokers, lenders, securitizers, as well as state and federal regulators, all bear responsibility for the widespread deterioration in lending standards. But the problem was compounded by the fact that those ultimately holding the risk - the investors - did not look behind their investments at the quality of the mortgages themselves. If they had, they would have seen high loan-to-value ratios, little income documentation, burdensome fees, and steep payment resets. They would have seen mortgages unaffordable from the beginning, originated based on the assumption that home prices would continue to rise and borrowers would refinance. Of course, we now know that as home prices began to depreciate, borrowers were unable to refinance, leading to massive foreclosures and further price declines. This self-reinforcing downward spiral is at the core of the economic problems we face today."

Maybe Real Estate Professionals Should Have Been A Little More Vocal Instead of Business as Usual and running $40 Million Dollar Ad Campaigns that it's always a good time to Buy AND Sell Real Estate??

(Just had to throw that thought in...)

Consumers Fall Deeper Into Debt: Reuters 12/23/08 -

"Dann Adams, president of U.S. Information Systems for Equifax Inc, said the already high rate of personal bankruptcies could increase. "We've seen a continued ramp up of delinquencies across the board," he said."

Tough to get Home loans when delinquencies are going up and credit for consumers is worsening... making it even tougher to stabilize falling home prices.

"Over a third, 36.6 percent, of subprime homeowners were 30 or more days behind on their home loans in November, according to Equifax data."

Consumer Credit Fact Check - Reuters -- There is actually some good news in all of that bad news if you know what to look for.

2009 Real Estate Forecast - BusinessWeek - Is the Housing Market Meltdown coming to your market? I'm sure your readers would like some insight from a Local Real Estate Pro. There is news in there I'm certainly going to be using on my Las Vegas Real Estate Blog...

I could go on and on and on..... and it's not about sharing bad news (which there is certainly plenty of it) but more about sharing news and giving insight on things taking shape... maybe some thought on what needs to be looked out for in the coming future that will certainly be determining if you have any business in the future.

In Kristal Kraft's Should We Let Gloom and Doom Control our Destiny post... there were plenty of comments on there that we will be just fine. Kind of reminds me of what some people were saying in 2004 and 2005 when the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issues came to light. Lenn Certainly knows what I'm talking about here..

As far as keywords and blogging for business... I'm certainly crystal clear about that and there is no suggestion anywhere in the post to stop doing that. My suggestion is merely to share what's taking place and how this will effect everybody -- including your ability to have future customers --

120,000 Active Rainers with minimal posts and insight to all of the latest Real Estate News that can be found just in the past week on the major media outlets... is my precise point to the blog post.

"Writing about the bailout (which I have done briefly on my other blog) will not bring me a buyer."

"Discussions about the economy don't bring me business."

--- I completely disagree... it will bring you a smart and long time client if you write about it intelligently. There are plenty of people out there looking for good opinions of the bailout, the economy and what it means on the local level. I've personally picked up several myself from one of my outside blogs...

And..... If I have a buyer referral to Lenn Harley's neck of the woods... she will certainly get the referral.

I don't know... maybe it's just me but posts about personal resolutions, business plans, lazy business practices...etc... are just boring reading for me. My whole point is over 120,000 members should at least have one post that can make tomorrows surprise... no surprise when it happens because there are plenty of more "surprises" coming.

Yes... ACTION brings on wonderful things but don't you think it's time for the right type of Action?

Thanks for the comment and Have a Great New Year...

Emily Lowe - Nashville, TN Realtor (The Lipman Group / Sotheby's International Realty)

Excellent post - I consider myself one of the 6% who is an optimist and who also sees the country going in the wrong direction with the bailouts.  I believe that we can turn it around, especially in this industry.  I was so shocked while getting the licensing to find out how easy it was to achieve.  It's no wonder that people don't trust realtors.  The exams, etc. are a complete joke.  And this doesn't seem to be real estate specific.  Americans don't want to study hard and work hard to become the best that they can be.  It's all about "how little can we do and still get by".  We as a nation need to step up to the plate and for once learn and apply ourselves so we truly figure out how to hit the ball correctly!!!

Thanks Emily... you certainly get it. However.... We as a Nation have stepped up in the past and have done great things in past challenges...

Sadly.. so far we have not for this generational crisis but hopefully that turns around... A 100,000 or so real estate related bloggers who are supposed to know something about real estate would certainly help.. :)

Sitting around, thinking the same people who got us here and relying on the NAR to continue their self interest programs certainly is not going to help out.

Thanks Emily and Have a Fantastic New Year...

AND THE WINNER IS... 

Rich Jacobson ~ ActiveRain Community Builder (ActiveRain Corporation)

I am always bewildered by people who make critical comments like this about the content being published on ActiveRain (even if there is some merit to their criticism), and rather than sticking around and trying to contribute something meaningful, to serve as an example for others to follow, they elect to stay away. That makes no sense to me....

Nobody says I'm electing to stay away... the Great Blog Posts that I mentioned made me think and write up a blog post... which surprisingly was featured.

We all don't have the whole day to sit in front of the computer and need to spend our time wisely. Maybe you should read the post a little closer to understand it's more of a suggestion then criticism and I even point out blame to myself.

I've Been EXTREMELY Busy so my time has been limited and therefore.. has taken time away from me to spend more time on Active Rain. Some of my past posts have been pretty bad and I merely mention that I'm not the only one. :)

Jim's Comment in his 2008 A lot of Unanswered Questions Post which I'll highlight again:

"I am still feeling very uneasy about living through the biggest unexplained events to transpire since the "Great depression", but personally feel there are too many questions that are still not answered to my satisfaction.  Even here on Active Rain, no one really talks about the events of 2008."

This Is one of the main reasons I posted and while there was criticism about content on ActiveRain... (about .02% of the entire post) there were also complements about the articles highlighted to give some more awareness of what is going on.

Nothing more.. nothing less and I got to throw in a topic to the future financial stability of this country that hopefully at least one other person picked up on and will share with somebody else...

Thanks and Have a Great New Year...

Sorry... I'm not going to add any pretty pictures in this post but hopefully if you made it this far you get what I mean for whatever type of blogging you decide to do from here on out.

I would love to go to one source for real estate blogs and catch up on all of the latest breaking news with some great insight from REAL ESTATE Professionals with the limited time I have... and I'm sure there are plenty of others that would like to do the same...

Jim Crawford wants answers... and so do a lot of Real Estate Consumers who trust us with some of the biggest financial decisions they will be making.

Happy 2009 and may your blogging practices bring in the millions of consumers looking for insightful commentary by a local real estate professional who gets what is going on... instead of the typical "It's Always a Great time to Buy and Sell Real Estate".

Paul Francis, CRS
Las Vegas Real Estate
702.592.3058