RealtorIrene Blogs about Northwestern NJ Real Estate - Hunterdon & Warren

Hubby Chip & I excitedly planning a short vacation from our comfy home in Sussex County, NJ. We're headed to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to car-camp. You know, where you pull up to a site, unload a 4 bedroom tent with hot & cold running water, ask James the butler to don his flannel shirt, throw a gourmet feast on the barbie, etc.

What prompts me to do this?  I want to see a moose in the wild. Better yet, many meese. (While I am aware that the plural of moose is moose, I have spent many sleepless nights worrying how geese feel about that.  Besides, it amuses me - if no one else - to use the term meese and watch reactions; I'm big on funny and you're most welcome to laugh at me along with me!)

To the right is a photo of the only moose I will ever see in the Sussex County vicinity!

So, with a real estate transaction in which I represent both the home sellers and the buyers closing this week and a great colleague to back me up while I'm away, I off to hunt real meese.

Our moose-hunting arsenal consists of a couple cameras and a tripod, so no need to alert PETA to my plans. I may never blog again because I've warned Chip that I am staying in the White Mountains until I see a moose. He pointed out that it is a very long walk home, lovingly adding that he'll miss me in the interim. Bet you will too!

So, Chip and I will relax, enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature for a few days and hunt meese.

Oh - and one other dream. I'm hoping to return with ONE picture that is of the quality that Richard Weisser - Coweta Fayette Real Estate - Newnan homes for sale shares with us day in and day out. 

The one to the left is from US wildlife authorities - free use. I intend to pose the meese against more greenery to yield better contrast. I'm utterly surprised that the wildlife folks didn't think of that but then again, they probably don't say meese either...

Every bit of knowledge I have used to improve my rank on Google in 30 days came from within ActiveRain.

Let me start by saying my pre-AR Internet presence was my Weichert agent site; I had not done much to it & it, therefore, hadn't done much for me. Much of what I'm learning here, I'm applying both places, so will be reaping double benefits. Despite the recent accolades, I still have a long way to go. I give up before I page through to find my Google placement for many areas I cover.

I'd love your company on this journey, so let's do it together and have some fun.

Irene's Hard and fast RULE 1 - Semi-Ignorance is Bliss

We don't have to understand SEO - we don't even need to know what it means. Let's not give a hoot what moves us from page 3 of Google search results to page 1 - let's just get there. Repeat after me: Magic, it works by magic. This is the same force that yields 45 -50 miles per gallon in my hybrid Prius. You all have permission to laugh at me here - just as I'm doing.

RULE 2 - If those with more knowledge, suggest it, just DO IT FAST.

I'll go way out on a limb here and say that Brad Andersohn, Jeremy Blanton, Bob Stewart, Joel Kruse, etc. probably don't think SEO works by magic. They post info that explains the ins-and-outs in clear detail as my eyes glaze over. (There go all my points!)

Seriously, in each post is a suggestion or a how-to. Scan the post, skip all the details if you'd like, but implement the tip and move on. Remember to also implement on any other website you have.

If you need surgery, would you enroll in medical school? Our job is to follow the prescriptions lovingly handed out by the AR doctors even if we don't understand much. Let them guide us on our trek! Trusting others don't come easy - but I know it is the way to go. Let's spend our time on content, not becoming experts in new fields!

RULE 3 - If at all possible, become a RainMaker.

Is money tight in my budget? You betcha. The very day I joined AR, my phone rang. Just what I needed - sign up for a free service and bingo! the sharks swarm with enhancements. Joel Kruse did NOT come across like that. He explained the pluses and that I didn't have to commit for a minimum period. My memory is that Joel said that was because "no one" ever quits, but he probably said it was rare. Joel then had me call him back so he could walk me through. He is a top-notch hand holder! And everyone now knows what decision I made about month 2...

RULE 4 - You don't need me.

Hang on a sec while I wipe the tears away. Other than giving moral support - which I'm delighted to do - why would you ask for help from a self-proclaimed ignoramus who insists it is all just magic?

• Make generous use of the search function; lots of the helpful posts are older but still available. For example, find Active Brad's SEO Tools - You Should Know, about SEO is 10 months old but still a goodie. 

