'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, and the market was lax

Real estate agents were busy, especially at RE/MAX.

For Sale Signs were hanging in their red, white, and blue

And agents were busy writing contracts for homes old and new.

The past clients of 09 were nestled all snug in their new beds,

While visions of tax credits danced in their heads.

And Stacey wearing her balloon pin, and Andy in his blue suit,

Started working the phones to find the next new recruit.

When down in the lobby there arose such a clatter,

We sprang from our desks to see what was the matter.

Away to the window Andy flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters to see it was snowing green cash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen dough

It was a gift from the government in the form of tax credits and rates so low.

When, in the parking lot out back to our wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With no driver in sight, and a fluffy red suit on the seat,

Andy changed into the red suit and was steering into the air in a heartbeat.

He flew about town distributing materials on the tax credit and rates,

But he knew he’d need help because buyers and sellers shouldn’t wait.

"Now, Shirley! Now, Amsi! Now, Kevin and Dan!

To NH, please Roberta! And Paula! And, Kerry and Pam!”

Western MA needed to hear this so he called all his elves
Including The King Group, Art, Tom, and John W as well

“Now, Sherry! Now, Gwen! Now Sara and Genie!
We must spread the word..from here to Buffini!”

Methuen was new, but the town needed to hear,
So Andy called more agents to help spread the good cheer.

“Yanelys, Michelle, Grace and Jenn too!”
Summoning his agents…through the sky Andy flew.

Tewksbury to Billerica, Derek, John, Claudette and Patsy too,
Every single agent was needed, not just a few.

From Joan and Barb in Westford to Dracut and Team Barrett,
The market was so good…Andy needed every agent to share it.

Mark T and Team Groton…DP and his team of five,
All 187 agents were needed and the COFI staff to thrive.

To the tip of the state! And a visit to every town!

Andy needed help! So he picked up Stacey…still in her hospital gown!

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they met with any obstacle, they’d mount to the sky.

So up to every house the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of pamphlets, on the tax credit and short sales too.

As the twilight of Christmas began to shine,

Andy and Stacey were tired but new they’d be fine.

Their agents had come out, all 187 plus staff,
To work through the evening to educate the mass.

Andy’s eyes -- how they twinkled! His smile how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And his hair was all curly with some white as the snow.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

On back to Chelmsford Andy steered the sled.

He spoke not a word, his job was done,

For agents, buyer, and sellers… year 2010 would be a good one.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, into the parking lot he drove.

He sprang from his sleigh, to his team of agents he gave a whistle,

And away to their homes they went like the down of a thistle.

But I heard Andy exclaim, as the RE/MAX agents drove out of sight,

"Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good-night.”

Happy Holidays to You and Your Families
- Stacey Alcorn & Andrew Armata
RE/MAX Prestige

A HAPPY HOLIDAY WEEK!!!

Above is a photo of Team Pelham - taken at Meadowcreek Golf Club last Thursday)

This week was one of those fun-filled weeks where the offices were filled with holiday spirit. The Chelmsford office is filled with holiday gifts for the 25 local families our agents adopted for the holidays. As well, we welcomed the holidays in this week with two fun packed parties. On Wednesday we had a catered luncheon at the East Longmeadow office for all of the agents in Western, MA. The office was standing room only as we shared good cheer and all participated in a Yankee Swap. Of course, no holiday party could be complete without some home baked snacks from Christine..our Wilbraham administrator. Her rum cake was to die for!

On Thursday we celebrated the holidays with an afternoon cocktail party at Meadowcreek Golf Club in Dracut where about 120 of our local Eastern MA agents stopped in to share in the holiday spirit. The highlite of this party was Andrew's speech where he recognized the many past RE/MAX owners who now work at our firm and who have formed the foundation of our company. In traditional RE/MAX style we also had an aggressive Yankee Swap where no holds were barred in swapping gifts.

It's been an awesome year in real estate....a year that we wall needed after the challenges we've been through. We all get so busy in our lives and our businesses but during these brief holiday get togethers you really get to sit back and say "Wow...these people really are family...and there's no place I'd rather be than RE/MAX Prestige."

ANOTHER ONE JOINED.....

