Posted by unregistered user at 1/21/08 12:52 p.m.

John, thanks for the writeup, we're very excited to get the financing finally in the door and have some pretty big plans for it.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/347020/The-long-hard-road

Posted by unregistered user at 1/21/08 1:12 p.m.

This confirms that my decision to quit being active on Acid Rain was a solid one. I do not know ONE real estate agent who wants anything to do with House Values, which has spent millions of dollars scamming hard working agents.

I really hope that AR will not follow that same path, but I will be deleting my profile and never visit there again.

Posted by unregistered user at 1/21/08 1:43 p.m.

Now that sounds to me like biting your nose to spite your face. The United States borrows money from China - a communistic country. Have you withdraw your citizenship?

Posted by soundbiteblog at 1/21/08 9:52 p.m.

Well, now you know One real estate agent who doesn't have something bad to say HouseValues. It's very sad that you would allow something so positive as this to cause you to delete your profile. Definitely YOUR loss.

Posted by unregistered user at 1/22/08 10:27 a.m.

House Values had a very good product for 1991-2001, but the management team under CEO Ian Morris just hasn't been able to adjust to the changes in the real estate market and to increasing pressure from competitors.

It's encouraging to see this investment, but I think it's going to take more than this to turn around HouseValues. The comments of a real estate agent are not unique among real estate agents or consumers that have used the referral service.

With no changes to the business model since the company was founded, the board should be asking itself how long it will keep Morris at the helm? Sure, he rode the real estate boom, but during a bubble, any junior manager from Microsoft could have done that.

What has he done since then as HV has seen its stock price plummet? Perhaps its time for Ian Morris to go.

Posted by aparabola at 1/23/08 2:46 a.m.

Your comment: ""Posted by unregistered user at 1/22/08 10:27 a.m"" has nothing to do with the topic. You have replied similarly here on the Venture blog bashing HouseValues where you have no case, and have no supporting facts, only a weak, sour & slanderous opinion. You are not on topic. Yes there are Real Estate agents who failed using HV product[s] This does not mean the HV model or product is bad, it's just bad for those agents in particular. Simple. I used to work at HouseValues in sales. I repeatedly told the agents that HV is not for every agent. Here's how it works, and here's what to expect. It was always very uplifting when the agents I helped would call back after a time reporting an increase in their pipeline, commissions, and testimonies.

The investment in AR by HouseValues is a wise forward thinking commitment. It will not only benefit both parties, but will have a positive effect on all Real Estate agents involved as well. I anticipate good things to come, and look forward to new reports of prosperity as a result. My name is Brett, and I enjoyed my experience as an Account Executive at HV. It was thrilling to help Real Estate agents every day during my 18 months of employment with HouseValues. Active Rain & HouseValues influences seems to me an overdue co-existence of Real Estate synergy!

Posted by aparabola at 1/23/08 3:01 a.m.

Once again, and I want to make this clear. Any slanderous comments after this one toward ActiveRain & HouseValues will be deemed unnecessary, inappropriate, immature, hollow, and slanderous as we are commenting on John Cook's Venture Blog. John is reporting about venture capitalism and investments between HouseValues and ActiveRain. This is not the place to vent about an unsatisfactory business experience or otherwise.

- Brett

Posted by unregistered user at 1/23/08 6:19 p.m.

Nice one Brett - I used to post my thoughts regarding housevalues and its expired business model, but now I just let the headlines speak for themselves. See you on Feb 21!

Posted by unregistered user at 1/23/08 7:14 p.m.

Yes this purchase was good for every one...and then they laid people off. Great business model, keep taking advantage of the suckers.

Posted by aparabola at 1/23/08 7:59 p.m.

Your post was epic! Made me ...lol. I'll tell you why I even care to post at all. House Values gave me my first break toward my business career. After spending 23 years installing Suspended Acoustical Ceilings as a Union Carpenter, I decided to get a resume together highlighting a past business, a few talents, and some sheer will of heart...among other things. They hired me because they saw how hungry I was to break into a sales career. I worked there for 18 months before deciding to move on, and ended up being very good at it. Nobody lasts at HV that long unless they have some serious sales skillz. ;) Looking back...if it were not for HV, I don't think I would be enjoying my sweet position with the company I'm at now. I am an Account Manager for an online marketing company in Bellevue. I'm even going to Las Vegas for the Affiliate Summit, just attended the New York ad:tech convention, and my company is sending me to San Francisco for that ad:tech online advertising convention. So yeah, HV will always mean a lot to me aside form having superior products that help Real Estate agents, awesome management, and employees. I have so much yet to learn, a very long way to go. I will defend, post, and verbally annihilate anyone who speaks poorly of HV. That is my right, and I will just go ahead and exercise it because I can...

Posted by aparabola at 1/24/08 3:09 p.m.

Oh boy. Now the CFO of HouseValues has resigned, and they laid off 45 more people. There is an article in today's business section of the Seattle Times reporting on this. I feel bad for HV and wish them a successful 2008. Hang in there HV, hang on...

Posted by unregistered user at 1/25/08 8:33 a.m.

aparabola, it's nice that HV gave you your first break. I know that there were some great people who built that company.

But here's the deal - HV is no longer the same company that rescued you from your carpentry career.

Sad as it is, HV has churned through their talent over the last 24 months, just like they've churned through their customers. Now I know a handful of talented people who have recently turned down job offers with HV because of their reputation as a loser company.

Even an investment in the activerain community can't change their opinion about the product. Look at these:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/351083/Hey-HouseValues-Scooping-Up
http://activerain.com/blogsview/350407/I-have-abandoned-HouseValues
http://activerain.com/blogsview/HouseValues-HomeGain-LendingTree-and-RealEstate-com-Beware-the-Real-Estate-Parasites?3846

Too bad - ActiveRain, you made a mistake. You have to be careful whose money you take. Yeah, I know that a nice 8-figure offer for a partial stake in a blog site is pretty nice. But now you're a shill for a defunct, nonproducing company and your community knows it. HV is invading the community you worked so hard to build, and it's going to destroy that community as soon as agents learn that they have alternatives.

And that's really too bad too because ActiveRain is/was a tremendous idea and a good execution. I'll still hold out hope for you guys, but all it takes is one bad apple...

Posted by unregistered user at 2/4/08 10:47 p.m.

Hi aparabola -

I posted the comments on 1/22. I must respectfully disagree with your comments, and correct you.

If a struggling Seattle area company invests in a startup, it's worth commenting on this site. It IS on topic. In no place were my comments slanderous, but were an expression of my opinion as a former consumer "customer" of HV, and current user of RedFin and Zillow. (I work for neither).

I would like to see HV turn things around and fly high again. For the record, I have never before posted on this site or about HouseValues.

Posted by unregistered user at 2/25/08 3:53 a.m.

So Brett Dix is now working for Active Rain. Brett is a very positive and loyal person. He'll do well for them.