DC Real Estate and Area Events

Yes! I am doing the happy dance. Why I am doing the happy dance? I got an e-mail from Matt Bowers from Zillow.  Here what it said:

Congratulations!  You were a finalist for the title of “Best Washington DC Real Estate Blog” in the Zillow Sponsored People’s Choice Awards!  We applaud your coverage of real estate in DC.

If you feel like bragging about your status as a finalist, we’ve created this badge just for you.

To post the badge to your website or blog, copy paste the following:

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Washington-DC/"><img style="border: 0;" src=" http://www.zillowstatic.com/static/images/blogger_contest/badges/final/wash-final.jpg" width="435" height="201" alt="Washington DC Real Estate" /></a>

Thanks so much for participating with us! We hope you had fun!

- Matt Bowers

Program Manager, Zillow.com

mattb@zillow.com

http://twitter.com/itsmemattb

I am soooo happy to get this. What does this mean? Does this mean that I have arrived as a Blogger? I don't know. But I am still working very,very hard to become an Elite Active Rain Blogger ala Queen Pat Kennedy,Broker Bryant,TLW,Lisa Heindel,Jason Crouch,Jennifer Fivelsdal,Lenn Harley,Nestor and Katerina Gassett just to name a few.

Some of the other Elite Active Rain bloggers such as the "Wake Forest House Chick" herself Leesa L.Chick,Stephaine and Chris Sommers and Debe Maxwell were in the first Round.

Here are the winners of the First Round. Zillow's peoples-choice-best-real-estate-blog-contest-winners.

I am going to be in the Second Round. So when I am,please vote for me. Help your fellow AR Blogger win. Congratulations to all of the winners. And I want to say thank you very much to all of you who contribute to my blogs. You helped me get here. And of course Thank you Active Rain. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If it wasn't for Active Rain,I would've never become a Blogger. So Thank you very much for providing this great platform and introducing to many great people who I pray to be FRIENDS WITH FOREVER BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE TRULY BEEN A BLESSING TO ME. Thank you.

Want to take your Social Media efforts to the next level? Try Beema. Thanks goes out to Alex Smith of Golden Lumpia Internet Marketing. His RAINCAMP: PRESCOTT Video Montage  that he posted on his Facebook page was how I discovered Beema. 

Beema Inc. provides the fastest and easiest method for creating Facebook Videos,Video Tweets, Video Blog Posts, Status Updates and Web Content bar none.

Beema's service was born from more than a decade of experience making video and animation for a corporate world that demands cheaper, faster and better service at all times. This drive to make the animation process more efficient has resulted in the application you see today which allows users to create their very own custom animation in a matter of seconds,FOR FREE.

YES! ITS FREE.

Some of Beema's features include:

• Record with your voice or Just type with Text-to-Speech.
• Record Your Voice in Any Language- Great way to expand and reach other markets as a Real Estate Professional.
• Post Directly to Twitter,Faceboo,YouTube,Your Blog and More.
• Over 450 Avatars to Choose from'
• And more.

Some of Beema's benefits include:

• Fast Social Media Content
• Great Brand Exposure
• Save Hours Upon Hours of Time-Who doesn't want that?
• Get the SEO Benefits of Video.
• Unique Video Tweets.

Now even though this product is FREE,you can get the BeemaPlus. Some of the features of a BeemaPlus include

• No ADS on your Beema's.
• Four times larger Beema Image's.
• And Unlimited Beema tweets.

I think Beema can be great for anyone who wants to make video blogs or is either shy to make one,doesn't have the budget for one and/or is either too busy to make one. I am about to give it a try myself. Beema I believe can help take our Social Media efforts to another level.

To learn more about Beema,go to their website at www.beema.com.

Check out this video explaining Beema too.

Why?

Have you had one of those days when you are doing something. (Ex:Watching Television,reading a book,magazine,working,surfing on the Internet etc.) and just out of no where,you start thinking about something? Well today was one of those days. I was reading the Bible today when for some reason I started thinking.

