Office News Agent of the Month Kelly Bates Pg. 3
Guess who’s cooking this month? Pg. 9
Pg. 11/13
Do You Know How to Improve Your Credit Score? Find out on Pg.14
October 1, 2014
CONTENTS Page Agent of the Month…………………3 Management Report………………..4 Real Estate Humor…………………..5 RET Committee Report……………6 Classes, Company Events, Birthdays & Anniversaries….7,8 Around Wichita……………………….8 Security 1st ………………..…………...9 Appetizer…..…………………………….9 Care Committee Report………...10 Company Picnic..……………...11/13 Woofstock………..………….……..…11 Tips on Credit Scores…..……14/15 Office Staff……………………….…..17
Come on over to our team. You’ll be glad you did. We have the top agents, friendly atmosphere, wonderful education & technology classes. Don’t be left outside call 722-0001. You’ll be glad you did!.
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Greetings everyone, We have finally reached fall. This, next to spring, is my favorite time of year. Things are slowly starting to turn. In a few weeks Mother Nature we’ll give us such beautiful colors to see and appreciate. It’s a chance to reflect on the things we accomplished over the spring and summer. Also to make our plans for the coming hectic holiday season and how we want to end our year. It’s a time to be positive and decide what we can do better in the coming months. For as they say, “There is always room for improvement.” I do hope everyone had a great summer. The kids are back in school so make sure you pay attention to school zone lights. If you have anything that you would like in the paper, let me know. Till next month, SELL – SELL – SELL Donna Schulze Editor Email: dsknews@cox.net Office Phone: 554-2828 Cell Phone:734-0734 Extension: #104
KELLY BATES AGENT OF THE MONTH I know by now everyone knows Kelly Bates. Kelly is a tease, a friend, a good listener and an all around good guy. Kelly works our of our West RE/MAX Office. I sat down with Kelly for this interview. Here are some facts you might not know about him,
Q: Were is home and would you tell us a little about yourself? A: I consider Clearwater home. I’ve been married to my lovely wife, Janet, for 25 years. We have 3 sons. Ethan – 24, Chris -23, who is married to Lindsey, and Braiedan – 20. Q: What are some things about you in regards to hobbies, movies, books, places to eat, etc. that you like? A: I consider my family my hobby. I enjoy doing things with them and I love being with them. That is very important to me. I also like to hunt. When my boys were younger and played sports I liked to coach football and baseball. I’m a football fan so I love watching it. I like to read. I most enjoy reading the Bible, self help books and bio graphics. I pretty much like all types of music. I am just not a big fan of country music. I enjoy going to movies. I especially like old movies. I like Imax movies, sci-fi and action movies. The one place that Janet & I like to eat at is YaYa’s. Love the food. Q: How long have you been in real estate and what do you feel is an important thing for agents to learn? A: I have been actively a part of real estate for three years. I got into real estate because I like helping people and to help them see their dreams come true. Of course, Janet had already been in it so she made it an easy decision. Communications is an important lesson for all realtors. Realtors learn by being great listeners. I’ve learned some things from other agent I’ve worked with. That being said, I have learned the most from my wife. She never gives up. She’ll tell me there’s always a way out of a tough situation. What I like most about RE/MAX Realty Professionals is the family atmosphere. Everyone was so willing to help and teach us when we cane to this office. Even when there is work to be done we still have a good time. I feel I’m a good listener and if anyone wants to talk with me, I keep that between us. I want everyone to know I am trust worthy. I have just a few things I want to tell you about Kelly. He loves to cook. He started out cooking to help Janet, now he cooks for fun. Kelly can sing. He will tell you he’s not a singer but several people have told me he has a beautiful voice. When asked what he would be doing if not selling real estate? He replied, “I would be coaching”. We are so glad he is part of our RE/MAX family.
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Management Team Mission Statement “It is our Goal and Mission to be Industry Leaders by Showing each Member of Our Team and Our Agents our True Integrity and Experience. Our Management Team has the Highest Standard and Regard for Education & Professionalism, as we Truly are “Above the Crowd!”
