Wichita – Back When Page 6/7 Waldorf Salad Cold Salad for Warm Days Page 15
Are You a Pain or A Pro? Page 3/4
E-mail Habits That Lose Friends at Work Page 5 May 1, 2016
CONTENTS Are You a Pain or a Pro………………...3/4 E-mail Habits that Lose Friends at work……………………………………..……...…5 Shred-It Event…………………………….……8 Things about Wichita……………………6/7 Management Team: Cheryl Huebert, ………………….……. 8 RET Committee………………………….…...9 Educational Classes, Office Education Classes, Birthdays & Anniversaries…………………………….....10 Pictures of Shred – It Party and Cinco de Mayo Lunch…………………...11 Care Committee…………………………….12 Real Estate Humor…..………..............12 Waldorf Salad…..……………….…….…...14 Agents…………………….…………………….15 Office Staff………………….…….…..….....16 OFFICE EAST & WEST WILL BE CLOSED MAY 30TH FOR MEMORIAL DAY!! 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!.
If you’re enough lucky to be Irish……. You’re lucky enough!!
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Good Day! Last month I told you how I loved spring. It was my favorite time of year. What I forgot to say was what I didn’t like about it. It’s something most of us have and it’s always worse in the spring & fall. Or for me – year round. What is this problem you ask? Nothing more than a vast array of allergies that Kansas has blessed us with. Tree pollen, grasses, flowers, cotton in the air and humidity. So all those beautiful flowers – aren’t always easy to appreciate when you’re looking through red, runny and burning eyes. That fresh mowed grass I love to smell. That’s only on the days I’m not sneezing & sneezing. Taking in a big breath of fresh air is great when you don’t cough your head off. Do enjoy all the beauty around you. For me that’s looking at it from afar. Behind my window, in my air conditioned house, or car, or office. Keep those allergy pills with you when your out showing those houses. It’s not polite to sneeze all over your clients. If you have anything that you would like in the paper, let me know. Have a great month!!!
Donna Schulze Editor Email: dsknews@cox.net Office Phone: 554-2828 Cell Phone:734-0734 Extension: #104
Committee Chair Comments…..
Arron McCorkendale Committee Chair, South Central Kansas MLS
Are You a Pain or a Pro? Spring is here and our market is picking up steam. I thought now would be a good time to weigh in on some small but important issues. I have had transactions with . most brokerages in our MLS. I can say the majority of those transactions were handled very professionally. This article is more about the ones that were a bit of a pain. We have all had transactions that veered off course for any number of reasons due to issues with a buyer, seller, lender or title. I am talking about transactions that were a pain due to agents because of apathy or just grumpy individuals. I expect all of us let our personal peeves affect us to a degree. We should all strive to be a pro and not a pain regardless of our personal annoyances. I am also sure most of you could add to the following list given the opportunity. Here are some of my personal pains. 1.
Not including any earnest monies at the same time of delivery of an executed contract. Not having to chase an agent around to avoid violating a law shouldn’t be a bonus!
2.
Your seller not including their date of purchase on the seller’s property disclosure. There is more weight given to a disclosure if they have owned the property 20 years rather than 2 years.
3.
Crossing out and writing something different in the margin of a pre-printed board approved contract. There is space given in the miscellaneous section, or an addendum, can be added if needed, unless you have a law degree and experience in contract law.
4.
Failure to fill in buyer, seller and agent information on all offers you sent out. This is generally and indication. Title officers and your office also enjoy this one. Continued on Page 4
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Continued from Page 3
1.
Having a sign in front of a property but not in the MLS, and the agent doesn’t respond to your inquiry. Unless your seller isn’t sure they want to sell the property and just likes your sign as a lawn decoration.
2.
Having a property listed as “active” on the MLS but not allowing showings for several weeks without giving a reason. Some of my favorite conversations with buyers is yes it is for sale, and no you may not see it!
3.
Not having entry or showing instructions. Especially if there is a 150 lb pet Pitbull, alarm or a friend with no modesty that stops by from time to time for a midday shower.
4.
Not providing feedback after a showing. Most agents are “too busy,” remember the listing agent is probably busier spending time explaining to a seller why you couldn’t give feedback.
5.
