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USA Bobsled/Skeleton: Meet Johnny Quinn

February 3, 2014 By

This week we are continuing to introduce you to the members of the USA Bobsled and Skeleton teams who will be competing in Sochi, Russia. CENTURY 21® is proud to sponsor both teams.

Today, meet Johnny Quinn of McKinney, TX. Before entering the sport of bobsled, Johnny was a football player. He was on the roster of the Buffalo Bills, the Green Bay Packers and played in the Canadian Football League.

His first time on the ice in a bobsled was in the four man event at the 2010 Vancouver games. Talk about pressure!

Adding to the challenges, Johnny suffers from motion sickness. He confessed to us that he rides down the track with his eyes closed. Thankfully he’s a break man, not the driver!

Watch this video to get to know more about Johnny:

 

Want to support Johnny and the team on their quest for the gold? Be sure you’re following CENTURY 21 on Facebook and Twitter.

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USA Bobsled/Skeleton: Meet Nick Cunningham

January 31, 2014 By

Happy Friday! Today we are pleased to introduce to you USA Bobsled Team member Nick Cunningham. The CENTURY 21 brand is proud to sponsor both the USA Bobsled and Skeleton teams.

Nick is originally from Monterrey, CA where he grew up running track and field and playing football. After his first attempt at bobsled, he found himself walking in the opening ceremonies just 18 months later.

In addition to his athletic pursuits, Nick is also a solider in the National Guard. He says, “I’m a soldier through and through and I really do hope we win the gold for the U.S. Army.”

To hear more from Nick, the pilot of the CENTURY 21 sled, watch this:

Nick also shares the importance of team chemistry:

Show your support for Nick and the whole USA Bobsled team by following CENTURY 21 on Facebook and Twitter.

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USA Bobsled/Skeleton: Meet Aja Evans

January 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment

This week we’re introducing you to the members of the USA Bobsled and Skeletons Teams, which the CENTURY 21(R) brand is proud to sponsor.

Aja (pronounced Asia) Evans, a member of the Women’s Bobsled Team, hails from Chicago, IL where she excelled in track and field. In fact, Aja was a five time All American in the shot put event.

You could definitely say the athletic gene runs in Aja’s family. Her mother was a track and field star, her father was the first African American to win a national championship in the breast stroke for men’s swimming, and her brother Fred Evans is a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings NFL team.

Watch this video to hear from Aja what it takes to train for the big race:

To support Aja and the rest of the team’s journey to Sochi, be sure you’re following CENTURY 21 on Facebook and Twitter.

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USA Bobsled/Skeleton: Meet John Daly

January 29, 2014 By

CENTURY 21 is the proud sponsor of the USA Bobsled and Skeleton teams. Over the next week and a half leading up to the opening ceremonies on Friday February 7th, we’ll be introducing you to the members of the team.

Today we’d like you to meet John Daly.

John grew up in Smithtown, NY on Long Island. Believe it or not, before getting into Skeleton, he was a BMX rider!

His career on the ice actually began with luge, but after his first trip to Lake Placid, he switched to Skeleton.

Watch this video to get to know John and hear his best piece of advice for success in the sport:

Be sure to follow CENTURY 21 on Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates on the team’s quest for the gold.

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Easter Seals Dixon Center Rings Opening Bell At NASDAQ

January 3, 2014 By

On Monday December 30th the Easter Seals Dixon Center had the honor of ringing the opening bell at NASDAQ in Times Square in New York City. For this momentous occasion, Rick Davidson, Chairman, Easter Seals International Board of Directors, and Jim Williams, Easter Seals President and CEO, rang the opening bell.

For nearly 100 years, Easter Seals has provided life-changing solutions for children and adults living with disabilities, as well as veterans, service members, military families and families of the fallen. The organization recently renewed its commitment to military families, providing direct services and assistance in a variety of areas such as work force development, job placement, family counseling, housing and access to healthcare and wellness programs.

Recognizing the new and unmet needs of so many returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Easter Seals partnered with Dixon Center and COL David W. Sutherland to address serious gaps in service, mobilize its national network of community-based services to enable veterans and their families to thrive where they live, build partnerships, share innovations and connect those who have served to local supports and services. Easter Seals Dixon Center is equipped to serve individuals and military families through staff, volunteers and community partners via 550 service sites nationwide.

“In everything Easter Seals Dixon Center does, we believe our veterans, military families, and the families of our fallen can thrive where they live. We believe in the power of communities and in the importance of reintegration by harnessing existing community-based support to deliver profound results. Easter Seals Dixon Center strengthens communities by building partnerships, sharing innovations and connecting those who have served through collective impact initiatives in their local communities,” said Williams. Learn more at www.easterseals.com and www.thedixoncenter.org.

