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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.
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 Although his license is no longer active, the years of financial knowledge are a valuable asset to anyone looking to invest in real estate.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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Agent Spotlight on Tammy Scotto
“It will all work out in the end”.
Tammy Scotto is a big believer that even when there are some bumps in the road throughout a transaction, it will all work out in the end.
Having many players at the table throughout a deal can sometimes be challenging but staying on top of everything can definitely contribute to a smoother transaction.
What separates Tammy from other realtors is her communication and responsiveness to clients. She is big on communication; whether there is information to be relayed or a period of time while under contract she always keeps the line of communication open.
23 Years and Still going strong!
Tammy obtained two licenses in 1999; her real estate license and her marriage license. She is happy to report that both are still thriving. Tammy initially became a real estate agent as she had always had a passion for sales and working with people. With her marriage and the thought of children on the horizon, she knew this career enabled her to be a stay-at-home mom while working part-time. As her children grew, so did her business moving into full-time real estate.
Now with two children off to college, she has ample time to dedicate to her clients. Tammy works long days and always tries to be available for calls, from early morning right through after dinner time. Regardless of whether a client is buying or selling, it’s stressful; Tammy feels that having the ability to connect with her clients and answer questions or concerns as they arise is “priceless” and helps ease their worries.
A memorable deal.
When Tammy was asked about her most memorable real estate transaction this is what she told us:
“I recently worked with a single woman moving to Warwick from another area. We met during the summer of 2020, in the midst of covid, with a home price range of $350-450K. When we finally found a home, we had inspections done and it turned out there were structural concerns that made her uncomfortable with moving forward. My client then saw a house for 700K and asked me to show it to her. She wound up closing on that home and said to me ” See what happens when you double your budget?””
-Tammy Scotto
Pride in her work.
Tammy is proud to be able to say that each year her sales volume grows. She loves to set goals for herself every year and while she might not hit every goal, each one helps her improve her business. Tammy has her CIREC (Commercial & Investment Real Estate Certification) and while she may not have one specific specialty she does work a lot with first-time home buyers as well as many sellers. Tammy has lived in Orange County her entire life and has a vast knowledge of the Greenwood Lake and Warwick areas as well as the surrounding towns. Working with an agent who knows the area as well as Tammy does comes as a huge advantage.
While Tammy has been in the business for over 23 years she attributes the success of her current business to all the training and support given by Geoff Green. Now that we are affiliated with Better Homes & Gardens she is excited to grow her business even further.
Carol Buchanan Promoted to Broker Manager
“Carol is, and always has been, one of the most professional Realtors I have ever met. We have been blessed to have her as part of our Agency now for 3.5 years. During this time she has been nothing but a pleasure to work with. Additionally, from the moment you get to know Carol, her depth of knowledge and work ethic shine. She is going to make a fantastic Broker Manager for many years to come.”
Over 30 years of business experience
Carol brings with her a diversified real estate background. She started in real estate working for a marketing company. That company managed sales and marketing of new construction developments. While there, she earned her Associate Brokers license and became the Manager of several New Home Developments throughout Orange County and Peekskill. Once she went back to being a selling agent, she worked for both small real estate offices and large real estate corporate offices. Her work experience also includes working at the corporate headquarters of Benjamin Moore & Company as the Assistant to the Regional Director and Major Events Coordinator. Each of these positions challenged Carol to develop new skills. And it is these skills that she now brings to her new position with Green Team New York Realty.
The Largest Green to Green Residential Sale
Congratulations to Jennifer DiCostanzo as the listing agent for 30 Cardinal Lane. This magnificent home sold for $1,490,000, the largest residential Green Team to Green Team listing sale to date. Tiffany Megna represented the buyers.
Jennifer DiCostanzo
Listing and showing high-end luxury homes requires a real estate professional who understands the quintessential details the property offers, aligning to the buyer’s specific criteria. Jennifer has expertise in marketing such homes, as was the case with 30 Cardinal Lane. This magnificent home was built to provide sustainability, privacy, and luxury living, both indoors and out. By customizing marketing approaches for her selling clients, Jennifer understands the uniqueness of each property. She intuitively captures buyers’ interest with strategic strategies emphasizing the lifestyle and story these prestigious homes offer to prospective buyers- case in point 30 Cardinal Lane.
Tiffany Megna
Tiffany Megna works hard, with her goal to be better every year. A former teacher, Tiffany understands the importance of listening and understanding her clients’ needs. She has achieved designations as a Pricing Strategy Advisor, Accredited Buyer Representative, and an At Home with Diversity certification. Furthermore, she has her Seller Representative Specialist and Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certifications. With each designation, she feels she has more to offer her clients.
A dynamic Team
The real estate market has been booming since the pandemic affected the way we live and our ideas of what a home should be. Jennifer has been working non-stop and for the 6th straight year, is GTNYR Yearly Sales Leader, as well as the Q1 Sales Leader for 2022. Tiffany, also working non-stop, is ranked 2nd in Green Team New York Realty sales for 2021.
Now take a video tour of this magnificent home and property…
For many homebuyers, the beauty of Orange County, NY, and its picturesque villages and towns provide the perfect lifestyle balance with all the recreational amenities they desire. Ultimately, this property showcases some of the best that Orange County has to offer.
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