Why is there still racism and ignorance in this world? Didn't we learn anything from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream Speech?

Why is there poverty in this world when too many of us are rich financially and spirtually?

Why is there soooo much pain in this World when God doesn't like to see his beautiful children suffer?

Why is there so many people losing their jobs?Some people don't see things getting better no time soon.

Why are we in a recession? Shouldn't we have learned something from The Great Depression?

Why is doing good bad and doing bad good? Somebody please explain that one to me because I don't get it.

Why do some people struggle most of their lives only to die accomplishing nothing?

Why are some(I won't say all)of these so called freaking crooked bastards making millions and billions of dollars everyday on Wall Street doing illegal stuff and not being punished for it while the hard working people on Main Street seem to be getting the bad end of the stick?

Why are Banks not moving their freaking behind and work these short sale files? Don't these banks know that Real Estate Agents whether they have a family or not have to eat and pay bills too?

If Businesses can strive and survive during the Great Depression,then we will too. But we have to continue to encourage one another daily and keep praying to God that things get better soon. I don't know everything. One thing that I do know for sure is THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER. MUCH BETTER THAN THEY ARE NOW. When? Definitely don't know. Wish I could tell you. But as we wait for things to get better,BE ENCOURAGED NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON AND STAY STRONG FOR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS,FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES-We need each other right now.

Like the scripture in the Bible "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19. That is what's on my mind? What's on your mind? Please share if you do.

Please listen to this song by William Becton "Be Encouraged"

Twitter Today -What I learned. I didn't spend much time on Twitter. By the way,how much time should I be spending on Twitter on a daily basis?

Anyway Kerry Lucasse-Your Intown Atlanta Real Estate Consultant wrote a blog yesterday called

Let's Get Blogging -101 Ideas for Your Blog

It is a must read for anyone who experiences writers' block or don't know what to blog about. I made a comment and one of the things that I said was write a Twitter Today Blog. Write what you learned or did on Twitter today and write about it. I wrote one a long time ago,I can't seem to find it for some reason.

Anyway I was reading a blog by Karen Bernetti

I Don't Get Twitter But I Somehow Have 840 Followers!

So here is what I learned today

That's when IWisdom for the ages: “@WomansWisdom: A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. Robert Frost” decided that I am going to do write a Twitter Today blog. Retweeted@blockrealestate                                        

Milla Jovovich Quitting Hollywood? http://linkb.co@charlesyeom/GAZ9P

@mireika

If You Want To Be The Boss, Don't Act Like A Secretary http://bit.ly/a3HDFh

@charlesyeo

Find good seeds (ideas), plant them (1st action step), nurture them for months (massive action), harvest the crop (success)@SteveWeber                                

Social Media Marketing For Your Business: http://digg.com/news/business/pros_and_cons_of_social_media_marketing_for_your_business @powersbydesign

So what did you do today on Twitter Today?

Twitter Today-What I learned

   THE REAL ESTATE FARMER-I've done real estate before I became a Real Estate Agent. Yesterday I wrote a blog called

  THE REAL ESTATE FARMER-Where did the name come from?. I won't talk about it,I'll let you read it yourself. But while writing the blog,I realized something. In a way I have done real estate before I became a Real Estate Agent. While working on my father's farm,me along with a couple of my cousins would go to the lake and go fetch water. The water would be used to mix the dirt that will make the bricks to built the small houses. The houses would be where we would stay to either first eat breakfast before we began working on the farm,lunch/break(Some of my brothers and family members slept on the farm once)and to stay in case in started raining.

I guess my old man said why pay somebody to do something when you could do it yourself? We built I believe two small houses by ourselves.  They will make bricks and let them dry for about two days or so. Then they we will start building the house. We even built a poultry for my father's 40 pigs. It might have been more. That was pretty impressive considering none of us had knowledge,skills or experience in building homes.

Maybe I should become a home builder. I hear those guys make some really good money. But on second thought,I should stick to my day job and help the home builders sell their PG County MD New Construction Homes. So if you are looking to buy a new construction home in Prince George's County MD,Charles County MD,St.Mary's Country,Baltimore County MD,Montgomery County MD or Washington DC,please give me a call. I don't help build houses anymore,I am trying to help home builders sell them.

