Monday, April 19, 2010

Top Ranked Franchisee Joins Keller Williams Realty

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Top Ranked Franchisee Joins Keller Williams Realty
Joe Rothchild to lead Keller Williams Signature in Houston, Texas

AUSTIN, TEXAS (April 12, 2010) — Keller Williams® Realty Inc. announced today that Joe Rothchild, formerly a top ranked Re/Max franchisee and the leader of Houston’s #1 selling real estate team in dollar volume and number of closed transactions in 2009 (Houston Business Journal, March 2010), is now at the helm of the Keller Williams Signature office in Houston, Texas. The Joe Rothchild Team closed 779 transactions for $155 million in volume last year.

“Keller Williams Realty has shown that their model can adapt to any market, which was one of the driving forces in my decision,” said Rothchild, who has left Re/Max after 20 years as a franchisee. “I have been researching and contemplating for more than two years, and I discovered that I needed to reinvent my business to revitalize it. We were implementing some of the same philosophies and mirroring the Keller Williams system, so finally, one day we said…why reinvent the wheel? And, the answer was clear.”

Rothchild added, “KW’s philosophy of putting agents and ownership on the same side of the table and training on the most critical issues facing us in today’s market were also incredibly important to us.”

“We are thrilled to be in business with a talent like Joe. For the last 15 years, Joe has been one of the top 10 teams in Re/Max, and was number one worldwide for three years in a row! When a top franchisee from one of our competitors chooses to join us, we consider it a true honor and confirmation that we have unbelievable momentum behind our growth,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty.

Many of Rothchild’s current associates will be joining him at the Keller Williams Signature office. Among them, Dale Ross, an industry veteran with 29-years of experience under his belt, 25 of which have been with Re/Max. “When I factored in the Keller Williams Realty systems, training and support, and realized it was the place I needed to be,” said Ross.

This announcement comes on the heels of a year of positive growth for Keller Williams Realty throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company outpaced the downward trend in the real estate market and grew in every category – opening 30 new franchises, ending the year with a 16 percent year-over-year increase in the number of contracts closed per agent and more than 76,879 associates across North America (up three percent). In addition, the company gave back more than $32.2 million in profit share to its agents.

In addition to recently becoming the 3rd largest real estate company in the U.S., surpassing Re/Max, according to Steve Murray at REAL Trends, Keller Williams Realty received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms from J.D. Power and Associates for the second year in a row, and was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine.

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About Keller Williams Realty, Inc.:
Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 677 offices and more than 77,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties. For more information, or to search for homes for sale visit Keller Williams Realty online at (www.kw.com).

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

7 Home Maintenance Tips for Spring

Wake your home from winter hibernation

Paul Bianchina
Inman News

It's starting to warm up a bit and your home is coming out of its winter hibernation. Winter plays havoc on houses, and spring should be a time to toss on some shorts and take a walk around your house to get that spring chore list in order. Here are few additional areas to pay attention to:

Decks

Wood decks can take a real beating during the winter. Make a slow and thorough examination of deck boards, railings, posts, stairs and other structural members. Look for loose fasteners, cracks, dry rot, or other damage. Tighten or replace the bolts that hold the railings in place to ensure a sturdy railing system. Remove loose nails from decking boards -- hammering them back in won't do any good -- and replace them with weather-resistant decking screws that are made for that purpose. Use a screw that's longer than the original nail.

Sprinklers

Permanent, in-ground sprinklers are great, as long as they're properly adjusted. Run each set of sprinklers through a cycle, and watch how and where the water is hitting. Adjust or replace any sprinklers that are hitting your siding, washing out loose soil areas, spraying over foundation vents, or in any other way wetting areas on and around your house that shouldn't be getting wet.
Fans and air conditioners

Spring is a great time to check all of your exhaust fans, cooling fans and air conditioners. Check dampers for smooth operation. Remove interior fan covers, and wash in mild soapy water. Clean dust and debris from inside the fan unit using a shop vacuum -- do not operate the fan with the cover removed.

Check the roof or wall caps where the fan ducts terminate to make sure they are undamaged and well sealed. Check the dryer vent hose and cap for damage or loose connections, and clean out lint buildup. Check outdoor central-air-conditioning units for damage or debris buildup. Clean and check window or wall air conditioners, especially the filters.

Vent blocks and outdoor faucets

As soon as you're comfortable that the danger of winter freezing is over, remove foundation vent blocks or open vent covers to allow air circulation in the crawlspace. While removing the vent covers, check the grade level around the foundation vents. Winter weather can move soil and create buildups or grade problems that will allow ground water to drain through the vents into the crawlspace, so re-grade as necessary. Remove outdoor faucet covers. Turn on the water supply to outdoor faucets if it's been shut off.

Fences and gates

Fence posts are especially susceptible to ground water saturation, and will loosen up and tilt if the soil around them gets soaked too deeply. Check fence posts in various areas by wiggling them to see how solidly embedded they are. If any are loose, wait until the surrounding soil has dried out from winter's rains, then excavate around the bottom of the posts and pour additional concrete to stabilize them.

House numbers

Can someone find your house easily, especially in the dark? Spring is a great time to check that your house numbers are clearly visible from the street, that they are painted a contrasting color from whatever surface they are mounted on, that they are somehow hit by exterior lighting at night, and that they are not obscured by overgrown foliage.

Smoke detectors

As always when it's time to change the clocks, you want to check your smoke detectors. Replace the batteries, clean the covers, and test the detector's operation before it's too late. If you have gas-fired appliances in the house, including a water heater, now is also a great time to consider adding a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide detectors are inexpensive and easy to install, and are available at most home centers and other retailers of electrical parts and supplies.

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From InmanNews.com

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

New Listing - 525 East Anderson Street


Charming Victorian home with double parlors separated by pocket doors. New kitchen with quality cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances. Tall ceilings, wood floors, and plaster walls. Deep front porch. Small shady rear porch. Landscaped garden.

Click on the photo for a visual tour of the property. For more information on this home or other real estate in Savannah, Georgia please visit DonCallahan.com.

New Listing! - 525 East Victory Drive


Classic and Stately home situated on beautiful Victory Drive. Constructed with top quality material in 1950 with over 3000 square feet. The center hall is impressive and flanked by a generous living room and dining room each with crown moldings and wood floors.There is also a comfortable panelled library/study, a bright sun-room and large kitchen. There are four bedrooms and two full baths in the home.The rear garden is fenced and has mature landscaping. This home offers off street parking from both the front and lane with a two car garage.

Click on the photo for a visual tour of the property. For additional information on this home or other real estate in Savannah, Georgia please visit DonCallahan.com.

New Listing! - 19 East 63rd Street


Architecturally outstanding Savannah Grey Brick home in a delightful midtown neighborhood. The dramatic floor plan features a large living room with a fireplace, vaulted ceiling and a loft overlook. Herring-bone oak wood floors connect this room to the adjacent spacious dining room. Any homeowner would appreciate the well planned deluxe eat-in kitchen with granite counters, slate floors and high end appliances such as an Imperial gas range. The rear sun-room overlooks a large patio with outdoor kitchen and well landscaped garden. The detached office and work studio provide added value to this special property.

4 Bedrooms - 2 Bathrooms - built in 1951 - 2700 square feet - lot 75'X150' - off street parking

Click on the photo for a visual tour of the property. For additional information on this property or other real estate in Savannah, Georgia please visit DonCallahan.com.