All Neighbors in Venice, FL
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.
There are many people with allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivities and so on who consider top indoor air quality a necessity. In addition, more and more people are interested in cutting down on their exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOC's). So putting on a fresh coat of the new and now widely available "low-VOC" paints is a great idea. Sellers this will also help in marketing your home and attract potential buyers.
With the ever rising cost of energy and the current state of our economy, it make sense to do all that you can to save money. Recommending to you sellers to invest in an energy audit. It is easier to save energy when you know exactly how much and where you are using it. Call your local energy company to see if they offer any programs to educate consumers on energy consumption and ways to save money on your energy bill. Our local energy company, Florida Power & Light (FPL) can help you find smart ways to save money on your home's energy bill. Homeowners typically save on average of 25% on their energy bill. You just need a general idea about your home, appliances and energy use habits. Investing in a home audit takes a couple of hours and pays off with a list of things you can do to curb consumption. You can visit FPL's website, 
I just noticed that I surpassed 20,000 points! Wow that is awesome. It has been six months since I joined Active Rain back in August 2008. Last August I had my own small brokerage and worked with my husband in his real estate endeavours. At night I would surf the internet to try to find ways to promote my husband's properties and that is when I found Active Rain. I joined and nervously wrote my first post in the Active Rain Newbie's group. To my amazement I received a comment on my first post! I was so excited. By the next morning I had a gold star next to my post! I was even more excited.
Are the Venice Florida real estate Englewood Florida real estate markets getting any better? If you look at the statistics as compared to 15 months ago, October 2007; YES it is getting better but home values are still declining. The inventory is still down (not as many homes available for sale) and the amount of homes sold and that were under contract has increased. The number of homes for sale in the Venice FL and Englewood FL markets combined as compared to 15 months ago has dropped 17.4%. Homes that have sold (closed) have increased 88.1% and homes under contract (pending) are up 69.6%.