The Real Estate Farmer-I've done real estate before I became a Real Estate Agent.

THE REAL ESTATE FARMER-Where did the name come from? But before I tell you where the name came from,how about a trip down memory lane. I promise I am going to be concise as much as I can. I am going to try to. I didn't say that I am.

Beginning: When I was young kid going Thomas S. Stone Elementary School in Mt. Rainer Maryland,I always wanted to go to Nigeria(Boy if somebody would've talked some sense to me back then I probably would've listened-then again I probably wouldn't I was young back then what did I know). Curious to find out what it was like in Nigeria? (Just keep reading to find out what I thought about Nigeria). Anyway my brothers wanted to go to Nigeria too. Besides my mother and father were born and raised there. So I wanted to know more about my culture I guess.

       Its July 1983-Me along with my three brothers at the time,mom and father(Now I have four-youngest one is 24 years old) travel to the country in West Africa called Nigeria. I think two days later I wanted to come back to U.S.A VERY BAD AND QUICK. I hate this place. My young fragile body became a 7-Eleven for Mosquitos. They sucked more blood out of me than a freaking Vampire. You had to be there to know what I am talking about. I am sure Lola Audu know what I am talking about. Then I got sick (VERY,VERY SCARY)

      All I remembered was I was in the hospital for a looong time. My family thought I was going to die and so did I but I didn't-God is good all the time. All the time God is good. I guess I had to adjust to being in another environment. The Doctor (I forgot his name-I am sure my sharp memory mother still remembers his name)was a very good doctor. But he had me bed-ridden with no television for a long time with no Different Stokes,Facts of Life,WWF (At the time now WWE) just to name a few to watch at the time. Everyday I kept throwing up and he wouldn't let me leave until I stopped throwing up. I finally left the hospital.

     That same year Dr.Ezekiel A.Folayan aka the Economics graduate from Howard University who happens to be my father decides he wants to put his PH.D to use. How come you didn't major in International Modeling or something man? I probably would've been the one married to Gisele Bundchen not Tom Brady. But I still got a chance to marry one of the Banks-Tyra Banks or Selita Ebanks. I'll go for the latter. Sanai Lattan is no longer available anymore-Oh well. Anyway we are working on the farm. We will wake up very early and head out to the farm. Sometimes we woke up in the morning while it was still dark and when we got to the farm,it was still dark. But we waited until it was no longer pitch black-you know what I mean. At first it was very light. But when we got two farms,I am talking five days a week. Sometimes it was six or seven days a week working on the farm. Yeah I started working at the age of seven years old on my fathers farm. Me along with my brothers and a couple of cousins would go work on the farm. Dad why are the heck are you punishing me? I mean seriously. LMAO. (I love you Dad-at least now I do).

       THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT ME BY THE WAY-LOL. I JUST WANTED TO PUT A PICTURE IN THIS BLOG

      On the farm we would plant corn. Matter of fact,80% if not more what we planted was corn We ate a lot of it too.  We would also cut grass with cutlass too sometimes so we can plant the corn. We worked hard-VERY HARD. We cut lots of tall bushes so that we can have land to plant our corn.

      Last year I believe Kerrie Greenhalgh (ActiveRain) - Real Estate - Other - Seattle, WA  gave me the name Gucci Guy the first time she called me about the Diverse Solutions IDX Product. Matter of fact at Raincamp DC,when I showed her my ticket guess what was the first thing that came out of her mouth? You got it. "Gucci Guy"-LOL. Love the name by the way. Problem? I am afraid Gucci is going to come after me for a lawsuit for using their name for my business gain. Plus sometimes when you google the name Gucci,somebody's name keeps coming up,nothing personal against this person but if they see what shows up when they type in "Gucci Guy" in the search engine,more than likely I will probably scare away potential smart internet savvy clients who are always doing their research online by googling or binging-(It's that a word?).But I am keeping the name Gucci Guy because I actually like it. But I might use it for something else. I got to see what it is I can use it for. But for Real Estate,its the Real Estate Farmer.