Scheduling a closing at the title office that is the furthest from the property you are closing, because it is close to where you will be that day. Maybe you are the most important person in the world, but buyers and sellers don’t appreciate that as much as you might think.
I will conclude with just my top 9 annoyances, trust me I could write a novel! Some of these issues are covered by NAR’s Code of Ethics, MLS Rules or law buy occur fairly regular. My point is only to make us all aware that we can avoid a little pain if we function like a pro.
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E-Mail Habits That Lose Friends at Work By DIANE STAFFORD With The Kansas City Star Published in The Wichita Eagle May 5, 2016
Here’s what busy workers don’t have time to tolerate: Any e-mail that fails to include a subject line. People don’t go to their inboxes for treasure hunts. Any e-mail that only says “Hi!” there’s too much danger behind that fake friendship. Any e-mail WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS – hard to read. Ditto a gray blob of italics or other odd scripts. Decades after e-mail became the common conveyance for workplace messages, a lot of people still are clueless or uncaring about how to use it appropriately. A new Robert Half survey of executives said they reported wasting 17 percent of their time on “unproductive e-mails.” But here’s the thing: You often don’t know if it’s unproductive until you’ve opened it and at least given it a cursory glance. Company spam filters do a decent job of filtering out foreign language spam, porn and, usually, direct sales pitches. But annoyances still pile up in the inbox. One of my biggest peeves is the rambling message that- as we say in the news business – buries the lead. I need a brief, descriptive subject line and an initial sentence that tells me exactly what the email is about. Two paragraphs is a good limit. Be respectful of your readers’ time. If you need to convey more detail, include an attachment or propose a follow-up phone call. My fellow reporters and I despair when we get e-mails full of abbreviations, industry jargon and corporate buzz-words. Phrases such as “rationalizing the cost structure,”
“optimizing human resources” and “shifting economic leverage” don’t say anything meaningful to most readers. Know your target audience. If you’re writing only to industry insiders, it’s OK to use insider language. If you want anyone else to understand, translate and simplify. If your e-mail is going in-house, there’s a good reason to be clear and simple too. Mostly, though, try to avoid unnecessary group e-mails or blind copies. One of the most common offenses is abuse of “reply all.” An e-mail may start off with an appropriate notice to eight people about a meeting but get bogged down in a chain of group responses when the response really only needed to go to the original sender. Whatever the original topic, be careful about “reply all.” Careers have been killed when “private” e-mails were shared. And thumbs down on wading through a long response chain. Better off starting a fresh new e-mail. The old ”sit on it for a minute” dictum applies. You don’t have to answer immediately after opening it. I’m often embarrassed when I reread something I sent in a hurry. A message with typos or a mismatched subject and verb doesn’t help one’s professional image. Another great e-mail danger – common to Twitter and Facebook as well – is the inability to control tone. Humor, sarcasm and other nuances are understood when heard, but not necessarily when read. Finally, send your pet or kid pictures or latest joke only to those who have expressed prior interest.
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Things You Might Not Know About Wichita This month I decided to reminisce about a place my dad told me about. My mother was from Cincinnati, Ohio, so every time we visited one of the first things we would eat was White Castle’s. As kids, we would tell our cousins that we had Castle’s in Wichita first. Well, the argument would start and both sides would say they were correct. If you’ve been east of Kansas, there are 12 states and 400 restaurants that are White Castle’s. The first American Slider. Here’s a little history on the famous hamburger and where it all began. Once you’ve tried one you’ll want more.
WHITE CASTLE’S BEGINNING This is the 8th White Castle in Wichita. This is located at 1st & Broadway. Across from the Orpheum Theatre.
