Diaz and Vincelli Join Better Homes and Garden Real Estate Wilkins & Associates

Stroudsburg – Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates hired two Salespersons for their Bushkill and Stroudsburg offices respectively. 

Christian Diaz joined the Bushkill sales team and will work from that office.  Diaz, an August 2014 graduate of the Pocono Real Estate Academy took all the required courses, passed the State exam and has been issued a Pennsylvania Salespersons’ license. 

Diaz lives in East Stroudsburg with his wife, Jesenia, who is currently attending real estate school and after completing the required course and passing the exam and both will work together as a team.  The Diaz’s are bilingual with their second language being Spanish.  Diaz is originally from Queens, New York, where he was successfully employed as a rental agent for an independent broker.  Earlier in his career, Diaz owned and managed delicatessens and small supermarkets prior to his working in the real estate industry.  In the past, Diaz has volunteered as a Cub Scout Leader.  Said Diaz, “I very much look forward to being part of our Pocono Community and was very much drawn to the Wilkins team because of their commitment to their neighborhoods.”

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “Christian is definitely the kind of Realtor that we want.  When a gentleman dresses up in a suit and tie for a 7:00 p.m. interview, along with his wife who will work as his administrative assistant, you’ve got to know that we want those type persons representing us with buyers and sellers and that they’re serious about being successful.”  Diaz was recruited by Lynn Wilklow, Sales Manager of the Bushkill office.

Kelley Vincelli, Salesperson, has joined the company and will work as a fulltime Realtor in their Stroudsburg office.  Prior to joining Better Homes and Gardens, Vincelli was employed by Keller Williams.  Said Christine A. Wilkins, Exec V.P./GM, who recruited Vincelli, “This young lady wants a strong and dedicated management team to offer support, which the Better Homes and Gardens brand does.  Furthermore, Kelley is eager to form her career in an office environment that’s very conducive to offering one-on-one and online training and insight to move her up to the next level of service.”  The Wilkins organization prides themselves on offering in-depth training to new and seasoned Realtors and coaching to new recruits.

Prior to real estate, Vincelli worked six years at Staples where she dealt with the general public on a daily basis.  While always enjoying real estate, Kelley completed the required courses online in 2013-2014 and after passing the required examination, received her real estate license in early September 2014.   Kelley is a 2007 graduate of Freedom High School.  Vincelli then attended Northampton County Community College completing courses in General Studies, Criminal Justice, Journalism and Psychology.

Said Vincelli, “I love the Better Homes and Gardens’ Mission Statement where they say, ‘we love what we do and do what we love’; that’s me.  I love real estate and now can do what I love.”

Both Realtors will shadow and be mentored by other fulltime Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates agents.  Both Realtors will also be invited to attend the free of charge online classes offered by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Corporate in the Greenhouse.

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, “You couldn’t pick a better time to get into the Real Estate business.  The market has definitely picked up.  Sales (rentals and sales) have no place to go but up.  The banks are beginning to loosen their credit requirements, the rental market remains extremely strong—and I must make note that today’s tenant will be tomorrow’s buyer—in my mind, there’s no better place to learn real estate than with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.  The number of sales tools that we offer for buyers and sellers, and the support we give to agents to educate themselves in the latest technology, how to proactively list and sell real estate in this type of the market and to be young enough to make real estate your career for the next 20 years, just simply cannot be any better than with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates.  Today is the perfect time to mold your future.”

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates employs over 50 Realtors and expect that number to grow to 90+ Realtors and Assoc Brokers over the next 18 - 24 months.  With 4 offices now in the Pocono Mountains including Milford, Bushkill, Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, the Wilkins organization is looking to further expand their offices to include upper Lehigh Valley, Wayne County area, Lake Wallenpaupack and Scranton areas. 

All offices are open 7 days a week and BHG can be viewed online at www.wilkins1.com.  In early December, Wilkins will launch their new website at www.BHGwilkins.com .  The new website is “the friendliest site in real estate featuring the friendliest search for real estate”.

Jennifer Amantea Receives Associate Broker's License

Mt. Pocono – Jennifer Lynn Amantea, Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates has been issued an Associate Broker’s license by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Amantea, successfully took all of the required real estate courses and passed the required Broker’s examination.  Said Amantea, “This has been a goal of mine for the past 2 years.  It makes me proud to say that I’m now an Associate Broker.”

