This & That continued from page 3... GALVESTON (Cont.): office coordinator. Farewell and Congratulations to all! New agent Lisa McIntyre is not only beginning her new career in real estate, but is newly engaged to be married. Many congrats to her and soon to be husband! INNER LOOP: Theresa Wehrmeister waited and waited and finally, her daughter made her a grandmother for the second time! She was a nervous wreck waiting for grandson Elliott’s arrival. He weighed in at 9 lbs, 10 oz. – almost ready for the Texans lineup! Baby Elliott, mother and grandmother are doing just fine. Theresa recently went to Austin to watch one of her daughters compete in a swim meet. It’s been a busy month... Sinta Fuhrmann and her husband Andrew traveled to the Pacific Northwest for a wedding at a quaint little sea-side town in Astoria, Oregon. Festivities flowed into the weekend as they caught up with old college friends and made new ones. Six couples drove 30-40 minutes to a popular beach called Sea Side for a retreat. After a game of four-square on the sand they drove 18 minutes to the legendary Canon Beach where they drank and laughed at hand-stand competitions and welcomed the sunset while enjoying the mild summer breeze. There was so much to see in beautiful Oregon. They headed to Portland and met a friend and chuckled as people freaked out about the 82-degree heat wave. Multnomah Falls (where they filmed Twilight) was stunning. After that they hopped on a bridge and stayed in a small town in Washington called White Salmon. The next day, they met another couple and infiltrated a family get-together at McMenamins, a unique place to lodge and drink fine wine and beer. Afterwards, they spent a day in Seattle being tourists. They loved Pike’s Farmers’ Market and made sure to grab a souvenir at the original Starbucks. They wound down their vacation in Longview, Oregon, where they spent July 4th with the newlyweds. Vendors were lined up all around the lake. There were cardboard boat races and a splendid fireworks display. Neighbors also enjoyed showing off their own fireworks. After 9 days of traveling, Sinta said they were ready for a detox but did not miss the 100% humidity and ginormous freeways... Marie Lee was with her two daughters and their families at the condo of one of her daughters in Galveston for the Fourth of July. It was lots of fun with the grands and great grandson... Jonathan Correia’s nine year old niece came to town for a weeks visit. Jonathan, his partner and his niece were able to see Houston from the view of a nine year old tourist and decided Houston really rocks!.... Parks, roller coasters, museums, beaches, rockets, trains, Broadway shows, skyscrapers and many friends... JJ Molaison’s parents came to spend time with JJ and her family and also to the enjoy Galveston for a couple of days... Rose Gibson and daughter Brittany had so much fun being together for four days in San Antonio attending the Texas Choir Director’s Association Convention. Brittany tried out and had the honor of being selected for the choir. She was the only one from her school asked to participate. She is a soprano and her family is very proud of her. KATY: Chip and Mary Kiesewetter’s daughter Paige is now engaged with a winter wedding planned in Austin December 20, 2014... Vicki Gessler’s son Cody committed to play football for the Air Force Falcons starting in the 2014 season! Terri Gibson’s granddaughter celebrated her first birthday... and Phylis Green is a new granny. Congratulations! Vacations for many in Katy this summer! Christi Borden, husband Danny, and sons Aaron and Austin cruised Alaska and Canada to celebrate birthdays and graduation... Janelle Williams and family cruised Alaska on a Disney Cruise and had a ball... April Maestri and family enjoyed a wonderful vacation on the Mexican Mayan Coast... Tracy Bogiel and family enjoyed Florida sunshine, NASCAR races and Disney World... Christina Cothren and husband Darrell took their first trip to Las Vegas... Karen Woodworth and family took a trip to Paris, France... Elsa Lakey headed to New York. LAKE HOUSTON: We started July off with a bang! Our monthly Kings Harbor event included the standard live music and the “not so standard “fireworks display. The event was a huge success and fun was had by all! As with most summers, taking a little R & R time is always needed and this summer is no exception. Alicia Zepeda has been jetsetting with our neighbors to the South, well more like cruising around Progresso, Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula. She also visited with family in Mexico before her much needed cruise. Fara Bezan and her family traveled close to home with San Antonio as the destination, looks like SeaWorld and the Riverwalk were a lot of fun for her little guys. Fara wasn’t the only one to make San Antonio their hot spot this summer, Kristie Houston also went there with her family. She didn’t stop there she also hit Florida, soaking up the summer sun while she supports her son and his baseball team in the little league World Series... Al Cervi, on the other hand headed up North to upper New York state to enjoy a family reunion. Let’s hope Al got some relief from this heat. While we have so many agents traveling this summer our own Lisa Dempsey was supposed to relax and enjoy a vacation the week of the 4th but her vacation quickly became a staycation when her oldest son was marooned in Europe and she had some unexpected house guests arrive, animals and all in tote. She says it’s okay- she’s going to make up for it in September when she takes her real vacation. Despite all the vacations we actually did some work at Lake Houston and for the month of June we were able to squeak out another record breaking month... We are very proud to announce that Kendra Lee was named in the Houston Chronicle’s 100 leading companies, now she’s big
