Raising the Bar in Real Estate
RE/MAX Northern Illinois SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016 NEWSLETTER
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Save the Date Come celebrate 40 years of RE/MAX Northern Illinois
Awards Friday, February 17, 2017 Navy Pier | Chicago, IL
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RE/MAX Northern Illinois Affiliates Participate in Radiothon
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SAC Boards the Odyssey for a Lake Front Cruise
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RE/MAX Broker/Owners Attend Retreat
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Inman Panels Feature RE/MAX Standouts Gilbert and Soderstrom
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Luigui Corral Becomes First Hispanic Named to Board of North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors
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Sue Rossi Brings Her Demographic Expertise To Bear on Millennials’ Housing Challenges
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Grand Openings
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Box Scores
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Community Events
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Balloon Flights
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Where has the Balloon Been?
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In Memoriam
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RE/MAX Northern Illinois Affiliates Participate in Radiothon RE/MAX Northern Illinois Brokers from the top three CMNH fundraising offices in 2015 were armed with headsets and laptops on September 15th to take pledges from the public for the 2016 Eric and Kathy Radiothon benefiting the young patients of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The telethon consistently raises more than $1 million for the hospital annually. This year marked the first year the
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telethon was held as a week-long event, as opposed to the single day event. On the phones for RE/MAX were: RE/MAX Great American North – RE/MAX All Pro’s Libby Hocker; RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest’s Marj Carpenter; and RE/MAX Suburban’s Ralph Binetti, Tammy Binetti, Sadie Winter, Dana Cohen, Mary Myzia and Lynn Fairfield.
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RE/MAX Northern Illinois Sales Advisory Council Odyssey Cruise The RE/MAX Northern Illinois Sales Advisory Council (S.A.C.) held a fun filled fundraising cruise on September 29 2016. This event was open to all RE/MAX Brokers to help raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals while having a good time. There were exciting charity casino tables, competitive silent auction tables, and delicious cocktails and appetizers. Over $4,000 was raised and donated to Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. We hope to see you at the next event!
Interested in learning more about S.A.C. events? Click the Facebook icon & join our group!
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The Sales Advisory Council Thanks Their Sponsors . . .
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RE/MAX Northern Illinois Broker/ Owner Retreat RE/MAX Northern Illinois held their annual Broker/Owner retreat at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI on Thursday, September 22 and Friday, September 23 as the membership came to learn more about new initiatives, updates and more about strengthening their business. Festivities included a broker panel on recruiting and business practices, a discussion with Dan Bertelson, owner of RE/MAX Preferred in Wisconsin, and a silent auction benefitingChildren’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In total, more than $1,500 was raised for CMNH.
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Inman Panels Feature RE/MAX Standouts Gilbert and Soderstrom Real estate news hub, Inman, took their popular Connect event series on the road to Chicago back in May with the debut of Connect on the Road. The one-day conference featured many big players in the real estate industry across Chicagoland including two RE/MAX standouts: Chad Gilbert, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Suburban and Cindy Soderstrom of RE/MAX Signature Homes, Hinsdale. Gilbert’s panel topic focused on recruiting and retaining top agents, as he was joined on-stage by moderator, Zach Schabot. Soderstrom joined a panel of elite brokers in the Chicagoland area to discuss the topic of “Reaching the Connected Consumer”. Thousands of real estate professionals attended the event held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
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Luigui Corral Becomes First Hispanic Named to Board of North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors time buyers in the NSBAR market area,” said Corral, who is a past president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), as well as one of its most productive brokers in terms of annual sales. Just as the number of Hispanic home-buyers has grown, so has the number of Hispanic real estate brokers serving the NSBAR market area. “I’m pleased to be a voice for both those groups within the NSBAR board,” he said. Corral moved to the Chicago area from Florida in 2005 and now lives in Lake Zurich, IL. He earned his real estate license and joined RE/MAX in 2007. Three years later he and a partner acquired RE/MAX United of Wheeling and later opened a second office in Round Lake Beach. RE/MAX United currently has a roster of 30 affiliated brokers. Luigui Corral, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX United in Wheeling and Round Lake Beach, IL, recently became the first Hispanic member of the board of directors of the North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors (NSBAR). Corral’s three-year term on the NSBAR board began on September 15. “The Hispanic population in the communities served by NSBAR has increased steadily in recent years. Currently, Hispanic homebuyers represent 67 percent of all first-
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“My first goal as a board member will be to work in those areas, such as marketing, technology and membership, where I believe I have strong skills and can add value. At the same time, I want to help spread the message that Hispanics and immigrants of all kinds are honest, smart, hardworking people with good values who are very thankful for what this country offers and what it stands for, and not the bad people that have been implied in the media by some politicians.”
