We finally got a decent amount of snow in the Pocono’s it brought back memories of growing up in the Pocono’s. However the snow that we got in my past was much more then we have seen in the last few years. I remember walking through snow that was up to my waste sometimes up to my neck it was awesome. We built many snow men some were extremely large. We didn’t have a day off from school because of the snow we sometimes had a week off from school. Roads would be closed. This was snow in the Pocono’s.

The last Pocono snow fall, I got together with my friend and the Broker of Century 21 Select Group in the Pocono’s Maggie and our three grandchildren and Dog Bear we played in the snow all day. We all had a great day sledding, building snowmen and just playing in the snow.

I enjoy the snow “but” I am now ready for the change of season it will be great to see the first sign of spring in the Pocono’s.

It’s tangible, it’s solid, it’s beautiful. It’s artistic, from my standpoint, and I just love real estate.
Donald Trump -

CENTURY 21 Select Group hosted their Annual Awards Luncheon at the Lake Naomi Clubhouse Restaurant to celebrate the achievements of their agents in 2009.  It was a tough year in the real estate market and Maggie Flartey-Kaminski spoke of the resilience and strength of their agents who weathered the storm.  More than 25 agents were recognized for increases in production from 2008, an outstanding fete considering the down market.  In addition to the individuals who exceeded their prior production of 2008, the Hazleton Branch and the Brodheadsville Branch were recognized for increased production in 2009 over  2008. 

The individual award winners included Dot Gallagher, Pocono Lake – Top Listing Units Agent, Daniel Seip, Blakeslee – Top Closed Units Agent and Buddy Vail, Hawley, Top Closed Volume.  Janet Pottieger, Blakeslee – Top Referral Agent.  Team Van Hine was recognized as the top Listing Units Team.   Rose Sawyer was recognized for earning her Associate Broker license.  Hope Fogarty and Neal Van Hine were recognized for earning their Accredited Buyer Representation Designation. 

Maggie Flartey-Kaminski added, “The strength of our company is reflected in the achievements of our members.  All of the owners of Select Group are so proud of their associates whose sincerity, hard work and integrity allow the company to remain a leader in the Pocono Real Estate market and the real estate industry. ”

Vince Caputo of Century21 Select Group of Broadheadsville is embarking on a state of the art way to reach out to new clients and the community at large beginning February 11^th and every Thursday night there after with the airing of ?Pocono Homes Live? via the internet. Vince will host the LIVE call in show which begins at 7:00 PM. The hour and one half hour weekly presentation will combine live call in customers and online text chat panels giving all participants the opportunity to ask questions about area real estate issues or possibly building on a new buyer/seller/realtor relationship.

The communication between Vince and all new clients will be predicated on abiding with all Real Estate laws and required Consumer Notices and also be restricted to those who are not already working with a realtor. With that said, even those customers of other realtors can call in to obtain very general and non-specific answers to questions.

Vince will also have a guest speaker each week from area businesses who?s services closely relate to home ownership and maintenance. The guests will cover various topics including security, home renovation tips, energy conservation and mortgage and financing questions. The website can be accessed at 6:55 PM on Thursday evenings at

http://www.stickam.com/poconohomeslive 

 The live broadcast will begin promptly at 7PM. Feel free to log in at 

http://www.Stickam.com

 Anytime prior to the broadcast to obtain a FREE user screen name should you wish to use the online chat panels.  

( PA Lic# RS311561)

 BLAKESLEE, PA : Sharon Ruggiero celebrated 25 years
with CENTURY 21. She was honored with a surprise party at the Blakeslee
office. Sharon started out as “OUR GAL FRIDAY” and did it all from front
desk, assigning leads, typing (ha ha) contracts and leases, bookkeeping and
receptionist. She recalls lugging in firewood to keep our woodstove going.
And she laughed about the “typing test” she had to take to get the job.
Sharon has been a loyal and hardworking employee over the years and there is
no way to truly thank her for all she does. Now she manages the accounting
for Blakeslee, Lake Harmony, Hazleton and Brodheadsville. Plus she is a
Super Relocation Director for our Relo Department for Select Group.

Sharon came on board when she was 18. We shared in celebrating her marriage
and birth of her two children Dylan and Cheyanne who are now 16 and 11. Boy
does time fly.

Congratulations to a great woman and a wonderful employee.

Brian McCardle, manager of the Hazleton branch stopped in to celebrate with
Sharon as they both started with the company around the same time. So we
gave him a little celebration too and crowned him.

 There are four steps to achieving this designation. 

1.        Successful completion of the two-day Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course, including an 80 percent passing grade on the exam. 

2.        Successful completion of one of the ABR® elective courses, including an 80 percent passing grade on the exam.

3.        Documentation verifying five (5) completed transactions in which the ABR® candidate acted as a buyer’s representative. 

4.        Membership in good standing in the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) and the National Association of REALTORS®.

Hope has been affiliated with the Blakeslee office  since May of 2008 after a brief affiliation with a local independent. 

 ”I am truly proud of Neal’s accomplishments with our company. His honesty, integrity and hard work are evident in his level of success with our company. Gaining her ABR is another step in building a highly successful career with us.” said Maggie Flartey-Kaminski, Broker Owner

Some major changes have been incorporated into a new PAR Standard Agreement for the Sale of Real Estate (ASR) which will be available later this year.

Last updated in 2005, the new Agreement of Sale includes:

• Expanded and reorganized broker blocks which have been changed for clarity and ease of use
• Updated mortgage contingency paragraph to include an appraisal contingency clause
• Changed format for handling inspections to include more inspection contingencies and allow for a variety of circumstance
• Reduced default time for inspections to 10 days
• Change in language to dictate what will happen to escrow monies in response to the new Real Estate Licensing Registration Act (RELRA) changes
• Mandatory buyer/seller mediation as compared to the current agreement where the buyer/seller can waive mediation.

The revised form was recently approved by the PA Association of REALTORS®’s Standard Forms Oversight Committee and will require final changes prior to its publication.

As in the past, Guidelines for the Agreement of Sale, which explains how to use the ASR form, will be available when the form is published.

Ring out the old, Ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850