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/