Watch the opening bell ceremony right here:

For more information on veterans services, particularly pursuing the dream of homeownership, watch CENTURY 21 CEO Rick Davidson on a recent Google Hangout and read up on VA loans in this guest post from Chris Birk, Director of Content Development for Veterans United Home Loans.

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CENTURY 21 Alliance Spreads Holiday Cheer

December 25, 2013 By

To all those celebrating today, Merry Christmas!

Our very own CENTURY 21 Alliance in Newtown, PA was feeling extra spirited this year and the entire office rallied together to build a float for the town’s annual holiday parade.

Thanks to their hard work and team effort, the Polar Express themed float won awards for Best Overall and Best Decorated.

We sat down with CENTURY 21 Alliance agent Rebecca Malek to hear all about it.

C21: Is this parade an annual tradition?

RM: Yes, it’s an annual event and this is our second year entering a float.

C21: How does a business get to register a float?

RM: We registered with the town’s business association. There is a fee and parameters for building your float. Ours was 22’ x 10’ tall, which is the max in the town due to the low wires and cables.

C21: Did the whole office help create the float?

RM: Everyone in the office participated and donated $20 each to help with the cost. It was worth every penny, it was so much fun! We had a warehouse donate space for us this year so we could build indoors.

C21: How many people participated on parade day?

RM: 30 of our agents came out for the parade. We wore gold scarves as we walked. The float won awards for Best Decorated and Best Overall, and we tied for Best Theme.

C21: Sounds like a great day. We’re proud to have such active members of the community representing the CENTURY 21 System.

Enjoy this video from the CENTURY 21 Alliance team of their Polar Express float chugging through Newtown, PA:

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VA Loans Still Experiencing Incredible Growth

December 24, 2013 By

Guest Post: Chris Birk, Director of Content Development for Veterans United Home Loans

For the past six years, the VA home loan has experienced incredible growth in spite of a sluggish economy.

The VA backed 630,000 mortgages in the 2013 fiscal year, an all-time high for a program that turns 70 next year. The program has grown exponentially since the real estate and housing market collapse – a whopping 370 percent since 2007.

Here’s a look at VA guaranties over the last six years:

FY12: 539,884

FY11: 357,592

FY10: 314,011

FY09: 325,690

FY08: 179,670

FY07: 133,313

Low rates combined with a tight credit environment have made the VA program more attractive than ever. About 8 in 10 VA borrowers couldn’t have qualified for conventional financing.

The VA loan program is dedicated to making homeownership affordable and accessible. VA lenders are typically looking for a credit score of at least 620, which is well below what homebuyers will need for conventional and often even FHA financing.

For example, the average credit score on a successful conventional loan in October was 758, according to Ellie Mae. For FHA loans it was 692.

The recent low rate environment has also meant a boon for VA refinance options. The VA’s Streamline refinance program has emerged as a key benefit for homeowners who owe more than their home is worth. Some VA lenders can process these refinance loans without the need for an appraisal.

Why the Growth?

Both the collapse of the housing market and the failing economy have played huge roles in the growth of the VA home loan. Accordingly, lenders have made their lending requirements stricter and made financing less affordable. With a conventional loan, prospective homebuyers were in need of higher credit scores and higher down payments – two factors that the waning economy made difficult for many prospective homebuyers to obtain.

The VA home loan program allows a more flexible debt-to-income ratio, lets borrowers with lower credit scores secure financing and helps veterans purchase without the need for a down payment. For many veterans, this nearly 70-year-old program has become the most – and sometimes the only – financially feasible path to homeownership.

Perhaps surprisingly, VA loans have also thrived in the face of foreclosure. They’ve had the lowest rate of foreclosure of any mortgage product for nearly all of the last five years. That’s despite the fact that 9 in 10 VA borrowers purchase with no money down.

This historic loan program isn’t just about helping veterans secure home financing. It’s also done an incredible job ensure veterans keep their homes. As VA loans head into their 70th decade, they’re just as important today as they were in 1944.

To learn more about the VA home loan program, watch Veterans United experts live chat with the VA and Rick Davison, CEO and president of Century 21 Real Estate LLC.

About the Author: Chris Birk is the Director of Content Development for Veterans United Home Loans and author of “The Book on VA Loans: An Essential Guide to Maximizing Your Home Loan Benefits.” Connect with him on Facebook at VA Loans Insider or on Google+.

