November 2015 newsletter

Holiday Cranberry Dump Cake BEVERLY & KIRK at WOOFSTOCK

Wichita Home Values Page 12 On the Rise

Energy Saving Tips Page 15 November 1, 2015

Hi everyone, The holiday season is now CONTENTS drawing closer. That time of year that we have a tendency to gain Page weight because everywhere you SCKMLS Mid-Year Review…….…..3/4 look there is wonderful food to eat.

Management Team…….………….……5 The New Above……………..………..…..6 Enjoy yourself just make it your Christmas present to yourself.

RET Committee Report…………………7 Then return the pounds after the Classes, Company Events, Holidays. That way you won’t feel Birthdays & Anniversaries………...8 so bad about it.

7 Tips for Working with International I want to Thank everyone for Clients………………………………………….9 their prayers and kindness to me Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza.....10 during my last surgery. Everything Security 1st Title…………………….…..10 went well.

Care Committee.……………………....11 We have a lot coming up in the next couple months. Remember Real Estate Humor…..………...........11 our Company Sales Meeting on Wichita Home Values….…..12,13,14 Nov. 3rd. Lots of good information Energy Saving Tips……….……………15 will be out there for you to learn.

Agents…………………………………….…16 Then our Thanksgiving Lunch will Office Staff……………………….……....17 be Nov. 24th.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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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If you have anything that you would like in the paper, let me know.

Till next month, Donna Schulze Editor Email: dsknews@cox.net Office Phone: 554-2828 Cell Phone:734-0734 Extension: #104

From the President . . .

SCKMLS Mid-Year Review

Greg Fox

We’ve had a busy year. Change always brings challenges, but improvements at the same time. This article is to review some of those changes.

Paragon 5 We changed MLS software this year. The Paragon 5 change over all seems to be pretty smooth from a “top down” vision. Their user support it seems to work well, and has great accessibility for our members. The tools are improved, integration with tax data works, and the integration with RPR, Cloud CMA,CSS is working well.

We still have some fields we’re adjusting, and this will continue through the year. I still hear occasionally people who miss List-It. When we changed to List-It, we heard people missed Paragon. I see this as human nature. In the Army, we had a saying: “The last post you were at was always the best post you ever had.” Seems like we make changes and people see what they miss more than they see what they like.

Zillow/Trulia Prior to April, Zillow and Trulia (Z/T) had a data feed from ListHub. Most of the brokers in our MLS used ListHub to send their listings to many places, including Z/T. In April, Z/T ended that relationship and we can speculate why, but it disrupted the data flow. Now brokers can elect to have their own data, or franchises provide the data. This change still has problems. Whose data has priority, what happens if an agent forgets to withdraw a listing they put in manually, and the various data streams having errors in bedrooms/bathrooms/etc. Z/T caused their own problems hee by changing the data flow. As noted above, change can bring good things as well as adjustment and learning curves. The message from the MLS: While the MLS will send your brokerage’s listings to Z/T if requested, if requested, if you have any problems with how they are displaying on Z/T, you will need to contact Z/T and work that out with them, not SCKMLS.

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Continued from Pg. 3

MLS Statistic Reports For years we’ve asked Doug to prepare statistics from our MLS data. He’s done a GREAT job. But it is time consuming, somewhat antiquated systems, and a duplication of what Dr. Stan Longhofer (director of the WUS Center for Real Estate) prepares for KAR. Two months ago we moved this report to the WSU Center for Real Estate, and they provide us with the reports. We’re trying to keep all the numbers in the same format, some will change. Like the two issues above, some of the numbers will be a lot more meaningful.

Some data we’ll need to adjust to make use in our old reports. Bottom line – we free up some of Doug’s time to concentrate on member service, and we have new statistics to help our understanding of the markets.

This article appeared in the September 2015, Volume 11, number 9, of the REALTOR UPDATE Magazine.

Woofstock 2015

Annual Thanksgiving Lunch

There was more than 10,000 people at this year at the event. They raised over $230,000. Awesome!!! Next year RE/MAX is upping our sponsorship. It is a fun day plus getting new leads. Thanks to all who helped out.

Our Thanksgiving Luncheon will be Tuesday, November 24th at the West office. The meat will be provided and we will have a sign up sheet will be by the mail boxes for all side dishes. It will start at 11:30. Hope to see you there!

