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Collage Competition: What AR Means To Me

By
Mortgage and Lending with Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA

I love AR competitions!  They're generally a lot of fun and I always learn something new.  It's kind of funny that it takes a challenge to motivate me to learn something new but hey, at least I accept challenges and get out of my comfort zone and force myself to continually learn something new.  LOL

This latest challenge was issued by Niki Parekh and it was to blog about what AR means to me and to illustrate it in a collage.  First and foremost, I have never worked with a collage program before so finding in one that was user friendly and somewhat easy for this collage newbie was a challenge all unto itself.

First there was Picasa (totally sucked - don't recommend it for the newbie), then Shape and then I finally found Photovisi after asking Niki if he could recommend a very user friendly program for the collage newbie.  Thx Niki; greatly appreciate the recommendation.  :)

For me, becoming a member of AR was all about learning to blog for business; it was all about increasing my exposure to prospective buyers and borrowers in my local market in an effort to generate leads and expand my internet presence.  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! 

My AR blog is a definite lead generator which has resulted in additional closed transactions and I've displayed a few of my success stories in my collage.  WHOO HOO!!! 

So, on that note, I want to give a great big THANK YOU to my friend, Carol Lee, a local Realtor with Dilbeck Real Estate, for dragging my @$$ here and pestering me into blogging about loan programs and the mortgage loan process. 

I also want to thank Virginia Hepp for reaching out to me back then because my first impression of AR was not a warm and fuzzy one and Virginia really encouraged me to hang in there because it would eventually get better.  You were right Virginia.

I want to also give a shout out to some of my fellow MLO's who together, we have all continually struggled to educate and inform others about the mortgage industry as well as the loan process.  Because let's be honest here, we MLO's are the minority here and we are constantly bashed by AR Realtors here and most of us are usually prepared to step up and fight the good fights.  So to Janet Guilbault, Rob Rauf, Gene Mundt, Rodney Mason, George Souto, Ed GillespieNevin Williams, Karen Cooper and all the other licensenced MLO's here who are the epitome of professionalism in our fields - BRAVO!!! 

I want to also thank my blogging buddies, Renee Burrows, Anita Clark and fellow MLO David Krushinsky for inviting me to be a part of their blogging groups. 

Being a part of their blogging groups has been a wonderful opportunity to not only help educate and inform the buyers in their markets about the loan process and the mortgage industry but it's been a great way of increasing the exposure (and google juice) to my own blog.  WIN WIN!!!

I want to also give a shout out to some darling, spunky, southern gals, Tammy Lankford, Charita CadenheadPam Miller, TLW and Cinnamon Wright (aka CA - they don't call her Cheeky Assistant for nothing) who I've come to know, admire and respect.  I think of Tammy as our resident storyteller because I just love the way she tells a story.  She has literally had me in tears to laughs in a matter of minutes with her funny and heartfelt stories.  As for Charita, Pam, TLW and CA, well let me just say this, they give a whole new meaning to the word "Sassy".  They remind me of me (only I'm a native Cali girl)!  LOL

I want to give a special thanks to Greg Nino, Gwen Banta and Bill & Liz Spear (aka BLiz) for their incredible sense of humors because they bring a whole new meaning to the word funny when snorting coffee out your nose and all over your keyboard while reading one of their posts.  Then there are the resident photographers Vegas Bob and Russel Ray for some the most incredible photography in the rain.

Lastly, I want to give a big shout out to my fellow left coasters Karen Fiddler, Cynthia Larsen, Elizabeth WeintraubGene Riemenschneider, Jane Grant, Kat DeLong, and Tni LeBlanc as well as my LA & Ventua county buddies Ken Barker, Maya Swamy, Sheila Rasak, Andi Grant, Endre Barath, Jane Peters, and Michael Jacobs for being really incredible bloggers/writers and whose blogs I have really enjoyed subscribing to.  

Cali is a wild and wacky place and these folks are some of the absolute best resources for all things real estate when it comes to buying and selling real estate here in our beloved Cali.

I'm sure I'm missing some really wonderful bloggers and friends but I could literally go on for another 700 words about all the things I love about AR but I'm sure I would lose the last remaining ones that have hung in here so far for the first 700 words.  On that note, here is my AR collage and just a sampling of what it means to me.

 

 

Photos courtesy of flickr:   honeytech   hebergersite   alvhyttan     

Posted by

 

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 Donne Knudsen

Realtor® - CalState Realty Services

DRE#: 01364050 / NMLS#: 249822 

 

805.2069123

 

E-mail   My Blog  

Serving low-medium income individuals and families as well as first time buyers with both their real estate as well as their mortgage needs including down payment assistance

Los Angeles County  --  Ventura County

© 2010 - All Rights Reserved

Comments (29)

Maya Swamy
Funds Available - Long Beach, CA
Ph.D. Long Beach, CA - fundsavailable.com

Thanks Donne. Your friendship means a lot to me too. I love your collage. People are what AR is about and you have made that point so visual and strong. Next we, I hope, we have more to talk about.