Sue Rossi Brings Her Demographic Expertise To Bear on Millennials’ Housing Challenges The challenges facing the United States housing market are a topic with which Sue Rossi, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX 2000 in Crete, IL, has become quite familiar over the last decade. Recently, Rossi shared her perspectives at a major national conference on that topic.
Rossi believes the recent growth in student loan debt is related to the real estate crash of 2006-2009 which wiped out a huge amount of home equity for the parents of the Millennial generation and limited the ability of those families to help finance the higher education of their children.
Rossi was among the presenters at HIVE, the Housing Innovation, Vision and Economics conference which was held September 2829 in Los Angeles. She was part of a panel on Solving the Millennial Dilemma, with the discussion focusing on how best to assist the Millennial generation find and afford the housing it wants today and in the years immediately ahead.
At HIVE, Rossi offered her own ideas on how to help first-time buyers afford a home of their own.
As Rossi points out, one of the biggest obstacles facing Millennials is the large amount of student debt that many will carry into their post-graduation lives.
“It’s a crucial issue not just for Millennials but for the nation as a whole” “Right now there is something like $1.3 trillion in unsecured student debt in this country,” she noted. “As a form of debt, it is second only to mortgage debt. We’re going to have to find a solution to that situation that amounts to more than just restructuring student debt because that is just kicking the can down the road. The burden of that debt remains.”
“It’s a crucial issue not just for Millennials but for the nation as a whole,” she said, pointing out that first-time buyers play a vital role in the housing market. “First-time buyers, with their home purchase, can trigger a string of additional moves, as sellers of that home then buy another home, and the sellers of that home also buy something else. So, making sure young people can purchase a home, if that is what they want, is a key first step to a healthier housing market.” Rossi’s fascination with the demographic trends and their impact on the housing market began over a decade ago. Her initial effort produced a study entitled “The Birthrate Theory” that accurately predicted the housing downturn of 2006 and won considerable recognition in the real estate industry. She continues to study the housing market with a sharp eye on how changing demographics affect supply, demand and home values.
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Grand Openings RE/MAX 1st Choice Celebrates New Location RE/MAX 1st Choice of Ottawa celebrated their new location and new ownership with a grand opening celebration on Wednesday, July 20. Doug and Paula Carroll purchased the office earlier this year from long-time owner Tom Haeberle. The new office, located at 2771 N. Columbus Street, shares a space with a local bank and features prominent signage along one of the town’s busiest stretches. RE/MAX 1st Choice is an avid supporter of the community, sponsoring local events, festivals and sports teams while its employees volunteer with many charitable organizations such as the Child Welfare Guild.
RE/MAX All Pro Relocates RE/MAX All Pro of Sugar Grove officially moved into its new location with a grand opening celebration on July 14. From their new location the Sugar Grove team has a great view of their old office, directly across the street from them on Route 47. Sugar Grove is the first of three office relocations planned by the brokerage. RE/MAX All Pro in Bloomingdale is in the process of relocating near Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale this month.
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NEW FRANCHISE: RE/MAX Deal Makers RE/MAX Deal Makers in Hampshire celebrated their grand opening on Saturday, July 23 with several local residents in attendance. The office, owned by Bruce and Robbi Burklow, held a raffle benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals while providing tours of the new space, and offering hot dogs and cake to all those in attendance. The RE/MAX balloon team was on hand to provide information about what goes into flying the red, white and blue across northern Illinois.
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2016 Calendar of Events
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Community Events RE/MAX Achievers Welcomes Thousands at Lombard Spooktacular Halloween was in full effect during Lombard’s Spooktacular event on October 16 with more than 4,500 in attendance. RE/MAX Achievers hosted the RE/MAX balloon and regional balloon team as they spoke with those in attendance about hot air ballooning. Hundreds were able to pose with the hot air balloon basket for photos while the office welcomed over 1,000 people to their office for trick-or-treating and a children’s coloring contest.
RE/MAX Synergy Brings Soaring Home to Flossmoor Fest As a part of the community’s largest event, RE/MAX Synergy participated in Flossmoor Fest on Saturday September 10. Thousands came by the Synergy tent and Soaring Home balloon during the festivities. The RE/MAX office was a big hit with families as they featured a face painter for children.
