RE/MAX R4: Don’t Miss A Thing pg. 25
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Links & Content Website Links: Training Center RE/MAX Mainstreet Paperless Pipeline ShowingTime RE/MAX University The ABOVE Magazine
In This Issue: Page Christmas Tree Fun Facts 3 5 Tips for Sharing Charitable Activities 6 5 Tax Deductions – Sellers 9 Elite Transaction Management Dept. 11 Short Sale Tax Breaks Pass in the House 15 Top 10 Individuals YTD 16 Top 10 Teams YTD 17 5 Rules for Linkedin Lead Generations 20 Featured Home 22 RE/MAX – Don’t Miss A Thing 25 Pinterest 26-27 Believe 28 Awards Recognition 30-32 Birthdays & Anniversaries 33 Property Management Division 34 Supporting Staff 35
Christmas in Florida
Christmas Tree fun facts The Rockefeller Christmas tree takes 45,500 lights; it’s star weighs 550 pounds
The average person spends $800 on Christmas gifts
50 – 60 million trees are harvested each year in Europe
Most popular Christmas tree: Fraser Fir
Tinsel was invented in Germany in 1610
It can take as many as 15 years to grow a Christmas tree of typical height (6 - 7 ft)
The first Christmas tree decorations were apples, nuts and other foods.
Each year approximately 47 million trees are harvested for Christmas in the US The Boy Scouts of America have been selling Christmas trees since 1964
In America, $1.5 billion are spent on Christmas trees
In recent years, artificial trees have increased in sales from 7.3 million to 17.4 million
Prestige Title
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5 tips for sharing your charitable activities Charitable giving also can be smart marketing. An article in Entrepreneur last September pointed out that more than 85 percent of millennials correlate their purchasing decisions with the social good that they perceive a brand is doing. However, these same millennials are sensitive about being sold to, so marketing involving charitable giving must be done in a way that is subtle and not overt. Programs like the one sponsored by TOMS shoes work because the messaging makes people feel good about the product: A pair of shoes is donated for each pair bought. Charities that support the positive feelings associated with homeownership, such as Habitat for Humanity and Giveback Homes, are a natural fit for real estate, but the home touches so many facets of life that many other connections also can be made. So how do you walk the thin line between self-promotion and sharing your good works? Here are some tips to keep in mind when spreading the word about your charitable activities: 1. Promote the cause first, yourself second. It’s great to highlight the good you are doing in the world, but one way to make it more appealing to the people who will encounter it is to make it more about the cause and less about you. Why does this cause matter to the world and to you personally? What does it support?
How can others get involved? If you haven’t conveyed these things, then you haven’t really done the charity (or yourself) a true service. 2. Support the cause even when you aren’t involved. You don’t always have to be actively involved in a charity’s effort to support it. Share the charity’s latest event or fundraising drive on your social media profile, or link to to it in your email newsletter. This helps share their good works and reminds people of a cause that they can associate with you. 3. Make it fun. From ALS ice-bucket challenges to walks, runs and bicycle races for charity, these days the campaigns that get the most traction are the ones that incorporate a bit of energy. Giving back feels good, so share some of that energy in photos and videos. 4. It’s OK to be silly or sentimental. This is a place where you can really get creative. The more true and authentic your message is, the more it will resonate with your audience. >>>Read more BrevardElite.com
• Leader in our industry in home inspections • Comprehensive & Accurate Reports
Contact: Kelly Cox 321.751.8711 Pillartopost.com BrevardElite.com
*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
Tony Fletcher Account Executive American Home Shield 321 480 7562 tfletcher@ahslink.com
Sell faster - Homes with an AHS Home Protection Plan sold an average of 10.73 days faster than those without a home warranty. BrevardElite.com
5 Tax Deductions Sellers Won’t Want to Miss 1. Selling costs If you don’t qualify for the 121 exclusion, you will owe taxes on any profit, so make sure you deduct all your selling costs from your gain. You can deduct the following: •Your real estate agent’s commission •Legal fees •Title insurance •Inspection fees •Advertising costs •Escrow fees •Legal fees And there’s another consideration. Vanessa Borges, an enrolled agent and tax preparation supervisor with the Tax Defense Network, notes that “you might qualify for a partial exclusion if you sell your home due to circumstances involving divorce, change in employment, change in health, or other unforeseen circumstances.” 2. Moving deduction If you have to sell your house because you’re relocating for work, you might be able to deduct some of your moving expenses, says Chantay Bridges, a licensed senior real estate agent in Los Angeles. Deductions could include transportation costs, travel to the new place, storage costs, and lodging costs. 3. Property tax deduction “You can deduct your property taxes for the portion of the year that you owned the home,” says Dr. Kimberly R. Goodwin, associate professor of finance and the Parham Bridges Chair of Real Estate at the University of Southern Mississippi. Deduct the taxes “up to, but not including the date of the sale,” according to the IRS. The buyer pays beginning from the sale date. 4. Home improvements It’s a sad fact that you sometimes need to improve your home — not for your own benefit and enjoyment — but for the home’s future owners. If you make home improvements that help sell your home, and if they are made within 90 days of the closing, they are considered selling costs, which are deductible, according to Dr. Goodwin. >>>Read Full Article
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Kim Osman Insurance Group, Inc. 474 N Harbor City Blvd, Suite 4 Melbourne, Fl 32935
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Kim Osman
kosman1@kimosmanins.com
Find out why It's Always A Great Day at the Kim Osman Agency
Pete Osman
posman1@kimosmanins.com
Coaching! RE/MAX Elite agents we will NOT be having our weekly coaching sessions in the month of December. Susan is available to all our Elite Agents on Wednesday mornings for a one-on-one. She has been training with RE/MAX Corporate on Awesome Sales Consulting Business Plans that greatly benefit individual agents as well as teams.