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Looking For A Gingerbread House? A CENTURY 21 Agent Can Help

December 23, 2013 By

If you’re looking for a house this holiday season, even a gingerbread house, CENTURY 21 has an agent who can help.

A home that suits your design vision? We’ve got that.

 

A kitchen with all of the amenities? But of course!

 

This time of year fresh baked cookies make any open house more inviting, don’t you agree?

 

See all the CENTURY 21 Gingerbread homes here.

Happy holidays!

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CENTURY 21 Metropolitan Takes Manhattan

December 17, 2013 By

The CENTURY 21 brand is thrilled to announce that the company is now in New York City, the financial capital of the world.

Manhattan-based Metropolitan Residential Partners LLC is now CENTURY 21 Metropolitan. Co-founders Ryan Sherman and Doug Magid will operate both a residential and commercial division with 25 agents in all five boroughs of New York City and Long Island, with their headquarters located at 139 East 61st Street.

“Attracting to our international brand two leading real estate executives and a team of agents with a strong reputation of successfully navigating New York is a strong sign that our worldwide growth strategy is working,” said Rick Davidson, CEO and President of Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “Ray and Doug’s passion for customer service and knowledge of the real estate customer are important assets as they look to take over Manhattan.”

“My agents and I strive to set a new benchmark for customer service and satisfaction, not only in New York City but in the real estate industry,” said Magid. “We are excited to join the CENTURY 21 system of like-minded offices and to tap into the company’s best-in-class training, development and tools.”

The CENTURY 21 Metropolitan team serves the buyers and sellers of the Manhattan area, specializing in residential and investment real estate. CENTURY 21 Metropolitan relies on referrals and testimonials and boasts a unique set of agent skills and expertise to suit all clientele needs.

“We want the public to realize what global exposure really can do to help them sell their homes,” added Sherman, co-founder of CENTURY 21 Metropolitan. “The strength and global reach of CENTURY 21 provides unprecedented visibility. We want buyers everywhere to know that they have local real estate professionals they can trust in Manhattan.”

Established in 2002 by Sherman and Magid, the principals of Metropolitan Residential Partners have a combined 33 years of experience. Designed to adapt to today’s changing market conditions, CENTURY 21 Metropolitan focuses on state-of-the-art technology, real-time efficiency, and an unwavering commitment to customer service.

“Customer service and client satisfaction are the highest priority to us. We try to make every transaction a delightful experience,” explained Magid. “We are excited to join the CENTURY 21 system of like-minded industry peers and tap in to the company’s best-in-class training, development and tools like century21global.com. We’re enthusiastic to transact business with our fellow global colleagues.”

Like all firms in the CENTURY 21 System, CENTURY 21 Metropolitan will be independently owned and operated, and will now share the market power and benefit of affiliation with the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization.

Welcome to the family, CENTURY 21 Metropolitan!

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Watch Live: Google Hangout With Century 21 CEO Rick Davidson And Department Of Veterans Affairs

December 4, 2013 By

Century 21 is joining Veterans United today for a Google+ Hangout to discuss veterans and homeownership. The conversation will focus on insights for returning veterans looking to purchase a house, the roadblocks they may face and the resources at their disposal, as well as answering questions from participants.

Rick Davidson, CEO and president of CENTURY 21, and Shirley Morrison, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Sweyer and Associates, will participate in the Google+ Hangout to answer questions and provide advice to veterans about buying a home.  Davidson, recently elected as Chairman, International Board of Directors at Easter Seals, will also speak to the philanthropic organization’s resources that veterans can use to transition back into civilian life.

In addition to CENTURY 21 representatives Rick Davidson and Shirley Morrison, the following experts will participate in the Hangout:

•    Patsy Molloy Taylor – Assistant VP, Marketing and Corporate Relations at Easter Seals

•    John Bell – Assistant Director of the VA Home Loan Program for the Department of Veterans Affairs

•    Chris Birk – Author of The Book on VA Loans and Executive Editor at Veterans United Home Loans

•    Sam Reeves – Senior Real Estate/Homebuying Expert at Veterans United Home Loans

•    Sarah Hill – Chief Storyteller at Veterans United Home Loans

According to a recent survey conducted by CENTURY 21 and Harris Interactive, 75 percent of military families cite owning a home as one of the most important things to service members upon returning from deployment.  Still, many veterans are in the dark about how to use their benefits and face other roadblocks in the path to homeownership.

Learn more about how you can help veterans on their pursuit of homeownership by tuning into the Google Hangout live at 2:00pm ET. Watch here.

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