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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Hi Agents, Just a reminder that November 3rd is our Company Breakfast Meeting. The RE/MAX Enrichment Team members will be sharing their tips & tricks on what works for them to increase $$. We will have several guest speakers talking on the new TRID Regulations – a MUST ATTEND EVENT! November 18th & 19th is a CELEBRATION IN Kansas City for RE/MAX’s 40th Anniversary. We are looking to get a bus if we have enough agents that want to attend. Brian Buffini will be speaking on

836 N. Caddy Lane Wichita, Kansas 67212

“Key Ingredients to a Successful Real Estate Business”. That will be on the 19th from 1:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. The Celebration Party will be from 4:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. It will be lots of fun. We hope you all can go. Contact Kirk or I and let us know your plans.

Don’t forget our Annual Thanks-giving Lunch at the West Office at 11:30 A.M. on November 24th. . More information will come out soon.

Catch up on other events and classes on Page 8 so you don’t miss a thing that is coming up.

Happy Thanksgiving, Cheryl Huebert

Adam L. Hamilton - President PH: 316-942-8228 Cell: 316-992-8555 Fax: 888-602-1141 E-mail: Adam@PHOENIXMORTGAGEGROUP.COM

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The New ABOVE: 6 Spots to Click First

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The RE/MAX Enrichment Team RET Minutes

Amanda Levine Chair Person Cliff Schoonover

Dixie Ball

Jason Cain

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.

Marsha Allen Michelle Briggs

We want to let everyone know that at our November 3rd Company Meeting that our team members will be sharing their tips & tricks on what works for us to increase $$. Hope you can make the meeting.

We, as a company, are going to be searching for a disabled Veteran to reach out to. Whatever that individual’s needs may be. Painting, mowing, yardwork, etc. So if anyone knows of a worthy Veteran to please contact Amanda Levine at:554-2836 and give her their name and contact information.

We also are considering a Customer Appreciation event that we could rent out the Warren Theatre on a Saturday morning in January or February.

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.

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UP COMING EDUCATIONAL CLASSES Nov. 5th – 9:00 AM – Noon – Salesperson/Broker Core: Taking the Mystery Out of Agency Instructor: Sandy McRae CE: 3 Required Salesperson/Broker Core Hours November 5th– 1:00PM – 4:00 PM – Broker Core: Leadership Safari Instructor: Lynn Channer CE: 3 3 Required Broker Hours/3 Elective Salesperson Hours Nov. 19th – 9:00 AM – Noon – Whet Your Appetite: Real Estate Specialties Instructor: Angie George/Tagg Oleson CE: 3 Elective Hours th Nov. 19 – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Boomers & Beyond: Working with an Aging Population Instructor: Sandy McRae CE: 3 Elective Hours 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.

Call the WAAR 263-3167 to schedule a class UP COMING COMPANY EVENTS & CLASSES Nov. 3rd - Tuesday – 9:00 AM – Tuesday – Company Office Breakfast Meeting. Be 10 minutes early for breakfast – RSCK Office – 170 W. Dewey, Room B Nov. 11th – Veterans Day – We are working with the VA to find a family in need, that we can bless during the Holidays. If anyone knows of a VA family in need, see Cliff.

Nov. 19th - Agents Birthday Luncheon -11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at PF Changs – 1401 N. Waterfront Pkwy. Please RSVP with Alicia at 554-2845 on or by the Wednesday of the luncheon. We will reserve your seat!

Nov. 18th & 19th – Celebration in Kansas City – RE/MAX’s 40th Anniversary. Brian Buffini will be speaking on the 19th from 1 PM to 4:30 PM then the Celebration Party 4:30 PM to 8:30. We are looking to get a bus if we have enough agents want to attend.

Nov. 24th – Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon at West Office – 11:30 AM – There will be a sign-up sheet for side dishes at each office.

RE/MAX ANNIVERSARIES & Agents Birthdays RE/MAX ANNIVERSARIES: Karen Blume – 17 yrs. (11/1), Brian Johnson – 13 yrs. (11/1), Janet Bates – 3 yrs. (11/1), Kelly Bates – 3 yrs. (11/1), Amanda Leven – 2 yrs. (11/25), Jennifer DeBrot – 1 Yr. (11/26). Thank You all for your years of service with RE/MAX Realty Professionals.

Happy Birthday to: Amanda Levin (11/2), Kathryn Morrison (11/7). Jerry Warren (11/20). We wish you all a Very Happy Birthday and a great year ahead.

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ABOVE (THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE)

7 Tips for Working With International Clients May 2015 Want to work with more international clients? Consider this advice from two Indiana agents who’re doing it: Jun Liu and Kristina Akopdzhanova.

