All Neighbors in Big Bear Lake's Moonridge
Top Neighbors: The magic behind the mirrors
You will never have to pay to be listed as a top neighbor. Period. That important detail clarified, let's discuss how we arrive at two "top neighbors" for a given region:
Localism is a bustling collection of hyper-local communities, and the top neighbors should reflect those members who are most active. When ranking users in a given region, several factors are considered. To get your foot in the proverbial door, you need to have posted at least one "Localism" article or photo for the region.
The very best way to quickly rise to #1 is to post high-quality local content. Keeping a steady strem of incoming posts and photos will massively tilt the scales in your favor.
What doesn't count toward the top neighbor ranking? ActiveRain points and community sponsorships. The top neighbor spots will always go to the most active members in a region. We want to create a level playing field that encourages the growth of communities — talent and dedication are required to win the day.
Now that the prices have come down, it is time for you to buy that vacation cabin in the Big Bear Valley. Obviously, you want to get the best cabin you can for the least amount of money, right? The best way to accomplish this is to make sure that you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. People think that the price offered is all that the seller is going to look at. In reality, Price is only one factor in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Many times, other terms such as the down payment, good faith deposit, length of escrow, and seller concessions are also important to a seller.
before making an offer on a property in Big Bear. What this entailed was the buyer spending a few minutes on the phone with a lender. The lender would ask some basic questions, and based off of the answers provided, would issue a "Pre Qualified" certificate. The biggest problem with this approach, as you might imagine, is that none of this information has been verified and the Pre Qualification Certificate is worthless. 
With the current financial crisis this country is in, private sellers as well as banks are requiring a buyer to have a pre approval letter from the lender when they place the offer. The pre approval letter that is sent over from the lender states that he has checked out the financial information provided by the buyer and it has proven to be accurate. The pre approval letter then goes on to state that the lender will provide a loan for the property providing that the property appraises for the agreed upon price.
