Oreo Fun Facts Pg. 32
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Links & Content
In This Issue: March Training Calendar Agent Development #1 in Brevard County Over $1 Billion Sold RE/MAX Total Volume 10 Commandments of Real Estate Outsmart Cabin Fever 3 Key Pre-Offer Home Seller Actions 30 Minutes to A Clean Fridge Home of the Week Darren Hardy – Are YOU Stressed Top 10 Individuals YTD Top 10 Teams YTD Pinterest Oreo Fun Facts Awards Recognition Birthdays & Anniversaries Property Management Division Supporting Staff
Website Links: Training Center RE/MAX Mainstreet Paperless Pipeline ShowingTime RE/MAX University The ABOVE Magazine
Page 4 5 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 24 28 29 30-31 32 33 34 35 34
Today is: National Oreo Cookie Day
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*AUTO *HOME *LIFE *BUSINESS www.SuntreeInsurance.com
Paul McDonough
3199 Suntree Blvd., Suite 2 Rockledge, FL 32955 Phone: 622.5333 Fax: 622.5336
Vynn Pechart
Brand Transfer & Storage 1731 Cogswell St. Rockledge, FL 32955 321.632.5020 Ext. 102 www.brandtransfer.com
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March Training Calendar “FSBO Boot Camp - Everything You Need to Know” March 10 at the Melbourne Office Training Room 9:00 AM (A light lunch will be provided by Cloud View Aerial Imagery)
“Reviewing the HUD Closing Statement and Creating A NET Sheet for YOUR clients” March 17 at the Melbourne Office Training Room With Prestige Title 9:00 AM (a light breakfast will be provided)
“Boot Camp – Open House” March 25 at the Melbourne Office Training Room 9:00 AM
“Boot Camp – Open House” March 30 at the Cocoa Beach Office Noon
RSVP Susan Lewis at: Susan.BrevardElite@gmail.com BrevardElite.com
Take your business to new heights with
Agent Development Schedule your one-on-one 30 minute consultation with Susan Lewis please call 321-775-8110 Susan will be placing an emphasis on consulting, training and accountability. "Our first consultation focused on developing my action plan for areas I want to improve on for 2015. We covered Farming, FSBO's, Personal Marketing Promotions and effectively using Social Media so I'm not wasting my time. We picked up where we left off in our follow up session and reviewed progress on activities. We also talked scripts/dialogues for "problem" customers. My mindset is in action mode and Susan is helping me stay accountable towards my goals.“ ~ Barb Mihalik "Our meeting with Susan was well worth the time
we spent with her. She opened our eyes to the simple things that we knew we should be doing, but just don't ever seem to find the time to get it done. She gave us some great ideas that we plan on implementing into our 2015 business plan. Thank you Susan for the great one-on-one time!" ~ Lou Ann Janke We promised to never stop looking at ways to improve as a company no matter how successful we become. BrevardElite.com
Prestige Title
Prestige Title of Brevard has the knowledge, experience, and resources to get your real estate transaction closed. So whether you’re a buyer, seller, mortgage broker, lending institution, or real estate professional we want to be your preferred title insurance provider of choice!