In 1921, it all started out so innocently. A five-cent small hamburger. A Castleshaped restaurant. And nothing like it before, or since. A humble 100% beef patty with onions, and a pickle. So easy to eat, it was dubbed the Slider. The only thing better than polishing off a Sack of Sliders alone, is doing it with friends. Could it get any better than that? White Castle. Because The Crave is A Powerful Thing . Walt Anderson (1818 – 1963) was the cook behind the counter of the earliest White Castle restaurant. Anderson had been running food stands in Wichita since 1916 when he opened his first diner in a converted streetcar. As he developed his preparation methods, he found that starting with a mound of fresh beef and then pressing it into a flat square and poking five well-placed holes in the meat meant that he could cook the burger thoroughly without having to flip it. He soon found that cooking the patty on a bed of chopped onions that were on the grill with the bun placed on top permitted all of the flavors to permeate the bun. Anderson did well enough at his first location that he added a second and third. When
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Continued on Page 9
Continued from page 8 scouting locations, he worked with a helpful real estate agent, Edgar Waldo “Billy” Ingram (1880-1966). As the two men got to know each other, they decided to team up on what would be a fourth restaurant for Anderson. Anderson’s operations were doing well, but he shared with Ingram the fact that there was still resistance by some to eating ground beef because of unsanitary aspects of the meat business that were exposed by Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle (1906). To counter this, Ingram suggested a new style of restaurant. Drawing inspiration from the castle-like look of the water pumping station in downtown Chicago, the two men decided to call the new restaurant “White Castle” and make the building look like a small white castle. Porcelain was used on the interior to emphasize a sparkling clean all-white restaurant. The kitchen was also viewable by the public to reassure them that the food was prepared under highly sanitary conditions. When the first White Castle opened, the burgers were prepared with Anderson’s signature cooking method, and they were priced at a nickel a burger. The ads encouraged people to “buy them by the sack.” In 1923 they expanded with a location in Omaha and before 1930 they had branched into twelve major cities in the Midwest as well as New York and New Jersey. In 1924 they incorporated as the White Castle System of Eating Houses Corporation. In 1933 Ingram bought out Anderson and moved the headquarters to Columbus, Ohio to be more centrally located to the restaurants he was building. The White Castle closed in Kansas in 1938.
Make sure you call us with your questions and concerns and of course, your closing through out the year. Till next Month, Donna Osterman Branch Manager/Escrow Officer Office #: 416-554-2872
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Hi Agents, This month is busy for everyone. School will soon be out and the kids will be home for the summer. It’s graduation time for high school and college. It’s also the beginning of family vacations around the world. For some families , it’s a time to find a larger, smaller, city, country, land, no land, new city, across town, older or newer home. Are you ready and up to date to help these clients? Check out the classes coming in the next several months. Pick one or two out and improve your capabilities as an agent. We’re never to old to improve our minds and our profession.
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836 N. Caddy Lane Wichita, Kansas 67212
It is always important to keep up with all the new things that almost chance daily. The younger clients of today know a lot more about home buying than most people 30 years ago did. Make sure you keep up with the new buyers. We are the agents on the cutting edge, the agents “Above the Clouds.” Have a great month. Happy Selling, Cheryl Huebert
Adam L. Hamilton - President PH: 316-942-8228 Cell: 316-992-8555 Fax: 888-602-1141 E-mail: Adam@PHOENIXMORTGAGEGROUP.COM
The RE/MAX Enrichment Team RET Minutes
Amanda Levine Chair Person Cliff Schoonover Jason Cain
Michelle Briggs
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 Team 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.
Marsha Allen
The RET Committee wants to remind the agents about the Suggestion Boxes that are located at both the East & West Office. Whatever 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. RE/MAX REALTY BUSINESS PARTNERS 2016
Use only the best
Need work done? Use the suppliers that RE/MAX Agents trust. Contact any of the advertisers in our magazine.
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UP COMING EDUCATIONAL CLASSES May 5th – 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Effective Listings: Fitting the Pieces Together CE: 3 Elective Hours Instructor: Linda Mason & Sandy McRae Registration: RSCK Members - $29 or E-Card/ Non-Member - $49 May 5th – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Bringing Buyer Representation Out of the Stone Age CE: 3 Elective hours Instructor: Cheryl Huebert Registration: RSCK member - $29 or E-Card/ Non Member - $49 May 16th– 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Required Broker Core: Leadership Safari CE: 3 Elective hours Instructor: Lynn Channer Registration: RSCK Member - $29 or E-Card| Non-Member - $49 May 19th – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Required Salesperson/Broker: Taking the Mystery Out of Agency CE: 3 Elective Hours Instructor: Amanda Rempe Registration: Online or Call 316-263-3167 RSCK Member – $29 or E-Card/ Non-Member $49 The above classes are all at the WAAR Office – 170 W. Dewey 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 May 3rd - Tuesday – 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Company Office Meeting May 5th - Thursday – Noon – 1:00 PM – West Office (Liz’s Mom will be making her homemade Enchiladas w/Spanish rice). Come hungry! May 24th – Tuesday – Alan Clouse w/Star Lumber @ West office FREE!!!! CE: FREE 3 hour 9:00 AM – Noon May 26th – Thursday – Birthday Lunch @ West Abuelo’s 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ALL ABOVE CLASSES WILL BE AT THE WEST OFFICE. RSVP CLASSES ..PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL HUEBERT 554-2818.
