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BHGRE Green Team’s 2022 Awards Ceremony
An afternoon to Celebrate one of our Most Memorable years yet
BHGRE Green Team’s 2022 awards ceremony was held on March 3rd at the Warwick Valley Country Club. This year was full of transformation, learning, and success for our team and we couldn’t wait to celebrate.
In May 2022, Vikki Garby stepped into the position of Green Team Realty’s new President. Since then she has invested countless hours of hard work into improving our company. Shortly after, our beloved Broker manager for our NY office, Lucyann Tinnirello stepped down. After being in this position since 2018 she decided it was time for her to begin focusing on working full-time with her clients. Carol Buchanan was chosen to take her place and has done a fantastic job as our NY office’s new Broker Manager.
Arguably our largest change came in July of 2022. After 17 years as an independent agency, the decision was made to affiliate with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. This opportunity was unparalleled; the marketing tools and training they provide to our agents give us a huge advantage in the business.
Getting the Afternoon Started…
Our President Vikki Garby started the afternoon with an inspiring speech. Since her promotion to president, she has made inspiring teamwork and improving the experience of our agents her priority.
Following Vikki’s speech, our CEO Geoffery Green stepped up to take the mic. He extended his appreciation to our agents as well as our “behind the scenes” team. He invited our ASMs, Natalee DiMichele and Morgan Beattie, and our Broker Managers Carol Buchanan, Kim Lasalandra, and Krissy Many. As well as our headquarters team, Nicole McCormick, Britanni Gaucher, Ryan Fischer, Lora Chandra, Vikki Garby, and Jane Steinhoff. These individuals keep our team running smoothly and help our sales associates be as successful as they can be.
He also thanked Linda VanDeWeert, our “jack of all trades” as well as Lucyann Tinnirello, NY’s former Broker manager.
After Geoff’s speech, our Marketing Director Nicole McCormick took over to start the awards.
The Emerald Elite, Yearly Sales Leader, and Citizen of the year awards go to… Kristi Anderson!
Kristi’s hard work and dedication to her clients and her career placed her at the top this year. She blew us away when she not only closed out 2022 with $12,422,350 in total sales volume but also was the top-selling agent in Vernon, NJ for 2022. She was proud to have helped 45 different families with their real estate dreams.
With all these accomplishments, it’s no surprise Kristi reached Emerald Elite status and received the Yearly Sales Leader award. Additionally, for the second year in a row, Kristi was selected as BHGRE Green Team’s Citizen of the year. This award is given in recognition of their valuable contributions and outstanding support to their community.
Congratulations Kristi!
The Platinum and Team Player of the Year awards go to… Barbara Tesa!
Barbara joined our team in 2017 and brought her 20 years of exceptional real estate experience. Over the years she has continued to excel and has become one of our top Sales associates. Barbara has been described as an intelligent, responsive, and hardworking agent who will stop at nothing to achieve her client’s goals. This professionalism and work ethic continue to set her apart from the competition and these qualities are what earned her the Platinum sales award for $8-11.99 Million in sales volume.
Additionally, Barbara also received one of the “Team Player of the year” awards. The recipient of this award is chosen by their peers to recognize their reliability, positivity, and dependability while exhibiting dedication and devotion to the agency and team.
Congratulations Barbara!
Gold Awards for $6-7.99 Million in Sales were presented to:
Kristine Many, Chris & Megan Kimiecik, Vikki Garby, Charles Nagy, and Ted Van Laar.
Silver Awards for $3 to $5.99 Million in Sales were presented to:
Tammy Scotto, Carol Buchanan, Nancy Sardo, Cara Dumond, Barbara Matchett, Ed Sattler, Tom Folino, Pip Klein, and Renee Williams.
Bronze Awards for $1.5 to $2.99 Million in Sales were presented to:
Robert Valentine, Linda VanDeWeert, Kimberly Lasalandra, Guillermina Tavares, Lucyann Tinnirello, Angela Murphy, Kathy Eubanks, Toni Vogel, Terry Gavan, Kathy Moran, Toni Kreusch, Britanni Gaucher, Vanessa Wight, and Jacque Kraszewski.