RE/MAX Prestige is very excited to announce the newest addition to our RE/MAX Family. My daughter, Oshyn Catherine McHugh was born on Friday, December 11, 2009. Sometimes we have to call and email and meet several times with the best in the industry before they join our firm...and sometimes they're just Born to be RE/MAX.

If you're interested in evaluating your career for 2010 please email or call me for a confidential interview.

20 Reasons to list during the Holidays

1.) Rates are averaging under 5%, the lowest in years. There's no telling how long rates will last this low.

2.) There is less competition for buyers.

3.) Winter prospects are more serious buyers.

4.) Your home looks better during the holidays.

5.) One of the highest percentages of "the listing sold" to "listing taken" occur during this time of year.

6.) You may receive more money for your home now because you have less competition.

7.) Throughout the holiday season, you may restrict showings during your personal family events.

8.) Buyers have more time to look at homes during the holidays, especially during vacations.

9.) January is traditionally the biggest transfer month and you must be on the market to capture that market.

10.) By selling now you can have a delayed closing or extended occupancy until the beginning of the following year if you want it.

11.) When you sell during the winter you have an opportunity to buy during the spring, when many homes are on the market.

12.) You may have fewer actual showings, but more qualified and motivated prospects.

13.) Corporate transfers, who need to buy a home now, can't wait until spring.

14.) If you purchased your home at the peak of pricing and need to sell because of loss of a job or a job transfer, banks are working with homeowners to allow a short sale so you can sell your home with far less impact to your credit than if you lost it to foreclosure. Undoubtedly with less listing inventory in the winter, short sales will get processed faster by the lenders.

15.) Homeowners who have owned and lived in their principal residence for five consecutive years within the past eight years may also qualify for a new tax credit of up to $6,500 under the recently signed qualified homeowner tax credit.

16.) If you're selling this home and buying another, there's a 1 in 4 chance that the home you are looking to buy is in a short sale position. By starting the selling/buying process now you can rest assured that you will close early in the new year, long before potential tax credits can run out for you or the buyers of your home.

17.) If your home no longer suits the needs of your family, you can sell it now for less than you might hope for, however selling now will enable you to buy a more suitable home at a great price, to lock in low interest rates and to ride the market up in a home, which fits your current needs better.

18.) A recession is a natural selection process, which weeds out contractors, lenders, appraisers and Realtors who are not highly skilled in their fields. The people you deal with in a real estate transaction at this time are much more likely to be professional and skilled at what they do than in a boom market.

19.) The current and extended first-time homeowner tax credit allowed incredible numbers of first-time buyers the chance to get into their own home and get $8,000 back in tax credits. Many of these first time buyers are looking for their home now, not wanting to risk that they won't have a property under agreement by the April 30th deadline.

20.) Curb Appeal. If your landscape and lawn isn't that great, breathe a sigh of relief that no one else's is this time of year, either. Add seasonal color, a wreath, perhaps some decorations.

Let's Talk Turkey!

Thank you to RE/MAX Prestige and George's Automotive. Together we supplied Thanksgiving dinners to more than 50 local DSS families!! Many agents put together their own Thanksgiving baskets to donate last week and for the many that donated money we worked with Shaws where they boxed up complete dinners including turkeys, pies, and all of the fixings. With the holidays approaching RE/MAX Prestige has also committed to helping 25 DSS families for the holidays. If you're interested in a Christmas wish list for a local family please email salcorn@remaxprestige.com. We appreciate your holiday support! Keep up the great work!

RE/MAX Prestige in Methuen Holiday Parade

Check out TEAM RE/MAX PRESTIGE as we make our way down the streets of Metheun in the annual holiday parade! You couldn't miss our crew with the RE/MAX PT Cruiser and the RE/MAX balloonman marching beside us. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon for a parade and our unbeleivable team gave out over 1200 candycanes! What a great afternoon of spreading holiday cheer!

All I Want for Christmas....

Is a new house! At RE/MAX Prestige, we LOVE it when agents think outside the box. That's why we were so impressed when Team Fulford (Malcolm and Roberta Fulford) from our Pelham, NH office took the liberty of renting a kiosk at the local mall for the holiday season! With the extension of the tax credit, there's no better time than now to buy or upgrade a home. What better way to meet and greet the masses than distributing important tax credit and home buying information at the mall during the holidays. Kudos to Team Fulford for a job well done!

Welcome to Methuen - RE/MAX Prestige!