RE/MAX ANNIVERSARIES & Agents Birthdays RE/MAX ANNIVERSARIES: Cliff Schoonover – 14 Yrs. (4/18). Thank You for your years of service with RE/MAX Realty Professionals. Happy Birthday to: Jennifer DeBrot (4/19), Beverly Giles (4/20). We wish you a Very Happy Birthday and a great year ahead. Remember all agents & staff with April, May and June Birthdays are invited to the Birthday Luncheon on May 26th. It will be at the West side Abuelo’s. RSVP to the Front Desk at the East Office. We need a head count as to how many will be attending.
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SHREAD IT PARTY
A BIG SUCCESS
CINCO DE MAYO Great Food! Great Friends Thanks to Liz’s Mom for her wonderful food. And also to Stephanie for her one of a kind cupcakes!! Fun for all
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CARE COMMITTEE REPORT Congratulations to our newest boy! We want to congratulate Liz Hallacy for the birth of her new little boy. He has lots of hair. And like the rest of the family, there is a lot of it. We wish the whole family a lot of love!
Prayers Our Love and Prayers go out to Ken Barr, who lost his bother Jim On April 26th after a long battle with cancer. May your memories keep Jim always in your heart. With Deepest Sympathy, to you and your family from your RE/MAX Family.
Our hearts go out to Don Rubottom whose Father passed away on Monday, May 9th. Our prayers go out to all the family. Please know we keep you in our hearts. Our Deepest Sympathy to you all.
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.
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REAL ESTATE HUMOR
Waldorf Salad The Waldorf salad is said to have been created by Oscar Tschirky, a maître d’hotel of the WaldorfAstoria Hotel in New York City. The hotel opened in 1893, and the recipe appeared in his comprehensive cookbook, The Cook Book by Oscar of the Waldork (1896).
The salad was simply made with apples, celery, and mayonnaise, and it quickly became a favorite in other hotel restaurants. Walnuts were included in George Rector’s recipe in The Rector Cookbook (1928). Walnuts became a standard ingredient after that. The recipe in The Waldorf Astoria Cookbook (1981 also includes walnuts. Ingredients And Procedures 2 Tb Lemon juice 2 Apples; sm Red Delicious 1 c Celery; diced 1/4 c Raisins; dark 2 1/2 Tb Mayonnaise; reduced cal. 4 Romaine lettuce leaves 1 1/2 Tb Sunflower seeds In small mixing bowl sprinkle lemon juice over apples which have been cored and diced. Toss lightly to combine and add celery, raisins, and mayo. Mix until thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. To serve, line 4 salad plates with lettuce leaf; top each with an equal amount of apple mixture and sprinkle each with 1 t. sunflower seeds.
Don’t forget Memorial Day May 30, 2016 13
AGENTS
Kirk
Beverly
Cheryl
Don
Jharon
Cliff
Jerry
Dixie
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Anita
Jason
Amanda
Kelly
Gloria
Ken
Janet
Ashton
Marsha
Michelle
Sharon
Jennifer
316-722-0001
Kathryn
Kerry
Kimberly
Tammy
Karen
Brian
Jenn
Nick
RE/MAX REALTY PROFESSIONALS STAFF
Sara
Liz
Chasity
Stephanie Hannah Please welcome our new receptionist: Sara Wentling: East Office Stephanie Hill: West Office. Sherri is now at the West Office. Glad to have these ladies part of our RE/MAX Family.
Sherri
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RE/MAX REALTY PROFESSIONALS 10100 W. Maple Wichita, Kansas 67209 316-722-0001
for the opportunity to serve you.