1. Establish a reputation. International clients will first ask people in their community, here or abroad, for recommendations. Establish a presence in both and prove yourself on previous transactions. Then your name will be mentioned.

2. Speak the language. There’s no way around it – it’s an absolute advantage.

Even non-native speakers who take time to learn a language will find it easier to establish a rapport, which leads to a trusting, long-term professional relationship.

3. Know the culture. People may be the same the world over, but customs aren’t. Familiarize yourself with professional and personal etiquette in your clients’ culture, or ally yourself with someone who can advise you about do’s and don’ts.

4. Understand expectations. International clients can have different and distinct priorities. Commercial investors, for example, are often more concerned about the safety of their investment rather than a quick return.

5. Be Patient. Differences in time zones, cultures and certain special requirements can all slow the process, compared with other transactions.

6. Line up help. Global deals often carry special considerations and may require special assistance. Finding an attorney at a title company who is well versed in international law and wiring money from one country to another, for example, is a good move.

7. Make sure you’re on the same page. Allow no room for doubt on any aspect of the deal, including the client’s understanding of terms and agreements, and goals. It’s always better to ask rather than assume.

This article came from the ABOVE RE/MAX Magazine in May of this year.

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Holiday Cranberry Dump Cake Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Delicious Ingredients  1 (14 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce  9 ounces of a yellow cake mix (dry)  1/2 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, melted 

1/2 cup granola

Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non stick cooking spray.

Spread Cranberry sauce in the prepared pan.

Top with cake mix. To help spread the mix evenly use a spatula.

Evenly pour melted butter over the top, covering the cake mix as mush as possible.

Sprinkle with granola.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Notes: This recipe is from Lady Behind The Curtain

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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CARE COMMITTEE REPORT

REAL ESTATE HUMOR

We are glad to report that at this time we know of no one that is having any health issues.

We are happy to tell you that Ken Barr’s son is doing much better. They have him on medication and he is getting back his memory.

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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Wichita home values on the rise Upswing in numbers forecast to last through 2016 By Bryan Horwath The Wichita Eagle Thursday, October 15, 2015

A report released Thursday predicts Wichita home values will continue to rise through 2016.

Values in the area will increase by 3 percent next year, according to the 2016 Kansas Housing Market Forecast, an annual report commissioned by the Wichita State University Center for Real Estate.

“Home price appreciation has returned,” said Stan Longhofer, director of the center. “I think that is the biggest positive coming out of the forecast.

“For several years, as sales increased and inventories got tighter, we kept saying, ‘Boy, we’re not seeing home prices increase even though inventories are tight.’

Well, now we are seeing that.”

Now several years removed from the national housing crisis, Longhofer said the prediction comes after home values rose by an average of 3 present last year, beating the center’s initial forecast of 0.2 percent for 2014.

Reach Bryan Horwath at: 316-269-6708 or bhorwath@wichitaeagle.com Follow him on Twitter” @bryan_horwath

2016 WICHITA HOUSING FORECAST Home sales: 9,970 units (up 3.3 percent) Construction: 1,065 units (up 4.9 percent) Home prices: Up 33 percent ($146,000 average home price in 2014)

2016 KANSAS HOUSING FORECAST Home sales: 42,110 units (up 8.6 percent) Construction: 5,530 units (up 8.3 percent) Home prices: Up 4.7 percent ($176,000 average home price in 2014) Continued on Page 13

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Continued from page 12

Though it originally predicted homes in the Wichita metropolitan would appreciate by 1.3 percent for 2015, Longhofer said it now looks like values could rise as much as 3.6 percent this year.

“At the end of last year, appreciation finished out a 3 percent, which is the best number we’ve seen since before the housing crisis,” Longhfer said. “We see good, modest appreciation numbers that are consistent with a solid, stable and healthy housing market.”

“It’s not too hot and not too cold – it’s a little bit Goldilocks.”

Part of the reason for the current and expected rise, according to the 16-page report, is a result of “tight inventories” of homes available for sale. Statewide the report predicts that home values will rise 4.7 percent in 2016.

“I think the predictions in the forecast are right on,” said Greg Fox, broker/owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Alliance in Wichita. “I think home prices will continue to rise as long as we hove low inventory.

“When you have people begging to buy a house, you will have appreciation value across the board.”

Following a slow first quarter this year, the report says that Wichita home sales are expected to increase 4.6 percent this year. For 2016,

sales are predicted to rise 3.3 percent to close to 10,000 units.

