10 Halloween Safety Tips

As you prepare for a weekend filled with ghosts, gobblins, trick-or-treating and scaring he neighborhood kids out of their costumes, it's important to use safety and common sense to make the most of your Halloween weekend. Here are a few safety tips to follow to keep you and your family safe.

1. If you use candles, place your pumpkins in a safe area where they will be out of the way of trick-or-treaters.
2. Make sure your property is clear of obstacles such as hoses, flower pots, and other lawn items that could be tripped over.
3. Feeding your child a healthy dinner before they set out will prevent them from eating too much candy.
4. Children should go out during daylight hours only unless accompanied by a responsible adult.
5. Give your child a flashlight or glow stick and make sure costumes have reflective tape to make them more visible to cars.
6. Costume accessories such as swords, knives, and similar props should be made of soft and flexible material.
7. Instruct your child about staying away from strangers and not going into houses or cars.
8. NEVER eat unwrapped candy, opened candy or fruit given to you on Halloween.
9. Stay in familiar neighborhoods.
10. HAVE FUN!!!

RE/MAX Alliance Agent Named CAR REALTOR® of the Year!

The Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR) has awarded RE/MAX Alliance 3,000 Realtor Bob Brown the prestigious REALTOR® of the Year award for 2010. Brown was recognized recently for his achievements as CAR celebrated its 90th Anniversary at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Association of REALTORS® serves over 22,500 REALTOR® members in Colorado. Each year, agents are nominated based on the service and commitment they provide, not only to the community, but also to their boards and associations. REALTOR® Spirit, Board Activity, State Association Activity, National Association Activity, Civic Activity, and Business Accomplishments are all factors considered when an agent is awarded Realtor of the Year.

As a current broker with RE/MAX Alliance 3,000 of Aurora, Brown has more than 35 years of real estate experience. Receiving his Broker License in 1974, Brown has volunteered his time and talents serving local communities and giving back to the industry where he has become a great success.

"I couldn't be happier for an agent I know so well," said Mike Hardin, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX 3,000. Mike has worked with Bob for over 25 years. "Bob is a very deserving agent and has won almost every award through the association. This award is the icing on the cake for such a dedicated and honest agent."

Brown’s spirit, hard work and enthusiasm are reflected by his dedication and time spent being involved as a real estate professional as an activist and board member. Brown served as the President of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® in 2004 and currently serves as a Director to the National Association of REALTORS®. He has also received numerous awards over the years for his professional service, including the RE/MAX Regional Hall of Fame award and Above the Crowd® award in 2005, AAR REALTOR® of the Year Award in 1988, and President’s Distinguished Service award in 1992, 1998 and 2005. He is a true professional that exemplifies what it means to be a REALTOR®.

“It was such an honor to receive the CAR REALTOR® of the Year award, I am extremely grateful for the recognition I have received from my peers,” said Brown. “Life’s pleasures come from helping others, and in our business it’s feeling the buyer’s excitement in home ownership.”

1st Annual RE/MAX Alliance Pumpkin Carving Contest

As the year-end approaches many of us find ourselves dealing with the tasks of planning, preparing and all of the other stressful duties that come with taking on the holiday season. As you spend the weekends roaming the candy aisles, searching for bargain items, and making that oh so needed trip to Starbucks … don’t let the “fun” of the season pass you by.

Before you approach cooked turkey and tangled lights, get in good spirits with goblins and ghouls and enjoy the orange and black of the season. Halloween is a great time to let loose and have fun with decorations, crazy costumes and trick-or-treating with the kiddos.

This year, let your creative side out and show off your best-carved pumpkin in the RE/MAX Alliance’s 1st Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest. Pumpkin carvings can be scary or silly. Get creative and submit your carving photo today!

How to Enter:

Simply snap a photo (these do not have to be super high quality) of your pumpkin and e-mail it to media@homesincolorado.com (subject: pumpkin contest). Please send as an attachment or send us the link if you have it hosted online. Please tell us your name and the city you live in. We will not post first and last names to respect your privacy, however finalists will have first name and first initial of last name mentioned.

