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.
A ways back I wrote about moving to Nova Scotia from a land of Boom and Bust: Alberta. Now that North America is digging itself out of the latest recession, it's time to reflect on what we found here and what keeps us from going back. Is it the scenery...? Check out the YouTube video below. Is it the people? Just ask my co-workers at the family oriented brokerage, or my husband's coffee roastery clients. They'd likely say "BOTH".
We considered British Columbia 13 years ago, and made a few buying trips even. Little did we know that the Whistler cafe we decided against pursuing would be the site of the 2010 Olympics!! However, the other opportunities on Vancouver Island seemed also 'not quite right'. It felt like the active Lifestyle went 24/7 -- because it did! Not much of an escape from the rat race of Calgary.
Then while looking on the Internet (way back in 1996) a chance link from a mountain biking site in BC, to a cycling site in the Maritimes, caught my eye. The scenery was stunning. The tourism descriptions were envious. And the real estate was either gorgeous or so affordable my jaw dropped.
So taking the plunge cold turkey, we came to stay. "It was a cold and stormy night" when we rolled into Dartmouth and almost turned around. Having never seen a downtown developed over 300 years, it was chaotic. However living in a B&B in Halifax for 3 months while searching for 'home' was almost like a mini-vacation. The Valley , which had caught our attention online with it's Victorian mansions and cheap land ended up feeling too isolated.
The South Shore of Nova Scotia however, had less heat & humidity and more mix of old and new. The tourist favoured areas were quiet, since it was winter. The beaches were heavenly... solitude and sand dunes. Even in the summers they are unspoilt by vendors or fees! There's also more lakes here than people -- almost. So many waterviews, so little time. Well, actually though, time ticks slower in NS. It's pretentious to quote, so i'll just summarize this saying, that belongs to someone else: "We're so far behind here, we're ahead".
Think about that. A sluggish but stable economy... little crime... also some stores that still close on Sundays. Even us REALTOR(R)'s have a Life, despite what those Canadian commercials say. So if you find this appealing, feel free to contact me about moving here, even part-time. Lunenburg County prices are down 6% according to Canada Mortgage and Housing as of March 2010. If you can be even further from the airport, the deals increase. Check out my other blogs for more photos, and talk to you soon!
~Bettina
PS> to get to: Moving to Nova Scotia? click the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser
What greater compliment can be paid to Bridgewater Nova Scotia than "it's a hardworking town without pretences"! Most of the South Shore's major amenities and national employers are here. Small businesses also service the local population (approximately 8000) with a huge draw of another 40,000 people from outlying areas.
Many homes in Bridgewater allow you to feel like you're on a rural route, and yet walk to services offered by our largest town on the South Shore. Click on the blue text to see an example of such a home . It also has quick access to highway commuting and Big Box shopping locations.
Another house example: GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES 44 21 48, -64 31 10 . Check this one out on Google Earth via http://www.thinknovascotia.com/listings/details.asp?key=1336 as this is a WEBlog, and not an overt property advertisement. You can walk in the Lahave River park system, perhaps even to work, or play at the forthcoming Recreation centre.
Should these homes be SOLD by the time you read this feel free to contact me for others available. (We prefer not to archive former photos of homes for sale, and later have any privacy violations or Unethical sales lead generation).
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
~Bettina