The merger of two long-established real estate firms in the Merrimack Valley area has further strengthened the Re/Max organization in that segment of Essex and Middlesex County Real Estate market. The merger involved the acquisition of Re/Max Preferred of Methuen, one of the pioneer RE/MAX offices in New England which has been in business for twenty five years, by Re/Max Prestige with offices in Chelmsford, Dracut, Billerica, Tewksbury, Pelham, Tyngsboro, Groton, and Westford, as well as two offices in Western Massachusetts in Wilbraham and East Longmeadow.

"Given the strength of the Re/Max brand in our area, we're very excited about the prospect of expanding further into the Methuen Market" said Andrew Armata, who along with his partner, Stacey Alcorn, acquired the Methuen office of Re/Max Preferred in November. The Prestige Lawrence office has been merged into the Re/Max office in Methuen and will now host more agents and continue operating under the Re/Max Prestige name.

Armata noted that even with existing offices in eight surrounding towns, the idea of adding a Methuen location was quite attractive. "People like doing business with a real estate firm that has an office in their community, so even though the current business environment is not one that makes it easy to expand, we felt it was an opportunity we should not pass up. It gives us top franchise marketshare in both Methuen and Lawrence as well as additional marketshare in Haverhill, North Andover, and Salem NH, he said.


Armata noted that the Prestige office is also perfectly located because, like his other Merrimack Valley offices it offers great opportunity for further expansion up both the Route 93 and Route 495 Corridors. "The multiple offices throughout MA & NH really offers both our agents and customers a lot of convenience," Armata said.

RE/MAX Prestige now has approximately 200 agents and is the largest RE/MAX office in New England. As well, the firm in total is expected to come in number five in unit sales for all real estate offices in Massachusetts for 2009.

Happy Halloween!

It just wouldn't be Halloween unless someone shows up to work this week in a cape and tights. In the Spirit of Halloween we are once again having our yearly Halloween costume contest. Any agent or staff member that comes to the office in costume either today, tomorrow, or on Halloween will be entered into our contest. We will need a photo of the costume emailed to Andy and I by Sunday morning. We have an independent staff of three judges who will determine the costume contest winners on Monday!

Prizes:
1st Place - $200 Gift Certificate to Merrill - the RE/MAX Approved Supplier
2nd Place - $100 Gift Certificate to Home Depot
3rd Place - $50 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com

Check out this Design Center Video for Some Ghosts of Years Past! http://odc.remax.imprev.net/tmp/70/45070/443529/

We look forward to some hauntingly creative costumes.... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Destination Success!

HOP ON OUR BUS!

Mark your calendars!!! The RE/MAX Prestige Sales Rally will be held on October 14th (Tewksbury Holiday Inn) and October 21st (Wilbraham office) from 10am- Noon.

Are you ready to change your life?

Then you need to hop on our Energy Bus! At this month's meeting we will be discussing an unbelievable book called The Energy Bus written by Jon Gordon. There will be tons of AWESOME content at the October rally but for an EXTRA dose of inspiration we encourage you to check out The Energy Bus in advance. CLICK HERE to order your copy. We look forward to seeing you in October!

About the Book:
In the mode of other best selling business fables The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon, takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment - at work and at home. Everyone faces challenges. And every person,
organization, company and team will have to overcome negativity and adversity to define themselves and create their success. No one goes through life untested and the answer to these tests is positive energy—the kind of positive energy consisting of vision, trust, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, and spirit that defines great leaders and their teams. Drawing upon his experience and work with thousands of leaders, sales professionals, teams, non-profit organizations, schools, and athletes, Gordon infuses this engaging story with keen insights, actionable strategies and a big dose of positive infectious energy. For managers and team leaders or anyone looking to turn negative energy into positive achievement The Energy Bus provides a powerful roadmap to overcome common life and work obstacles and bring out the best in yourself and your team. When you get on The Energy Bus you’ll enjoy
the ride of your life!