business! And to end our month we had a super kick-off party for our Destination Anywhere referral contest. We would like to thank all the Gibraltar Service partners and Mark and Marilyn for celebrating with us. The event was a huge success and we can’t wait to see who the grand prize winner is on September 4th, during our next party. MEMORIAL: Andrew Boyd and the Memorial family welcomed new agents Tracie Pierce, Frooz Mahdavi, and Valerie Smith to the group – and to the wonderful and slightly crazy real estate market we’re in. We are expecting only the best for them all... Wendy Bellow and Pat Nimtz are a happy grandmother and great-grandmother, respectively, and celebrating the birth of sweet baby boy J.D. Bellow. J.D. (named after his two granddads) arrived a month early but was a robust 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19 inches long. His smiling face shows that he is loving life with his parents Jason and Jennifer Bellow and big sister Ansley in Austin... Bob Duerer and wife Cynthia are bursting with pride about their daughter, Deborah, a recent graduate of Lone Star College. Besides being a single mom and working full-time, she’s been putting in extra hours each week learning AutoCAD and teaching piano lessons to about 20 students. With that dedication and energy level, we need to get this lady into real estate! Lou Derebery’s grandson Taylor – getting ready to start his senior year at Hallsville High School – was selected to attend Boys State in Austin. Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students in the nation. It is a participatory program where each participant becomes a part of the operation of his local, county and state government. Taylor wants to be Governor, and nobody is betting against this smart young man’s chances – especially his parents Jason and Diane and grandparents Lou and Bill. Lou also shared a wonderful piece of family history – she attended Girls State in Oklahoma in 1956! Gay Donehoo is winding down and recuperating from an extended visit by her granddaughters from Brentwood, Tennessee. 13-year-old Madolyn and 11-year-old Colleen kept “Gigi” on her toes – shopping, go-carting, mini golfing – did I mention shopping? – and Gigi was able to do most of her real estate during the visit online at night before crashing from exhaustion... Karen Parker reports that she enjoyed a fun staycation with her granddaughter, Chelsea, who was visiting from DeRidder, Louisiana. “The girls” stayed at the Westin Galleria and shopped liked crazy. Chelsea did very well, going back home to DeRidder with a suitcase full of new things... Jo Rodger’s daughter, Rev. Kate Rodger, just completed a two-week spiritual journey through Jerusalem and Jordan along with and at the request of singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and family. Rev. Rodger than headed off to a teaching mission in Canada and then through the east coast and onto Hawaii. She is a minister in the Church of Agape... Diana Hu was a featured guest on KKHT/100.7 FM’s Real Estate Rat Pack Saturday morning show. Diana was invited to discuss aspects of international real estate. As an agent who speaks English, Mandarin, and Spanish and works with a lot of international clients, Diana was a perfect fit. She did a great job and represented herself and the company well... Carolyn Edwards of Gibraltar Mortgage has hosted some great “Lunch & Learn” sessions at our office, offering educational opportunities for both new and seasoned agents. She also hosted a Happy Hour at Escalante’s – an educational opportunity of an entirely different kind. Thanks, Carolyn, for all you do! Andrew Boyd helped our recent birthday celebrants enjoy adding a year at his birthday luncheon – always a fun event. Celebrating their red-letter days with Andrew were Thomas Pearson, Pat Nimtz, and Caroline Edwards. Also joining in the birthday festivities were Debbie Buckley, Clive Gardner, Thalia Guderyon, Larry Harn, Anthony Scott and Anna Winter. WOODLANDS & MAGNOLIA: We would like to welcome our new agents… Stephen Sanderlin, Kelle Castleberry, Londa Grant, Adam Ruehl and Sally Lou Chillis. Congrats to Patsy Salinas Daughter, Susan. She got married in the Beautiful town of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. She married her High school Sweetheart on the beach, June 25th Susan worked at the Portofino office for Several Years. Congrats to Gloria Morella who also exchanged vows On July 15th. Tom and Charlie Haynes had a glorious time on the sunny shores of Sunny California over the 4th of July week. The theme seemed to be eating, drinking, sunning, and looking at million dollar mansions, Yoga & Segway tour while visiting their daughter Krista Haynes in Manhattan Beach and Charlie’s sister in Newport Beach. We always say we won’t wait as long next time to visit again!!! Jessica Bennett and her husband Nathan have had a lot to celebrate the last few months. They welcomed their 6th child on May 4th. Ian Thorpe Chapman Bennett is spoiled daily by his brother and 4 older sisters and is already hard at work selling houses with mom. Nathan and Jessica also celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on July 10th!
august 2013
june 2013
Gary Greene Celebrates Fifty Years! Friday, August 9, 2013 marked the 50th birthday of Gary Greene Realtors, and we celebrated in style at the Westin Memorial City with a party for our agents that celebrated the best of our past and present. Although our namesake could not attend that day, company co-founders Bill McIlwain and Brad Fleming were on hand, as well as owners Mark Woodroof and Marilyn Eiland and BHGRE exec Sherry Chris. Motivational speaker Vince Leisey spoke to the audience about living with intention, ending the speech with a group hug that had everyone on their feet embracing. We were also wished a happy birthday in videos from The Sunshine Kids’ G.W. Bailey and the news anchors at KPRC and KHOU, and Mayor Annise Parker. The Mayor lauded our accomplishments in helping people realize the dream of home ownership, and with an official Proclamation, made August 9th Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene Day! We couldn’t have pulled this party off without the exceptional planning of Ann Woodroof and the corporate staff that made it happen. To see more of these photos, go to facebook.com/ BetterHomesandGardensRealEstateGaryGreene.
New Postcards to Help Clients Who are Relocating!
Save the Date! October 12, 2013
www.GaryGreeneSunshine.com
We’ve got two new postcards available for agents looking to attract relocation clients! For more info, go to the Print Marketing Center at the Greenhouse (www. greenhousebhgre.com) Click on the “Gary Greene” link then look for them under Postcards. For questions about ordering contact Pat Ellis in Marketing (pat@garygreene.com.)