Team Players, Mentor, Citizens, Student, and Rising Stars of the Year…
Team Players are chosen by their peers, “in recognition of their reliability, positivity, and dependability while exhibiting dedication and devotion to the agency and team.” Our sales associates selected Barbara Tesa and Brian Cisek as the recipients of this award for 2022.
Krissy Many earned her award for Mentor of the Year “in recognition of her dedication, dependability, and devotion to Her mentees.”
Citizens of the Year are selected in recognition of their valuable contributions and outstanding support to our community. This award was given to Walter Ross and Kristi Anderson to recognize all they do for their communities.
Pip Klein was presented the “Student of the Year” award in recognition of her dedication and devotion to expanding her knowledge.
For the first time this year, we introduced the Rising Star award. This is given to agents to recognize their exceptional and ongoing growth in the Real Estate Profession. Barbara Matchett and Kathleen Moran were presented with these awards for their extraordinary success as newer agents.
Additional Awards…
Joseph Mackey was presented with the “Smallest Big Deal” award for 2022. This award was given to recognize his dedication to even the smallest of sales, proving that this career is about relationships and building long-lasting connections.
Teresa “Terry” Gavan was given the Legacy Award in recognition of the dedication she has shown over her 40-year career as a real estate agent. Afterward, she gave a wonderful speech recounting the amazing memories she has made over the years.
The Momentum Builder Award was given to Cara Dumond this year. This award is given to acknowledge “her ability to create the most positive and consistent momentum in her professional career while maintaining the same impetus reflected in many aspects of her personal life.” During Cara’s speech, she opened up about the many challenges she faced over the years. Her two children joined us for our award ceremony to show the support and pride they have for all their mother’s achievements.
Finally, Vanessa Wight was awarded a certificate for the “Funniest Survey Answer”. While preparing for our awards ceremony our associates were sent an “endless” amount of survey requests. Vanessa kept the entire team laughing with her humorous responses while completing them.
Time for food, fun, and friends…
Once the award presentations finished our team spent the rest of the afternoon celebrating. Despite the challenges, 2022 was an amazing year we won’t soon forget.
BHGRE Luxury Essentials Skills Certified
Almost Weekly Since Our Affiliation With Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate, Our Agents Have Been Given New Chances To Expand Their Knowledge And Improve Their Business.
Recently Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate offered our agents the exciting chance to become Luxury Essentials Skills Certified. Almost every Realtor in the business dreams about breaking into the Luxury Real Estate Market. Unfortunately, becoming a name in the Luxury Real Estate industry proves to be difficult to achieve. Few agents ever get the opportunity to have a single Luxury listing, let alone become experts in the Luxury market.
Distinctive Collection brings luxury to mind which is why BHGRE offers this high-end advantage; you expect service and support from your real estate partner that is as singular and distinct as your position in the marketplace. It was obvious this class would truly give our team members a huge advantage over their competition. During this course, our agents were taught the language of Luxury. They were shown how to make a name for themselves and break into this niche market. Throughout the course, they honed their skills and explored ways to provide the best white glove service to luxury clients. Additionally, everything they learned would not only enhance their profitability but give their business a boost unlike any other.
Upon their completion of this course, our sales associates are ready to share the immense amount of knowledge they have gained. Additionally, they now have a luxury flag for their profile pictures so they can market themselves as luxury certified.
We Are So Proud Of Our Agents Who Went Above And Beyond To Obtain this Certification And Expand Their Knowledge.
Our knowledgeable real estate professionals in the luxury field are always ready to help you accomplish your goals. We serve Warwick, Goshen, Monroe, Chester, Montgomery, and many other towns & villages in the Hudson Valley, NY area. Additionally, our luxury New Jersey agents are well-versed in many areas of Northern, NJ such as Vernon, Sparta, Hardyston, Hamburg, and more towns in Sussex, Bergan, Passaic, and Morris County. You can be sure these real estate professionals will give you the best luxury real estate experience possible.
Our New York Distinctive Collection Luxury Certified agents are James Cosenza, Tammy Scotto, Janine Blandino, Vikki Garby, Angela Murphy, Kristine Many, Pip Klein, and Kasey Douglas!
Our New Jersey Distinctive Collection Luxury Certified agents are Barbara Tesa and Toni Kreusch.