"If you want to fuel your family, your career, your team, and your organization with spirit,read this book. Jon’s energy and advice will leap off the page and help you cultivate positive energy in everything you do—and you will make the world a better place for your having been here. Thanks, Jon, for pumping us up and making sure we get on the right bus."
- Ken Blanchard, Co-author of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level

“Jon Gordon provides a clear roadmap to navigate the negativity and pit falls that too often sabotage individual and team success... ”
- Tom Gegax, founder of Tires Plus and author of The Big Book of Small Business

"The world would be a much better place if we all focused on being positive. Jon is the“Pastor of Positive Energy" and I'm one of his believers."
- Danny Gans, Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year

Tax Credit Coming To an End

With 73 days left until the tax credit expires our agents are working diligently on several fronts to help as many buyers as possible. On the one hand our agents are doing their part to petition Congress to extend the tax credit. On the other hand, they are working feverishly to help buyers find the home of their dreams in the next few weeks. Right now it takes an average buyer approximately 45 days to secure financing on a home. This means that a buyer that wants to take advantage of the tax credit really needs to have a home under agreement in the next two to three weeks. As well, we are advising buyers that now is not the time to buy a distressed property which will require short sale negotiation because there is certainly no guarantee that the short sale will be negotiated in less then 2.5 months. The best we can do is work hard to fufill the needs of every last homebuyer out there while at the same time taking precautions to make sure these transactions close on time so that nobody loses out on the tax credit.

Got SWAT?

Can you believe it's almost September! Summer is over and that means RE/MAX Prestige will be once again hosting our monthly MARKETING S.W.A.T. (Still Without A Taker) TEAM tour to help each other sell listings. How this approach works is that if you have a listing that's been on the market for more than 60 days and you need ideas on how to make it more saleable you can put it on the SWAT list. On Friday, September 4th everyone with a home on the SWAT tour will go on a tour to view the homes. The tour will take place from 9am-12:30. This is not just a caravan! This is a TLC (Troubled Listing Caravan) approach to giving constructive feedback. We have a TLC Tour Analysis sheet that each agent will be required to complete after viewing each home. This is so that the listing agent will have concrete feedback on how to get the house sold. The tour meets at 9:00am at the first house. You will receive the Tour Analysis Sheets for each property on the day of the tour. The tour will be followed by a half hour marketing de-briefing where we can exchange verbal feedback about each listing.

EMAIL ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR PROPERTY INCLUDED ON THE SEPTEMBER TOUR!

THE RULES:
1. To qualify, the property must be recognized as aged. That means it must have been on the market at least 60 days.
2. The tour spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
3. Each agent can only have one property on the tour.
4. If you have a property on the SWAT tour... YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE TO GO INTO EVERY HOME ON THE TOUR.
5. If a property is in an area that is too distant, we reserve the right to not include it in the SWAT tour.

We think this is a great way for us to leverage the expertise within our marketplace.

It's a good life!

Chicago Update

Andy and I are excited to be back from the Broker/Owner conference in Chicago. We are diligently working with our team to put together some good information to share with you all. Much of this will be presented at our upcoming Sales Rallies in September. My favorite piece from the event was the new RE/MAX video entitled DID YOU KNOW? Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/remaxintl then post it to your email signature lines, your Facebook pages, and your websites. It's good information to share with buyers and sellers alike.

In addition to the conference, Andy and I had the great pleasure of attending the RE/MAX International Broker Strategy Task Force which consists of the top 55 RE/MAX brokerages across the country. In our meetings we met with Dave Liniger, Gail Liniger, Margaret Kelly, and other top executives to talk about the state of our market and the challenges our agents face every day. Andy and I are privileged to be part of this elite group and we admire the time and effort that our top management team at RE/MAX has dedicated to making RE/MAX the #1 real estate firm in the country. Attending these meetings has helped us gain insight on how to become better brokers and managers. As well, they have given us the opportunity to share our feedback and industry knowledge in order to help our RE/MAX family grow and prosper around the world.

Obviously the distressed real estate market continues to play an important role in all of our lives. We learned that in the past 12 months, agents with the CDPE designation closed an average of 25 transaction sides, more than double that of the average RE/MAX agent and quadruple that of any real estate agent. For this reason we look forward to watching more of our agents attain this important designation in the coming months. In fact, we have been working with the region to bring Alex Chafrin and the CDPE training program right to Massachusetts at a price discounted for our agents. We will be sending out detailed information on this event in the coming week.

This morning, RE/MAX International sent you a quick recap of this week's conference. Please take a moment to read the story below as I truly feel there is information that will help you with your business plan for the coming year.