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates, “On a personal note, I am very proud that Jen has her Associate Broker’s license.  She’s worked hard for this and she deserves it.  On a professional note, the success that Jen has seen as a Realtor is only going to sky-rocket as an Associate Broker.  You heard it here first!”.

Amantea has been with the Better Homes and Gardens brand for almost 3 years.  Throughout her career, she has been a Top Ten Salesperson with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates, a multi-award winning Realtor and a Top Producer of the Mt. Pocono office.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates have four offices in the Pocono Mountains.  All offices are open 7 days a week.  Visit them on line at www.wilkins1.com or on Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BHGWilkins.

Wilkins & Associates Property Management adds new Lawn Mower

PHOTO L to R:

Joseph Zaborowski (Zabo), Cramer’s Cashway, Inc.; Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, Wilkins & Associates; Scott Sebring, Cramer’s Powerhouse and Carrie Ridner, Director of Property Management, Wilkins & Associates

Stroudsburg - Wilkins & Associates—PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, also known as NEPA Management Assoc, is shown here with their new Bob-Cat Walk-behind Hydro Z-Control mower purchased from Cramer’s Powerhouse.  Wilkins has expanded their Management services adding a variety of maintenance services as well.  Recently, WA-PROPERTY MANAGEMENT was retained by The Glen at Tamiment to provide lawn care, pool service, road maintenance and snow-plowing for the Association.

Under the direction of Carrie A. Ridner, Director of Property Management, the maintenance division of the company is expanding.  Said Ridner, “While we are certainly not going let Tom drive our new Bob Cat, it is a first step in the direction of providing maintenance services to not only the 30+ associations we represent but also allows us to get into the “handy-man” business with such items as painting, power-washing, lawn care and snowplowing.”

Ridner, new to the company, has 20+ years in the Property Management business as a community property manager.  Prior to joining Wilkins, she was Community Manager at Penn Estates as well as active in the Pocono Ranchlands community and formerly employed by the Village at Camelback and Wild Acres throughout her career.

The Wilkins organization, under the name NEPA Management Associates and Wilkins & Associates—PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, provides management for short and long term rental properties, apartment complexes, condominium and townhome communities, property owners associations and commercial projects throughout the greater northeast Pennsylvania region.  What started over 20 years ago as one association, the Villas at Pine Hill in Mt. Pocono, today has grown into one of the largest Management companies in northeast Pennsylvania.  Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO stated, “We’re in the Property Management business to stay.  We see a tremendous opportunity in the Lehigh Valley, although it’s more competitive there (which we welcome), as well as expansion into the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Lake Wallenpaupack regions.  By adding in-house maintenance services to our menu, it opens more doors for us and we feel has a tremendous upside.”

Approximately, two years ago, Wilkins & Associates—PROPERTY MANAGEMENT offered a Bookkeeping and Fiscal Management Agreement to small and very large community associations which went over extremely well.  It’s a bookkeeping service that is very affordable and in their capacity, the Wilkins company bills and deposits the dues, accounts for the dues, pays the necessary bills for the association and reports on that activity monthly or quarterly to the Association’s Board of Directors.

Under the supervisions of Rosemarie Lobe-Waller, CFO, the program has been taking a very strong foothold in small associations.  Says Waller, “Now that same product has been redefined as a cost savings idea for the largest of associations where they can outsource the financial running of the community to a third party at a lesser cost than it may be to keep that particular part of their staff.”

The Management office at 404 Park Avenue, Stroudsburg is open 7 days a week.  They can be visited online at www.nepamgmt.com; or like them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WilkinsCommercialBrokers

Skillman wins award at Mt. Airy Luncheon

Mt. Pocono – Katherine Skillman, Assoc Broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates was hosted to a lunch given by Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO and Dennis Mooney, Vice Pres/Sales Mgr at which time Skillman received from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Corporate glass embossed 2012 Silver Certificate Awards.

Skillman was recognized by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, LLC for her 2012 Gross Commission Income as well as the number of units she sold in 2012.  The Silver Certificate is the 4^th level of recognition awarded nationally by the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand.

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “To present Kathy with both of these prestigious awards was truly an honor.  Kathy has been a member of the Top 10 with the Wilkins organization for a number of years, but when you are recognized nationally by professionals in your field, that’s something to celebrate.”

Presenting the awards along with Wilkins was Dennis Mooney, V.P./Sales Manager.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates’ corporate office is located at 404 Park Avenue in Stroudsburg.  Skillman, who works from the Mt. Pocono office, handles the entire Gouldsboro, Big Bass Lake, Sterling, New Foundland, Moosic and Moscow regions.  In addition to her national recognition, Skillman was awarded Salesperson of the Year 2012 at Skytop Lodge this past January at the Wilkins & Associates awards brunch.

