ActiveRain Community

This week our Zoom call on Tuesday we were challenged by Debe Maxwell, CRS to create a video from a still image using AI. I chose this image of the American Flag flying at Valley Forge and wanted to get AI to make it wave. I put this into Grok originally, but it said it could not create a video. So, I went back to Chatgpt and they suggested various sites. I eventually ended up using DeeVid AI which created a 5 second clip of the flag fluttering in the wind.Chat GPT then suggested some sites for music and the prompts to use to get what I wanted, some flute or fife and drums playing a Revolutionary tune. Again I ran into issues as many of the sites wanted me to sign up and pay a subscription which I am not willing to do until I know how it works.So, I downloaded my video into Clipchamp an... 11/04/2025

Sometimes you deserve a second chance, not because you weren't fabulous the first time, but because the timing and circumstances weren't quite right. You just got overlooked."   -Carol Williams  Second Chance Saturday is all about giving deserving posts more exposure. If you see a deserving post that didn't get Featured, be sure to tag Carol in the comment section of any post and watch for it in the next edition of Second Chance Saturday.   Let's Welcome Our First-Time Bloggers:Note: We don't feature first-time blogs that aren't about real estate or those that appear to be spamming their own blogs. We consider that spamming the site. I also don't feature blogs that don't allow comments.Alziro Escobar-Pruitt Gloria Schmitt  Kip Wilkins  Jason Boni  Hannah Ehrenheim   Darin Kuvaas  Caleb... 11/08/2025

When I met Annie, I was introduced to a whole host of people, friends, acquaintances people she had known for years. When we got married, it seemed as if I had joined this enormous family of loving people. One of these was funnily enough a lady who the person who introduced Annie and I was going to also introduce me to as an option for my love life. However, that never happened as Annie and I hit it off from the start. But she did become a good friend.Due to different life circumstances she was renting, having recently sold a home which she had shared with a cousin. We talked often about her desire to purchase a home and as she lived on the other side of Philadelphia from us, we wanted her to move closer. Things might never have changed if her landlord had not decided to sell the house ... 11/04/2025

When Vivian first reached out to us, she was going through a big life change. After many years of marriage, she was now facing an emotional divorce while also managing the challenge of selling her family home on her own. The house held decades of memories, and it was a lot to take in both personally and in terms of day-to-day details. It was all the little reminders of her life there and letting go felt overwhelming.From the beginning, Larry and I had a goal to make things easier and help Vivian feel confident every step of the way. We went over everything together from pricing, a little staging, and some small repairs. Since she had limited time and energy, we took care of most of the coordination with contractor, photographer, and potential buyers, keeping her in the loop so she alway... 11/08/2025

Look, that might not literally be the message that shows up in my Inbox day after day, but it might as well be.Negative advertising.Negative soliciting.Personally, I can't stand either one.   If you can't make a case for your product or services without bashing the competition, do you REALLY have what I want?"I was going through your website, which isn't doing well" followed by promises to put us on page 1 of Google.What that comment says to me is, you don't even begin to know the purpose of my website and the audience I'm targeting, nor whether it is effective at bringing me the clients I seek.It also tells me you offer the "holy grail", page 1 of Google.  Now for what search term??  Pffft.   There are only so many spots on page 1 of Google and only so many keywords that I'd have inter... 11/04/2025

Home Hacks Everyone Can UseEvery home has its quirks, but a few smart hacks can make daily life smoother, and even a little fun. Take pool noodles, for example. Slice one and place it on walls or doors to prevent dents or slip a piece over a shelf  in garage to stop or soften when opening the car door.  Foam never looked so useful! Magnetic strips aren’t just for knives either. Stick one in the garage for screwdrivers, wrenches, or scissors, or inside a closet for small metal items like keys or clips. Everything stays visible, and digging through junk drawers becomes a thing of the past.Binder clips are surprisingly versatile tools. They can help keep cords untangled, hold stacks of papers together, and even clip gloves and hats in a closet. A tiny metal clip can have a big organization... 11/04/2025

November Challenge: The Client I Wanted to Clone It’s never easy for sellers to welcome someone into their home, knowing they’re about to hear a critique of it. When I consulted on occupied listings, I could see the apprehension in their eyes.  There were occasions when I could sense the tension…the husband or wife was resisting everything about the move, or the client was still old school and felt the house would sell itself. You’ve met them. “If they don’t like the paint color, they don’t have to buy the house.”  This is why it was so refreshing when one of my first clients greeted me with Be brutally honest with me! This was in 2008, when the market was down and very few people in FL knew about staging. My client was relocating due to a job transfer to Central FL.  Jeff offered me an... 11/04/2025