Liniger in Chicago: 'Demand Will Come'

By George White, RE/MAX Times Managing Editor

CHICAGO - Demand built on demographics and population – rather than questionable lending policies – will spark the next wave of strong home sales in the U.S., Dave Liniger told nearly 700 Affiliates at the 2009 RE/MAX Summer Conference for Broker/Owners and Managers on Monday.

The confluence of two massive population groups – 80 million Baby Boomers born from 1946-1964 and 74 million Millennials born from 1980-1995 – will fuel a huge increase in transactions from 2012 onward, the RE/MAX International Chairman and Co-Founder said at the conference's Opening General Session. Immigration and minority household trends will add to the upturn, he noted.

As the Millennials, who are 15-29 now, reach their prime homebuying years – the average first-time buyer is 33, though that number appears to be trending downward – the Baby Boomers will be selling and downsizing. The rise in demand will drive the market upward, Liniger said.

"Very good years are coming," he said, adding that RE/MAX International – through technology, training, social media and other initiatives – will help Broker/Owners and Associates connect with these consumers.

Being successful today
For the time being, though, local markets will stay as they are, Liniger said. In fact, unemployment and a second wave of foreclosures in 2010 and 2011 are likely to make things worse before they get better. He urged Broker/Owners to help their Sales Associates close transactions through distressed properties, REOs, first-time homebuyers and investors. His constant theme: Affiliates cannot sit back and wait for a quick turnaround – because it's not coming.

"I'm not negative; I'm realistic," he said. "If you're not realistic, you can't make the adjustments you need to make in order to survive and prosper."

Liniger said RE/MAX leaders have met many times with key lenders and government officials to push for foreclosure solutions and a standardized and streamlined short-sale process.

He also called the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) course the best training he's ever encountered. More than 6,000 RE/MAX Associates have earned the designation, he said, and others should consider it.

"Short sales are the key for the next 18-24 months. Our people must be trained to handle them," he said, noting that true recovery simply isn't possible until the foreclosure problem is solved.

The smartest place to be
RE/MAX continues to be the best network for top agents, Liniger said. Its unmatched technology, brand name awareness, training, market share and advertising provide significant competitive advantages for Broker/Owners and Sales Associates.

Liniger also thanked Affiliates for their enduring support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and children's hospitals, noting that RE/MAX will soon reach the $100 million mark in Children's Miracle Network contributions.

Rousing life lessons
Following Liniger's address, former Notre Dame and NFL star Joe Theismann explained how he has approached life since his football career ended suddenly – his leg was broken on national TV – in 1985. He drew parallels between his adversity and the real estate industry's current struggles.

"We all face obstacles and hurdles; the test is what you do about them," Theismann said. "Real champions don't stay down. They figure out what to do, and then they do it. Why is RE/MAX where it is? Because they reject the idea of failing."

I hope you enjoyed this article and have taken away information that will help improve your business.

Summer Scoop!

RE/MAX Continues to Dominate in TV Advertising
Throughout the month, RE/MAX spots will air during original cable programming such as “Good Eats,” “In Plain Sight,” “Ice Road Truckers,” “Deadliest Catch,” and “Monk.” This is in addition to rebroadcasts of primetime hits like “NCIS” and “CSI: Miami.”

RE/MAX also directly targets the real estate demographic with ads running during “Flip This House,” “Hidden Potential,” “Real Estate Confidential,” “Smart Tips,” and “Sweat Equity.”

Theschedule is available as a download on RE/MAX Mainstreet and this is a great way to demonstrate to sellers the RE/MAX exposure each listing will receive on REMAX.com as a result of our continued strength as a top real estate advertiser.

A Little Break for a Busy Crew!

This week, RE/MAX Prestige agents enjoyed a company outing to Foxwoods. The bus picked us up at seven o'clock and brought us to Connecticut for a day of fun. The best part of the day was the luncheon at the Stadium Grill. We got to let our hair down and take a deep breath from all of the hard work we've been putting in through the first half of the year. Our motto at RE/MAX Prestige is that we work hard so that we can play hard. Thanks RE/MAX for a great day of fun.