5120 N. Highway US 1, Suite 102 Palm Shores, FL Phone: 321.242.7660 Fax: 321.242.1675
Tiffany Fortenberry 321.288.8931 Shawn Fortenberry www.prestigeclosings.com 321.302.0031 BrevardElite.com
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The 10 commandments of real estate (Humor) First commandment: No lungs! Many years ago, my brother the Realtor came home from his first day of kindergarten and, in answer to Mom’s question, “How did you like school?” he answered, “My teacher is really nice, and when she bends over you can see her lungs!” Lungs can definitely distract clients from a lack in other areas of competence … for a while. Second commandment: Be honest. Honesty is always appropriate. Except when a white lie is prudent. If someone who has her home listed with another agent calls to borrow your garage sale signs and asks, “Oh, by the way, can you drop them at my house?” it’s OK to lie. Third commandment: Enthuse. To be a successful Realtor, it’s helpful to be type A, anal retentive, a wolf (they’re not all bad) in sheep’s clothes who protects her own fiercely, the iron fist in a velvet glove — Attila the Honey — with a warm and fuzzy smile. You must display enthusiasm. I always try to have a smile in my voice, so first thing in the morning I reach for my bottle of caffeine pills, grind one up with a mortar and pestle, and down it in juice. I call it “artificial enthusiasm.” Fourth commandment: Observe the “golden rule.” Because God (or the other agent) will get you. Fifth commandment: Do not engage. I learned this from my husband the engineer. He can stand amazingly still, with a faraway look on his face, while someone (not me) delivers the most challenging assault to his patience problemsolving ability. I have adapted his strategy to real estate. My challenges usually come to me over the phone, so I must convert the gaze into words. I say, “Uh huh. Ummmmm. I see.” Mostly I let the other person talk. If I don’t get the right results, I tell the caller that I need to process the information and will get back to him that evening. And then I do. By that time, he’s usually figured it out himself. I could have told him the solution earlier in the day, but he wouldn’t have been ready to hear it. Sometimes you have to let the balloon deflate. Sixth commandment: Look like you care. It gets you halfway there. I must have missed the memo about shorts. Once, a homeowner greeted my client (clad in her Spandex biking pants) and me at the door with “Which one of you is the Realtor?” OK … Seventh commandment: Be yourself. When I had my last business photo taken, the photographer said, “There, that ought to do you for another 10 years.” He was not complimenting me on my youthful preservation; rather, he was alluding to Realtors’ propensity to use the same photo for the rest of their professional lives. I beat his estimate — mine lasted 15 years, and the only thing that changed was my hairstyle (that I could detect). >>>Read more BrevardElite.com
Kim Osman Insurance Group, Inc. 474 N Harbor City Blvd, Suite 4 Melbourne, Fl 32935
Call Today! 321.549.0678
Pete Osman
posman1@kimosmanins.com
Find out why It's Always A Great Day at the Kim Osman Agency
Kim Osman
kosman1@kimosmanins.com
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Outsmart Cabin Fever Step Away From The Smartphone It may seem like an escape, but your smartphone can actually make cabin fever worse. Streaming, surfing and posting can make phones very isolating even if you’re in the same room as others, so put the phone down and try a real live conversation – even if you have to text your family to get it started. Break out the Board Games With technology taking over so many forms of entertainment, it’s nice to slow down, unplug, and get back to the basics with a board game. A game can bring your family together while waking up that competitive spirit. Whether you choose educational or silly, a board game is a great way to pass the time while stuck inside during the worst of winter. Try a Home Improvement or Organization Project When inside during the dead of winter you may take a look around and realize you have a few projects just begging to be tackled. It can be as simple as organizing your pantry, or a little more in-depth like painting your powder room. Either way, it’s easy for the whole family to get in on the action and do a little bonding while improving. Plan a Special Family Dinner Picking up takeout, or heating up a frozen pizza, is standard fare for busy families, but when you’re all in the house and have the time, planning a home-cooked meal can help bring everyone together. From choosing a menu to prepping and cooking and then eating and cleaning up, there’s a job for everyone.
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www.rdibella.metlife.com 321.610.9934 321.255.1480 rdibella@metlife.com BrevardElite.com
3 Key Pre-Offer Home Seller Actions #1. Start thinking that you're living in the buyer's new home. Mentally move out. Let go of "mine." Cut the emotional cord. Concentrate on making the property as attractive to buyers as possible and practical. If you wait to start this "cut the emotional cord to home" thinking when your real estate professional presents you with an offer, you're doing yourself a tremendous disservice. Making confident decisions is difficult when you're distracted by pride of ownership and personal history. #2. Start thinking about what the buyer may ask you to do. Anticipate buyer requests regarding financing, moving dates, and other factors that may cause inconvenience or cost to you, the seller. For instance, if you had to wait many months for closing and the money from the sale, what problems could that cause you? Conversely, consider costs attached to moving in less than a month or at least sooner than convenient. Do you understand possible costs and considerations if buyers ask you to hold a second mortgage to enable them to pay the top dollar you ask for? Ask your real estate professional to explain how seller-held mortgages work and what would have to be true for you to sell that mortgage and realize cash. #3. Start thinking beyond list price to achieve full offer value. The value expressed in a buyer's offer to purchase involves 5 key elements - it's a financial package: Purchase Price is not automatically the amount the seller receives since other factors, like unpaid property taxes, can reduce the total. It's not the purchase price, but the net proceeds of the sale that sellers should concentrate on. Real estate professionals can calculate, or at least estimate, the seller's net proceeds after costs related to the offer and deduction of commission. Closing Date, or the day ownership is transferred and the seller receives the money, can represent cost or value to sellers. If the seller has to make two moves or has to pay two mortgages during the transition from one home to another, costs can add up and offer value goes down. Inclusions and Exclusions represent costs and value. Appliances, light fixtures, and draperies are common seller inclusions, but the cost of replacing them in the next home reduces profit. Terms and Conditions are clauses in the offer which cover "what if" risks and the obligations of both parties. These clauses detail what the buyer asks the seller to do for the purchase price. The degree of uncertainty attached to the conditions and the buyer's related ability to close effect the value of an offer. Intent and Sincerity are vital aspects of an offer although difficult to quantify. For the seller, offer value lies in the certainty that the buyer will close in spite of market shifts and other problems ahead.