Before I share about the 'idiots' I wanted to share this sweet photo of our little guy Barney that is in doggy heaven now.  He's counting angels up there! And we miss his sweet demeanor and love of going for walks!  Every time we'd say walk he'd RUSH to the door!  I wish we could get Norman excited about walks! He lags behind in the family room and has to be coaxed!  But he sure likes his treats when he gets back!  Go figure.Ok I can imagine that many of you could play this new game - Count the Idiot Drivers!   The other day that while we were out running a few errands we saw at least 8 idiot drivers taking big chances, running red lights, rolling stops, weaving in and out of traffic (as if they're going to get anywhere faster than us law abiding folks) and other idiot moves. That's whe... 11/03/2025

This month, the ActiveRain challenge is about thankfulness as is typical with our November challenges. Our host, Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta, GA 404-617-6375 has indicated we can share someone's thankfulness FOR us, or our thankfulness for someone else. Specifically, someone who may have been helpful in our real estate role. My first post focused on an attorney I met while taking real estate courses. This post focuses on my gratitude for people who were not so helpful.Huh? What am I talking about?Specifically, I am grateful for:1) The first seller I ever worked with.I took my own photos, wrote my description, (good enough for her to say, "Wow, if I didn't already live here, I'd want to!"), went through all the questions for the actual listing, got the forms signed, and listed that hous... 11/03/2025

Another great post by Brian, Arizona's KING of Active Rain posts. bill  GILBERT ARIZONA HOMES FOR SALE, Bill Salvatore, AZVHV /Helping Arizona Heroes, New-Construction Advantage, Realtor,sell my house, 2025 Market, Chandler   🤓Thankfulness Goes Both Ways  ☀️For ALL of Your East Valley AZ Real Estate Needs 📞Call or 🙋‍♂Text Brian at 480-773-2370 📨Email Brian I always enjoy participating in the challenges hosted by ActiveRain. I am grateful that Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta, GA 404-617-6375 is hosting this month's challenge. Thankfulness is something that I am sure we have all given and received from clients. I look forward to reading all of the posts for this challenge!   I treasure the relationships that are made during a real estate transaction, whether I am representing the buyer or se... 11/03/2025

🤓 By Your Fruits ☀️For ALL of Your East Valley AZ Real Estate Needs📞Call or 🙋‍♂Text Brian at 480-773-2370📨Email BrianI always enjoy participating in the challenges hosted by ActiveRain. I am grateful that Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta, GA 404-617-6375 is hosting this month's challenge. Thankfulness is something that I am sure we have all given and received from clients. I look forward to reading all of the posts for this challenge! I treasure the relationships that are made during a real estate transaction, whether I am representing the buyer or seller. There are a lot of emotions that go into each transaction from all parties involved. During the transaction, we usually message, talk, or exchange emails daily, and a relationship is often developed. Some relationships become stronger tha... 11/10/2025

As a Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist, I spend a lot of time on phone consult calls. Many of my friends, some of whom are attorneys, think I am crazy for not charging for my time. I invest whatever time it takes to provide whatever help I can offer people, even when I know it will not result in a real estate transaction.  I've established great relationships with many local attorneys whom I trust and am comfortable referring people.Recently, I consulted with a gentleman who was calling from the East Coast.  He had a lot of questions regarding an estate that had property locally that would need to be sold. I answered all of his questions except the areas that leaned legal in nature. He was gracious and thanked me for my time.  Following the initial consult call, he sent a few que... 11/03/2025

Good morning and hello there again from Tim in my home office in beautiful Cottage Grove, MN.  Hope this email finds you doing well this Monday, had a good weekend and a fantastic safe and happy Halloween celebration.  Wanted to share Tim's Time Outs with you again. LIVE WITH ENTHUSIASM: Living life with a spark of enthusiasm is one of the most natural things we should strive to do.  Let me explain...most people get out of bed in the morning and exclaim...with a grumble, "Oh I have to go to work today.".. I decided many years ago I was going to treat each new day as a blessing.  That is when I also decided to approach each new day as if I was going to "fun" every day and to really enjoy each new day with a spark of joy, a belief that I would overcome each challenge and obstacle with a P... 11/03/2025