Curbside Connection - 24/7 Info on ANY HOME from ANY PHONE

This week marked the unveiling of our new Curbide Connection program. You'll see all the RE/MAX Prestige For Sale signs across the state with new sign riders promoting this unbelievable program. Under the Curbside Connection program callers can call our easy to remember numbers and get detailed information about any home listed on the market by any firm! Callers do not need to download complicated web based applications to their phones and ANY cell phone will work. Simply call the number and type in the property address. It's easy as 1,2,3! Our sellers love the reports that our agents are generating and buyers are loving the ease of use. RE/MAX Prestige.... once again standing out in front of technology!

Time Management

This week we were excited to announce the publication of the first book in our Real Estate Playbook Series: The Playbook to Healthy Time Management. We spent the past year working on this piece in order to memorialize strategic time management skills for real estate agents so that they can increase their efficiency on the job while protecting their precious time for friends and loved ones. When we coach our agents to be the best that they can be, we believe in coaching them to live well rounded lives. Life is not all about work. Our agents are passionate about real estate and they are thriving in this market but by utilizing the skills outlined in this book they can have the best of both worlds.... a great career and a great family life. CLICK HERE to find our book on Amazon.com. As always, we appreciate your feedback.

Certified Distressed Property Experts

While many have already started their long weekend, one group of dedicated RE/MAX agents is just finishing up their final class for the Certified Distressed Property Expert course. Christina Lazrak, Ann Marie Duross, Deb Malone, John Bielefeld, Natasha Carter, Jon Crandall, Malcolm Fulford, Maria Silva, and owners Stacey Alcorn & Andrew Armata, just completed a three day program learning how to help homeowners who are in a distressed property situation. In today's market and economic climate as many as two out of every four home owners find themselves in a distressed real estate situation where they can no longer afford mortgage payments and/or they owe far more on their property then it's worth. The intense CDPE program detailed for these agents exactly how to work with lenders and home owners in order to successfully negotiate a short sale or help people modify their mortgage contracts. The lender short sale process is complicated, time consuming, and difficult to manage for those that have not participated in expert training. These agents are now poised to help the thousands of homeowners in our market who are in need of expert advise on how to successfully negotiate with lenders to get properties sold quickly and hassle free. Other agents who recently became Certified Distressed Property Experts include Kristen McKenna, Mary Alcorn, and Roger Martin.

On The Grow

Over the past two weeks there have been all kinds of great announcements at RE/MAX Prestige regarding the addition of three new offices. We are very excited to announce that RE/MAX Colonial of Groton became part of our team adding 17 new associates and number one market share in Groton and surrounding towns. With the merger of RE/MAX Colonial RE/MAX Prestige became the largest RE/MAX office in New England. As well, we announced the purchase of RE/MAX Teamwork with offices in Wilbraham and East Longmeadow. With this merger we were excited to have more then 40 new team members join our firm. As well, we were very excited to venture into a whole new part of the state. These three new locations make RE/MAX Prestige the 5th largest real estate firm in Massachusetts as we anticipate closing approximately $500 Million in transactions in 2009. We are very excited about these new developments. The market is hot hot hot as buyers are seizing the opportunities available in the marketplace. It's tough to say for sure if the real estate market is bouncing back but all indicators are pointing to yes.

Real Estate is Like Life

Real Estate is like life... there are ups... there are downs... and most of the time it's just steady living, working, and being. This past week, RE/MAX Prestige has had it's share of highs and lows. We enjoyed a fantastic St. Pattys Day as most of our office descended upon Boston for the annual RE/MAX Awards gala. It was truly awesome. The Lazrak Duross team accepted the prestigious Chairmans Club honor, one of only 14 teams in New England to achieve such status. As well, Dan O'Connell, Jim Dolliver, and Dennis Page, accepted the prestigious Platinum Club award. Dan O'Connell and Dennis Page were recognized for the Lifetime Achievement award and Kevin Durkin for the RE/MAX Hall of Fame. We also had 37 other agents accepting awards at this occassion.

Tragedy struck our RE/MAX family this week when our own Michelle Rivera lost her teenage son suddenly. It was heart breaking news and our prayers are with her family during this time. It was amazing to see the Prestige family rally support for Michelle offering to do anything they could do ease the pain.

As we were all realing from the tragedy, a bit of sunsine emerged, when Jenn Davis announced the arrival of her new son, Jacob.

Tragedy and triumph.... real estate really is like life.

What Happens In Vegas....