BHGRE Green Team’s Pajama Drive
The Gift of a Cozy Night
Hundreds of children in our community have never had the opportunity to own their own pajamas. BHGRE Green Team decided to help our community by collecting brand new pajamas for children from ages Newborn to 18.
This fundraiser ran from November 14th – January 5th and we received a massive outpouring of support from our community and staff. Throughout the duration of the event, donations were dropped off at both our Warwick and Vernon offices.
At the end of the fundraiser, all the donations collected in our Warwick office were given to Inspire, Orange County Cerebral Palsy Association. This group provides various outpatient, educational, and support services for individuals of all ages and abilities. Inspire then went on to share these pajamas with other charities. A few of the recipients were Fearless!; HONOR; Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster, NY; The Alamo; and Inspire Kids Preschools.
Additionally, everything collected in our Vernon office collected was given to Project Self-Sufficiency. Project Self-Sufficiency serves families in the New Jersey counties of Sussex, Morris, Warren, and Hunterdon. Their mission is to provide support to low-income single parents while they obtain the skills necessary to achieve economic independence.
We are so happy to have helped support these wonderful organizations and look forward to doing it again next year.
2022’s 4th Quarter Sales Leaders
We are proud to share our 2022 4th Quarter sales leaders. These agents have shown their hard work and dedication and have ended the year on top.
According to Vikki Garby, President of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team,
“Our agents have endured significant changes this past year. In an effort to strengthen our organization for the benefit of both our clients and our agents, we made management changes and we affiliated with the international lifestyle brand, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. While change can be difficult, our agents embraced our new tools with the guidance of our new leadership. Throughout the year, they stayed focused on their clients’ needs which is first and foremost our #1 priority. I’m so proud of each and every one of our agents and look forward to another great year in 2023.”
Congratulations to all these amazing agents!
Carol Buchanan, Kristi Anderson, Cara Dumond, Barbara Matchett, Tammy Scotto, Ted Van Laar, Charles Nagy, Nancy Sardo, Barbara Tesa, Krissy Many, Yvette Saldana, Edward Sattler, Kim Lasalandra, Chris and Megan Kimiciek, Joe Mackey, Michelle Spina, and Tom Folino.
Kristi Anderson 2022 4th Quarter Sales Leader
Kristi Anderson Is Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate Green Team 4th Quarter 2022 Sales Leader In Our NJ Office
The New Jersey office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team has announced that Kristi Anderson is the Sales Leader for the fourth quarter of 2022. From October 1st to December 31st Kristi brought in $5.5 Million in sales volume!
Beyond Quarterly Sales Leader…
When Kristi bought her first home she was blown away by how much she enjoyed the entire process. Despite the bumps in the road, she decided that becoming a Realtor was the right path for her. Having the ability to help every one of her clients find their homes and accomplish their dreams brings her joy like no other. To Kristi,
“Home means family. A place where you feel safe, where you belong. Where you feel stable and secure. Home is the base of where memories begin”
Even after 21 years Kristi still loves her career and shows this to every client she works with. She has been described as being hardworking, tenacious, easy to talk to, a problem solver, dedicated, sincere, transparent, and most importantly Honest!
Kristi has been exceeding our expectations since she joined Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team in 2019. During her first year with us, she became a Captains Club Award winner with $3-$5 Million in sales volume. In 2020 she more than doubled that with $10.8 Million in sales and was in the top 1.7% of agents in all of Sussex County. Kristi’s success has only continued to grow and she has earned a reputation as one of Sussex County’s finest Realtors®.
A fabulous 2022..
Kristi amazed everyone when she closed out 2022 with $12,422,350 in total sales volume. Additionally, Kristi was the Top Selling agent in 2022 and helped 45 different families accomplish their real estate dreams. According to Vikki Garby, President of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team:
“Kristi Anderson is a force to be reckoned with. I have gotten to know Kristi much more during 2022 and what I can say about her is that she is as kind and level-headed as she is a hard worker. She’s a ‘no-drama, focused, get-the-job-done’ type of professional. We are so fortunate to have her on our team and each year she surpasses our expectations. I can’t wait to see what she achieves in 2023!”
Congratulations Kristi, we’re wishing you another very successful year!
BHGRE APEX Event 2022
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate APEX Event 2022
Since joining Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate our team has gotten to enjoy many rewards that come with it. Recently some of our agents were invited to Miami, Florida to take part in BHGRE’s APEX Event.