NEW HOURS Hi Everyone, At our last meeting we announced that the meetings will now be starting at 9:00 AM. So please come 10 minutes early for breakfast as we will start at 9:00 sharp. The next meeting is October 7th and we will have some exciting guests/speakers. If you have any classes that you would like to hold or need any educational events, please let me know! We did announce also, as most of you are aware, that we are going back to the full Management Team concept. I will be the Broker, and I hold that as an honor. The Management Team is always available to you for whatever you need. Just give us a call. Cheryl Huebert West Office Broker
Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve. Author Unknown
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REAL ESTATE HUMOR
FEWER WICHITA-AREA HOMES ARE UNDERWATER BY
Dan Voorhis with the Wichita Eagle on September 27, 2014
In the second quarter, 4,068 Wichita-area homes, or 4.1 percent of those with mortgages, were underwater, meaning the amount owed exceeded the value of the home, according to real estate firm CoreLogic. An additional 1,818 Wichita-area homes were nearly underwater for the quarter. Both numbers are down significantly from the first quarter, when 5,460 properties, or 5.5 percent of all homes with a mortgage, were underwater and another 2,629 were nearly underwater. The nation is in the midst of a slowmoving housing recovery. Nationally, 10.7 percent of all homes were still underwater for the quarter, down from 12.7 percent in the first quarter and 14.9 percent in the last quarter of 2013. The Wichita area, like the rest of the nation, saw a surge in homes bought with little or no equity in the earl 2000s. When the housing bubble burst, home values dropped. Home prices have been on the upswing for the past few years.
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A blonde realtor walks into an appliance store and says, “I would like to buy that T.V. please.” The store clerk replies, “I’m sorry, we don’t do business with blondes – especially realtors.” So she went to her car, took off her real estate blazer and went back into the store. “I would like to buy that T.V. please.” The store clerk again replies, “I’m sorry, we don’t do business with blondes.” The blonde leaves the store. Then she stormed back to her house and dyed her hair black. The next day, she went back to the same store and said, “I would like to buy that T.V. please.” The store clerk, once again replies, “Sorry, but I told you before. We don’t do business with blondes.” The blonde replied, “How did you know I was a blond.” The clerk says, “Because that’s a microwave, not a T.V.”
Kelly Bates Janet Bates Cliff Schoonover Kerry Dunn Gloria Light Lance Ferguson
The RE/MAX Enrichment Team RET Minutes
MISSION Statement: The RE/MAX Enrichment Team is dedicated to providing a conduit of communication between the Agents and Management of RE/MAX Realty Professionals, with the goals of improving the overall environment, productivity and the success of the company’s Agents, and, to collectively brand RE/MAX Realty Professionals as the most desirable Real Estate Firm in the industry. The RE/MAX Enrichment Tem will explore and advise Management in enhancing and/or expanding the following areas: continuous education, current technologies, paramount service, superior amenities, Agent interaction, and recruitment of desirable professionals.
The RET Committee wants to remind the agents about the Suggestion Boxes that Are located at both the East & West Office. What are your concerns or questions that you might have please put it in the box or give us a call. We are here to help you get the answers. The printers are connected to the server now. They will create a binder with all the How-to. Let you know as soon as it is available. If you have any suggestions or ideas don’t forget to put them in the Suggestion Boxes. More to come next month.
WEBSITE LINKS: RE/MAX Mainstreet: http://www.remax.net The ABOVE Magazine: www.abovemag.remax.com RE/MAX University: http://thedownlad.remax.com/
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UP COMING EDUCATIONAL CLASSES Oct. 9th – Thursday – 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – WAAR Office Going for the Gold * Contract to Closing Down - 3 hours CE Oct. 9th – Thursday – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – WAAR Office Short Sale Class Updates – 3 hours CE Oct. 15th – Wednesday – Noon – WAAR Office Lunch & Learn at WAAR Social Marketing $10 or free with E Card Oct. 23rd – Thursday – 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – WAAR Office Finance Roundtable – 3 hours CE To make a reservation go to http://ims.Wichita-realtors.com or call 263-3167. There is a $10 charge for a no-show, if you make a reservation and do not cancel within 24 hours of class.