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30 Minutes to a Clean Fridge There are plenty of reasons to clean a fridge and one big excuse not to — namely, lack of time. But you don’t need to set aside several hours to complete a basic cleanout. Get it done in 30 minutes with this guide. Before you start. There’s no reason to clean out your fridge the day after a big supermarket trip. Pick a day just before you go shopping, when your fridge is relatively empty. For safety reasons, it’s a good idea to unplug your fridge before you start cleaning it. Gather your supplies: small bucket small cleaning brush terrycloth towel large sponge new box of baking soda Get to it. Take food from the fridge and place it on the table or counter. As you do this, check expiration dates and toss anything that’s no longer edible. Fill the bucket with warm water, and add a half cup of baking soda. (Save the rest of the baking soda — you can put the box in the fridge later to neutralize odors.) Use this solution to wipe down the empty shelves and interior with a sponge, starting from the top and working your way down. Use a brush to clean around brackets and gaskets and to dislodge any dried food. Wipe the interior dry with a terrycloth towel. Rearrange, reseal, restock. Before you put the food back in the fridge, take a moment to group similar foods together. This will help you find items easier. Separate ethylene-sensitive produce (e.g., apples, broccoli) from produce that releases ethylene gas (e.g., bananas, pears) to prevent premature decay. Make sure that all containers are sealed properly and that anything wrapped is covered completely. Airtight storage will help prevent spills and spoilage. As you begin to put items back in the fridge, be careful to space food out to allow a free flow of air. Keep eggs, poultry, meat and seafood separate from all other items to help limit the spread of bacteria. For more food safety tips, visit foodsafety.gov . And if you’ve unplugged your fridge, don’t forget to plug it back in! A final note: A basic cleanout like this is no substitute for a thorough cleaning, which your fridge and freezer require periodically. To do that, you’ll need to remove and clean shelves, vacuum coils and wipe down the exterior. BrevardElite.com
Are YOU Overwhelmed, Overburdened, Maxed out, Bogged down, or just plain ole tuckered out?
The Elite Transaction Management Department can help!! An agent averages 19 hours of their time on a transaction from contract to closing. We are giving you back most of that time, so that you can focus on activities that drive in more income for your business! We have established exclusive pricing for these services and you only pay at closing.
$200 for 1 side or $250 for both! Providing the processing, organizing and communications you need to manage your transactions with accuracy, speed and the highest level of professionalism.
For more information contact:
Denell Hastings 321.775.8178
denell.brevardelite@gmail.com
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1143 Becket PL Melbourne, FL
Listing by Peggy Pendridge with RE/MAX Elite
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Important FICO credit score changes coming soon! There are new changes in how FICO scores are calculated. I’m happy to let everyone know that these changes are for the better! It’s often very difficult to understand how someone’s credit score is determined. Many factors are used to calculate a credit score; these include late payments, collections (medical and non-medical), foreclosures, judgments, short sales, number of inquiries, amount of credit outstanding compared to the amount of credit available, number of trade lines, length of time credit has been reported, etc. One of the main issues that consumers have is with collections, especially medical bills. Here is a summary of the new FICO changes: •Unpaid medical collections will have virtually no reduction in credit score. •Consumers who currently have unpaid medical collections should see their score go up by 25 points under the new system. •All collections which are paid off will no longer reduce the consumer’s credit score substantially (often times paid collections will now have no negative effect on their score). This is good news for consumers who want to buy a home but have not been able to because of unpaid medical collections or paid off collections. The end result will be more consumers will be able to purchase a home and get better interest rates and terms (the higher the credit score the lower the rate). Keep in mind that lenders will still carefully review the entire credit report, not just the score. If the collections are unpaid and a substantial amount (over $5,000) that could still be an issue in qualifying for a home loan. Each customer’s situation will be different-even though their score will be higher with the new rules they will still need to meet loan program guidelines (especially on FHA and VA). The FICO score changes will not occur overnight, but over the next few months these changes will improve consumer’s credit scores. For more information please go to www.fico.com. If you have any buyers that you’ve been working with and they “just missed” being able to qualify because their credit score did not quite meet loan program guidelines may now be eligible very soon. Please contact Dyer Mortgage Group with any questions. We would be happy to review these changes with your clients and assist them with getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Thank you for choosing the Dyer Mortgage Group.