This annual, invite-only event is only offered to affiliated sales associates and teams who have achieved Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald Elite, or Excellence award status. While attending agents get to enjoy not only great food, drinks, and fun but also a sophisticated learning experience.
Our sales associates Tammy Scotto, Carol Buchanan, Krissy Many, Pip Klein, and Tiffany Megna were all in attendance. As well as our President and Licensed Real Estate agent Vikki Garby who was invited to attend BHGRE Owner’s Retreat prior to the APEX event. The Owner’s Retreat is a 2-day series of BHGRE training sessions, discussion groups and networking opportunities specifically for Broker Owners and Managers. When asked more about the event Vikki said:
“What an invaluable opportunity to speak with and learn from affiliates who have been with our new brand for years before me. Everyone I met was so forthcoming and willing to share information about their experiences, their struggles and their growth strategies. This event solidified why affiliating with BHGRE was the right move for the Green Team.”
A Week Full of Learning
When the Owners Retreat concluded Vikki joined our sales associates for APEX. Agents were able to participate in 2 full days of agent training and group sessions. During these sessions, they learned more about the many marketing tools offered by BHGRE. As well as, training on how to better negotiate, and market themselves, and tips on building and running a team. The speakers featured at this event were funny, engaging, and well-versed in their topics. Our agents were excited to share their feelings about the knowledge they gained while in attendance.
“I found the APEX event to be a very uplifting experience and chock full of information on how to improve not only my business, but myself as well. BHGRE went above and beyond to present a nurturing experience with a variety of classes each day to choose from.”
– Carol Buchanan
“It was essentially a mini- ”enrichment” and networking event for top producers from around the country… so that was a good chance for us all to meet other agents and management from different brokerages of all sizes. Their perspective in the “breakout” sessions were invaluable – as often a panel of “real” agents would offer their advice and experience on dealing with a variety of topics: luxury listings, buying and selling, negotiating, improving productivity, etc.”
– Pip Klein
“I was honored to be invited to Apex this year. It was an educational and motivating event set in beautiful Miami. The Keynote Speaker, Robyn Benincasa, shared a unique perspective on winning, teamwork and overcoming adversity. Her message was motivating and inspiring. It made me take pause and look at challenges I may face from an “out of the box” perspective. The mini classes offered a variety of topics to choose from and each enriched my knowledge and challenged me to think about how to improve my business & client experience. From Luxury Properties & Distinctive Collection; to Marketing; to Performance for Top Producers….the speakers were knowledgeable & enthusiastic. One message that really stuck with me is that talent is important and can make you successful; but when added to discipline; the game changes! It is the discipline aspect that I will be adding to my business plan and goal setting for 2023!”
– Krissy Many
“I can say that APEX was GREAT. Very motivating and informational as far as the Brand and getting to understand a little more on what the Brand has to offer as far as tools that are available to the agents. I wish it was a little longer to dive deeper into it as it is still very new to us as a new affiliation. Met some other owners that seem to originally be like us as the Green Team and now affiliated with Better Homes so was able to get some insight on how their transition was and how long it takes to get more acclimated. Looking forward to future training and events with the brand.”
– Tammy Scotto
Wrapping up an Unforgettable Week
This experience was a wonderful way for our agents to explore more about our new brand while bonding with colleagues from around the country.
APEX wasn’t only filled with learning but also fun. Agents enjoyed a fabulous beach party dinner. On the final night, agents were brought aboard a beautiful boat on Key Biscayne for the Grand Princess Dinner Cruise! While aboard they enjoyed a phenomenal party with live music, open bar, and fantastic food. The fun-filled atmosphere brought everyone together for an unforgettable evening.
The cruise was a great way for everyone to wrap up an amazing week filled with knowledge and excitement. Our Sales associates are already looking forward to next year’s event in Palm Springs, California.
Haunted Homes: Janet Ramirez’s story
Janet Ramirez Is A Member Of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Integrity Real Estate located in Stockton California.
She was kind enough to share with us a terrifying experience that happened 12 years ago while she was at a home in her area.
All of Janet Ramirez’s friends know she is the person to call for your real estate needs. That’s why when her friend, Angelica, was ready to start looking for a home she contacted Janet.