Top Performers Top Performers June 2013
July 2013
1. MICHELE FLORY TEAM, WOODLANDS 2. TEAM SANDERSON, WOODLANDS 3. AMY LIPPINCOTT TEAM, CY-FAIR 4. MOIRA HOLDEN, FT. BEND 5. SUSAN GREER TEAM, FT. BEND 6. ALINDA MARTIN TEAM, FRIENDSWOOD 7. SHAD BOGANY, BELLAIRE 8. SUSAN MATSON, CHAMPIONS 9. DAN MCCARVER, BAY AREA 10. HANSON TEAM, WOODLANDS 11. CHRISTI BORDEN, KATY 12. KATHRYN ANDERSON, FT. BEND 13. BRAD CARLSON, WOODLANDS 14. REBEKAH SNIPP, WOODLANDS 15. JUDY LAFICO, MEMORIAL 16. GINGER HURLEY TEAM, CY-FAIR 17. SUSAN MISSIHA, BELLAIRE 18. DEBRA WYMORE, WOODLANDS 19. JULIE LOWER, KATY 20. LOUISE SYMINGTON, MEMORIAL
1. MEG BEACH, MEMORIAL 2. JULIE BELL, WOODLANDS 3. AMY LIPPINCOTT TEAM, CY-FAIR 4. GUN LEDBETTER-FRAME, BAY AREA 5. REBEKAH SNIPP, WOODLANDS 6. KEITH OWENS, BAY AREA 7. TEAM SANDERSON, WOODLANDS 8. GAYLE PECHACEK, CHAMPIONS 9. ALINDA MARTIN TEAM, FRIENDSWOOD 10. GUDERYON TEAM, MEMORIAL 11. MOIRA HOLDEN, FT. BEND 12. FRENK TEAM, BAY AREA 13. SHAD BOGANY, BELLAIRE 14. JENNY ROLTSCH, WOODLANDS 15. APRIL MAESTRI, KATY 16. GINGER HURLEY TEAM, CY-FAIR 17. SUSAN MATSON, CHAMPIONS 18. DICKSON-PARKER TEAM, BAY AREA 19. WEBSTER TEAM, MEMORIAL 20. WADE TEAM, KATY
BUILDER TOP SALES
Welcome Our New Agents! July 2013 Bay Area Derrick Gobin Champions Martha Hildebrand Margie O’Dea Cy-Fair Giselle James Christie McConnell Inner Loop Justin Cabezas William Eddleman Tina Green Karla Miller Angela Platsas Robert Rood Sandra Rood Robin Van Zant
Katy Wanda Pink Lake Houston Eleana Topp Memorial Corey Nicholson Valerie Smith Pearland Lisa Jones-Zalesky Donald McClain Tiki Gail Simon Woodlands Kelle Castleberry Sallylou Chillis Gylonder Grant Genesse Moreno
AT YOUR SERVICE!
1. ROBYN BRAND, WOODLANDS CUSTOM
NEED STORAGE? Do you have a customer whose house sold quickly and must vacate before their new home is secured? How about a customer who must remove furniture and personal items in order to show the home?
Have no fear, Graebel is here for you!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
CONGRATULATIONS TO
MICHELE FLORY TEAM
MEG BEACH
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE GARY GREENE’S
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE GARY GREENE’S
TOP PRODUCERS
TOP PRODUCER
JUNE 2013
JULY 2013
FOR THE MONTH OF
FOR THE MONTH OF
We have full service storage solutions for your clients as well as the packing kit we send out to every Gary Greene client we have the opportunity to see. • Professional Packing & Loading – Safe and Secure Environment • Loading of Storage Containers at Residence • Air Conditioned Storage • Competitive Rates- Superior Service A Big Thank You to All Realtors for the referrals! Call Jodi Medrano to schedule an appointment. 713-331-6344 or jmedrano@graebel.com
BAY AREA: Another great month in the Bay Area office with lots of new faces joining us. We welcome Debra Hammons, Alicia Barry, Derrick Gobin and Katherine Kerber! We can’t forget Billie Weber who is now here full-time as Agent Services… Yeah!!! Congrats to Sheron Granere and her husband Gary who celebrated 43 years of wedded bliss… ahhh. Now, that’s impressive! Even though business was great, a few agents managed to steal some time away for much needed R & R. Jamie Wills and her husband Randy flew into Steamboat Springs to meet her parents, who just purchased a new motor coach. Traveling from Basalt, Aspen and Snowmass, Jamie and her mom forced themselves to check out the shopping in Aspen. If you know Jamie, this was not an accident! They didn’t make it to all the shops because they realized they had spent an obscene (seriously…OMG) amount of money. Jamie has lots of sparkly things to show for her hard work. Fly fishing and amazing whitewater rafting in Steamboat Springs were just a few things on her bucket list. Next time…bigger rapids. Jamie’s really big news is her daughter Lindsay is due Christmas Day. Woo hoo…Jamie’s going to be a Grandma for the first time! Lezli Pucek and husband Mark took another great trip, this time to Lake Tahoe. Last minute planning and off they went. Lots of relaxation, a helicopter tour and Mark’s favorite pastime of golfing. On the way to the airport for their trip back to Houston, they came to the exit for the airport and decided they needed a couple more days. Now, that’s spontaneity... Pam Butler joined her friends for their annual “Girls trip” to Florida. Lots of shopping on 30A and famous Seaside plus great talks over a glass of wine or two, but who’s counting? Mike Smith flew to Ohio for his 35th high school reunion. He had a great time reminiscing with old friends. Even enjoyed “cruising the circuit” in a restored ‘71 Mustang convertible with his high school girlfriend and 2 other girls (now women)… of course, all varsity cheerleaders. Hope he shared this information with wife Paula... Stacy Jenkins and husband Randy made their annual trip to the Casinos in Reno for her b-day. Cheaper gambling and better digs plus the spa at the Atlantis hotel. It was a great birthday for her except for being ill much of the trip. Randy gave her beautiful Navajo inlaid jewelry which helped ease the pain... Ginger Pampolina and husband Phil made their annual trip to visit friends in Newport Beach. Beautiful condo on the beach and themed parties every night. It’s been rumored that Phil is a great cook. One night, “Pampolina’s Pasta Night”, Phil and some helpers made over 300 meatballs to feed the crowd, all the time rocking to some great disco tunes. Now, if that isn’t enough, Ginger’s son Damon is reuniting with some of his former Mickey Mouse Club members to record a new album. Twenty years after “The Party” released their last album, they will release “After Party.” You may have seen Damon emceeing one of our Sunshine Kid Benefits or in a TV commercial. His latest commercial for ClearTalk Wireless was hilarious, plus he also made a commercial for Wal Mart. Seems like life is moving pretty fast for the Pampolina family... Libby Jones and husband Michael took a three week trip to the Pacific Northwest. Michael was amazed that there was no rain for the entire three weeks, only to return to Houston and rain... Debra Blenderman and husband Don took their annual trip with their kids and grandchildren to The Wisconsin Dells. Lots of great family time and waterparks for the kids. Reid, her almost four-year-old grandson, went zip-lining with the adults and older grandchildren…scary!!! CHAMPIONS: Marie Remik’s granddaughter Caitlin Gelal married Brandon Campbell in Auburn, Alabama on June 22nd. Her sister Cari was maid of honor. Caitlin and Brandon graduated from Auburn