“Home sales continue a steady little upward trend for most markets around the state, including Wichita,” Longhofer said. “Year over year sales levels continue to be a solid levels, but not blockbuster levels.

“In some ways, the market is kind of boring, which I think is a healthy thing. Across the board (in Kansas), we’re in the fifth year of a market that has been steadily churning.”

When it comes to sales of new dwellings, the story is slightly different, Longhofer said. New home construction in Wichita rose in 2014 to just more than 1,000 units, the report states, and is about 1,065 units for 2016.

For the 10 years ending in 2009, the Wichita metro area averaged 2,263 new home permits annually, according to numbers provided by the Wichita Area Builders Association. Beginning in 2010, however, that yearly number didn’t get back to the four-digit threshold unit last year when 1,012 permits were issued.

“We’ve been kind of bopping around that 1,000 numbers for a while,” Longhofer said. “The new home market is still facing some constraints in terms of financing and ability to develop lots.

Continued on Page 14

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Continued from Page 13

“New home activity has not recovered nearly as strongly as the existing home market. As existing home values go up, though, that will make the calculus a little more affordable in terms of the new homes.”

Unless a wave of new jobs sweeps across Wichita in the near future, Fox said that he expects new home starts to continue to be timid, at least compared to pre-recession levels.

“I think new homes are going to continue to be a big problem,” Fox said. “Part of it may be a lack of outside industry coming in – if our population isn’t growing significantly, do we need a lot of new housing?

“An even larger part, though, might be the fact that the cost of building a home rose quite a bit while existing home values didn’t

rise for several years. If we suddenly had 50,000 new jobs in Wichita because a new industry moved here and moved all their employees, we might see a bigger rise in new homes.”

Alissa Unruh, a realtor with J.P. Weigand & Sons in Wichita, said the report underscores the fact it’s an exciting time for the market, but also cautioned that every individual property is unique.

Sellers should still remain cautiously optimistic,” Unruh said.

“They should not automatically assume a 3.4 percent appreciation in their particular property.

“There are so many individual scenarios where homes can take up to nine-plus months to sell. There are just too many factors that effect values and appreciation to assume all homes will fall under this market forecast.

RE/MAX REALTY BUSINESS PARTNERS 2015 Use only the best

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Need work done? Use the suppliers that RE/MAX Agents trust. Contact any of the advertisers in our magazine.

Energy Saving Tips Are you doing everything you can at home to save on energy? Westar Energy has put together a list of tips that could help you save money this year.

Fall energy savings tips:  Clean or replace furnace filters once per month or as needed. Dirty filters block warm air coming from the blower and your furnace will operate less efficiently.  If it is time to replace your furnace, ask a HVAC professional about the benefits of an energy efficient heat pump. Learn more about heat pumps.  Set thermostats between 68 and 70 degrees, lower it 5-7 degrees at night. Your energy savings will increase as much as 3%-5% for every degree the thermostat is below 68.  If your water heater is older, wrap it with an insulation jacket.  Caulk all exterior doors and window frames.  Weather-strip all exterior doors and windows.  Keep shades and curtains open to allow sunlight in during the day. Close them at night.  Close the fireplace damper when not in use.  Don’t block air registers with furniture, drapes or other objects.  Insulate or increase the amount of insulation in your attic, outside walls and basement.

Energy Myths There’s no need to ever turn off your computer Computers should be shut down when not used for 2 hours or longer, At other times, us the “sleep” or “energy saver” mode. This will turn off the monitor, but your computer won’t have to be restarted.

A surge power strip makes it easy to turn off everything at once; you computer, monitor and peripherals, such as modems, draw power even if the computer is not using them. Screen savers don’t save energy and can prevent your computer from going into “energy saver” mode if activated.

When purchasing a new computer look for ENERGY STAR-qualified computers, which use 70% less electricity than computers without power management features.

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AGENTS

Kirk

Beverly

Don

Jharon

Cliff

Jerry

Dixie

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Cheryl

Anita

Jason

Amanda

Kelly

Gloria

Ken

Janet

Marsha

Michelle

Sharon

Jennifer

316-722-0001

Kathryn

Kerry

Kimberly

Tammy

Karen

Brian

Jenn

Nick

RE/MAX REALTY PROFESSIONALS STAFF

Judy

Liz

Chasity

Sherri Hannah Tristan I have a new email address. Please take note of it so you will have it when you need me. It is: chasityhenderson@remax.net Thanks, Chasity

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RE/MAX REALTY PROFESSIONALS 10100 W. Maple Wichita, Kansas 67209 316-722-0001

for the opportunity to serve you.