Norm Rice, (Realtor) CRS, ABR, SRES, e-Pro

Imagine a place where you can cause eyebrows to raise when you mention where you live, where you can cook using your own produce from you own garden and where you can still be a short distance to snowboarding on Mt. Hood, shopping at a New Seasons or a city mall, or the Portland International Airport. Perhaps you’d like to live in a place where you can enjoy the rural country fresh air when you walk your dog or significant other. Imagine a place where you can have a goat or two, watch an Equestian show, or not be worried about your roosters waking up the neighbors. There is hope for you .. there is a place call Boring.

Boring, Oregon, developed in 1903 is an unincorporated community – not a village, not a hamlet, not a town, not a city, but a rural community in Oregon off of Highway 26 approximately 15 miles outside of Portland on the way to Mount Hood. Boring is named after a real person, W.H Boring, who homesteaded the area in the 1800’s. His grandson, W.H Boring, at age 91 was still a part of our community until 2002.

Many travel through our community on their way to, or returning from Mount Hood. Some even get here by bike, coming from Milwaukie or Portland via the 40 mile Springwater Corridor. They chuckle as they see some of the signs or drive through the short “Main Street”. They take note of the one open Shell station, and the two convenience stores. Perhaps on their way into town they’ve seen one of the several local nurseries, Boring Bark. Yet, if they venture off that main drive through our community, they will discover thriving nurseries that help landscape homes and businesses across America, corporations such as Care Service Options, Inc that provides assistance to seniors and their families in over 15 states, the Oregon campus for Guide Dogs for the Blind providing new life and companions for the blind, or such places as Lieopold Farms who puts fresh strawberries on dining room tables throughout Oregon.

As one googles Boring, Oregon you can read some funny stories written by non-locals that felt a need to write home about something "different". The sign off of Highway 26 that you see here often gets a laugh or two. (See.. it's not really Boring that is so boring, it's Oregon City). But there are indeed hidden treasures here. Go ahead and stop by and get a cup of freshly-brewed coffee at the espresso stand (serving Bridgestone coffee) next to the Post Office. Enjoy a cup of homemade soup at the Full Moon Tavern on the "Main" street. You'll enjoy not only the soup, but the spirited locals.

The average Real Estate consists of homes sitting either on acreage, one of the two golf courses, or in several of the exceptionally well-maintained neighborhoods. The average list price of homes for sale at this time (November 2008) is $460,000 with an average square footage of 2288 sq. ft – and that is in a down market. But .. once people move here, they're not anxious to leave.

Discover a treasure. Twitter me if you'll passing through and I’d be happy to take you on a tour of Boring. As the locals will tell you, "It is an Exciting Place to Live".

For those of us over 55 we’ve seen a lot come and go haven’t we? We've seen the real estate market of the 80’s when Realtors had to be pretty creative, work long hours in order to pay bills – when the interest rates were actually in the double digits – and those times past – and we are , Thankfully, alive and well. We do have lots to be thankful about this Thanksgiving and every day.

But there is something out there that is rather "new" and people are asking me if I'm a "Twitterer?" What? What is all this Twitter stuff about? Maybe it will go away? Is it just another cyclical happening? So .. I go out and sign up for this Twitter and finally got the funny little bird installed on my IPhone (Twitterriffic), get my profile all set on my "Twitter" account, and now I’m being “followed” by people I’ve never met. There is this guy Rob up in Seattle; another one by the name of Mike in California; another guy Craig in New Orleans and even some Realtor in Philadelphia. What is going on here? There are even some of my local clients who send me these twits - this local guy Dan who directs Pic.tv, another Marion, who shows people how to connect great old house parts with a new home and support green building practices through re-use.

Do you & I get the drift? These people, these twitters are not some kids - these are professionals and I'm being "followed" by them? And not only that .. they send me these "twitter messages" that tell me what they are doing during the day. Are they trying to tell me something that I should care about? Ahh .. the light just came on … maybe I should twitter them something as well. I did, and then started looking deeper, read their profiles and discovered real people who are quite successful professionals. I can really learn something new and exciting from them. I do want to get connected with these people.

These twitter messages I am getting are not all about more advertising – more business requests. They are NOT spamming me as at times is suggested. They are revealing their personalities, the type of friends they have, their interests, what excites them in live and in business etc. Maybe this is not so new after all. Maybe they are trying to find out who I am, what makes me tick. They are trying to connect not just with a Realtor, but with a person – not a Facebook profile, but someone with a personality.