University; Caitlin works at Compass Bank in Birmingham and Brandon is attending the University of Alabama working on his MBA... Rookie agent Romeo DeLeon was in for a surprise. He accompanied his buyer to his inspection and the listing agent forgot to tell the tenant they were coming. To his surprise, the tenant pulled a gun on them. Luckily no one was hurt... guess no one told him about that in real estate school, just another day in the life of a Realtor... Career Development Manager Brian Schwartz’s brother is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He just got back from a tour in Afghanistan. His mom is one happy woman now! We guess Brian can tell him stories about the “real estate” wars... Bob Stineman feels like he is getting older. He and his wife used to take vacations to the Caribbean, but next week they are taking their 9-year-old grandson to Legoland for their vacation. It’ll keep you young, Bob... Susan Matson thinks every agent should have to go through the process of moving to put themselves in their clients shoes. Susan recently moved in the torrential rain, and now she knows why her clients can get grouchy with the move... Jim and Sue Taylor had a fantastic long weekend at the Ritz Carlton in Dallas (very posh.) They enjoyed the Park West Gallery VIP Experience and they met artists Peter Max, Alfred Gockel and David Majar. They were treated like royalty and of course, collected a few pieces. Doesn’t sound like a free vacation to me but so much fun! At least they weren’t at Legoland... Sorry Bob... Rookie agent Michele Miller has volunteered to be the President of the Klein After Prom Extravaganza for 2014. She is hoping for plenty of name exposure through this event and others. Isn’t it great in our business we get to do what we love and it helps us get business. Ray Jones can scratch one off his bucket list. He was able to make
a trip on the USS Stennis for a week out of Pearl Harbor. He even got to drive the ship. Now what is he going to do for his next bucket list adventure. Legoland with Bob??? CORPORATE: Relocation’s Michelle Entine spent the past week in the Sonoma Valley on vacation, and while there, she ran into our BHGRE affiliate, the “Wine Country Group” in Sonoma. Sounds like a great company to celebrate closings at... Relocation would like to congratulate the following agents for their closed referrals- Champions: Eleanor Moland, and Jennifer Carmichael; Fort Bend: Maria Andie Saucedo; Tiki: Evelyn Kahlden; and Bay Area: David Johnston. The following agents placed outgoing referrals July 1-19: Champions – Richard Cobb, Kristy Belcher; Conroe – Candace Joyner; Cy Fair – Ginger Hurley, and Ava Sempe; Fort Bend – Ellie Baskin, Nikki Owen, Michelle Posey, Carol Shomali; Katy – Tracy Bogiel, Julie Lower, Bridgette Richards, Karen Woodworth, Linda Wade; Lake Houston – Debbie Stockwell; Memorial – Meg Beach, Thalia Guderyon, Ben Hunter; Pearland – Laurie Joyce, Diane Mireles; and Woodlands – Tito Ngbanda. CY-FAIR & WALLER: Margo Horton had her second grandchild this past month- A little boy born to her son, Olympian athlete Jonathan. David Travis Horton was born to Jonathan and Haley Horton, on June 24 in Houston, weighing 6 lbs. 8 oz. and 18 3/4 in. Congrats to our new future Olympian, and to Margo! Debby Brown is a very happy grandma. Her son and family have moved to Houston and now Debby gets to visit and play with little Evie often... Ginger Hurley will be showing her dogs in the Houston Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows. She will enter two of her Boykins dogs, Trace and Cazie, both of them have won many awards year after year. Good Luck to all of them... Donnie Heinzen’s grandson Zachary is off to start his new career in Engineering; to get started he enrolled in the summer program at Texas A&M at Galveston to study Coastal Engineering. Good Luck Zach, we know you will be a great engineer! Better Homes and Gardens Gary Greene Cyfair Office helped to sponsor the Hempstead Watermelon Festival 2013, with a float in the parade held on July 20. there was lots of fun, food, and watermelon contests for everyone. FORT BEND: ”Some look at work as a burden they must shoulder and indeed it is a heavy yoke to bear. To a lucky few, work is a place to express their creative spirit.” Thank goodness we are not the heavy yokers!! We have had a month of celebrations and lots of smiles! Kathryn and Doug Anderson celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary at the new redone Houston Club. It was a beautiful night with dining and dancing with the stars! Another star shining bright is our Beth Murany. The office celebrated her fabulous birthday on July 22nd with Italian Cream Cake. She and Leesa Lawrence and Pam Kelley have been our life coaches for this transition to Backagent. Oh yes - we love you - oh yes we do!! Sharon Uzick is smiling and sharing! Her daughter Stefanie got engaged on June 27th and has set wedding plans for October of 2014. The lucky man wrote his proposal in the sand while they were vacationing in the Caribbean! We like his style and cheers to their future! Andrew Szoeke was getting a little sandy last week! He spent the week in Galveston with his daughters Alexandria and Erin at the Fishing Shack and the Moody Gardens Resort. They walked in the rain, caught some fish and had some fresh Seafood Gumbo! Theresa Christian went to Las Vegas for six days to visit her son and daughter-in-law. Her daughter, son-in -law and precious grandkids flew in to meet family there as well. They had a great but extremely HOT time as temperatures hit 107+ degrees! There were a few fried eggs on the pavement so they did a lot of indoor site seeing... Mama Holden, or as we know her, Moira, just returned from Salt Lake City. She hopped the plane so she could watch son Stuart playing with Team USA and saw him score a goal against Belize in the Gold Cup. It has been a long two year road for Stuart following recovery from injuries. Go STU! David Goldberg, Flo Edelman, and Val Howell participated in a 9 hour marathon Farm and Ranch MCE class at the BHGRE Training Center. It sounds like they are our go to people if we have any questions about Green Acres! Have a good month Fort Bend! We are running out of ink! Cheerios! :) GALVESTON: At the end of June, Lois Robinson, longtime manager of the Pirates Beach office retired and moved to Macon, Georgia. She and husband Robert have bought a house a few short blocks away from their only daughter, her husband and one year old granddaughter. They wanted to be close enough to watch Harper grow up, so we all wish her the best and know she will enjoy being “Grandma,” although she will be missed! Nichi Dunphy has taken over as the new Manager, and Gina Rosen has been promoted to
