Brad Andersohn ~ Community Builder

Normally I would have announced this RAIN Radio show before it took place, but this one just snuck up so quick, it bit me right in the you know what, so I thought I better get this out there today. Why? It was a good one. We had one of our very own rainers, Janet Guilbault as our special guest today talking about the mortgage crisis. Now wait! Don't stop there, just because this topic has been beat to death, Janet answers some great questions that you might find useful for some of your clients in your area.

They included:

1. Can you name some of the loan programs that have literally gone extinct or become frozen as a result of the mortgage crisis?
2. How has this impacted the average home-buyer who would like to buy a house in this market?
3. How has this impacted the average homeowner refinancing?
4. How much do you think the difficulty of getting financing has impacted the value of real estate?
5. Who are the winners and who are the losers from the crisis?
6. Do you have tips for buyers to increase their chances of approval?
7. Name some pitfalls that people may be unaware of in terms of qualifying?
8. What is the biggest mistake made when applying for a mortgage?
9. What about people who have loans that are adjusting…are they in trouble now?
10. What can REALTORS® do to make certain clients can be approved?
11. Should a seller insist on something more than the standard pre-approval letter before they accept an offer?
12. What sign will there be when things begin to “thaw out”?
13. Do you see any of the loan programs returning?
14. Are things going to get better or worse by the end of the year?
15. Why would someone want to move forward now, as opposed to “waiting to see what happens”?

I didn't post all her answers, we all know how long this post would be if I did, so I included a link where you can listen to today's broadcast. This was one of the better BlogTalk shows in my opinion because we covered all these questions and then some. Take a listen if you have time or if you're just curious to see what Janet had to say, again, some of this information might be useful to you and some of your clients.

Last week, I had the chance to take my family to go see Cheap Trick, Heart, and Journey at the Pavilion. Talk about a flash-back from the eighties. WOW!  What really made this show and evening so special, were my kids getting to see some of the musical talents of bands and friends that my wife and I have grown up with over the years.  Music and people that were/are a huge part of our lives, and that shaped our memories and future.

The evening was full of surprises for my kids, it was a night they'll never forget as long as they live!

Cheap Trick Opens the Show with Nothing but Their Classics

Heart Takes us Back Through Time and Down Memory Lane

Journey Takes us on the "Journey" of an Unforgettable Evening

After the show, Jonathan invited us backstage so the family could meet and greet the band.  I can't even begin to tell you what an impact this had on our kids.  Getting to meet him finally, along with Neal Schon, Arnel Pineda and Ross Valory was not only a dream come true for them, it was the most inspirational moment of their lives.  You should have seen their faces.  You could see the stars and dreams unfolding right in their eyes. Life for them this night, was much more than just a fantasy, it was surreal. I put together a photo collage so they can enjoy and remember this night forever.  Hope you'll enjoy it too. :-)

These are some of the shots we were able to get from our seats. The sound was awesome and the performances were incredible, it was a night we're glad we didn't miss. Great seats too, 10 rows back.

We want to thank our friends from Heart, Cheap Trick and Journey for an unprecedented evening, and especially Jonathan Cain for making it all possible, and for making the entire concert experience spectacular from beginning to end. Our family had the best time ever, Thanks Again. :-) If you EVER get the chance to see Journey "Live", they are a MUST see. They are simply incredible. Arnel Pineda is every bit as good as Steve Perry or better, and their live performance is just sensational!

We have some awesome videos and audio recorded, that any of you are welcome to see and hear, so come on over to our place sometime, but I do respect the copyright laws and these fine musicians enough to avoid the temptation of posting them here on my Blog. (It's Killing me though ...LOL) Instead, I endorse and suggest you go out and buy Journey's newest CD "Revelation!" You won't be disappointed. :-)

The Flip Video is quickly becoming one of the most popular popular Video Cameras in Real Estate today. Tara Jones provides this great video that talks about the Flip video, the features, and why you might want to consider one if you're in the Real Estate Industry.

As Localism.com begins the climb up the search engines to be the "World's Most Complete NeighborPedia", remember the value and importance of using quality pictures, titles, and descriptions. Like anything you put on the Internet, SEO is important. Did you know your photos get SEO? And there's more than just SEO to consider...

While the content on Blog posts is "ALL-IMPORTANT", the photos you upload should have the same level of value and priority. Just like photos of a home help to create interest and contribute to the sale of that home, the same applies to photos of neighborhoods and communities.

The reason quality is so important:

Your photos not only get Google juice, but they represent YOU as the contributor and are linked back to your profile on Localism. If you put up less than Quality images, you may be missing an opportunity and get less than quality results. We should always Autograph our work with Quality, that's our signature.

