Agency News and Awards August 7, 2023

Tom Folino is BHGRE Green Teams 2023 2nd Quarter Sales Leader for our Warwick Office!

Congratulations to our 2023 2nd Quarter NY Sales Leader, Tom Folino!

In the realm of real estate, achieving excellence requires a unique blend of talent, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to clients’ needs. In the Warwick office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team, one name stands out as a shining star in the industry – Tom Folino. With an exemplary performance in the second quarter of 2023, Tom has distinguished himself as the top sales agent, leaving an indelible mark on the New York real estate landscape.

Tom Folino: The Top Sales Agent of the Warwick Office

When it comes to sales prowess, Tom Folino has consistently demonstrated his exceptional skills as a real estate professional. In the highly competitive 2nd quarter of 2023, his dedication to the craft and unwavering focus on customer satisfaction propelled him to the top among his peers. Tom’s ability to connect with clients on a personal level and deliver results that exceed expectations has solidified his reputation as a real estate agent par excellence.

Excellence in Sales Performance

As of the second quarter of 2023, Tom Folino’s sales achievements have been nothing short of outstanding. His impressive sales numbers are a testament to his in-depth market knowledge, keen understanding of client needs, and innate ability to match buyers with their dream properties. Tom’s exceptional performance has not only bolstered the success of the Warwick office but has also set new benchmarks for excellence in the New York real estate market.

Sales Volume that Speaks Volumes

Tom Folino’s commitment to excellence is further reflected in his remarkable sales volume for the year 2023. In the 2nd quarter alone, Tom has accumulated an impressive $1.89 Million in sales volume placing him at the forefront of the industry. This remarkable achievement underscores his dedication to delivering exceptional results for his clients and highlights his position as a top-performing agent in the region.

A Trusted Advisor

Beyond just numbers and figures, Tom Folino’s success can be attributed to his reputation as a trusted advisor to his clients. Whether it’s guiding first-time homebuyers through the intricacies of the buying process or assisting seasoned investors in finding lucrative opportunities, Tom’s expertise is matched only by his dedication to delivering personalized service to each individual he serves.

A-Pillar of the Community

Tom Folino’s impact extends far beyond real estate transactions. As an active member of the community, he has earned the trust and admiration of residents in Warwick and its surrounding areas. His involvement in local events and charitable initiatives showcases his commitment to giving back and contributing to the betterment of the community he serves.

Tom’s remarkable success as the top sales agent in the Warwick office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team in the second quarter of 2023 is a testament to his exceptional talents and unwavering dedication. Through his outstanding sales performance, personalized service, and commitment to community engagement, Tom has earned a well-deserved reputation as an exemplary real estate professional.

As he continues to make strides in the New York real estate market, Tom’s influence as a top-performing agent will surely grow, attracting more clients seeking the best. Congratulations to Tom Folino on his exceptional achievements, and may his future endeavors be even more prosperous and rewarding. The Green Team is undoubtedly proud to have Tom as a valuable member, and his success serves as an inspiration to all aspiring real estate professionals in the industry.

Agency News and Awards June 23, 2023

Celebrating Terry Gavan’s Dedication and Success

A True Real Estate Professional

In the fast-paced and competitive world of real estate, few agents possess the dedication and expertise required to navigate challenging deals successfully. Terry Gavan, a remarkable agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team, is one such individual. Her recent achievement in closing a difficult deal, despite numerous obstacles, showcases her unwavering commitment to her clients and their needs. Let’s take a closer look at Terry’s journey and applaud her exceptional work in the real estate industry.

The Challenging Deal

Terry’s most recent triumph involved a log house in Westtown, which presented several unique hurdles, including an easement on the property. Marketing a property with such complexities is no easy task, but Terry accepted the challenge wholeheartedly. With her extensive knowledge and sharp negotiation skills, she tirelessly worked to secure a buyer, despite facing a series of unrealistic and unacceptable below market offers along the way.

Persistence and Dedication

Terry’s unwavering dedication to her clients was evident throughout the arduous ten-month process. While many might have been discouraged by the numerous setbacks and adversities, Terry remained steadfast and focused on achieving the best outcome for her client. Her ability to maintain a positive mindset and adapt to changing circumstances is a testament to her exceptional professionalism.