Rules:

1.) We want only photos of real pumpkins that have been carved by YOU.

2.) Keep it clean. Photos with bad taste will not be entered; these entries will be handed over to the pumpkin carving police for violation of contest rules.

3.) Finalists will have their name and location mentioned (first name and first initial of last name only).

4.) Have fun with this.

Prizes:

1st: iPod Shuffle

2nd: $25 Visa gift card

3rd: Halloween Goodie Bag

All entries will be displayed on the RE/MAX Alliance’s facebook page: facebook.com/remaxalliance

Deadline for submission is October 27th.

Fans of the RE/MAX Alliance facebook fan page will do the voting. Spread the word to your friends and family.

VOTING DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 29TH!

RE/MAX Alliance Agents Appointed to the Jefferson County Association of REALTORS’s Board of Directors!

RE/MAX Alliance real estate brokers Amanda DiVito-Parle and Phil Shell have been appointed to serve as new officers on the Jefferson County Association of Realtor’s Board of Directors. Their terms of office are from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011.

Amanda DiVito Parle will serve as Secretary to the Board. She has been a licensed agent since 2003 and currently works out of the RE/MAX Alliance office in Arvada. Her success has come due to years of hard work and a mentorship under her father. "I'm a very driven person. I keep a daily plan. I work on a schedule. I'm very regimented," Amanda said.

Phil Shell, also with RE/MAX Alliance of Arvada, will serve as a director. The vision for the new association includes a central and highly visible Realtor campus along with a commitment to lower infrastructure costs.

The mission set fourth to all Jefferson County Association of REALTOR board members is to enhance the ability of each participating member to conduct business professionally, ethically and profitably while promoting the image of REALTORS® as knowledgeable practitioners that are essential to the success of each and every real estate transaction.

For additional information regarding the JCAR, please visit www.jcar.com.

Additional RE/MAX Alliance associates currently associated with the Jefferson County Association of REATLORS include:  Karen Nichols, Chad Ochsner, Matt Cohen, Joseph DiVito, Karen Levine and Merry Whyman. The Jefferson County Association of REATLORS represents more than 2,000 real estate professionals in Jefferson County, Colorado.

“It is great to see so many of our agents involved in a variety of associations and boards. We are proud of such a large group of professionals who continually show their commitment to their profession and their desire to provide the most professional service and care to consumers,” said Chad Ochsner, Broker Owner of RE/MAX Alliance.

RE/MAX Alliance of Westminster Agents Recognized as 2010 FIVE STAR Real Estate Agents by Denver’s 5280 Magazine!

RE/MAX Alliance, Colorado’s largest locally owned real estate organization and 3rd largest RE/MAX franchise in the world is pleased to recognize the success and nominations of eight agents representing the Westminster, CO office. These agents have been nominated as a “Five Star Real Estate Agent” for 2010 by Denver’s 5280 Magazine.

The following list of RE/MAX Alliance agents have been nominated for their excellence in overall customer service, client communication, finding the right home, integrity, negotiation, marketing the home, market knowledge, closing preparation, and overall customer satisfaction.

Craig Bennigsdorf, Tammy Camalick, Jim Carroll, Ainslie Dougherty, Mary Gedack, Michelle McColl, Amber Panck, and George Rick were nominated. This year’s complete list of real estate agents was published in a special section of the September issue of 5280 Magazine.

RE/MAX Alliance of Westminster was established in 2004 by blending two RE/MAX Alliance offices together. Currently, there are forty-nine experienced full-time agents; averaging 13 years of service each to the industry. Year-to-date (through August 2010), agents from the Westminster office have assisted with over 497 transactions, generating $115,301,000 in sales volume.

“Having a large market presence speaks volumes to the professionalism that each of our agents possess,” said Dave Heaton, managing broker of RE/MAX Alliance of Westminster. “The advantage to being successful in a challenging market is having the experience and know-how of working with buyers and sellers in various markets and market conditions.”

The office is located in Westminster at 9737 Wadsworth Parkway and can be reached by phone at (303) 469-8821.