...This & That continued on page 4
Top Performers Top Performers June 2013
July 2013
1. MICHELE FLORY TEAM, WOODLANDS 2. TEAM SANDERSON, WOODLANDS 3. AMY LIPPINCOTT TEAM, CY-FAIR 4. MOIRA HOLDEN, FT. BEND 5. SUSAN GREER TEAM, FT. BEND 6. ALINDA MARTIN TEAM, FRIENDSWOOD 7. SHAD BOGANY, BELLAIRE 8. SUSAN MATSON, CHAMPIONS 9. DAN MCCARVER, BAY AREA 10. HANSON TEAM, WOODLANDS 11. CHRISTI BORDEN, KATY 12. KATHRYN ANDERSON, FT. BEND 13. BRAD CARLSON, WOODLANDS 14. REBEKAH SNIPP, WOODLANDS 15. JUDY LAFICO, MEMORIAL 16. GINGER HURLEY TEAM, CY-FAIR 17. SUSAN MISSIHA, BELLAIRE 18. DEBRA WYMORE, WOODLANDS 19. JULIE LOWER, KATY 20. LOUISE SYMINGTON, MEMORIAL
1. MEG BEACH, MEMORIAL 2. JULIE BELL, WOODLANDS 3. AMY LIPPINCOTT TEAM, CY-FAIR 4. GUN LEDBETTER-FRAME, BAY AREA 5. REBEKAH SNIPP, WOODLANDS 6. KEITH OWENS, BAY AREA 7. TEAM SANDERSON, WOODLANDS 8. GAYLE PECHACEK, CHAMPIONS 9. ALINDA MARTIN TEAM, FRIENDSWOOD 10. GUDERYON TEAM, MEMORIAL 11. MOIRA HOLDEN, FT. BEND 12. FRENK TEAM, BAY AREA 13. SHAD BOGANY, BELLAIRE 14. JENNY ROLTSCH, WOODLANDS 15. APRIL MAESTRI, KATY 16. GINGER HURLEY TEAM, CY-FAIR 17. SUSAN MATSON, CHAMPIONS 18. DICKSON-PARKER TEAM, BAY AREA 19. WEBSTER TEAM, MEMORIAL 20. WADE TEAM, KATY
BUILDER TOP SALES
Welcome Our New Agents! July 2013 Bay Area Derrick Gobin Champions Martha Hildebrand Margie O’Dea Cy-Fair Giselle James Christie McConnell Inner Loop Justin Cabezas William Eddleman Tina Green Karla Miller Angela Platsas Robert Rood Sandra Rood Robin Van Zant
Katy Wanda Pink Lake Houston Eleana Topp Memorial Corey Nicholson Valerie Smith Pearland Lisa Jones-Zalesky Donald McClain Tiki Gail Simon Woodlands Kelle Castleberry Sallylou Chillis Gylonder Grant Genesse Moreno
AT YOUR SERVICE!
1. ROBYN BRAND, WOODLANDS CUSTOM
NEED STORAGE? Do you have a customer whose house sold quickly and must vacate before their new home is secured? How about a customer who must remove furniture and personal items in order to show the home?
Have no fear, Graebel is here for you!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
CONGRATULATIONS TO
MICHELE FLORY TEAM
MEG BEACH
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE GARY GREENE’S
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE GARY GREENE’S
TOP PRODUCERS
TOP PRODUCER
JUNE 2013
JULY 2013
FOR THE MONTH OF
FOR THE MONTH OF
We have full service storage solutions for your clients as well as the packing kit we send out to every Gary Greene client we have the opportunity to see. • Professional Packing & Loading – Safe and Secure Environment • Loading of Storage Containers at Residence • Air Conditioned Storage • Competitive Rates- Superior Service A Big Thank You to All Realtors for the referrals! Call Jodi Medrano to schedule an appointment. 713-331-6344 or jmedrano@graebel.com
BAY AREA: Another great month in the Bay Area office with lots of new faces joining us. We welcome Debra Hammons, Alicia Barry, Derrick Gobin and Katherine Kerber! We can’t forget Billie Weber who is now here full-time as Agent Services… Yeah!!! Congrats to Sheron Granere and her husband Gary who celebrated 43 years of wedded bliss… ahhh. Now, that’s impressive! Even though business was great, a few agents managed to steal some time away for much needed R & R. Jamie Wills and her husband Randy flew into Steamboat Springs to meet her parents, who just purchased a new motor coach. Traveling from Basalt, Aspen and Snowmass, Jamie and her mom forced themselves to check out the shopping in Aspen. If you know Jamie, this was not an accident! They didn’t make it to all the shops because they realized they had spent an obscene (seriously…OMG) amount of money. Jamie has lots of sparkly things to show for her hard work. Fly fishing and amazing whitewater rafting in Steamboat Springs were just a few things on her bucket list. Next time…bigger rapids. Jamie’s really big news is her daughter Lindsay is due Christmas Day. Woo hoo…Jamie’s going to be a Grandma for the first time! Lezli Pucek and husband Mark took another great trip, this time to Lake Tahoe. Last minute planning and off they went. Lots of relaxation, a helicopter tour and Mark’s favorite pastime of golfing. On the way to the airport for their trip back to Houston, they came to the exit for the airport and decided they needed a couple more days. Now, that’s spontaneity... Pam Butler joined her friends for their annual “Girls trip” to Florida. Lots of shopping on 30A and famous Seaside plus great talks over a glass of wine or two, but who’s counting? Mike Smith flew to Ohio for his 35th high school reunion. He had a great time reminiscing with old friends. Even enjoyed “cruising the circuit” in a restored ‘71 Mustang convertible with his high school girlfriend and 2 other girls (now women)… of course, all varsity cheerleaders. Hope he shared this information with wife Paula... Stacy Jenkins and husband Randy made their annual trip to the Casinos in Reno for her b-day. Cheaper gambling and better digs plus the spa at the Atlantis hotel. It was a great birthday for her except for being ill much of the trip. Randy gave her beautiful Navajo inlaid jewelry which helped ease the pain... Ginger Pampolina and husband Phil made their annual trip to visit friends in Newport Beach. Beautiful condo on the beach and themed parties every night. It’s been rumored that Phil is a great cook. One night, “Pampolina’s Pasta Night”, Phil and some helpers made over 300 meatballs to feed the crowd, all the time rocking to some great disco tunes. Now, if that isn’t enough, Ginger’s son Damon is reuniting with some of his former Mickey Mouse Club members to record a new album. Twenty years after “The Party” released their last album, they will release “After Party.” You may have seen Damon emceeing one of our Sunshine Kid Benefits or in a TV commercial. His latest commercial for ClearTalk Wireless was hilarious, plus he also made a commercial for Wal Mart. Seems like life is moving pretty fast for the Pampolina family... Libby Jones and husband Michael took a three week trip to the Pacific Northwest. Michael was amazed that there was no rain for the entire three weeks, only to return to Houston and rain... Debra Blenderman and husband Don took their annual trip with their kids and grandchildren to The Wisconsin Dells. Lots of great family time and waterparks for the kids. Reid, her almost four-year-old grandson, went zip-lining with the