They began their search by looking at homes in a Stockton neighborhood filled with houses built in the 1800s. It wasn’t long until Janet found her friend a beautiful craftsman-style Victorian that was for sale at 720 West Flora Street. For Angelica, it was love at first sight and they quickly put an offer in. There were smiles all around when the offer was accepted and they moved forward into escrow.
Janet wasn’t expecting anything crazy when she and her friend met the inspector at the home. They followed him into the basement and, as to be expected in such an old home, it was dark and creepy with a dirt floor. Janet had been in plenty of basements like this before but after a short period of time she began to feel uneasy; The heaviness in the room was making her head spin. At the time Janet was 8 months pregnant with her daughter and brushed it off as being pregnancy related. Her dizziness continued and she started to feel worse.
Janet woke up on the front porch of the home. She was confused and had no memory of leaving the basement let alone going outside. It took Janet a moment to realize what was going on. Angelica and the home inspector were both crouched next to her, frantically trying to wake her up repeatedly asking her if she was okay.
Janet sat up and asked her friend what happened and how she got there. Angelica explained to her that they had all been in the basement when Janet suddenly fainted. Thankfully the inspector had been standing behind her and caught her as she fell. Janet told Angelica about the feeling she got in the basement but once again brushed it off as nothing.
Janet and Angelica sat outside on the porch while the inspector finished up. As they were getting ready to leave the seller returned to the home and came over to them. Janet and her friend spoke with the woman quickly but needed to leave so Janet could get some rest after the incident; they said their goodbyes. The home inspector told Janet he was going to stay behind a couple of minutes to get all his tools packed up.
Janet returned home and had just sat down to relax when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw that the home inspector was calling. She answered assuming he had been worried after she had fainted and wanted to see how she was feeling.
Right away he said “Oh my God, I just left the house” He was in shock as he went on to tell her about a conversation he had just had with the owner. The inspector told the owner what had happened to Janet in the basement. She wasn’t surprised at all to hear what had happened to Janet followed by an explanation of how she is going to miss her friendly “Ghost Friends” when she moves.
She continued to tell the inspector how Charles Manson fanatics often attempt to sneak into the home when she isn’t there. When the inspector inquired to her about why Charles Manson fans were interested in that house she told him a gruesome story.
In November 1972, members of the Manson Family-Nancy Pitman, Priscilla Cooper, James Craig, Michael Monfort and William Goucher killed a man by the name of James Willet, stealing his car and kidnapping his wife Lauren “Remy” and their baby Heidi Willet. They kept them hostage in the house on West Flora Street, according to mansonblog.com.
On November 8th, 1972 the body of James Willett was found in Guerneville, CA. Upon discovery of the body, the members then murdered Remy believing the couple was working with police. Her body was later found buried in that same basement Janet fainted in. The cult intended to keep Heidi to raise for themselves.
Police received a tip that James’ car was parked outside of the home on West Flora Street. When the police came to raid the home, a member of the Manson Family was holding the baby in her arms, unharmed.
The inspector said to Janet “Maybe this woman’s spirit sensed your baby girl and her spirit was attracted to you; that’s why you fainted.”
By the time Janet hung up with the inspector she felt sick. She called her friend to tell her about the horrifying new information she had just learned. While she was on the phone she googled the home’s address and sure enough, there was a news article about the brutal murder.
You can never know the full history of a home and sometimes maybe you don’t want to. This story is absolutely terrifying and has definitely left a lasting impression on how Janet thinks of haunted homes.
If You Enjoyed Janet’s Story As Much As We Did Consider Checking Out Barbara Tesa, Krissy Many, Barbara Matchett, Spyce Hogan, And Sandra Medina’s Stories.
Haunted Homes: Spyce Hogan’s Story
Spyce Hogan is a member of our Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate family all the way from Berkeley California.
Spyce is part of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Reliance Partners and was kind enough to write about one of her ghostly experiences for us to share.
The first time I ever remember feeling spirit energy in a house was when I was 6 years old. We lived across the street from an abandoned property and I’d sneak into the house whenever I could and rummage around, imagining the people that lived there when it wasn’t a shell of a loved home. I know now that I was truly getting an actual sense of the original occupants, but until I learned to accept what was coming to me as info, I thought it was just my imagination.
