About Horry County, SC

I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.

Marriage is like witness protection. You get a new identity and a new home, and you're not allowed to see your old friends anymore.

Money is the root of all wealth.

Money is the root of all evil. For more information, send $10 to me.

Man: A creature made at the end of the workweek when God was tired.

Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to. Mark Twain

Last year for Christmas, I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. I thought I'd put them in the same room and let them fight it out.

It's been so long since I've had sex, I've forgotten who ties up whom.

It's bad luck to be superstitious.

I'm having amnesia and Deja Vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.

If the world were a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses sidesaddle.

If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?

Join us for LOL FRIDAY on The Optimist Group!

Has Real Estate Finally Hit the Bottom? The REAL question is "Should you really care?".

Sellers - Sellers need to decide if it makes a difference to them, if they have another choice, If it is better to hang on until maybe the 2nd quarter of 20??. Divorce, job transfer, retirement, and a host of other reasons could have sellers deciding it makes no difference as outside circumstances can have sellers feeling they have no choice or it makes no difference. They simply decided to sell. Many believe it will be better to 'hang on' until prices rise. Under some circumstances they could be making the best decision for themselves. IF they have time, probably a lot of time, prices could rise enough to make them happy all the while having a home to live in. This group makes the most sense if they are not going to buy another home or are moving to a location where home prices are lower. Waiting for prices to move up 20% in order to move up to a more expensive home is questionable. Waiting for a $200,000 home to rise 20% would add $40,000 to a sale price. If moving up to a $300,000 home that same 20% adds $60,000 causing a $20,000 loss over selling now.

Buyers - Buyers can gamble renting a while longer will be beneficial. Those only need to be concerned prices or interest rates rise quickly while lease locked. The non-gamblers can only see low prices with the added bonus of low interest rates. If they are looking for a home they are going to stay in for an extended time the main focus is being in the home they want. If during that time prices drop it is of no concern as they will probably rise long before they are ready to move. In the mean time they have a home, are building equity, and are receiving tax benefits. The worst possibility is waiting until both ptices and interest rates rise - a double whammy.

No one knows - No one really knows when prices will rise or if they have bottomed. It sure looks like they are close if not bottomed. Prices could also begin to rise soon but it has been written often the rise will come in time and OVER A LONG Time. Interest rates may easily begin to rise 1st. Housing cycles and only investors should look at real estate as an investment, especially a short term investment. It is being said now is a great time to be a buyer. Does anyone disagree?

Now that Twitter and Bing are married, your micro blogging can actually score you some major SEO brownie points.

I tweet my blogs to increase my web presence. I simply go over to my outside AR blog roll on a regular basis, pull up an old post, shorten its browser address by using the bit.ly service, then Tweet it with an enticing by-line. I go back afterwards and analyze my statistics (Bit.ly will show you exactly how many people have clicked on that particular link). It works! Here is an example: Price it Well. Stage it well. Watch it Sell! http://bit.ly/E2xqT #RealEstate #p2

Now that your Twitter presence gives you Bing exposure, it’s a shame not to use it to drive traffic to your ActiveRain blog and to your website. BTW, if your blog roll is still called “Annie’s Blog” (or Suzy, or Stan), it’s time you change it to let people know what you do and where. Mine is Myrtle Beach Real Estate by Mirela Monte. Yours should certainly denote your area of expertise and your location.

How do I know this works? For starters, you can “Bing” Myrtle Beach Connection and find me on the first page. I got there by using this method. Easy recipe: Blog on AR. Tweet your blogs. Watch your business explode. Just today I got two new leads from my Internet exposure. You want to know the best part about it? It is the most cost effective marketing I have in my arsenal!

For those of you still on the fence about paying the AR monthly dues to become a Rainmaker, think again! For every hour you’re wasting, there goes another potential client! No more excuses! Become a Rainmaker NOW! If you have no clue what Twitter is, here is a link to a blog where you can learn all about it. Please come back here and let us know just how well this works!

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection Join The Optimist Group!

Do you know what car your dentist drives?

Do you know what car your attorney drives?

Do you know what car your Realtor drives?

Which one of these choices do you think most people know the answer to? Exactly! Real Estate Agents are the only ones whose vehicles are ‘out in the open’, sort of speak. Realtors, what is your vehicle saying about you?

Is your car a mess because you work all the time, or is it always freshly detailed, showing that you are organized and careful? Is your car on its last leg, because finances are not quite what they should be, or is it an expensive vehicle denoting that your Real Estate business is thriving? Do you drive a ‘green’ vehicle, showing concern for the environment, or do you loaf around in a gas guzzler?

Whether you want to accept it or not, your car, as the extension of yourself and your business, can help you land that next deal, or nix it for you. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection Join The Optimist Group!

My children have always been the most cherished part of my life, my defining moments, my love, my joy, my reasons for it all.

My son is leaving for war tomorrow. As a little kid he used to move his plastic soldiers across huge maps of the World I had bought for him. When he was a teenager he went to the Citadel Summer camp every summer and at 16 he became a counselor there. He later attended The Citadel, where he was a Summerall Guard and had several significant leadership positions. After graduating magna cum laude from the Citadel he enlisted in the Marines. After six months at Quantico he was commissioned as an officer. As he reminded me a few weeks ago, he is first a Marine, then an officer.

If I had it my way, war would be fought with paint guns. I am probably the least military person you’ll ever meet. I wasn’t happy about his decision to join the Marines, but I encouraged him to follow his heart anyway. God, that was hard to do! As parents, that is our main job: to encourage each child’s individuality to blossom, in spite of our own proclivities and fears.

My son is going to war tomorrow. He will be joining the many honorable young men and women serving our country. This is my son’s decision. I raised him to follow his heart. “I Hope You’ll Dance!” depicts exactly what I’ve always tried to instill in my children. Follow your heart, dedicate yourself with abandon to your particular calling and allow your destiny to unfold. I have to remind myself of this, as I swallow my tears and give my son a proud salute farewell.

Mirela Alex &; Amanda = nucleus of my heart!