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RE/MAX Elite Homes Holds CMNH Rummage Sale
Raising funds for Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Miracle Network Hospitals, RE/MAX Elite Homes in Moline held a rummage sale at their office featuring hundreds of donated items from clients, employees, agents, families and neighboring businesses. The sale, held August 6th, brought in more than $1,500 for their designated hospital, the University of Iowa Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital.
RE/MAX Valley Realtors Blood Drive
RE/MAX Valley, Realtors of Roscoe held a blood drive on August 16th supporting the Rock River Valley Blood Center. In total, enough blood was donated to save 39 lives during the drive. The office welcomed six new donors, in addition to the repeat blood donors who attended.
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Balloon Man and the Soaring Home Balloon Take to the Streets of Grayslake RE/MAX Center of Grayslake participated in their city’s Grayslake Summer Days parade on Saturday, August 20 in front of thousands of spectators. The RE/MAX office used the event to help promote their partnership with a new subdivision in the Grayslake area, Stony Ridge.
A Tasty Hot Dog Lunch RE/MAX Professional Advantage in Byron raised over $300 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals during their Hot Dog Lunch in June. The office provided a hot dog, chips and drink in exchange for a donation to CMNH.
Autumn on Parade Festival RE/MAX of Rock Valley, Oregon, hosted the giant 35’ cold air balloon for the town’s Autumn on Parade festival in front of their office on October 1st and 2nd.
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RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest Teams Up with the Northern Illinois Food Bank To help raise funds for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the RE/MAX balloon held tethered rides at Grove Country Club as part of a special fund-raiser on Sunday September 18. Rita O’Connor of RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest sponsored the balloon’s appearance. In total, more than $5,000 was raised.
Soaring Home Debuts at the Coon Creek Days Parade RE/MAX Deal Makers of Hampshire hosted the RE/MAX Soaring Home balloon during the town’s Coon Creek Days Parade on Sunday August 7. In addition to the parade, the festival featured live music, a carnival and fireworks show.
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Balloon Flights The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon, one of the most famous and memorable corporate symbols in history, has been flying the skies of northern Illinois all year long. For the most recent flights, see the flight log below or follow us on Twitter at @REMAXballoonIL. The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon has flown nearly 70 times in northern Illinois during the first nine months of the year. Do you want the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon or one of the RE/MAX Cold Air Balloons at your event or neighborhood school? Fill out a Balloon Request Form and let us know! For questions, please contact balloonrequests@rfcpinc.com Balloon Request Form
Recent Flights Date
Launch Site
Landing Site
September 8, 2016 September 9, 2016 September 11, 2016
Rockford Highland Park Elburn
Rockford Vernon Hills Elburn
September 14, 2016 September 15, 2016 September 18, 2016
Palos Park Flossmoor North Aurora
Homer Glen Frankfort Oswego
September 20, 2016 September 22, 2016 October 3, 2016 October 4, 2016
Downers Grove Manteno Zion Spring Grove
Naperville Manteno Wadsworth Genoa City, WI
Follow the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon on Twitter @REMAXballoonIL
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Where have the Balloons Been? The RE/MAX Soaring Home Balloon took to the streets of Manteno in the city’s Oktoberfest Parade in front of thousands of attendees. RE/MAX 10 In the Park’s Amelia Bodie sponsored the appearance of the balloon in addition to a flyover of the Manteno area.
The city of Harvard held the inaugural Harvard Balloon Festival Labor Day weekend, Friday, September 2 through Sunday, September 4 with the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon taking part in the festivities. The sold out event featured balloon glows and flights taking off from Harvard’s Milky Way Park. Harvard area nonprofits received 75% of the proceeds from the event.
The red, white and blue was aglow in the Quad Cities over September 2325 at the Quad Cities Balloon Fest in East Moline. The annual event attracts thousands to watch the group of hot air balloons tether and take off from the Rock Island County Fairgrounds with the RE/MAX balloon on display every year.
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In Memoriam
John Spillane RE/MAX in the Village
John Spillane, RE/MAX in the Village of Oak Park passed away age 52 on October 2, 2016. A funeral Mass celebrating his life was held earlier this month at Ascension Church in Oak Park, the suburb where he had spent his entire life. John joined the RE/MAX in the Village office in 2007, prior to which he was already known as a successful Realtor and builder. He was inducted into the RE/MAX Hall of Fame, and for his selling prowess, he also gained membership into the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prestigious sales clubs.
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