      This year I was thinking of a name to give myself. I wanted to a name to use something to tie it in with Real Estate. I had a hard time coming up with some names. I couldn't remember some of the names. Anyway I was thinking and it suddenly clicked-"The Real Estate Farmer". I use to work on a farm when I was seven years old for four years (1983-1988). In 1989,I came back here. A farm is what?A farm is an area of land,including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food (produce, grains, or livestock), fibers and increasing fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. .. What is Land? Real Estate. Who sells these houses that these builders build? Real Estate Agents. So I guess I combined the past(Working on my father's farm) with the present(Working as a Real Estate Agent)to form "THE REAL ESTATE FARMER"   So there you have it folks. I got the name Real Estate Farmer from working on my Father's farm as a young seven year old boy. And I wanted to give a Special shout out to my father if he is reading this. 

Even though you worked the heck out of me,I am beyond grateful to God for working on the farm. God used you to help me become a very hardworking person by working on the farm. I didn't like it and appreciate it then but appreciate the experience more now. Because of it I am not lazy. It was a reason for working on the farm. I was too young to see I guess. But I definitely see it now. You got something out of the whole deal too-LOL. But on a serious note,Thanks Dad. And in spite of what happened during that time,God knows that "I still love your old crusty behind-LOL. But seriously "I love you Dad". And after 21 years and eight months,hopefully we will meet sometime this year. I am also bilingual too. I can speak the language yoruba. So if you are a home buyer in Nigeria or an Nigerian home buyer or Investor who is looking to buy or sell their house in either Prince George's County MD,Charles County MD,St.Mary's County MD or Washington DC,talk to me.

I had a old picture of me when I was seven years old. But I can't find it WHICH IS GOOD. I hope no one never finds it. But then again you never know.

Also if you enjoyed reading this blog. Please read my Prequel to this blog

THE REAL ESTATE FARMER-I've done real estate before I became a Real Estate Agent

The Real Estate Farmer? Where did the name come from? I am sure you know by now. LOL.

Gone too soon-Laurie Manny you will be missed   

Many of us heard the horrible bad news this week of the death of our dear friend fellow Active Rain Member Laurie Manny. When I first became a blogger here on Active Rain in 2007,I have never heard of SEO.

It was her blog Do You SEO?   that I was first introduced to the term SEO-Search Engine Optimization. I made her comment on her blog. She made a comment back saying thank you and wishing me good luck. She was even nice enough to send me an e-mail explaiining what SEO is and how it can help my business.

Reading some of her blogs,you can tell that she is very knowledgeable of the topic "SEO". Some bloggers have even dubbed her "The SEO Queen". I am disappointed not only because she has passed away too soon. But I am also disappointed that I never got the chance to either meet her or talk to her on the telephone. That's why we should always appreciate and cherish relationships that we have developed we people over the years because you never know when they will not be with us anymore.

After three years of being a member on Active Rain,I am very thankful to God for finally meeting in person some of you wonderful people at Raincamp DC. I've even received telephone calls from some members as well. Hopefully when it is all said and done,I will get to meet more of you if not all of you fun-loving,caring,very unselfish,humorous and very knowledgeable people.

Laurie Manny you will be missed and you will never be forgotten. Your body of work(blogs) will forever continue to be a guide for new bloggers and many bloggers like myself on learning how to write great blogs. Thank you very much for reaching out to me when I first joined this great site Active Rain in 2007. Till we meet again.

Things are just not the same anymore.

Lord we need your help because when it rains,it pours.

Can't save anyone heck I am trying hard to save myself.

People are crying and dying while some are saying to God "Lord I need your help"

Seems not much going on the television except murder and poverty along with Government bickering and lying.

All I see around me is bad and it has kept me pretty much for sometimes trying.

Who in the world thought it will come to this.

Sometimes I feel worthless to the point that I don't think that I am worth spit.

