All Neighbors in Alpharetta, GA
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.
When I was a kid and a couple married, they saved and saved until they could actually afford a little house. We reckoned 2.5 times your salary minus debt (who had credit cards?) After all, there was insurance, the utility bills, a few sticks of furniture, maybe a fence in the yard if children were in the offing, and always save a little for a rainy day. Friends would come over on a designated Saturday, bring their kids to play in the yard, and they'd help you paint, fix the small plumbing problem, do a little re-wiring and you'd do the same for them. Even if you wanted to buy a home large enough to grow into, banks were so strict on their lending practices you couldn't over buy. Foreclosures occurred when a factory town somewhere out in the middle of Unheardofville shut down the main and perhaps only source of income. When someone purchased one of those foreclosed homes, you generally walked into years of equity. Forget that today. You're lucky if you pay "market value," whatever that has come to mean. People used to have goals - college for the kids, retirement, the odd vacation usually spent at a retired in-or-out-law's home in a neighboring state perhaps.