• Subscribe to the blogs by all the AR staff. That way you won't miss new tips.
• Find other experts whose posts make sense to you and subscribe. For me, Katerina Gasset has a spectacular way of explaining magic so that it is clear and I can immediately do what she suggests: Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes.  I do recognize that we all learn and absorb differently, so you might find others who speak more to you.
• When you see a post with a fabulous feature that you're dying to copy, ask the poster. Lyn Sims has spectacular graphs. I asked how she did it and in poured her help. Maybe she'll do a post on graphs so that we all don't bug her for personal tutorials!
• Bookmark. When you read a post that seems to contain great data, bookmark it. Sometimes there is a bit I implement immediately. Other times, I think, "Hmmmm. Bet I'm gonna want to find this again."
• Take the AR Webinars- live or on Memorex.  There have been 3 and I've attended all of them. So I'm a brown-nosed teacher's pet, but HELLO - I've learned and am moving forward at a good clip. This was not magic. Let's avail ourselves of this help that is freely offered!
• Look at each screen we use regularly and click promiscuously. For example, when you're drafting your post, look to the right column. More Info: More about tags. As it was sitting right there, it tipped me that they just might be important. You'll learn some magic...
• Mimic. For this post, I'm copying the tags that Joel Kruse used in his kind words about me. We don't have to reinvent the wheel even if we're unclear about tags.
• Be teachable. When anyone takes the time to give you a suggestion, try it! Sally Dunbar spent her valuable time to point me toward using groups for posts. I'm on it and grateful to Sally.

RULE 5 - Acknowledge Properly - Unlike me here!

I'm in hot water here because I can't find the older post where I read about different ways to "give love" by linking in a fashion that helps the other person too. I neglected to bookmark it and can't find it via "My comments on" either. I used this person's best-of suggestion with the link to Katerina's blog. Maybe Jeff Turner??  If anyone can help me identify this post, I'll immediately credit and link to it! Thanks to Shane O'Gorman for giving me the right terms to find Jeff Turner's  AR Tutorials - How To Add Links To Your Blog Posts

Also add a comment when something helps. When I've just searched and scanned 4 of Jeremy's older linked posts, I don't necessarily take the time to comment on each one. Bad girl!  Like I said, progress, not perfection...

RULE 6 - Give Back. Yes, even without Points

My best post to date is the one you will never see. Something shown in a Webinar gave me a great idea. Had a catchy title, thanks to Jeremy's post about titles, which I cannot now call up.(Mr. Blanton, are you messing with my head?)

In the back of my mind, however, a little bell went off. So before posting, I asked Bob Stewart a question. It WAS a great idea except that it could negatively impact AR's bottom line. And I freely chose not to post. I don't need to promote my business by hurting someone else's. Why would we bite the hand that is feeding us?

Giving back means taking time to share freely. Turn off your speakers while I whine a little. New to blogging, this post has taken me tons of time - searching futilly for a reference, linking, graphics, and the hardest - thinking! It's Members Only, so the adoring public on my Outside Blog won't again see what a wonderful, giving gal I am. Safe to turn volume back up. So why, especially as I recognize I'm an expert in NOTHING when it comes to AR? Because someone asked...  Because my learning experience might help you... Because you might not have believed it works easily... Because it is a great way to say thanks to all those who have (and will) help me...

Because you might walk beside me, hold my hand and let me lean on you when I stumble...

I'm still ready to help you with your Sussex County NJ real estate questions -

Even if this total surprise still has my head spinning!

UPDATE early June - Irene Kennedy has traded places and is how the number one real estate agent featured in Sparta, NJ on ActiveRain!

Well, if you time it exactly right and don't refresh your screen, I have the honor of being one of Active Rain's featured members. Even contacted the gentleman with whom I was featured to introduce myself.

Although fame may be fleeting, it still is a wonderful honor for someone new to this wonderful site to be front page news! Was tempted to sit up all night looking at my picture on the main page.

Free autographs given willingly - especially on real-estate contracts!

Search for homes for sale in Sparta, NJ.

Well, it isn't officially summer yet. Neither has Memorial Day weekend arrived. But I'm happy to report the sure sign of summer has made an appearance in beautiful, rural Sussex County, NJ.

As I was reading the newspaper this morning in my Hamburg home, a mosquito bit my ankle. (While I am slender, I do have meatier parts but I don't plan to answer comments about what they are!) I hope the little pest broke his snout on my anklebone.

While those from Texas are certain to claim their skeeters are much bigger, I do believe that the Garden State takes the title.

So if you hear me scratching...