Lord please rain down on me because it seems like the Enemy is constantly out for me.

I am trying to do your will Lord and be all I am and be what you want me to be.

Fighting and bickering for something worth nothing.

If you are going to fight,fight for peace and Love because that's worth something.

I am just writing my thoughts out loud as it comes to my brain.

I am just trying to live life,trying very hard to maintain.

I am not a poet just a writer I guess.

But I didn't plan on writing this,I wrote this in jest.

God is more than wonderful,powerful.loving and definitely always worth living for.

But God how come things just ain't the same anymore?

AUTHOR: Yours truly.

30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE-Here are 4 Good reasons why I like this challenge already. This blog was inspired by Karen Bernetti The Home Team Advantage UNSTOPPABLE 30 Day Challenge to blog EVERY day for 30 days. Blog for thirty days straight to 

EARN 5,000 Bonus Points for Taking the 30 DAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE!

For 5,000 Bonus Points-Are you serious? Heck I would've join for 1,000 Bonus points. Just don't tell Bob or Active Brad that. But anyway I like this already. Here are some reasons why I like this 30 Day Blogging challenge already.

1. I have already met a new blogger and follower Karen Bernetti that I probably would've never met-Just like many of the great terffic bloggers here,I became a subscriber to your blog because of either a comment you said that made me want to beat the crap out of you(I'm Joking of course-LOL) Seriously,I became a subscriber or follower of your blog because of your comment on somebody else's blog or for making a comment on one of your great masterpiece blogs that you wrote. I have learned and still learning from you great fun-loving,caring,very unselfish,knowledgeable,very helpful,humorous superstars here.

2. Challenges seems to bring the best out of people. In this case the best blogs out of you. Many people tend to give their best when they know that at the end of the challenge they have a bribe I mean prize waiting for them to receive. (Honestly speaking I am one of them. I should be sleeping right about now but I writing this blog because I hope that I am still qualified to participate in this 30 Day Blogging Challenge) Whenever we are bribed given the opportunity to earn extra points for blogging,somehow we are able to give birth to great blogs. Here are some contests that have been a muse for some of the many great blogs posted here by some of the great ones here on Active Rain:

Grab 1000 Bonus Points in our YearBook Yourself Contest!

Life by Default.....or a LIFE! By DESIGN (And Win an iPad)

ActiveRain Contest | SHIFT Your Business into Gear

Time to Get Hyper Local Again - 7000 point

Let's get Soci@l - Win a FREE IPADs for everyone

3. This blog challenge I feel is going to help me stay consistent in blogging. Last month I wrote a blog called 

Consistency in blogging----I am still working on it. 

I have improved. But I know that I can get better and I have get better. Besides PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. The more blogs that I write,the more I will improve at it and it will become a norm. I need to go back to writing my Five non featured Active Rain blogs that you probably missed,Twitter Today,DC Area Weekend Events,Speechless Sunday,Wordless Wednesdays,Localism blogs as well as write new ones that I have been itching to write more months just never had the chance too. Time Management and Planning-I am still working on that too-Feel another blog coming upon me. Get it out young man. Get it out-LOL.

4. This challenge is going to give me more ideas on things to blog about. I have written a couple of blogs just from people's blogs or comments. A comment on this blog I Did It! I Am Number One on Google.

made me write this one that actually got featured

Why do I blog? Here is one good reason why.

So those are my 4 good reasons why I already like this 30 Day Blog Challenge. Hopefully it won't be too late for me to enter because I REALLY,REALLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE NOW. And if you want to become a better blogger enter this challenge. Whether you have to be a newbie or a AR Superstar like Debe Maxwell,Queen Pat Kennedy,Jason Crouch,Bill Gassett,Nestor and Katerina Gasset,Jennifer Fivelsdal,Todd Clark,Lenn Harley and Broker Bryant just to name a few of the too many Active Rain superstars(Too many of you all to name sorry if I didn't mention you),there is always room to improve and become a better blogger.

30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE-Here are 4 good reasons why I like this challenge already.