Bobbie Dyer Division President 321-215-4419 bdyer@dyermtg.com
www.dyermortgagegroup.com BrevardElite.com
Feb. 26 - Mar. 9, 2015 BrevardElite.com
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Dick Blodin 321-544-1317 Email: rblodin@cfl.rr.com www.CloudViewAerial.com
Give us a call today! 321-698-5370 Florida License # HI 8266 Melbourne & Surrounding Areas BrevardElite.com
Contact: Kelly Cox 321.751.8711 Pillartopost.com
Are You Stressed?
• Leader in our industry in home inspections • Comprehensive & Accurate Reports
1. Do the sh!t you’ve been putting off. 2. Don’t take yourself so damn serious. 3. Stop trying to control everything. 4. Do what you can, accept what you can’t and move on.
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Is there a perfect temperature to set your thermostat? The right thermostat settings can do wonders for your energy costs. ConsumerEnergyCenter.org reports that you can save up to five percent in heating costs for every degree you lower your thermostat between 60 and 70 degrees. Many people find that setting the thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter provides a comfortable home environment and keeps heating costs under control. At the night, or during the day when everyone is away, the temperature can be set to 6-10 degrees cooler to provide more savings. The key to making these temperature changes effortless is to install a programmable thermostat with which you can assign different temperatures to different times of day or even different days of the week. Some households have different schedules on Mondays as opposed to Thursdays, for examples. These household rhythms can be programmed into the thermostat. Your family might consider investing in a super-smart learning thermostat. For example, if people in your household wake later on weekends, you probably won’t need to raise the temperature to 68 degrees until 9am. Then on weekdays, you might like your house to be comfortably warm by 6:30am, when the earliest riser stumbles into the kitchen seeking
coffee. Programming your thermostat to raise or lower the temperature according to your family’s schedule can save a great deal of money—you’ll never have to never heat your home more than necessary. And you’ll save time, since your thermostat settings will rarely need revisiting. You can try programming a thermostat to match your household's needs with Energy.gov's Programmable Thermostat Tool. The site notes that programming your thermostat can also help you avoid the temptation to crank up your temperature when you feel chilly. Rather than raising your home's temperature (and your heating bills), try bundling up in a warm sweater and sipping a hot drink. If someone in your household just can’t live without that extra warmth, use a space heater or two to make their most-used areas of the home extra-toasty. During the summertime, the same principles apply, just in reverse. Keep your air conditioners or central air unit set at 75 degrees or above for costefficient cooling. Your family's habits may allow you to keep the temperature higher. Consult your family and see what everyone is comfortable with. Additionally, a box fan can allow you to raise your thermostat by making rooms feel cooler than they are, and they cost about one tenth as much to run as an air conditioner, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. BrevardElite.com
Sunday, March 8th Don’t forget to SPRING ahead.
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We at H.I.P. Construction are dedicated to creating an organizational culture that encourages honesty, integrity, and professionalism by adopting and enforcing the following practices: 1.
Emphasize, through staff training, that the organization expects its employees to be honest, have a sense of integrity, and behave professionally. Convey these same expectations to vendors, consultants, volunteers, and anyone else who performs paid or unpaid work for the organization.
2.
Explicitly require "honesty, integrity, and professionalism" in all job descriptions, staff contracts, volunteer policies, performance evaluations, and labor agreements.
3.
Inform employees, contractors, and the general public of established policies, procedures, and expectations regarding honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
4.
Commend and reinforce behavior that exemplifies high ethical expectations.
5.
Never tolerate dishonest, corrupt, or unprincipled behavior in the workplace, regardless of job type or level of authority.
