Where do I start? At the end of course.

By
Real Estate Agent with Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME

Red Sky at Night...End.  Beginning.  Beginning.  End.

Life.  Death.  Endless circles...alright, I'll cut the nonsense.  I'm here to wish you all farewell.  I'm leaving ActiveRain.  My reasons are varied, but none are earth shattering.  There is no sudden "I hate ActiveRain" swagger down here in San Antonio.  No, in fact I leave with good memories of my time here.  From meeting new friends, to learning new things, to debating with some of the best of them on the issues that our industry faces everyday.  I've loved all (well, almost all) of my time here.

I credit ActiveRain with really helping me find a voice in real estate blogging...the voice was mine, but the platform was ActiveRain (although I must credit AgentGenius for really giving me my first blogging opportunities).  I grew up a lot here in ActiveRain - figuring out who I wanted to be as a real estate agent and gained a bit of notoriety doing it.  My posts here have gained me attention in many different circles - from our industry to the press to consumers.

My leaving is not a reflection on the company (although until they remove the check photos, I will continue to have a problem with the message they are sending) and I wish them nothing but continued success, particularly as they transition to their new form without Jon.  As for the staff, past and present, I hope to meet you all somewhere down the line - some of you have been more than just the "people that work at ActiveRain" and far exceeded my expectations many times.  As for the connections with agents and others in our industry - I'll always value those and I hope you'll continue to say hello and offer your thoughts on my other blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else is yet to be invented.

There's a million places you can find me online and soon there will be more.  As I focus my energy, I truly do hope to see you all out there in the great world wide web (do they still call it that?).

I wrote my first blog here on November 3, 2008.  The title?  "A new day is dawning..."  I thought the photo I selected for my last post might make up for the lack of one in my first.  A circle if you will.  End.  Beginning.  Beginning.  End.

From that very same article, a quote:

I like to share what I know, learn what I don't, and mull over everything in between.

I think I lived up to that quote quite well and I give you my promise to continue to do so.

Epilogue.

I'm sure some people might speculate that I am leaving to pursue some project outside of real estate, but I'm not.  I'm still here, right where I've always been.  My shift in focus is designed to concentrate my activities and thoughts into a more powerful stream.  There will still be multiple blogs, but some uses of my time and brain power had to be evaluated, judged, and weighed on the scale.  RErockstar will continue on, much as it probably will for many, many years.  San Antonio Rocks will continue to be a view into the city I call home.  "I saw it in San Antonio." will continue to show bits and pieces of my life through my iPhone.  But there is more.  Some of it quietly revealed recently on Facebook, some of it merely hinted at.  I have much more to get out of this skull of mine, so expect to hear more...you'll just have to be listening in the right places.

photo courtesy of law_keven

I don't know what will happen to my posts, but I have backed them all up.  I guess after I pass the 90 day mark, my account will cease to exist and the lights will go dark.  It'll be a bit melancholy when it happens, but I'll make it just fine.

Comments (22)

Martha Brown
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD
Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

Best wishes and hope to find you out and about on the big WWW

Apr 19, 2011 03:39 PM
Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV
Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS

Matt, I am a subscriber and will miss you.  Maybe you might just write a post every month or so and keep this blog alive?

Apr 19, 2011 03:46 PM
Mike Wong
Keller Williams Realty Southwest - Sugar Land, TX
Realtor: Commercial, Residential, Leasing, Invest

Wishing you all the best Matt. Look forward to seeing you rocking on outside the rain.

Apr 19, 2011 04:06 PM
Pat and Ed Okenica
DRAKE REALTY Lake Oconee Ga - Greensboro, GA
Lake Oconee Ga Real Estate

Matt, as a new subscriber I would like to know what the heck you are trying to accomplish?

Apr 19, 2011 04:06 PM
Matt Stigliano
Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME - San Antonio, TX

Alan - Trust me, it will be well worth it.

Doug - Thanks.  That's a pretty awesome compliment.

Martha - As a friend of mine recently said on Twitter: "I'm beginning to think that @ has been to the end of the internet on multiple occasions lol"  You can not escape me on the internet, I've been to one side and back again.

Virginia - If you look at the past few months, you'll see that I was writing posts here and there to keep it alive.  Unfortunately, I didn't think it was doing the blog justice.  I don't want to just write something because I have to.  I want to write something because I absolutely need to.

For those of you not feint at heart, you can also visit my non-real estate blog, Recovering Rockstar.  It delves into some of dark recesses of rock and roll though, so consider yourself warned.

Apr 19, 2011 04:07 PM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

I'm sad to read this as I've always looked forward towards the stories/ blog you shared. But never mind, I know where else to find you.

Apr 19, 2011 04:09 PM
DeeDee Riley
Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA
Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Matt, I'm a subscriber to and will miss your posts and great insight!  Best wishes to you in all your endeavors!

Apr 19, 2011 04:13 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
A moving experience!

you know, strangely enough... I do trust you.  But I don't do well with change.

Apr 19, 2011 04:16 PM
Matt Stigliano
Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME - San Antonio, TX

Mike - Thank you.  Much already exists outside of here that built concurrently, it is time to refocus on those things.