How To add and upload Photos To Localism: Here's some sites where I have stored photos in the past.

FIRST: Make sure you have named, re-sized and saved your photos in the proper format. If you don't have a photo editor, you can use sites like Picnik.com or Picasa to name, re-size, and save your images in the proper .jpg format. It's FREE. I suggest naming them with a recognizable and search-able file name, NOT P10648235.jpg. Something like "Monterey Harbor" or "Lovers Point" will get better results. I suggest nothing larger than 640x480 for fastest uploading and processing time without sacrificing or compromising quality.

NEXT: Go to Localism.com. make sure you are logged in, then select the neighborhood where you wish to add your photo. Click on the "Upload Photo" link just under the Top Neighbor area on that page, or just below the current photo that may appear. (uploading to communities without existing photos was corrected)

Click on browse, select your photo from it's location on your computer, then add a description. Think SEO, make it short and sweet. You'll notice a link to "Add More Photos" before you begin the upload process.

This is "NEW" and will save you time uploading one photo at a time. If you want to view ALL photos for that neighborhood or community, just click on the "View All Photos" link.

A Few Things To Know and Remember:

Photos are reviewed by the AR editorial staff for quality and content. Depending on what you upload will depend on if they show up in that community. All your photos will ALWAYS show up on your Localism profile. Currently, there is no way to edit or delete your photos, so be careful and be selective what you submit. Try to avoid posting pictures that are poor in quality, blurry, low res, or that are too large in file size. CRUCIAL: DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.

Pictures and photos of neighborhoods and communities are important and shouldn't be taken for granted. Photos are what helped to make National Geographic one of the Top Magazines in the World. They are the most viewed pages by consumers when looking to buy a home. Captured images are what sell newspapers and make Blogs and Websites attractive and sticky. Pictures represent the closest and next best thing to being there besides video. They create an emotional element that inspires and motivates ones desire to want to see it in person, to go there, to vacation there, to own there. Our digital pictures will last for more than just our lifetime.

Have a picture perfect week! :-)

About two months ago, my bother Rick Andersohn found me here on ActiveRain. He used Google to do a name search and the rest became history today! When I was 5 years old, my brother and I were separated from each other due to one of those unfortunate events in life we all hate called divorce. I had looked for my brother Rick for so many years, and at this point in my life, I was ready to give up, throw in the towel, and come to terms with knowing that I'd never see him again!

Today, after more than 40 years, two brothers were reunited in one of those special moments that stopped time!! OMG!! Finally, I'd be coming face to face with a complete stranger yet knowing he is my brother. I don't even know who he is, or what he looks like. I wouldn't know where to begin if I had to explain some of the thoughts and emotions that I have experienced these past few days. It all led up to just one moment in time, 11:00am Today!

This photo was captured by my 11 year old son who had never seen or knew he had an Uncle. As my wife and I sat there anxiously waiting for Rick to arrive, it was really weird. I realized that my mind and body could actually produce nerves that I never knew existed. LOL!~ Just then, in walked Rick! A stranger, my brother, is this for real?? The world went silent, everything went into slow motion, and as we met for the very first time, I walked up and hugged him, told him that I loved him, and almost started to cry... It was an experience you just can't imagine unless you've been through it, or were there!

On April 20, 2008, I realized that 40 years in the desert is a LONG TIME! I once read in a best selling book somewhere, that once upon a time, some people were left lost in a desert for 40 years. Now I know what that feels like, and what I think it really means, at least for me. This morning, my brother got to meet my Gorgeous Wife, his little nephew Brandon, that will carry on the Andersohn name, and Me, his long lost little brother. What an awesome and extraordinary day!! It almost felt like Oprah or Dr. Phil would come walking in at any moment! LOL!~

We had so much to talk about and yet we never really even scratched the surface. There is so much to share, stories, adventures, life's challenges, old times, and then there's the questions. Awwww the Questions?!? I'm sure your imagination can run wild with that one. My brother is alive, he's well, and he's only an hour away. Can you believe that? 40 years go by, and for 14 of them, he has lived within 60 miles of me and I didn't even know it.

Here's an obvious lesson I learned today! Love strangers as if they were your brother! You never know, they just might be!

I never would have thought in a million years, that authoring a Blog on ActiveRain would help my Brother and Google find me one day. Just two guys with the same last name, total strangers, just a few miles apart, once brothers, and after many lost years, now best friends!! He's my Brother Rick! I Love ya Bro!

The sky was blue, there were no clouds, but it "rained" really hard in California today!! :-)