A Lasting Legacy

What makes Terry’s success even more remarkable is her long-standing relationship with the client/seller. Having sold his house in Greenwood Lake in 2005 and subsequently helped him purchase the Westtown property in 2006, Terry has built a deep connection with this client, as she has with so many other repeat clients – over the years. Now, once again, the client entrusted Terry with selling the property, allowing him to embark on a new chapter in his life. This story highlights Terry’s commitment to nurturing long-term relationships with her clients and the trust they place in her expertise. 

“When I decided to sell my home in Greenwood Lake in 2005, I was fortunate to somehow be referred to an excellent Realtor…Terry Gavan.
She listed the house and in under two months we were in contract. Terry’s knowledge, expertise, professionalism and pleasing personality came into play and made it work smoothly.
Terry then sold me my log house In Westtown in 2006. Assisting and guiding me in the buyer process with the same amount of effort, energy and knowledge.
Terry stayed in touch with me over the years ..always stopping by to say hello and checking in.
So of course when it came time to sell this log home I loved, Terry was there to explain all the nuances involved in a sale in the year 2022 and once again with a clear focus and constant updates and communication along with the bias for action that she adheres to, we got it done. It was no easy task. There were hurdles but Terry never deterred and stayed focused on the goal of selling.
She saw it through to the finish and I got a full price offer.. I could not have been happier with the entire transaction.
Another job well done! I would highly recommend calling Terry to get the job done!”  – Mike A. – Westtown seller

Terry’s Remarkable Portfolio

The client’s situation is not unique when it comes to Terry’s impressive portfolio. Over the years, she has established herself as a trusted real estate professional for her long-time clients, many of whom she has assisted in buying and selling multiple homes. This “legacy” relationship is a testament to the exceptional service Terry provides, the trust she inspires, and the profound impact she has on the lives of her clients.

Terry Gavan‘s recent triumph in closing a difficult deal exemplifies her unmatched dedication, unwavering persistence, and remarkable expertise in the real estate industry. Her ability to navigate complex situations, maintain strong client relationships, and achieve outstanding results sets her apart as a true professional. We congratulate Terry on her well-deserved success and commend her for the exceptional service she provides to her clients. Terry Gavan is an inspiration to aspiring real estate agents and a shining example of the impact one individual can make in their profession.

Agency News and Awards May 4, 2023

Jacqueline Kraszewski Celebrates 10 years with BHGRE Green Team!

Congratulations to Jacqueline (Jacque) Kraszewski on her 10-year anniversary with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team!

Jacque is an amazing and hardworking realtor who is loved dearly by our team. Her dedication, passion, and tireless efforts have not only contributed to her success but to the success of BHGRE Green Team as a whole.

Over the past decade, Jacque has established herself as a trusted and respected real estate professional in the community. Her commitment to excellence, attention to detail, and outstanding customer service have helped countless clients find their dream homes.

We are truly grateful for Jacque’s contributions to BHGRE Green Team and the real estate industry. Her contagious enthusiasm and unwavering work ethic are truly inspiring.

Here’s to many more years of success, growth, and achievements for Jacque and BHGRE Green Team! Congratulations, Jacqueline!

Agency News and Awards April 20, 2023

James “Jimmy” Cosenza is now a Certified Real Estate Negotiator!

Better Home and Gardens Real Estate Green Team proudly announces that Jimmy has received his CREN designation!

Jimmy Cosenza is well-known as a ‘go-getter’ and will do whatever he needs to achieve his client’s goals. With great attention to detail, investigative skills, and top-notch problem-solving abilities Jimmy is an amazing Realtor to work with. Still, he always wants to ensure he provides the best possible service to every client that comes to him. This desire to expand his expertise is what pushed him to obtain his CREN designation.

According to NAR®, 83% of buyers and sellers consider negotiation skills very important. As an agent who is always looking for ways to expand his skills, Jimmy decided this designation would be an amazing asset to his clients. As a Certified Real Estate Negotiator he is prepared to tailor a specific negotiation strategy for both his buyers and sellers. Additionally, with this knowledge, he is ready to negotiate the highest price for his sellers and the lowest price for his buyers. 

If you are looking for an Expert Realtor who is prepared to get you the best price for your current or future home, contact Jimmy!

 

Agency News and Awards April 18, 2023

Angela Murphy Earns her SRES Designation!

BHGRE Green Team is proud to announce that Angela is now a Seniors Real Estate Specialist!

Anyone who knows Angela Murphy knows that she never gives up. She will go above and beyond for every client she meets in order to help them achieve their goals. Her dedication never wavers and she is described by many as one of the most trustworthy, honest, and dependable agents in our community. 