Maybe someone over 55 can discover new ways to return to what is not so new – it’s about connecting with people. This is Terrrific

By the way .. as they say on CNN .. you can send this over 55 Portland Realtor, who still is learning, your twitter messages" @RealtorNormRice

While waiting, and hoping for potential buyers and investors to flock to an Open House I held yesterday, it suddenly hit me that together – sellers, small business owners, and our neighborhoods can work together to stimulate our real estate market, our economy – one Open House, one neighborhood at a time. How can that we work together to promote, each of our respective interests or businesses?

Each Sunday around America, Realtors are holding Open Houses with an attempt to stimulate interest in their market. Nearby are small business owners struggling to keep open their family-fun restaurants, coffee shops, insurance markets, and creative shops. Imagine what could happen if we all worked together within the neighborhood. Imagine the excitement we could bring our sellers if our Open Houses became mini neighborhood fairs, or expos.

Rather than sitting at our next Open House perhaps with a mortgage broker or title company, let's say we provided an opportunity for the local small shops, the local Mary Kay representative, the local small hardware store, the best little floor store in town, the neighborhood Edible Arrangements franchise owner, to all be a part of our Open House. Even include the neighbors who may have a particular small business they own – even involve the senior next door who knits fantastic sweaters to sell at the Christmas bazaars. Together we promote, market and publicize our presence in the neighborhood. What could happen if at the same time we encouraged all the other Realtors and sellers who have listings in the neighborhood area to do the same.

Imagine the spirit in an area together we could facilitate and build. A mini neighborhood expo at my next Open House? Hmmm ... Together we can promote, expose and stimulate our local neighborhoods, our economy – one Open House at a time. Yes we can!

Last night after numerous attempts at trying to get a good picture of myself using the built-in camera on my mac, I’ve changed my face on Facebook – and after all that “work” (picknik.com is a great tool), I still find myself wondering – wondering if I’m really connecting with my friends, family, fellow Realtors, and business partners (the term “clients” always seems so impersonal). I have a website, a Myspace & a Facebook account. I even Twitter (trying to learn anyway). But what does it mean to connect? Has “connecting” come to mean that we see each others words, pictures, websites, and perhaps if we get techie, hear a recorded voice or perhaps even better see a video? I sincerely belive that what all of us in business these days need is to help each other with referrals – I can help make times a little more survivable if I send a good referral to my insurance agent, (Pam Olson at Farmers) or to one of my trusted mortgage brokers, (James Adair) or to Margo Marver's Wellness Studio , or a good Italian Business Consultant, Max Corona , or even my wife, Monika @ Care Service Options, Inc. Those referrals can help pay their bills. And of course, as a Portland area Realtor, I need and appreciate your referrals – they can make the difference between my selling a house and paying my bills or using credit and not getting a home sold. However .. as much as I may use social networking, I also know we humans love to do business and to refer to those we know and care about.

Yes .. we need to utilize technology and social networking; however, picking up the phone, writing a personal handwritten note and being “odd-fashioned” and popping by and having a cup of coffee or a beer face to face puts a personality, a reality to Facebook.

Oh by the way .. (It's important that I ask).. if you know anyone seeking a good Realtor anywhere in the world, give me a call. I'm connected and personally know some Realtors that will exceed your expectations - that will make you proud that you referred your friend or associate to someone of quality. I'm never to busy for your referrals and to give them the quality personalized service you and they deserve.

On my way to the Lions last night I experienced for the first time in 57 years of life, the THUD – and the sound was one that I’ll never forget. Did you hear it? I was shaking .. my head was swirling – who got hurt? What an idiot. Darkness was all around – it was hard to see. Sleeping last night was not as sound as I would have liked. But in the daylight I discovered that it was only a crack, a scratch – life goes on – it’s a new day. Yes, the stock market took another dive yesterday, yes I hit with my vehicle an Actuary, I realize now after looking up what Jason did for a living why he and his wife were so calm. They guy I had just hit is an expert in :

• Evaluating the likelihood of future events

• Designing creative ways to reduce the likelihood of undesirable events

• Decreasing the impact of undesirable events that do occur.

The THUD was a only a broken piece of plastic (although my Farmer's insurance agent may not like the cost of the repair), and life today is brighter. In the daylight, I recall the calming words of Jason’s wife “Hey .. are you okay Norm – yes .. S _ _ _ _ happens”. Today my job is to get out there and be a calming effect upon others amidst the deafening THUDS and help decrease in creative ways the impact.

Our Real Estate market today provides us with an opportunity to build our economy with some incrediblely well-priced investments as well as a time to think like an Actuary - just don't hit one. Have a great day. You deserve it!