UP COMING COMPANY EVENTS & CLASSES Oct. 3rd – Friday – 6:00 PM – Setting up tent for Woofstock at Sedgwick County Park Oct. 4th – Saturday – 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM – Woofstock – Sedgwick County Park Oct. 4th – Saturday – Parade of Homes – Runs three weekends Oct. 7th - Tuesday – NEW TIME – 9:00 AM Be 10 minutes early for breakfast - WAAR Office – 170 W. Dewey, Room B - Company Office Breakfast Meeting - Breakfast provided by Security 1st. Oct. 21st – Tuesday – RET Meets Oct. 30th – Thursday – 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at The Monarch – 579 W. Douglas Oct. 31 – Friday – Come dressed for Halloween. Agents Birthday Luncheon – Please let Alicia know if you will be there! It is important to have a head count. We are going to be holding a Business Planning Class ( Date to be determined) We will be starting up the Buffini Peak Produces Class again ( Date to be determined) 5th Annual RE/MAX Chili Cook Off (Date to be determined) Mark your calendars so you don’t miss out on anything. We have a busy month. *Attendance at our functions is no only greatly appreciated……but you get a raffle ticket!!
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RE/MAX ANNIVERSARIES & Agents Birthdays
RE/MAX ANNIVERSARIES: Congratulations to Jennifer Owens (10/1) – 12 Years, & Denis Kemnitz (10/1) – 1 year. Happy Birthday to: Anita McQueen (10/1), Nicole Black (10/2), Sharon Taylor (10/26), and Hannah Barbour (10/27). Hope you all have a wonderful day. Happy Marriage Anniversary to: Judy & Brian Jemison (10/10). May you have many more years of happiness.
THINGS GOING ON AROUND WICHITA As we all know Halloween is coming at the end of the month. So we thought you might want to know where the Pumpkin Patches/Corn Mazes were. Also we have a few haunted attractions that will start opening the first weekend of Oct. Walter’s Pumpkin Patch 10001 NW Highway 77, Burns Open from 10 am – 7 pm daily 107 pm Sundays till Oct. 31. Offering 30 acres of pumpkins, 2 giant jumping pillows and a “farm scene investigation” corn maze. Go to walterspumkinpatch.com for more information. Cox Farm – 6059 S. Seneca, Wichita Corn Maze & pumpkin patch. Open to Oct. 31. Hours 9 am to 3 pm weekdays, 9 am-6 pm weekends. $5 includes a free child size pumpkin on weekdays. Coxfarm.com for information. Klausemeyer Dairy Farm Tours & Pumpkin Patch, 8135 S. 119th St. West, Clearwater. Petting zoo, milking demo, pig races, hay wagon rides. $6.50 Open 10 am – 6 pm Sat., noon – 6 pm Sunday. Each paying guest will receive a pumpkin. Klausmeyerdairyfarms.com for information.