adults and older grandchildren…scary!!! CHAMPIONS: Marie Remik’s granddaughter Caitlin Gelal married Brandon Campbell in Auburn, Alabama on June 22nd. Her sister Cari was maid of honor. Caitlin and Brandon graduated from Auburn University; Caitlin works at Compass Bank in Birmingham and Brandon is attending the University of Alabama working on his MBA... Rookie agent Romeo DeLeon was in for a surprise. He accompanied his buyer to his inspection and the listing agent forgot to tell the tenant they were coming. To his surprise, the tenant pulled a gun on them. Luckily no one was hurt... guess no one told him about that in real estate school, just another day in the life of a Realtor... Career Development Manager Brian Schwartz’s brother is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He just got back from a tour in Afghanistan. His mom is one happy woman now! We guess Brian can tell him stories about the “real estate” wars... Bob Stineman feels like he is getting older. He and his wife used to take vacations to the Caribbean, but next week they are taking their 9-year-old grandson to Legoland for their vacation. It’ll keep you young, Bob... Susan Matson thinks every agent should have to go through the process of moving to put themselves in their clients shoes. Susan recently moved in the torrential rain, and now she knows why her clients can get grouchy with the move... Jim and Sue Taylor had a fantastic long weekend at the Ritz Carlton in Dallas (very posh.) They enjoyed the Park West Gallery VIP Experience and they met artists Peter Max, Alfred Gockel and David Majar. They were treated like royalty and of course, collected a few pieces. Doesn’t sound like a free vacation to me but so much fun! At least they weren’t at Legoland... Sorry Bob... Rookie agent Michele Miller has volunteered to be the President of the Klein After Prom Extravaganza for 2014. She is hoping for plenty of name exposure through this event and others. Isn’t it great in our business we get to do what we love and it helps us get business. Ray Jones can scratch one off his bucket list. He was able to make
a trip on the USS Stennis for a week out of Pearl Harbor. He even got to drive the ship. Now what is he going to do for his next bucket list adventure. Legoland with Bob??? CORPORATE: Relocation’s Michelle Entine spent the past week in the Sonoma Valley on vacation, and while there, she ran into our BHGRE affiliate, the “Wine Country Group” in Sonoma. Sounds like a great company to celebrate closings at... Relocation would like to congratulate the following agents for their closed referrals- Champions: Eleanor Moland, and Jennifer Carmichael; Fort Bend: Maria Andie Saucedo; Tiki: Evelyn Kahlden; and Bay Area: David Johnston. The following agents placed outgoing referrals July 1-19: Champions – Richard Cobb, Kristy Belcher; Conroe – Candace Joyner; Cy Fair – Ginger Hurley, and Ava Sempe; Fort Bend – Ellie Baskin, Nikki Owen, Michelle Posey, Carol Shomali; Katy – Tracy Bogiel, Julie Lower, Bridgette Richards, Karen Woodworth, Linda Wade; Lake Houston – Debbie Stockwell; Memorial – Meg Beach, Thalia Guderyon, Ben Hunter; Pearland – Laurie Joyce, Diane Mireles; and Woodlands – Tito Ngbanda. CY-FAIR & WALLER: Margo Horton had her second grandchild this past month- A little boy born to her son, Olympian athlete Jonathan. David Travis Horton was born to Jonathan and Haley Horton, on June 24 in Houston, weighing 6 lbs. 8 oz. and 18 3/4 in. Congrats to our new future Olympian, and to Margo! Debby Brown is a very happy grandma. Her son and family have moved to Houston and now Debby gets to visit and play with little Evie often... Ginger Hurley will be showing her dogs in the Houston Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows. She will enter two of her Boykins dogs, Trace and Cazie, both of them have won many awards year after year. Good Luck to all of them... Donnie Heinzen’s grandson Zachary is off to start his new career in Engineering; to get started he enrolled in the summer program at Texas A&M at Galveston to study Coastal Engineering. Good Luck Zach, we know you will be a great engineer! Better Homes and Gardens Gary Greene Cyfair Office helped to sponsor the Hempstead Watermelon Festival 2013, with a float in the parade held on July 20. there was lots of fun, food, and watermelon contests for everyone. FORT BEND: ”Some look at work as a burden they must shoulder and indeed it is a heavy yoke to bear. To a lucky few, work is a place to express their creative spirit.” Thank goodness we are not the heavy yokers!! We have had a month of celebrations and lots of smiles! Kathryn and Doug Anderson celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary at the new redone Houston Club. It was a beautiful night with dining and dancing with the stars! Another star shining bright is our Beth Murany. The office celebrated her fabulous birthday on July 22nd with Italian Cream Cake. She and Leesa Lawrence and Pam Kelley have been our life coaches for this transition to Backagent. Oh yes - we love you - oh yes we do!! Sharon Uzick is smiling and sharing! Her daughter Stefanie got engaged on June 27th and has set wedding plans for October of 2014. The lucky man wrote his proposal in the sand while they were vacationing in the Caribbean! We like his style and cheers to their future! Andrew Szoeke was getting a little sandy last week! He spent the week in Galveston with his daughters Alexandria and Erin at the Fishing Shack and the Moody Gardens Resort. They walked in the rain, caught some fish and had some fresh Seafood Gumbo! Theresa Christian went to Las Vegas for six days to visit her son and daughter-in-law. Her daughter, son-in -law and precious grandkids flew in to meet family there as well. They had a great but extremely HOT time as temperatures hit 107+ degrees! There were a few fried eggs on the pavement so they did a lot of indoor site seeing... Mama Holden, or as we know her, Moira, just returned from Salt Lake City. She hopped the plane so she could watch son Stuart playing with Team USA and saw him score a goal against Belize in the Gold Cup. It has been a long two year road for Stuart following recovery from injuries. Go STU! David Goldberg, Flo Edelman, and Val Howell participated in a 9 hour marathon Farm and Ranch MCE class at the BHGRE Training Center. It sounds like they are our go to people if we have any questions about Green Acres! Have a good month Fort Bend! We are running out of ink! Cheerios! :) GALVESTON: At the end of June, Lois Robinson, longtime manager of the Pirates Beach office retired and moved to Macon, Georgia. She and husband Robert have bought a house a few short blocks away from their only daughter, her husband and one year old granddaughter. They wanted to be close enough to watch Harper grow up, so we all wish her the best and know she will enjoy being “Grandma,” although she will be missed! Nichi Dunphy has taken over as the new Manager, and Gina Rosen has been promoted to