Fast forward many years, and while Daisy Rock was not my first house purchase, it was about to be my best yet. I had been a realtor and investor for a while now, but this was something special. From the moment I saw the picture on the MLS of a window with thesunlight pouring in, I could feel the energy of those who had looked out that window before. I immediately went to the property for a visit and the moment I went in, felt the strong love of a man and a woman. I knew I had to know more.
Luckily there was more, as Harry Chepriss, the man who built the house with his wife Daisy, had been something of a local celebrity in Asheville NC, and during his lifetime has been featured in quite a few local publications, including an Oral History of Asheville transposed in the late 70’s for the local university. So once I started to dig into it, I was able to find the whole story.
It turned out that my intuition was right and Harry and Daisy were deeply in love, despite a large age gap and incompatible backgrounds. So together they built their home on the side of Old Haywood road, and created their sanctuary from the everyday world, and a place to live and love as they pleased. Their care for the property was apparent in the home’s rockwork, spiraling gardens, flowering trees, and Greek inscriptions laced about the property.
This fairyland feel is what drew my husband and I to this place, along with the love that emanated from it’s every stone, and we knew we had to have it. Two other groups had been there in between Harry & Daisy, but their energy was still so strong in that place that they loved, and we felt them cheating us on through every aspect of the purchase. We all know how real estate transactions are almost never totally smooth, but we were lucky enough to become its stewards, and immediately set to work revitalizing the property back to its former glory.
We remodeled the home using all natural products, and worked to create a comfortable space, with all the modern amenities needed, while still paying homage to the old world charm inherent in the property.
The custom designed beach themed kitchen gives a nod to Harry’s Mediterranean lineage, as well as our own love of the ocean. Blues and beach pebble co-mingle with wave-like lighting fixtures and handles, and sandy colored cabinetry. The other rooms were painted to create a relaxing and inspired feel in the Southwest lounge, the Purple Passion Suite, the Zen Grass Den, and that’s just the inside!
Outside there are so many mature trees and flowering plants, a stone BBQ that Harry & Daisy built with their bare hands, and a well that still had water in it all these years later. This was important to Harry as he liked to welcome people to his property, and offer them water. So on the well, and all over the property you can find his name carved into the stone, as well as his place of birth in Greece. The place he loved but never really got to return to.
So even though Daisy Rock Cottage (as we aptly named her) has always been a place of love that everyone feels, it can also be a place of longing, and a wistful feeling of home. That’s why we loved the years that it was an Airbnb, as we know Harry loved people, community, and travelers. He was a social person, and he struggled with being an immigrant and being separated from family. We loved providing him with travelers and families to visit with.
Some people are afraid to hear that perhaps someone died in the house they might buy but for me, I’ve had a wonderful time connecting with these loving entities. And because we cared enough to pay homage to them, and thank them for building this sweet space, we’ve been able to create beauty and magic for many.
Of course not every house and the spirits residing there are that easy to fall in love with, and I’ve had to remove dark energies from houses as well. But that’s a story for another time! This Halloween I’m sharing a spooky love story and giving thanks and acknowledgment to my friends, Harry & Daisy!
A house is a living thing. It holds the energy of the many people that have lived in it over the years. People who have lived, loved, laughed, cried and died in the home. A home is a very special thing. Everyone wants one and most of us do our best to get one in the course of this life. As real estate agents, our life’s mission is to help people in this realm and make the home buying and selling process delightful and stress free.
Not everyone that I work with needs to see or feel the energies in a house, or even believe in it! But for those that do, I can provide a certain extra something to help my clients manifest their dreams like I did!
If you enjoyed Spyce’s story as much as we did consider checking out Barbara Tesa, Krissy Many, Barbara Matchett, and Sandra Medina’s stories.
Furever Homes for Pets
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team loves helping people find their perfect home. This time we wanted to help pets find their Furever homes as well.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team decided to host Furever Homes for Pets, a fundraiser for the Warwick Valley Humane Society. Our goal was to help get these loving animals seen and hopefully find their forever families. In addition, we aspired to raise funds and collect supplies for the shelter.