May 31, 2011 06:05 PM
Jill Sackler
Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500 - Long Beach, NY
LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate

You did good! Great idea adding yourself to the collage. I haven't done so well with Picasa either. Thanks for the new recommendation.

Jun 01, 2011 01:56 AM
Sidney Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula
Realty Works Temecula - Temecula, CA
Realty Works Temecula

Donne:  Thank you so much for the mention...Isn't it amazing that here you are because of Virginia Hep who was your cheer leader!  What if you had given up, and how about all of the people who have given up because they didn't have that cheer leader there telling them to come on.  Glad you hung in there because your content and opinions are very valuable to your readers!

Jun 01, 2011 04:29 AM
Donne Knudsen
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services

Brenda - It was a contest that Niki announced a few weeks ago.  I just happened to have waited to the last minute to get it up.  In my defense, I was playing around with the various collage programs this past weekend. 

Kathy - While AR is a great business tool, most days, it is really about the people and the sense of community here.

BLiz - You two are phenomenal bloggers and I am so glad I have come to know you through your blog.  Don't even get me started on Miss Bad Manners; I'm still drinking my coffee right now.  :)

Tammy - Ah, our resident storyteller, where would we be without your wonderful stories.  You are a truly a treasure to be found in this sea of wonders.  :)

Thx for stopping by folks; I really appreciate it as well as your continued support of me and my blogging efforts.  Have a good day everyone and a wonderful week too.  :)

Jun 01, 2011 04:53 AM
Donne Knudsen
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services

Ken - P{icasa was a terrible program for the collage newbie and don't even get me started on their terrible help manual.  OMG!!!  What a mess that was.  That program seems more geared towards the software techie.

Pam - Thx for the compliment, I'm glad you liked it.  It took me several attempts to figure out the collage programs and I'm glad I finally found Photovisi.  It's a little limited on what you can use (I wanted to include so many more pics) but it is very user friendly.

Carla - Happy to help in anyway, there were so many more people I wanted to add but I was limited in how many pics I could use.  That would be my only complaint about Photovisi otherwise it's a good program for the collage newbie.

Ed - Of all the people here that I appreciate the most, it's my fellow licensed MLO's.  We're like soldiers fighting a war together.  Since we are the minority here, we all need to stick together when we can and I will almost always support a fellow MLO professional in their legal and accurate efforts to educate and inform the general public as well as the other members here about the mortgage industry and loan process.

Thx for stopping by folks; I really appreciate it.  I really love all the relationships that I've established here in the rain and they are ones that I look forward to building upon in the future.  Have a good day everyone and a great week too.  :)

Jun 01, 2011 05:01 AM
Donne Knudsen
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services

Jane - I'm glad you like my collage; it took me awhile to finally find a program I could work with.  I wish I could have added more, which is my only complaint about Photovisi but it's a very user friendly program.  I think I'm going to check out Picnik next.

Maya - I too have been enjoying getting to know you too; you are a wonderful woman.  Looking forward to becoming good friends too.  :)

Jill - I'm not a Picasa fan and wouldn't recommend it to the collage newbie.  I'm going to check out Picnik next because although Photovisi was very easy to use, it was a little limiting.  I really wanted to add more pics but couldn't because of the program limitations.

Jane - I've thought of that before too because there probably have been a lot of people who have quit because they too didn't get that warm and fuzzy feeling when they first joined.  While there are a lot of nice people here, there are also a lot of jerk.  It only takes a few jerks to really turn off some people; it almost did me.

Thx for stopping by everyone; I really appreciate it.  You are all part of the reason why I love being a member of AR; you all give a whole new meaning to the word community and I love being a part of the community.  Have a good day everyone and a wonderful week too.  :)

Jun 01, 2011 05:14 AM
Don Sabinske
Don Sabinske, Sabinske & Associates Inc. - Zimmerman, MN
Sabinske & Associates Inc.

Donne, you've got some of the best of the best here.  See, I will stop by to check up on you!

Jun 01, 2011 06:02 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Donne, don't you think the picture of that guy in the funny looking mustache toward the bottom right hand corner is going to drive a few people away ............ LOL

Donne, thank you for the mention :)

Jun 01, 2011 06:46 AM
Donne Knudsen
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services

Don - I feel blessed that I have gotten to know some really wonderful people here in the rain.  The additional business has been a plus.