...This & That continued on page 4
This & That continued from page 3... GALVESTON (Cont.): office coordinator. Farewell and Congratulations to all! New agent Lisa McIntyre is not only beginning her new career in real estate, but is newly engaged to be married. Many congrats to her and soon to be husband! INNER LOOP: Theresa Wehrmeister waited and waited and finally, her daughter made her a grandmother for the second time! She was a nervous wreck waiting for grandson Elliott’s arrival. He weighed in at 9 lbs, 10 oz. – almost ready for the Texans lineup! Baby Elliott, mother and grandmother are doing just fine. Theresa recently went to Austin to watch one of her daughters compete in a swim meet. It’s been a busy month... Sinta Fuhrmann and her husband Andrew traveled to the Pacific Northwest for a wedding at a quaint little sea-side town in Astoria, Oregon. Festivities flowed into the weekend as they caught up with old college friends and made new ones. Six couples drove 30-40 minutes to a popular beach called Sea Side for a retreat. After a game of four-square on the sand they drove 18 minutes to the legendary Canon Beach where they drank and laughed at hand-stand competitions and welcomed the sunset while enjoying the mild summer breeze. There was so much to see in beautiful Oregon. They headed to Portland and met a friend and chuckled as people freaked out about the 82-degree heat wave. Multnomah Falls (where they filmed Twilight) was stunning. After that they hopped on a bridge and stayed in a small town in Washington called White Salmon. The next day, they met another couple and infiltrated a family get-together at McMenamins, a unique place to lodge and drink fine wine and beer. Afterwards, they spent a day in Seattle being tourists. They loved Pike’s Farmers’ Market and made sure to grab a souvenir at the original Starbucks. They wound down their vacation in Longview, Oregon, where they spent July 4th with the newlyweds. Vendors were lined up all around the lake. There were cardboard boat races and a splendid fireworks display. Neighbors also enjoyed showing off their own fireworks. After 9 days of traveling, Sinta said they were ready for a detox but did not miss the 100% humidity and ginormous freeways... Marie Lee was with her two daughters and their families at the condo of one of her daughters in Galveston for the Fourth of July. It was lots of fun with the grands and great grandson... Jonathan Correia’s nine year old niece came to town for a weeks visit. Jonathan, his partner and his niece were able to see Houston from the view of a nine year old tourist and decided Houston really rocks!.... Parks, roller coasters, museums, beaches, rockets, trains, Broadway shows, skyscrapers and many friends... JJ Molaison’s parents came to spend time with JJ and her family and also to the enjoy Galveston for a couple of days... Rose Gibson and daughter Brittany had so much fun being together for four days in San Antonio attending the Texas Choir Director’s Association Convention. Brittany tried out and had the honor of being selected for the choir. She was the only one from her school asked to participate. She is a soprano and her family is very proud of her. KATY: Chip and Mary Kiesewetter’s daughter Paige is now engaged with a winter wedding planned in Austin December 20, 2014... Vicki Gessler’s son Cody committed to play football for the Air Force Falcons starting in the 2014 season! Terri Gibson’s granddaughter celebrated her first birthday... and Phylis Green is a new granny. Congratulations! Vacations for many in Katy this summer! Christi Borden, husband Danny, and sons Aaron and Austin cruised Alaska and Canada to celebrate birthdays and graduation... Janelle Williams and family cruised Alaska on a Disney Cruise and had a ball... April Maestri and family enjoyed a wonderful vacation on the Mexican Mayan Coast... Tracy Bogiel and family enjoyed Florida sunshine, NASCAR races and Disney World... Christina Cothren and husband Darrell took their first trip to Las Vegas... Karen Woodworth and family took a trip to Paris, France... Elsa Lakey headed to New York. LAKE HOUSTON: We started July off with a bang! Our monthly Kings Harbor event included the standard live music and the “not so standard “fireworks display. The event was a huge success and fun was had by all! As with most summers, taking a little R & R time is always needed and this summer is no exception. Alicia Zepeda has been jetsetting with our neighbors to the South, well more like cruising around Progresso, Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula. She also visited with family in Mexico before her much needed cruise. Fara Bezan and her family traveled close to home with San Antonio as the destination, looks like SeaWorld and the Riverwalk were a lot of fun for her little guys. Fara wasn’t the only one to make San Antonio their hot spot this summer, Kristie Houston also went there with her family. She didn’t stop there she also hit Florida, soaking up the summer sun while she supports her son and his baseball team in the little league World Series... Al Cervi, on the other hand headed up North to upper New York state to enjoy a family reunion. Let’s hope Al got some relief from this heat. While we have so many agents traveling this summer our own Lisa Dempsey was supposed to relax and enjoy a vacation the week of the 4th but her vacation quickly became a staycation when her oldest son was marooned in Europe and she had some unexpected house guests arrive, animals and all in tote. She says it’s okay- she’s going to make up for it in September when she takes her real vacation. Despite all the vacations we actually did some work at Lake Houston and for the month of June we were able to squeak out another record breaking month... We are very proud to announce that Kendra Lee was named in the Houston Chronicle’s 100 leading companies, now she’s big
