Vote Online for Charity to WIN $10K to Transform Neighborhoods -Time is Running Out

Transform a Neighborhood is a non-profit start up designed to improve lives and neighborhoods. Many of our neighborhoods today are suffering as a result poverty and crime,and these problems are being exacerbated by the foreclosure crisis and houses sitting empty. In many of these neighborhoods, it is nearly impossible for those empty houses to be sold because lenders do not want to lend in these neighborhoods. Unless there is a collaboration of residents, governments, charitable organizations, and investors, this problems will only become worse. Transform a Neighborhood's mission is to facilitate that collaboration, as well, as take an active role in the neighborhoods by bringing volunteers and investors. You can visit the website where there are a couple of videos if you like http://www.transformaneighborhood.org/ .


Transform a Neighborhood has been entered in an idea contest to WIN $10K, which will provide start up capital for the organization. Your vote can potentially help many many lives and neighborhoods!

Yesterday I was reading Bruce Wilkinson's Prayer of Jabez. Bruce talks about the part of the prayer where Jabez pleas for more territory. This part of the prayer is where you ask God to enlarge your life so you can make a greater impact for Him. I love the next part as Bruce writes, "...we can see that there was more to his request than a simple desire for more real estate. He wanted more influence, more responsibility, and more opportunity to make a mark for God."

I have always prayed to be given the opportunity to positively impact lives and am thankful that I have been given the privilege to do that personally and through my profession as a coach and speaker. Transform a Neighborhood is bigger calling and it's definitely about more than a simple desire for more real estate. It's about answering the call to do something bigger and helping change lives in a big way.

Winning the Ideablob Contest would jump start this organization and mission, but there's a stiff competition to win the $10K. Today we are in 2nd place, we were in 2nd a few days ago and then fell to 3rd and then went back to 2nd. We only have until tomorrow, Thursday 8/21 to receive votes to help the idea to the finals. Every vote makes a big difference. This week has been so incredibly exciting as friends, family, colleagues and clients have not only shown their support by voting but many have also spread the word to their other contacts. It is fun watching the votes roll in over email as the days progress. Every time I hear the email sound, I say, "Hope it's a vote." Wow, there's one now -just as I write this.

I'd appreciate your vote and/or advice on Transform a Neighborhood, which you can give at
http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/2927-Transform-a-Neighborhood-TAN-

There's a quick email and user name sign up required but the company does not send you a bunch of junk email. However, if we make it as one of the sprint winners this week then we will make it into the finals. I believe that if we make it to the finals, you will get an email next week letting you know to vote for your favorite finalist.

Thanks to everyone for your support!

Healthy Housing Meeting

Thanks to my new friend, Michelle Uchiyama, who I met through the Fuller Center for Housing, I attended a meeting this morning at Georgia Tech's Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development Center on Healthy Housing. Gaylon Rogers of Labor of Love Ministries, Inc. presented on the issue of poverty and homelessness . Gaylon's ministry is putting together a planning meeting, which will be held in February to discuss making positive changes around these issues through training, green housing, working with Beltline project and more. Sign up for my ezine at www.transformit.net/ezine.html to stay up to date on the latest meetings and progress.

Gaylon and I will meet next week to discuss the idea of Transform A Neighborhood http://realestateinvestorsresource.blogspot.com/2007/09/transform-neighborhood.html
http://www.transformaneighborhood.org/ partnering with Labor of Love to create transformation in neighborhoods with real estate investors involved in the process.

For so long, I have felt this gentle nudging and calling to this cause, Transform A Neighborhood. I continue to pray for God's will and direction with this project. He continues to send great resources and people to help move it forward. If you feel called as a real estate investor or personally to use your talents and resources for a greater good and cause, please, email me @ nspivey@transformit.net.

Transform a Neighborhood

I’ve had this little idea for a while about a way that investors can unite to make a positive difference in lives, neighborhoods, communities and more and make money while doing so. The idea is called “Transform a Neighborhood”.

It started with my thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice if someone spearheaded a project of getting investors together to go into a neighborhood that needs improvement where properties can be purchased inexpensively and a big positive impact can be made together?” I have thought that thought many times. Then one day it hit me that maybe I am the person to spearhead the initiative. Now with all of the mortgage fraud and foreclosures–especially in certain neighborhoods, I really see a need and an opportunity here.

It seems to me that investors are often “lone rangers”; and, I often wonder what would be possible if we were united. I see this as a project where investors would collectively mastermind the idea, recruit resources and collaboration from the city, county, police force, drug task force, corporate sponsors such as banks, and so forth. However, each investor would individually purchase their own property or properties within the neighborhood that is being transformed.
Thus far, I’ve created a file folder titled, “Transform a Neighborhood”, where I jot down notes and throw them in there, stuck a little sticky note on my dream board with “Transform a Neighborhood” written on it, and had a long conversation with one of my coaches about it. Now, I figure it’s time to take the next step, put it out there for exploration and ideas from other investors, like you, to see what’s possible when we unite. Emily Dickinson said, “I dwell in possibility.” Well, I do, too; and dwelling in possibility creates all sorts of amazing things! If you are interested in the possibilities surrounding this idea, you can get involved by posting your comments and or emailing me at nspivey@transformit.net .