Last week, Andy and I were in Las Vegas at the 2009 RE/MAX International Convention where we had the opportunity to learn from some of the best speakers in the country. The two most memorable keynotes were from Chris Gardner and Howard Britton. All were moved by Chris Gardner's story of perseverance and triumph in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness and he's even more amazing in person. Ask, believe, NEVER give up, then receive...was the powerful message he eloquently delivered on Tuesday. Real estate coach, and owner of Star Power Systems, Howard Britton's message was concise, "Don't just learn to weather the storm... you must learn to take off your shoes and dance in the rain!" Howard featured agents that are thriving in this market, earning more then previous years. What are the traits of such successful agents? According to Howard the 10 Traits of agents thriving in this market are:

1. They create their own happiness. Most embrace positive affirmations regularly.
2. Like Sully, the heroic pilot who landed his plane in the Hudson, successful agents have great attitudes and rather then panic at the changing market, they calmly and swiftly seek solutions.
3. Typically they are spending 70% of their time prospecting.
4. They apply the mentor learning model - they learn from others.
5. They use scripts… if you’re not selling a lot of real estate you’re not using good scripts.
6. They work every lead by constantly and aggressively following up until told to stop.
7. They call their database for buyers and ask "Who is the next person you know that is going to move?"
8. They are being seen – attending more public events.
9. They are embracing social networking to make deeper connections.
10. They are frank with their sellers.

We spent three days accumulating powerful tools for agents to utilize in their businesses. We look forward to putting this knowledge to good use. Make sure you come to our monthly sales rally on Wednesday, March 11th, where we will unveil new tools and announce exciting changes that will help you excel in your business.

A Day of Celebration

March 17th RE/MAX agents from across New England will gather for a fabulous day of celebration in Boston at the annual RE/MAX Awards Gala. This is truly an exciting day because RE/MAX Prestige will be taking home tons of awards. We are proud of our agents and proud of our career development staff because this list of award winners not only demonstrates that we have career driven agents who will persevere no matter what the market brings, but it also proves that the training, education, and continuing career development we bring to our agents works. While most offices are cutting back resources we continue to put funds back into the career training programs at our offices. Our per agent production exceeds any office in the marketplace and our agents are proving day in and day out, they are simply the best. Here is a recap of the 2008 award winners. If you're interested in joining us for the awards gala please email Stacey at salcorn@remaxprestige.com. We'd love to have you celebrate success with us on March 17th. Congratulations to Dan O'Connell, Team Dennis Page, Team Joe Zingales Team Jim Dolliver, Nancy Rogers, Bob Barcelos, Julie Duran, Tuyet Tu, Christina Lazrak & Ann Marie Duross, Derek Amato, John Hughes, Len Lochrie, Barbara Miller, Joan Morrison & Barb Dwyer, Angela Zhang, Jon Crandall, Kevin Durkin, Deb Malone, Bryan Perreira, Jim Serino, Ed Bisson, Nina bisson, Kevin Gettings, Kerry Nicolls, Ed Rosamilio, Paula Rosamilio, Meghan Maraghy, Amsi Morales, Pat Courtney, Matt Milonopoulos, Dave Nicholaou, Diane Lareau, Dianne Raymond, Patsy Chinchillo, Brian Kasprzyk

RE/MAX and Boston Celtics Promote Home Court Contest

Now in it's fourth year, the RE/MAX Home Court programs makes dreams come true for three New England families. The winners receive a driveway resealing and painting of the Celtics logo, Basket sanction, backboard, net, portable electronic scoreboard, ball rack, basketballs, team apparel and the NEWEST feature, a bedroom makeover! The winner will also participate in a basketball clinic in their hometown, hosted by a Celtics Player and/or Legend. If you know of anyone who wishes to enter go to http://www.nba.com/celtics/promotions/home-court.html

RE/MAX Prestige Using New Software to Promote Listings

We are always looking for new ways to promote our listings and now, more then ever, it's important that we concentrate on drawing web traffic to our listings. That is why we are very excited to embrace a new technology known as Animoto, which has the ability to take still camera shots and meshing them together into an exciting video. Here's a couple I recently put together using photos that depict what it means to work at RE/MAX Prestige : http://animoto.com/play/JeyL3HVDnxQDcTdMYsEfxg?from=share. When it comes to technology in real estate... there's nobody more advanced then RE/MAX Prestige!