Angela is always searching for new ways to better herself and expand the skills she has to offer her clients. She decided to become a Senior Real Estate Specialist to enhance her expertise in serving the senior generation. With this designation, she can better advise mature clients when buying, selling, relocating, or refinancing residential or investment properties. 

Additionally, Angela plans to use this designation to offer downsizing workshops to help seniors in her community. In these workshops, she will teach seniors how to declutter, downsize, and prepare for their next real estate endeavor.

If you know anyone who needs this service, reach out to Angela at 845-987-4897 or look for the workshops in the paper or on Facebook.

 

Agency News and Awards March 22, 2023

Meet Ken Garby

Ken Garby is bringing his investment real estate experience and extensive financial knowledge to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team!

Ken Garby grew up in Warwick, New York. Here he met his wife Vikki, President of BHGRE Green Team, and grew to have a strong love for the area. 

Ken received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He and Vikki relocated to Teaneck, New Jersey soon after Ken began his career. Ken designed and built sewage treatment facilities and managed HVAC projects in NYC.

Ken soon discovered his passion for investing and decided to pursue a career in this field. He soon passed his Series 7, 55, and 63 exams and began his new career working on Wall Street. For seven years Ken excelled as a licensed Registered Representative working as a stock trader for one of Wall Street’s premier proprietary trading firms. Although his license is no longer active, the years of financial knowledge are a valuable asset to anyone looking to invest in real estate. 

The Road to Real Estate

In 2005, Ken and Vikki began investing in Real estate, and in 2008 Ken stopped trading professionally and became a full-time Real Estate investor. By combining a strategy of accumulating rental properties and flipping houses, they now have 21 residential and 7 commercial units in Orange County that Ken manages. Ken is a strong negotiator and has extensive experience on both the buy and sell side of many transactions. 

After starting their family, Ken and Vikki decided to return to Orange County to raise their children. Their son Zachary, and daughter Melina, went on to flourish in the Warwick Valley Central School District. Zach has since graduated and went on to attend Syracuse University and Melina is currently a Junior at Warwick Valley High School. 

Ken and Vikki are proud parents who make sure to play an active role in their kids’ lives. Ken has loved coaching his kids’ soccer, baseball, and softball teams since they were young. Even now he continues to coach softball for the OC Bombers’ travel team that Melina plays on. 

After returning to Warwick, Vikki became a licensed real estate agent and joined BHGRE Green Team. With hard work and dedication, Vikki was promoted to BHGRE Green Teams’ President in May of 2022. 

After his wife became Green Team’s president Ken decided it was time to become a realtor himself. With almost 20 years of investment real estate experience and extensive financial knowledge, Ken knew this was the right move for him. Additionally, his skills and understanding of construction/flipping give him the ability to recognize the value of a house. 

It is no doubt that a realtor with Ken’s knowledge and experience will be an unbeatable asset to every client that he meets. 

Community Support March 22, 2023

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!HONORCatholic 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.

Agency News and AwardsCommercial and Investment Real Estate November 8, 2022

James Cosenza receives his CIREC Designation

James “Jimmy” Cosenza is now Commercial and Investment Real Estate Certified

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team proudly announces that Jimmy has received his CIREC designation!  

Jimmy Cosenza is well-known as a go-getter and will do whatever he needs to achieve his goals. He provides each client with great attention to detail, investigative and negotiating skills, as well as top-notch problem-solving abilities. Still, he wanted to ensure he provided the best possible service to every client that came to him. This desire to expand his expertise is what pushed Jimmy to obtain his CIREC designation.

Throughout this course, Jimmy gained an immense amount of knowledge that he can now share with his clients. He was proud to mention that he scored in the top 10 of his class. Furthermore, With this certification, he is now able to better advise his clients on all their Commercial Real Estate endeavors. Additionally, this course gave him an in-depth view of the current commercial market and what is expected in the years to come. Any investor would be lucky to have someone with this knowledge on their side. 

Great work Jimmy!

Agency News and Awards October 19, 2022

Meet Renee Williams

Renée Williams is bringing her expertise to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team!

 Renée began her career as a political analyst in London’s Parliament. Following that she spent nearly a decade in Private Equity as a Financial Analyst. She worked in Midtown, Manhattan, at a global real estate-oriented merchant bank, asset management, and investment company. This company was the industry leader in distressed and value-focused real estate investing. This position earned her unrivaled experience across the real estate industry.