George - Quite the contrary, I would venture to say that you probably have driven people here.  :)

Thx for stopping by guys; I really appreciate it.  This was a really fun challenge and I really enjoyed doing it and paying tribute to some really great bloggers and professionals.  Have a good day guys and a great week.  :)

Jun 01, 2011 08:13 AM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Donne, wow thank you for mentioning my name with such august names, I am honored and not necessarily deserving, Thank you anyway

Jun 01, 2011 11:40 AM
Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV
Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS

Donne - Give a talented girl a little encouragement and what do you get?  A true Active Rain Rockstar!

Thank you for including me in your collage - it is awesome!

Jun 01, 2011 05:56 PM
Charita Cadenhead
eXp Realty - Birmingham, AL
Serving Jefferson and Shelby Counties (Alabama)

Donne thank you for the shout out girlfriend.  You know the feeling is mutual. I've got to get my blogging swag back on and get back into the challenge game.  You all are leaving me in the dust.  Love ya girl.

Jun 02, 2011 02:35 AM
Donne Knudsen
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services

Endre - As I mentioned, when it comes to local real estate, you are a wonderful resource.  I have learned some thing I didn't know from your blog and I look forward to more from you.  :)

Virginia - I still remember back in my first month or so and I'm serious, I really did NOT like the environment here (Sept 2008) and had the misfortune of coming across some real jerks back then and was so close to saying "screw this, I don't need this crap" when you reached out to me and encouraged me to hang in and I would eventually meet some nicer people.  In actuality, you were the first nice person in AR I had come across.  Thank you!  :)

Charita - It's a challenge to keep up the blogging swag when we get busy - been there, done that.  You're never forgotten!  :)

Thx for stopping by folks; I really appreciate it.  I want to also thank you for supporting my blogging efforts the way you do.  All of you have been an inspiration to me at some point or another.  Thank you!  Have a good day too.  :)

Jun 02, 2011 04:46 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

I loved this.  Thought of trying it - but everyone KNEW what AR was about - It was about people and you said it beautifully!

Jun 03, 2011 07:05 AM
Michelle Gibson
Hansen Real Estate Group Inc. - Wellington, FL
REALTOR

Donne - Great Post! I love a lot of those same bloggers.

Jun 03, 2011 02:08 PM
Gwen Banta
Sotheby's International Realty - Los Angeles, CA

Thanks for adding me to your wonderful collage, Donne - I am so honored!  I am delighted to read that you are generating leads. We need to work together, too, if we can be serious for five minutes. I'm afraid we will never stop laughing when we finally get together!

Jun 03, 2011 03:01 PM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

I am honored to be one of your AR friends, Donne. This is an outstanding community and I'm pleased to be in your company.

Jun 04, 2011 05:47 AM
Renée Donohue~Home Photography
Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI
Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer

I am honored also Donne!  You are making me blush but you really need to give yourself a pat on the back - not all MLOs pump out good material like you!

Jun 04, 2011 11:30 AM
Marie Graham
Owner, The Refreshed Home White Plains NY - White Plains, NY
Westchester County Interior Decorator, Home Stager

AR brings the best out of most of it's members, I love knowing so many smart people who are so very generous in spirit as well-thanks, everyone!

Jun 04, 2011 03:34 PM
Donne Knudsen
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services

Ruthmarie - While the additional business transactions that have been generated by AR blog have been nice, so many of the people here that I have come to know and learn from make all the difference in the world.

Michelle - Seems we have some similar faves.  :)

Gwen - I have thoroughly enjoyed subscribing to your blog.  You are hilarious and someone I would love the opportunity to work with.  Heck, these days, if we can't laugh at the nonsense that we have to put up with to do our jobs, we'd go crazy!  Who knows, maybe we already are.

Elizabeth - Feelings mutual, my friend.  I have enjoyed being one of your many fans; you are a wealth of info and a sense of humor that I truly love.  You too have also made a mess of my keyboard at times.  I have to be careful about reading you early in the morning while I'm still drinking my coffee.

Renee - Thx for the compliment; I really appreciate it.  I do my best to build a really great blog that is both educational and informative.  However, I have learned so much more about blogging from so many folks here in the rain.  You too have been a wealth of info for me in my blogging efforts and for that, I thank you, my friend (and fellow dog mama).  :)

Marie - Getting to know some really wonderful people here in the rain has truly been a blessing.  While the extra business is great, it would mean as much without the wonderful community that AR is.

Thx for stopping by ladies; I truly appreciate it.  Have a good day ladies and a wonderful week too.  :)

Jun 06, 2011 07:17 AM