Agent Appreciation Party was a SUCCESS!

Last night marked the 2009 RE/MAX Prestige Agent Appreciation Celebration at the Wyndham in Andover. More then 80 guests attended the evening which was complete with a great dinner, socializing, and dancing. Highlights of the night included a speach by owner, Andrew Armata, where he thanked the families, significant others, and spouses of our agents for their support throughout the year and where he gave a special tribute to the Creators of First Impressions who are such an important part of the organization. The fun continued when DJ Mark held a musical chair competition and trivia contest. As owner, Andrew Armata noted, it's much easier to get through these challenging economic times when you wake up everyday and get to work with people whom you consider family.

GREAT NEWS ABOUT TAX INCENTIVE FOR FT BUYERS

Yesterday I had a great meeting with an accountant from a highly recommended accounting firm in Dracut. We were speaking about the new Federal Tax Incentive for first time home buyers and he shared with me information which I was not aware of.

Let's say you are a buyer who qualifies for the tax incentive of $7500 (that's a cash refund in hand) and let's say that you know you're going to buy something by July 1st of this year. You can choose to file an extension for your 2007 taxes so that if you close after April 15th you can still get the $7500 tax refund using your 2007 tax return. You do NOT have to wait until next year to get the credit!

The only way you can get the credit right away is if you file your 2007 tax return after purchasing the home. If you are purchasing the home between April 15th and July 1st (which is when the tax incentive is gone) then you will have to file a tax extension.

What else you need to know about the tax credit:
The tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only.
The maximum credit amount is $7,500.
The credit is available for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and beforeJuly 1, 2009.
Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
The tax credit works like an interest-free loan and must be repaid over a 15-year period.

As always, please seek professional help from a cpa before doing this.

Agent Appreciation Dinner January 23rd

To thank our agents for their hard work, loyalty, and dedication through a challenging 2008, Andrew and Stacey will be hosting an evening of great food, dancing, and reminiscing as we welcome 2009. Spouses and significant others are welcome. Cash bar - Dancing - Full Entree dinner. January 23rd at the Wyndham in Andover 6pm.

We Believe In Miracles

Andy and I wanted to say THANK YOU for the gracious charitable contributions RE/MAX Prestige agents made this year. In 2008, RE/MAX Prestige agents contributed $6210 to Children's Miracle Network and $1125 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and we mailed out more than 180 honor cards to buyers and sellers. Furthermore, we provided Thanksgiving dinners to 25 local DSS families... and provided holiday gifts for 25 families. This is in addition to the many charity sponsorships we participated in throughout the year, including 11 RE/MAX Prestige hot air balloon events which raised approximately $4500 for other local charities, as well as the Walk for Tony event which raised more then $5000 for The American Cancer Society.

Let's keep making miracles happen for children and families across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2009. Keep up the great work, Team!

Our Do NOT do List for 2009!

So 2009 has arrived and all of us have spent some time putting together a resolution list. Andy and I sat down recently to discuss our resolutions for our companies and there were too many to list! We have so many goals we expect to achieve this year with regard to helping our agents increase business and work more efficiently so they can have more time with their families. When we looked at our resolution list we were a bit anxious about everything we had put on our plate. Then someone told us that we should make a Do NOT do list for 2009 instead of a TO DO list for 2009. So... here's a glimpse of our Do NOT do List for the New Year...

1. We will NOT allow even one agent or loan officer at our companies feel as though it is impossible to meet their dreams or goals.
2. We will NOT set unrealistic goals or expectations for our companies or for ourselves.
3. We will NOT become complacent in our businesses or in our lives.
4. We will NOT take our agents, our staff, our loan originators, or the clients that serve us all for granted.
5. We will NOT forget that this real estate market will pass... and so will the next really good one.

This is just a few of the items from our Do NOT do list for 2009. If you're finding that your resolution list is a bit too long, try this list instead.

Happy New Year!

Live Rich in '09

I hope you had a joyful holiday season and New Years. If you're like me, you spent some time these last few weeks composing a list of resolutions and planning a strategy for accomplishing your list in 2009. While I was enjoying this process I came across an article about New Years resolutions which I found extremely valuable and I wanted to share it with everyone. I hope 2009 finds you and your family healthy, wealthy, and well. To read this great article go to http://www.livingorsurviving.com/happiness-in-2009/