If you’d like more information contact Susan Lewis at: susan.brevardelite@gmail.com BrevardElite.com
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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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:
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Give us a call today! 321-698-5370 Florida License # HI 8266 Melbourne & Surrounding Areas BrevardElite.com
Brand Transfer & Storage 1731 Cogswell St. Rockledge, FL 32955 321.632.5020 Ext. 102 www.brandtransfer.com
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Short sale tax break passes in House Homeowners who had short sales in 2014 may not be facing massive tax bills after all, after the House of Representatives passed a one-year extension of the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act on Wednesday. According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, the House passed the extension of Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, which was included in the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, by a 378-46 margin. If Congress had failed to act on the renew of the tax breaks, any mortgage forgiveness achieved in a short sale would be counted as income for those whom banks allowed to sell their homes for less than the amount of their mortgage. The average short sale has a mortgage forgiveness of about $75,000. And according to a recent estimate from RealtyTrac, there have been more than 170,000 short sales representing a mortgage debt forgiveness of $8.1 billion total in the first three quarters of 2014 alone. But now that the House passed an extension of Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, those homeowners may be getting a reprieve. “I just think it’s unfair and I think most would concur that it’s unfair that individuals would have to pay taxes on income that they have never received,” said Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., at a Senate Banking Committee hearing. Now, the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act is on to the Senate, and many homeowners hope that the short sale tax break will be renewed before the new Congressional session begins in January 2015.
In the United States, approximately 2.65 billion greeting cards are bought each year BrevardElite.com
Congratulations to Our Top 10 Individuals YTD as of November 2014
#1 Silvia Mozer $15,127,471 60 Transactions
#2 Karen Osiniak $10,912,653 33 Transactions
#3 Steve Vitani $10,698,267 32 Transactions
#4 Pat Murphey $7,781,100 35 Transactions
#5 Sue Tillman $4,325,450 25 Transactions
#6 Theresa Friend $3,957,100 21 Transactions
#7 Bruce Kwitny $3,867,150 24 Transactions
#8 Peggy Penridge $3,807,165 22 Transactions
#9 Melinda Corns $3,567,990 15 Transactions
#10 Dee Dee $3,231,500 9 Transactions BrevardElite.com
Congratulations to Our Top Teams YTD as of November 2014
#1 McCoy-Freeman Group $25,815,710 101 Transactions
#4 Joy Frankel Team $14,282,272 72 Transactions
#7 321 Team $8,955,164 49 Transactions
#2 Platinum Realty Group $22,780,064 123 Transactions
#5 Barclay Group $12,104,000 47 Transactions
#8 Romano Team $7,796,919 28 Transactions
#3 Coastal Estate Team $21,417,860 69 Transactions
#6 Kuhns Realty Group $10,713,410 58 Transactions
#9 Central Florida Team $3,124,018 30 Transactions
#10 B & B Elite Group $1,845,300 13 Transactions
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Help your clients move their home, not their junk! 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and RE/MAX® have put together a special offer for RE/MAX Affiliates just like you! For every $5.00 you spend, you can give the gift of $50.00 worth of junk removal to your clients. •Help your clients ease the stress of moving •The more you buy, the more you save •Always professional, courteous service
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The 5 rules for LinkedIn lead generation 1. Add at least three connections daily. When LinkedIn first came on the scene, it was a Web-only site, so connecting up with individuals could be labor-intensive and require more steps than really were necessary to meet people on the site. Since the site launched its various smartphone apps, things have gotten much easier. I use my LinkedIn iPhone app to scroll through the connections my network is making. I look for people matching one of three conditions: they own their own businesses, they have been members of the community for an extended period of time, or they are involved in real estate in some fashion. Most of the connection requests I make are local to my area, but I will reach out to people from around the world. I feel it is important not to limit myself to my immediate area. 2. Send an immediate “welcome” and “thank you” email to your new connections. As soon as you connect with someone, send them an email or LinkedIn message thanking them. I usually offer to answer real estate questions for them, and I make sure to ask if there is anything I can do for them. (If you are not sure where to find their email, it is located in the contact information tab at the top of their profile. The other tab in that block is “relationship,” and it is the active one by default.) I must stress that farming email addresses from your LinkedIn network is against the rules, so don’t do it! 3. Send birthday wishes, job anniversary congratulations, etc. LinkedIn makes it so easy to keep in touch with your network. You can use a phone app called “LinkedIn Connect” that alerts you when someone in your network is celebrating something. I usually send out my best wishes to people while I am waiting for my kids to get ready for school. It is so easy to do. The app will tell you that you have “five connects to make today,” and then you can swipe through the list on the app simply by sending congrats with a touch of a button. Here is one tidbit that I didn’t figure out right away: If you click on your connection’s picture in the app, you get a full workup of who they are and what they are celebrating that day. You can even write notes in the app to remind you of something that you need to know the next time you interact with that connection. 