This brain buster is your moment of calm focus before the day begins.Mindful thinking sharpens everything else. 🧘‍♂️🧠Answer for the dayWhat kind of room can hold hundreds of people but has no walls at all?Today's answer: A Chatroom Brain Buster for Tuesday, November 4 What has windows you can’t open and tabs you can close? 11/03/2025

This brain buster is your moment of calm focus before the day begins.Mindful thinking sharpens everything else. 🧘‍♂️🧠Answer for the dayI sit at the edge of your vision, chase me and I stay the same distance away. What am I? Today's answer: The Horizon Brain Buster for Monday, November 3 What kind of room can hold hundreds of people but has no walls at all? 11/03/2025

Night Cafe has been the only image creator I have ever used. Why? Because that is what I got started on and just stayed with it.Over time, I noticed I liked Night Cafe less and less. I like it even less after this week's homework assignment.This is my fifth entry into the Active Rain Tuesday Zoom Challenge. I will need more training on Grok, and if I have the patience, figure out why Copilot would not authenticate.  For the Feature Image, I used the "YOU are" prompt. "You are a powerful professional 65-year-old female Probate Real Estate Specialist sitting in your office on the phone consulting with a grieving client." In case you did not notice, the female has two phones, one held to each ear.The prompt to update the existing photo was:"Using the same image, keep everything the same ex... 11/02/2025

Sandpoint Realty 'Simply Sunday' showing the ghosts and goblins of this past Halloween did indeed 'Trick or Treat' before departing.The Halloween 'Trick' here being obvious.  lol.  The 'Treat' coming in many different fashions.  Just the day before I jump started the truck, in this same parking lot, thinking it was a dead battery.  Not being completely comfortable I left the engine running when fueling, rest stops, food etc.  I did though need turn it off a few times.  We traveled, visiting Leavenworth Washington, well beyond the 100 mile tow limit we have with 'AAA'.  Returning the same night.  Going out the next morning battery dead again and no jump would work.  The Treats.  The hotel just under 100 mile tow limit.  Easy access for tow truck.  I turned truck off to park in Leavenwort... 11/02/2025

A good post by Kelly and worthy of our Daily Re-Blog. Bill GILBERT ARIZONA HOMES FOR SALE, Bill Salvatore, AZVHV /Helping Arizona Heroes, New-Construction Advantage, Realtor,sell my house, 2025 Market, Chandler We are winding down the end of the year already.  It's a good time to review and reevaluate your life's goals and make adjustments for the upcoming new year.  The person you want to be depends on: The food you eat The exercise you do The friends you make The books you read The money you invest The places you travel The habits you build The sacrifices you make     Don't let yourself down!    Kelly McGovern, Broker/Owner Realty Concierge InternationalMobile: (508) 331-7158eFax: (877) 491-3766Email: Info@KellyMcGovern.RealtorWebsite: http://www.RealtyConcierge.Realtor9535680 11/02/2025

As the year begins winding down (how did we get here already?!), I was reading a thoughtful post by Kelly McGovern. She reminded us that this is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and maybe even do a little fine-tuning on our goals, both the ones we’ve accomplished and the ones still patiently waiting on the “I’ll get to it soon” list. Kelly shared a wonderful roadmap for checking in with who we are, who we’re becoming, and who we aspire to be.It got me thinking, and then I stumbled across this gem from Madeleine L’Engle:“The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.”Isn’t that lovely? It struck me that we don’t just age… we layer. We carry around the bright-eyed kid who believed anything was possible, the young adult who was sure they had l... 11/03/2025

Yesterday when driving I heard Chuck Mangione’s instrumental of “Feels So Good.”  Often that is the feeling I have when a client makes a referral.  Those types of referrals reaffirm that my business practices are sustainable and even more important highly ethical.In hearing this rendition, I decided to stop by one of my happy buyers who has made numerous referrals to me and makes me “feel so good.”  This buyer, Jamie Greenberg and her father bought a site-built house on 5 acres with horse stalls and a large lighted arena in Kingman, AZ nearly six years ago. (Yes, Jamie gave me permission to use her name.)Since then, Jamie has added to her already busy schedule by boarding a few horses along with buying one for herself.  Buying a horse was a dream Jamie had and purchasing this property m... 11/02/2025