Ghost Tours of Historic Delano The historic Delano neighborhood is sponsoring its own version of Ghost Stories of Historic Delano. Two trolleys will run 6-9 p.m. Thursday. Free. Donations accepted. 316640-2453 Forest of Fear, 7446 51st Road, Udall. Opens at dark. Open Fridays & Saturdays through Nov. 1 and Oct. 12, 19, 23, 26, and 30. A 1-mile haunted forest walk. Before or after the haunted walk, take a hay-rack ride, warm up by the bonfire or watch an outdoor movie. Open from dark until midnight Fridays & Saturdays from dark to 11 p.m. other nights. Admission: Adult, $15; child, $9. 620782-4014. udallforestoffear.com Horror Wood Haunted Attraction, 2525 W. Douglas. Opens at 7 p.m. Open Oct. 9-12, 16-19, & Oct. 23-Nov.1. Tickets $15 in advance. $20 at door. 316-285-8480. Continue on pg. 10
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Security 1st Title ON THE MOVE We are pleased to announce that our downtown Wichita office at 434 N. Main is relocated at River Park Place, 727 N. Waco, Suite 300. Our company has grown to the point that the former office was no longer adequate for our needs in giving the best possible service that you, our customers, deserved. The new space is larger and is designed to enhance and maximize the closing experience with spacious closing rooms and convenient parking. We hope to see you at our new downtown Wichita location at River Park Place. Sincerely, Your Friends at Security 1st Title
Donna Osterman Branch Manager/Escrow Officer Office: 316-554-2872
It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you. Slow down and enjoy the journey right now. Take time for the people in your life. They won’t always be there. “Thoughts”
Karen Blume Great meatball Perfect for any party
HAWAIIAN LUAU MEATBALLS (Crock-pot) These Meatballs are the perfect blend of savory, sweet, and tangy. The flavors of a Hawaiian Luau in every bite. Tender, juicy, and crock-pot easy. From: Chew Out Loud Recipe type: Appetizer Serves: Makes 44 cocktail meatballs Ingredients: lbs. ground beef 2 large eggs 1 cup dry plain bread crumbs 2 tsp. kosher salt 4 TB. Orange juice 2 tsp. ground onion 2 (13 oz.) packages Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauce (Hawaiian Luau) 4 TB brown sugar Directions: In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, kosher salt, orange juice, and ground onion. Form into 44 meatballs; place on large baking sheets. Bake about 20 minutes at 350F. In a slow cooker, combine packages of Hawaiian Luau sauce with brown sugar. Add meatballs, thoroughly coat with sauce, and keep covered on low setting for at least 1 hour. Keep on low or warm setting, and serve meatballs warm, straight from your slow-cooker! *Note: Frozen meatballs may be used in place of making your own, but try not to use Italian flavored meatballs (the spices won’t jive as well with Asian flavors). Thanks, Karen. They were great!
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Cont. from pg. 9 Haunted attractions
Haunted Cannery Spook House & Lunatic Asylum 10001 NW 77 Hwy., El Dorado. Haunted House at Walters Pumpkin Patch. Open every Friday & Saturday in October from 7:30 to 11:30 pm. Admission $18. Field of Screams 2014, Prairie Pines Christmas Tree Farm, 4055 N. Tyler Road. Gates open at 7 pm. Fields open at dark. Open Fridays & Saturdays through Nov. 1, and Oct. 12, 19, 26, 30. Ticket sales end at 11:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays and at 10:30 pm other nights. Admission: $15-25. A limited number of timed admission tickets available. 316-7221145. scaryprairiepines.com
CARE COMMITTEE REPORT We are asking everyone to please keep Michelle Briggs in your prayers as she goes through many test and doctors to find what is causing her some very tough health issues. She is a strong lady. We just want to let her know that we care. Once again we ask for prayers for Ken Barr's mother, Dorothy Watts. She is back in the hospital again and having a very hard time. We wish her a speedy recovery.
If you know of anyone in our offices that are struggling with health or issues that we can help please contact the Care Committee: Kelly Bates, Donna Osterman, or Donna Schulze. If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up. J.M.Power
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THANK YOU A big Thank You to Kirk & Alicia and everyone that helped with putting together the Company Picnic. It was great fun and everyone’s food was delicious. The weather was perfect and the camaraderie was great. Thanks a million!!
Saturday – October 4th, 2014 Sedgwick County Park 9:30 am – 3:00 pm Sign up at: kshumane.org/Woofstock
More pictures on page 13
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This is an annual celebration of peace, love, and pets. Woofstock invites canines and their owners to participate in activities catered exclusively to them, including a one-mile mutt strut, two-mile fun run, contests for dogs and much more. Plus a silent auction, more than 80 pet-friendly vendors, demonstrations of dog agility, canine search & rescue, water retrieval and sheepherding. All proceeds benefit the Kansas Humane Society and the 18,000 animals it receives each year. It is great fun and a great way to meet new clients. Bring your dog bones and business cards It’s a great way to get your name out to the public. If you are interested please contact Alicia or Kirk. They will have a schedule of times that you could help. Hope to see you there!!