At the end of 2019, Renée relinquished her role at C-III Capital Partners to devote more time to social impact matters. Following this, she became a part of a minority-led, technology and social impact company in SoHo, New York. Providing top millennial, corporate professionals access to philanthropic, board leadership opportunities within well-known nonprofits and foundations. While a part of this company Renée led Corporate Relations, Diversity Training, and Partnership Engagement. 

An expert in her field

Renée now works as a licensed real estate advisor. With extensive experience across mixed-use commercial and residential real estate. Additionally, she has firsthand property development and interior design experience. Thanks to her nearly 10-year career in private equity investment real estate she has lots to bring to the table as a real estate advisor. 

“I enjoy all the different aspects of real estate and it doesn’t feel like work.” Say’s Renée when asked about her experience as an agent.

Additionally Renée is a Political Science Graduate of Boston University and Foreign Language Studies at London School of Economics. She is also an active member of the prestigious Alumni Society. This elite network is composed of senior-level Latinx leaders who graduated from the country’s top universities.

Making a house into a home

Four years ago Renée and her husband made the decision to leave Brooklyn and to relocate to the Hudson Valley. While house hunting in Greenwood Lake, they found a hidden gem in the form of a small lakefront bungalow. This home had recently gone into foreclosure and was in desperate need of some TLC. Thankfully Renée and her husband had a vision and were ready to make it a reality. After some hard work, they had completely transformed this property.  They were now proud owners of an idyllic, three-story, contemporary-modern, designer lakefront home.

Renée’s dedication to her community

Now Renée is a proud member of the Warwick Valley Rotary Club and recent graduate of Leadership Orange Class of 2022. She is happy to go above and beyond for her community and serves monthly at the Greenwood Lake Food Pantry. Furthermore, she is honored to sit as the Chairwoman of the Rumshock Veterans Foundation.

As a former nationally ranked Rhythmic Gymnast and New England Patriots Cheerleader, Renée enjoys an active life. She can often be found on new adventures and traveling with her husband and two young children. 

A new team to call her own

When it came time for Renée to leave her previous brokerage she wanted to find a group that would help her achieve her goals. When she met with us at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team she could tell she found her new “home”. With our entire team ready to support her every step of the way she was ready to begin her newest adventure. 

When asked why she picked Green Team she said:  ” I chose to make a move because I feel that at BHGRE Green Team I would receive support.  I also knew that they would truly focus on my success and help me to achieve my goals.  That kind of support and personal touch is difficult to find in this industry.”.”

We are so happy to welcome Renée to our team and can’t wait to see all her future accomplishments.

Agency News and AwardsCommunity SupportEvents October 6, 2022

Another Successful Applefest!

Warwick’s Most Anticipated Event

The charming village of Warwick welcomed people for another very successful Applefest. An estimated 30,000 people come every year to enjoy the many treats Warwick has to offer. 

Taking part in the Excitement

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team was excited to join in on the fun. Our booth included the perfect photo opp with a beautiful faux house, courtesy of Valentine Home Builders, complete with branded pumpkins and fabulous fall decor. Clearly many others were also impressed as we had hundreds of people stop by to take photos throughout the day. 

Many people jokingly asked, “Can you come to my house and decorate my front door?” BHGRE Green Team’s Marketing Director, Nicole McCormick, who organized the event took that as a huge compliment. “As a lifestyle brand, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate offers many staging tips and guides for the home. I wanted to bring that to life at Applefest. With the help of the brand, our agents and Valentine Home Builders, that thought came to fruition. We will be using the same Door Front Display at our Furever Homes for Pets: Pet Portrait Fundraiser this weekend; all proceeds benefit the Warwick Valley Humane Society.” said Nicole. 

Showing their devotion to their Community

Our sales associates were front and center to enjoy the festivities. They handed out brochures about the area, balloons to little ones, and goody bags they created themselves. Our agents love to go above and beyond; an ideal that is shown in the care that they take with their clients every day. Being able to meet new people and spread the love during Applefest was a great experience for everyone.

“It was a great event; it felt really good being a part of the team.” stated Brian Cisek.

“Me too!” Replied Nancy Sardo, “It was a great day spent with great people! Here’s to next year!”

A Rewarding Experience

In addition, Green Team was excited to have the opportunity to host a raffle to win a brand new Apple Watch SE. We had many people enter but the lucky winner was Linda Zappala! 

We love having the opportunity to get to know our community on a personal level. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team strives to ensure that everyone we have the honor to work with receives the best possible experience.

Apple Fest 2022 was a huge success and we look forward to participating again next year!