business! And to end our month we had a super kick-off party for our Destination Anywhere referral contest. We would like to thank all the Gibraltar Service partners and Mark and Marilyn for celebrating with us. The event was a huge success and we can’t wait to see who the grand prize winner is on September 4th, during our next party. MEMORIAL: Andrew Boyd and the Memorial family welcomed new agents Tracie Pierce, Frooz Mahdavi, and Valerie Smith to the group – and to the wonderful and slightly crazy real estate market we’re in. We are expecting only the best for them all... Wendy Bellow and Pat Nimtz are a happy grandmother and great-grandmother, respectively, and celebrating the birth of sweet baby boy J.D. Bellow. J.D. (named after his two granddads) arrived a month early but was a robust 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19 inches long. His smiling face shows that he is loving life with his parents Jason and Jennifer Bellow and big sister Ansley in Austin... Bob Duerer and wife Cynthia are bursting with pride about their daughter, Deborah, a recent graduate of Lone Star College. Besides being a single mom and working full-time, she’s been putting in extra hours each week learning AutoCAD and teaching piano lessons to about 20 students. With that dedication and energy level, we need to get this lady into real estate! Lou Derebery’s grandson Taylor – getting ready to start his senior year at Hallsville High School – was selected to attend Boys State in Austin. Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students in the nation. It is a participatory program where each participant becomes a part of the operation of his local, county and state government. Taylor wants to be Governor, and nobody is betting against this smart young man’s chances – especially his parents Jason and Diane and grandparents Lou and Bill. Lou also shared a wonderful piece of family history – she attended Girls State in Oklahoma in 1956! Gay Donehoo is winding down and recuperating from an extended visit by her granddaughters from Brentwood, Tennessee. 13-year-old Madolyn and 11-year-old Colleen kept “Gigi” on her toes – shopping, go-carting, mini golfing – did I mention shopping? – and Gigi was able to do most of her real estate during the visit online at night before crashing from exhaustion... Karen Parker reports that she enjoyed a fun staycation with her granddaughter, Chelsea, who was visiting from DeRidder, Louisiana. “The girls” stayed at the Westin Galleria and shopped liked crazy. Chelsea did very well, going back home to DeRidder with a suitcase full of new things... Jo Rodger’s daughter, Rev. Kate Rodger, just completed a two-week spiritual journey through Jerusalem and Jordan along with and at the request of singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and family. Rev. Rodger than headed off to a teaching mission in Canada and then through the east coast and onto Hawaii. She is a minister in the Church of Agape... Diana Hu was a featured guest on KKHT/100.7 FM’s Real Estate Rat Pack Saturday morning show. Diana was invited to discuss aspects of international real estate. As an agent who speaks English, Mandarin, and Spanish and works with a lot of international clients, Diana was a perfect fit. She did a great job and represented herself and the company well... Carolyn Edwards of Gibraltar Mortgage has hosted some great “Lunch & Learn” sessions at our office, offering educational opportunities for both new and seasoned agents. She also hosted a Happy Hour at Escalante’s – an educational opportunity of an entirely different kind. Thanks, Carolyn, for all you do! Andrew Boyd helped our recent birthday celebrants enjoy adding a year at his birthday luncheon – always a fun event. Celebrating their red-letter days with Andrew were Thomas Pearson, Pat Nimtz, and Caroline Edwards. Also joining in the birthday festivities were Debbie Buckley, Clive Gardner, Thalia Guderyon, Larry Harn, Anthony Scott and Anna Winter. WOODLANDS & MAGNOLIA: We would like to welcome our new agents… Stephen Sanderlin, Kelle Castleberry, Londa Grant, Adam Ruehl and Sally Lou Chillis. Congrats to Patsy Salinas Daughter, Susan. She got married in the Beautiful town of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. She married her High school Sweetheart on the beach, June 25th Susan worked at the Portofino office for Several Years. Congrats to Gloria Morella who also exchanged vows On July 15th. Tom and Charlie Haynes had a glorious time on the sunny shores of Sunny California over the 4th of July week. The theme seemed to be eating, drinking, sunning, and looking at million dollar mansions, Yoga & Segway tour while visiting their daughter Krista Haynes in Manhattan Beach and Charlie’s sister in Newport Beach. We always say we won’t wait as long next time to visit again!!! Jessica Bennett and her husband Nathan have had a lot to celebrate the last few months. They welcomed their 6th child on May 4th. Ian Thorpe Chapman Bennett is spoiled daily by his brother and 4 older sisters and is already hard at work selling houses with mom. Nathan and Jessica also celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on July 10th!
august 2013
june 2013
Gary Greene Celebrates Fifty Years! Friday, August 9, 2013 marked the 50th birthday of Gary Greene Realtors, and we celebrated in style at the Westin Memorial City with a party for our agents that celebrated the best of our past and present. Although our namesake could not attend that day, company co-founders Bill McIlwain and Brad Fleming were on hand, as well as owners Mark Woodroof and Marilyn Eiland and BHGRE exec Sherry Chris. Motivational speaker Vince Leisey spoke to the audience about living with intention, ending the speech with a group hug that had everyone on their feet embracing. We were also wished a happy birthday in videos from The Sunshine Kids’ G.W. Bailey and the news anchors at KPRC and KHOU, and Mayor Annise Parker. The Mayor lauded our accomplishments in helping people realize the dream of home ownership, and with an official Proclamation, made August 9th Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene Day! We couldn’t have pulled this party off without the exceptional planning of Ann Woodroof and the corporate staff that made it happen. To see more of these photos, go to facebook.com/ BetterHomesandGardensRealEstateGaryGreene.
New Postcards to Help Clients Who are Relocating!
Save the Date! October 12, 2013
www.GaryGreeneSunshine.com
We’ve got two new postcards available for agents looking to attract relocation clients! For more info, go to the Print Marketing Center at the Greenhouse (www. greenhousebhgre.com) Click on the “Gary Greene” link then look for them under Postcards. For questions about ordering contact Pat Ellis in Marketing (pat@garygreene.com.)