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Tips on Improving, Maintaining Your Credit Score
Published: Saturday, September 20, 2014 The Wichita Eagle By Denise Groene Special to The Eagle
For too many American consumers, their credit rating remains a mysterious entity, something they do not believe they can control. The truth is that there are steps you can take to assure that you are not unpleasantly surprised by the news that your credit score is too low. Here are some specific strategies consumers can use to improve their credit scores.
What is a credit score? Your credit score is a number between 300 and 850 that gives lenders an idea of whether or not they should take a chance on lending you money If your score is blow 560, you are considered a poor risk. Get your score above 760 and you get a rating of excellent. It is often referred to as a FICO score, which stands for a Fair Isaac Corp. It developed the rating system in 1956. The score is based on an analysis of your credit history and your existing habits. The score can be used to determine whether you qualify for a credit card, car loan, student loan, mortgage or business loan, and it can determine what your interest rate will be.
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Here are the different Factors that go into creating your FICO score, and what percentage of the score each makes up:
Payment history – 35 percent. This is an assessment of whether you pay your bills on time Amount owed – 30 percent. It is not necessarily bad to have credit accounts and owe on them, unless your debt loan is too high a percentage of your available credit. Length of credit history – 15 percent. Usually, the longer the better but short histories can be OK if the rest of your report is good. Types of credit – 10 percent. This looks at where your credit is: credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans. New credit - 10 percent. If you have a short credit history, opening several accounts within a short time period makes you a higher risk.
What is a credit report? A credit report is an examination of your credit history.
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Cont’d from Pg. 14 Improving your credit score
Reports are maintained by three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Every 12 months you are entitled to a free credit report. Your credit score is not available for free, however. It costs around $20. Recently, some credit card companies have been offering free monthly checks of your credit score as a way of attracting customers.
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Know the value of punctuality. Late payments tell lenders you are not reliable. Use automated payment whenever possible or at least automated reminders of when payments are due.
For more credit management advice, go to bbb.org/credit-management/. Denise Groene is the state director of the Better Business Bureau of Kansas. Contact the bureau at 800-856-2417 or bbbinc.org.
Maintaining your score Six ways to improve your credit score are:
Establish credit if you do not have any by getting a credit card from your bank or credit union, using it sparingly and paying it off every month. Responsible card us is valued more highly than having no credit cards. Go to AnnualCredit Report.com, get your reports from each of the three agencies listed earlier and check them carefully for errors. Don’t shuffle your debt around. Pay it off instead of moving it to another card. Pay off larger balances first. This frees up a bigger portion of your available credit and improves your score Don’t fall into debt denial. If you’re having trouble, contact the lender and try to set up payments you can afford. Then make those payments on time. That helps your score.
Allowing people inside your life is a beautiful thing. Letting go of people who drain your spirit is another beautiful thing you can do for your life. The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go. Quote by Dodinsky
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AGENTS
Cheryl
Beverly
Cliff
Lance
Don
Amanda
Debra
Shawn
Jenn
Dixie
Michelle
Nick
Kerry
Karen
Debbie
Anita
Jason
Marsha
Janet
Kelly
Ken
Gloria
316-722-0001
Lola
Paul
Denise
Kirk
Tammy
Sharon
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RE/MAX REALTY PROFESSIONALS STAFF
Liz
Judy
Deborah
Lila
Hannah
Bobbi
PLEASE get your contracts into me as soon as possible. We need all signed copies well before closing. Thanks, Lila Brown
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RE/MAX REALTY PROFESSIONALS 10100 W. Maple Wichita, Kansas 67209 316-722-0001
for the opportunity to serve you.