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- Adoptable Kitten
After much anticipation, the day finally came and the weather couldn’t have been more beautiful. We had so many people come out to join us and show their support! Adults and children alike were able to enjoy balloons, pictures, face painting, and goody bags for their pets. Maddie Schloika and her pup, Sven, from Warwick Wags were the star performers showing off Sven’s amazing tricks. Of course, the adorable animals from the Warwick Valley Humane Society stole the hearts of everyone there; some of which received applications for adoption! Many people who came out for the fundraiser were also kind enough to donate blankets, food, and other necessities. In addition to these donations, Furever Homes for Pets was able to raise a total of $1,530 for The Warwick Valley Humane Society.
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- Facepainting
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- Volunteers from the Warwick Valley High School
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- Picture Time
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- Furever Homes
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- More Face Painting
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- Carol & Brian
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- An Adopted Pet and his Family
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- Furever Homes
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- Sven & Maddie
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- Maddie & Sven
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- Sully and his Humans
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- Sully
Looking Sharp!
Every pet looked fabulous as they posed for portraits in front of a beautifully crafted faux house, made by Valentine Home Builders. The “house” was decorated with branded pumpkins and other stylish fall decor. The portraits were taken by Cesar Done from Home Tour Vision who donated his time and skills for this amazing cause.
We had over 40 adorable pets have their portraits taken and enter our pet portrait contest. People were able to vote on our Facebook page, @bhgregreenteam, for which pet they felt was the cutest. It was amazing to see the number of people interacting and helping choose our winners. The winners would receive a gift basket for their furry, or feathery, friend. These gift baskets were generously donated by Northern Bear Pet Food & Supplies, Coat Tails Pet Grooming, Track 7 Postal Center, and Ellen’s K9 Dog Grooming.
After one week of voting and anticipation, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for, time to announce the winners!
First Place and recipient of a Pet Basket from Northern Bear Pet and Supplies and a Gift Certificate for Dog Grooming from Ellen’s K9 Grooming was the very handsome pup, Monty! Our very adorable second-place winner Sully took home a Pet Grooming Gift Certificate from Coat Tails Pet Grooming. Last but certainly not least was our Third Place Winner, a fine feline friend, Freddie took home a 9×9 Canvas Portrait Print donated by Track 7 Postal Center!
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- Monty
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- Sully
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- Freddie
BHGRE Green Team loved being able to host such a rewarding fundraiser. It’s always important to us to interact with and support our local community. We would also like to thank all of our sponsors for helping us make this day possible. Furthermore, a big thank you to our amazing team members and awesome high school volunteers, Ryan McCormick, Melina Garby, Carrington Mask, and Keegan Armistead who came out to help this day run as smoothly as possible!
Haunted Homes: Krissy Many’s Story
Krissy Many’s Chilling Experience
Krissy Many is often asked if she has ever experienced a haunted house throughout her many years of real estate.
While Krissy believes that houses have feelings and different energies, there have been some that stand out more than others. On occasion, she has visited homes that felt so heavy she couldn’t wait for an excuse to leave; One of these experiences she shares today.
A few years ago Krissy got a request to show a new property to one of her clients. Just by looking at it, Krissy didn’t notice anything unordinary about the house. It was a flipped home that had recently been renovated and was now sitting vacant. To avoid tracking dirt through the newly finished home, Krissy and her client removed their shoes at the front door. When they started their tour Krissy took note of the minimal staging. The only furniture in the home was a kitchen table where plates, silverware, glasses, and cloth napkins were all neatly placed. It looked as if the home was waiting for a family to sit down for dinner.
As they concluded the viewing Krissy and her client returned to the front door for their shoes. While they were putting on their shoes, making small talk, a noise made both Krissy and her client freeze. They heard the clanking of dishes and the sound of silverware on glass! Krissy glanced at her client as they hesitantly made their way back to the kitchen. Alone in the home, they couldn’t think of anything which could have been making all that noise.
Upon entering the kitchen, a shiver went down her spine; one of the place settings was now amiss. The napkin had been unfolded and the silverware, that had been so neatly placed on the table, now rested on the plate. It was almost as if she and her client had interrupted someone in the middle of their lunch. With no desire to experience any more hauntings for that day, Krissy and her client quickly made their way out of the home.
Krissy isn’t alone in these experiences. She has had clients tell her about spirits that have followed them home. These clients have experienced many unexplainable events like exploding candle jars and flickering lights. While viewings can leave an impression it may not always be in a good way.