4. Blog and share. LinkedIn now invites certain members to blog on its site, thus providing another way to connect to members of your network. LinkedIn Pulse is the site’s attempt to bring the content game to its ranks. I, however, have mixed feelings about the content I read on it: Sometimes the content is great, but at other times I wonder if LinkedIn would benefit from putting together some editorial guidelines. If you are not invited to be a blogger, you can still blog on your own website and then send the update to your LinkedIn account to share with your network. I do this at least twice a week and find it helps me stay fresh in the minds of my professional real estate connections. BrevardElite.com
It is estimated that approximately 275,000,000 Christmas cookies are made each year
inmanNEWS.com
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208 King Neptune Ln., Cape Canaveral, FL listing by Jerry Hinds with RE/MAX Elite
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Merry Christmas from all of us at Dyer Mortgage Group
Bobbie Dyer Division President 321-215-4419 bdyer@dyermtg.com
www.dyermortgagegroup.com BrevardElite.com
Space Coast Lightfest Central Florida Council Boy Scouts of America Presents Hayrides Through the Lights At The Space Coast Lightfest We are pleased to bring you new and improved Hayrides through the lights. The hayride is a great family-friendly way to see the lights. Special time with Santa in his grotto, free hot chocolate, also new this year, we will provide blankets for the cold nights!!! Private hayrides are available. Book yours in advance. For more information contact Shelby Richardson at 321-795-3372 or shelbyrichardson78@yahoo.com
Hayrides will be available every Thursday & Friday during December 2014 Wickham Park 2785 Leisure Way Melbourne, FL Hayrides are $5.00 per rider Children under 2 years are free Rides Run from 6:30 PM until 10:00 PM
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Register NOW!!
Register Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino Special Room Rate of $209 ($20 discount resort fee will apply). Rooms at the discount rate are based on availability and may sell out.
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Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas offers unmatched luxury, fine dining, renowned entertainment, personal service, and gaming excitement. BrevardElite.com
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 8 hours Serves: 8-10
Ingredients: 1 dozen eggs 1 cup milk 1 package (32 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes 1 lb of sausage, browned and drained or 1lb of bacon, cooked and crumbled (or combination of both) 2 cups cheddar cheese or colby jack - shredded ¼ teaspoon dry mustard (optional) ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ cup green onions - diced (optional) 1 green pepper - diced (optional) Instructions: Spray your crockpot with no stick cooking spray. Layer frozen potatoes, bacon and/or sausage, onions (if using), green pepper (if using) and 1 cup shredded cheese in the crock pot in two or three layers. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese over the top evenly. Beat the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt and pepper together. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese evenly. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or until eggs are set and thoroughly cooked. Serve and enjoy!
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2014 Awards Recognition
Steve Vitani
Joy Frankel
Silvia Mozer
Carolyn Smith Bridget Sentz
Andy Barclay
Jennifer McCoy & Bobby Freeman
Karen Osiniak
BrevardElite.com
2014 Awards Recognition
Pat Murphey
Lou Ann Janke
Barbara Lyn
Peggy Penridge
Kerry Ramage
Steve Romano
Mary Gowenlock
Melinda Corns
Jean Hanson Theresa Friend
Bruce Kwitny
Marilyn Pinkerman
Brad Kuhns
John Murphy
Karen Biamonte
June Mogavero
Sue Tillman
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2014 Awards Recognition
Connie Trincali
Bree Fary
Suzi Granger
Patty Teachman
Barb Mihalik
David Dicioccio
Ron Wallen
Sheryl Jones
Scott Case
Gloria Williams
Dee Dee Sheffield
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Liz Cooper – 12/05 Dawn Rogers – 12/11 Diane Calleja – 12/12 Heather Holliday – 12/18 Sharon Natale – 12/18 Marilyn Pinkerman – 12/24 Gloria Williams – 12/29 Liz Flom – 12/29 Zach Spurlock – 12/29 Ken Rupport 12/30
Happy
Anniversary Barbara Lyn – 2 years Marilyn Pinkerman – 2 years Karen Biamonte – 5 years
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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). She will be happy to tell you all about it.
Click Here to see 321rentals.net Thank you for your support and referrals! Be the best you can be each day!
This weeks featured Rental:
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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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