Pat or Ed - Releasing my self of the guilt of not finding enough time to blog at ActiveRain is part of it.  I also thought my writing was being diluted as I tried to spread ideas thin and make them work on several different platforms.  I'm also focusing on my core audience of local San Antonians and while ActiveRain does attract consumers, my personal numbers have always been better on my other site when it comes to consumers.  I will still write here and there for other platforms when I need to get some real estate theory or controversy out of my head (The Devil's Avocado blog at TheHipRoof being a great example of that).

Apr 19, 2011 04:20 PM
Kate Elim
Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA
Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Matt...Well, I didn't expect to read this tonight but all I can say is you will be missed in the Rain.  Enjoy yourself whatever you do whereever you do it.

Kate

P.S.  You can always come back someday.

Apr 19, 2011 04:40 PM
Katerina Gasset
Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Wellington, FL
Get It Done For Me Virtual Services

Matt- There is a time and a season for every purpose. I wish you God Speed on all your projects, existing and the ones still in your head. :) See you on the net! Katerina

Apr 19, 2011 04:48 PM
Bob Stewart
ActiveRain - Seattle, WA
ActiveRain Ambassador

You won't cease to exist when you pass the 90 day mark. Your posts will still live here in public and your profile will still do the same. The only one that can/will pull the plug on those is you.

We'll see you around online somewhere else I'm sure.

Apr 19, 2011 05:30 PM
Don Rogers
Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO
Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Matt,

I have been a subscriber for a while now and I can say that you will be missed here in the Rain.  Best of luck sir and I will be looking for you elsewhere on the web.

Apr 19, 2011 11:54 PM
Lee & Pamela St. Peter
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC
Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

Matt, I too am sorry to read this today.  You've been a mainstay here in the rain for a long time.  I'm with Alan, I don't like this kind of change, but do respect your decision.  You know you'll never 'go dark' to your friends here.  Keep us posted!
Pamela

Apr 20, 2011 04:40 AM
Matt Stigliano
Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME - San Antonio, TX

Mike - Thanks.  If there's one thing I always promise to do, it is to keep rocking, no matter what.

Pat and Ed - I've been here for over two years and enjoyed my time here.  I have also always ran my own self-hosted blogs (there have been/always will be several) and contributed to others as well.  My goal on ActiveRain was to "cut my blogging teeth" so to speak and get myself writing more (I had blogged in the past in my time in the music industry).  I feel I've accomplished that task and found that I wasn't posting to ActiveRain as much.  I have a great following outside here, so I'm consolidating some of my blogging efforts and narrowing my focus in my blogging efforts.  While I do find many articles on here that are worthy of reading and commenting on, I felt that the time I was using to be here was taking time away from further development of my own blogging resources.  Not in a bad way, like I said, just narrowing my focus.

You can keep up with me at RErockstar.com (my main site), my soon to be announced blog, "I saw it in San Antonio." (my photo blog), the aforementioned RecoveringRockstar, or my Facebook pages; All Access Pass to San Antonio Real Estate and San Antonio Rocks.

Loreena - I'll miss the instant gratification of posting here, but like you said - you know where to find me!

DeeDee - Feel free to drop by my other blogs, they'll contain all my thoughts from here on out.

Alan - I've made a lot of changes in my life over the past year.  It's been good, it's been tough; but in the end, I know it's all for the right reasons.

Kate - As Bob mentions a few comments later, it looks like the door is always open.

Katerina - Don't get me started on the ones still in my head.  Yikes!

Bob - Thanks for the clarification.  We will see each other around no doubt.  I owe you a phone call!

Don - Appreciated.  I will miss it some ways, but I have big accomplishments ahead of me!

Pamela - Thanks.  You all make me feel sad and guilty!  Haha.  No seriously, I will miss it in it's own special way, but the tasks before me require much concentration and effort.

Apr 21, 2011 03:25 AM
Christine Hooks
Pino Agency - Pennsville, NJ
Celebrating 25 Years in Real Estate!

Hey, Matt.  Best wishes in your new ventures.  I'm excited for you.

May 18, 2011 01:29 PM
The Somers Team
The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Matt - I hope we catch up as well !  I was wondering what was going on !  You are the man and an inspiration to me as well.  ~ Chris

Jun 01, 2011 12:02 PM
Gwen Banta
Sotheby's International Realty - Los Angeles, CA

Oh, Matt, say it ain't so Joe. Please visit me on AG. You are my compadre - my rockstar alter ego. You're the man, the mind, the mensch, the mentor, the motivator. You can run, but you can't hide...I'll find you, you know!

Jul 02, 2011 08:00 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Matt,

While I was not a subscriber (and that's why I am so late to comment here), I am very upset that you are leaving.

Lately I am questioning myself more and more on what I think is the loss of vision for AR. And yes, those smiling photos with a check is such a turn off. I would be ashamed to be there. It boils down the platform to a check, and I joined it for anything but a check

Eventually the name got out and I even started getting business, but it was a byproduct.

the minute they tout AR as a product to get business, it is when people figure that they can get more business and better business outside of AR.

I think AR statrted with laying golden eggs, and now does not see the value in golden eggs and is trying to promote a mediocre omlette

Sep 04, 2011 06:01 AM
Jim Frimmer
HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA
Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

Hey, Matt, I just stopped by to see what you were up to since I hadn't seen you for a while. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Oct 03, 2011 12:04 PM