Get started with your FREE estimate today! 321.775.8212
jason@trusthip.com
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Congratulations to Our Top 10 Individuals YTD as of December 2014
#1 Silvia Mozer $16,159,471 64 Transactions
#2 Karen Osiniak $11,126,653 35 Transactions
#4 Pat Murphey $7,781,100 35 Transactions
#5 Sue Tillman $4,497,450 26 Transactions
#7 Theresa Friend $4,071,100 22 Transactions
#8 Peggy Penridge $4,040,165 24 Transactions
#3 Steve Vitani $11,111,607 34 Transactions
#6 Bruce Kwitny $4,330,700 28 Transactions
#9 Melinda Corns #10 Connie Trincali $3,385,400 $3,733,240 20 Transactions 17 Transactions BrevardElite.com
Congratulations to Our Top Teams YTD as of December 2014
#1 McCoy-Freeman Group $27,414,210 109 Transactions
#4 Joy Frankel Team $15,517,572 80 Transactions
#7 Brevard Real Estate Team $11,807,650 49 Transactions
#2 Platinum Realty Group $25,370,568 146 Transactions
#5 Barclay Group $12,524,000 48 Transactions
#8 321 Team $9,688,064 52 Transactions
#3 Coastal Estate Team $23,939,860 74 Transactions
#6 Kuhns Realty Group $12,261,865 66 Transactions
#9 Romano Team $8,186,819 29 Transactions
#10 Central Florida Team $3,987,118 35 Transactions BrevardElite.com
Colorful animals around the world
Mandarin Duck
Pink Katydid
Red Velvet Ant
Blue Lobster
Red Sided Garter Snake
Chinese White Dolphin BrevardElite.com
Rainbow Lorikeet
Rainbow Beetle
Golden Pheasant Red Macaw
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Strawberry Poison Frog BrevardElite.com
Oreo fun facts The 103 year old cookie made it’s debut in March 1912 Originally sold for 30 cents a pound
The original Oreo's cookie-tocream ratio is 71% cookie 29% filling
Oreo’s are the MOST popular cookie, 450 billion have been sold
The Oreo became kosher in 1998. The original recipe called for pork fat
Flavors available World wide. How many have you tried? Banana Split Berry Burst Ice Cream Birthday Cake Blueberry Ice Cream Candy Cane Candy Corn Carmel Apple Coconut Delight Cookie Dough Cool Mint Cream Wafers Strawberry or Vanilla Creamsicle Double Delight (2 varieties) Double Fruit Orange and Mango Double Fruit raspberry and Blueberry Double Stuffed Heads or Tails DQ Blizzard Crème Duo Dulce De Leche and Banana Duo Strawberry and Vanilla Fruit Punch Ginger Bread Golden Golden Fudge Crèmes Golden Birthday Cake Golden Double Stuffed Green Tea Ice Cream Halloween (designs) Lemon Ice
Lemon Meringue Lemon Twist Limeade Marshmallow Crispy Mega Stuf Milk Chocolate Covered Mint Orange Ice Cream Oreo X3 Original Original Double Stuffed Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Double Stuffed Peanut Butter Fudge Crèmes Peppermint Pumpkin Spice Rainbow Ice Cream Rainbow Shure, Bert Red Velvet Reduced Fat Spring (designs) Sugar Free Summer (designs) Triple Double Triple Double Neapolitan Watermelon White Fudge Covered Winter (designs) BrevardElite.com
2015 Awards Recognition
Jennifer McCoy & Bobby Freeman
Silvia Mozer
Andy Barclay BrevardElite.com
Tom Hall – 03/05 Toni Jones – 03/11 Bobbi Dyer – 03/16 Breanne Brown – 03/19 Connie Trincali – 03/21 Dee Dee Sheffield – 03/23 Edwin Normandia – 03/23 Kristi Spencer – 03/29 Natalie Stroh – 03/29
Cheryl Kennedy – 1 year Denell Hastings – 2 Years Jason McDaniels – 2 years Suzi Granger – 4 years Bruce Kwitny – 8 years BrevardElite.com
Our Property Management Division Your clients can fill out their credit application and pay online. It’s easy and menu driven. If you have any questions please call Sheryl at 321-863-7824 (cell) or 321-775-8122 (office).
Sheryl
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Click Here to see 321rentals.net
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Scott
Liz
Thank you for your support and referrals!
1790 Rocky Wood Circle #206, Rockledge, FL listing by Suzi Granger
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Wishing you a fantastic Friday on behalf of your RE/MAX Elite Family!
321.752.5858 BrevardElite.com Your Supporting Staff
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