Skillman awarded Wilkins & Associates Realtor of the Year for 2012

Gouldsboro - Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates presented the “Salesperson of the Year” award to Kathleen Skillman, Associate Broker. 

Skillman has been with the Wilkins organization for 6 years.  Skillman was a driving force when the Company operated a retail office just outside Eagle Lake, an upscale RV community located just outside the village of Gouldsboro.

Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “Skillman comes to the table as the ‘Realtor of tomorrow’.  What I mean by that is she’s a hybrid agent and works her business almost strictly through the internet.  Her online marketing is second to none and excels in customer service quality traits.”

Although Skillman works from the Mt. Pocono office, her primary trade area is the North Pocono School District area.  Skillman handles a number of primary, residential home sales as well as vacation homes from nearby Big Bass Lake community.

Skillman has won numerous Sales awards from the Company and is expected to win more in the future.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates operate 3 offices throughout the Pocono Mountains.  All offices are open 7 days a week and you can visit them online at www.willkins1.com or please "Like" their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BHGWilkins.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Announces Top 10 in Sales for 2012

Skytop  - At the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates Annual Awards brunch held this year at Skytop Lodge, the Top 10 in Sales were awarded their plaques by Christine A. Scrofano-Wilkins, Gen Manager and Master of Ceremony.  Annually, the Company acknowledges those Salespersons who generated the most income in residential sales.

For 2012, those honorees were Carl Maurer, Associate Broker and head of “The Carl Maurer Team”, working from the Bushkill office; Dennis Farrelly, Realtor and member of “The Carl Maurer Team”; James Martin, Realtor and the 3rd member of “The Carl Maurer Team”, working from both the Bushkill and Stroudsburg offices; Kathy Skillman, Associate Broker who handles the North Pocono region for the company including Lake Wallenpaupack, Gouldsboro, Moscow and as far north as Pocono Springs Resort.

Other winners were Nicole Murray, Realtor from the Bushkill office, who last year received “Realtor of the Year” award from the Poc Mts Assoc of REALTORS; Jennifer Amantea, Realtor, in the Mt Pocono office and the newest member to the Top 10 in Sales, Sonia Kern, Realtor, from the Stroudsburg office.

Other award winners were Jeffrey Serowick, Realtor from the Stroudsburg office with the most referral sales in addition to the Top 10; Kathleen Kazimi, Sr Sales Assoc, from the Stroudsburg office; and Charles McQuillan, Realtor, from the Bushkill office.

These top 10 Realtors showed that the real estate market in the Poconos remains strong and at the end of any given year, those Realtors who work hard and focus on their online marketing and customer service will have a good year.

In 2013, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates is celebrating their 25^th year in business.  The company was founded by Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO with 3 persons in Mt. Pocono and expanded into the leader that they are today.

According to the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS MLS system, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates was No. 1 in the number of units sold by company with 8.15%.  This was for closed residential sales in the four school districts (Mt. Pocono, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley & East Stroudsburg) located in Monroe and lower Pike County.  The next closest real estate office was REMAX Results with 5.58%, Keller Williams with 4.51% and the rest were 3% and under.

In total dollar volume, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates ranked No. 2 with 5.79% behind Keller Williams at 5.83%.  All told, the PMAR MLS data showed that the 2012 selling season, when compared to 2011, was only down by 2%.  The total number of units sold was up 16%, the sold volume up 10% and the average sale price down 5%.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates can be found online at www.wilkins1.com .

From left to right: Nicole Murray, James Martin, Carl Maurer, Sonia Kern, Jennifer Lynn-Amantea, Kathy Skillman, Charles McQuillan, Dennis Farrelly, Thomas R Wilkins, and Christine Scrofano-Wilkins.

Tom Wilkins scheduled to teach Accredited Property Management Course

Scranton - Vintage Real Estate Academy announced that Thomas R. Wilkins will teach Non-Residential Property Management, an accredited Property Management course beginning January 22^nd, 2013.  This 4 day, 30 hour accredited course will run for 4 consecutive Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The classes will be held at the Clarion Hotel, 300 Meadow Street, Scranton, PA. 

Wilkins, who is owner of Wilkins & Associates-PROPERTY MANAGEMENT and NEPA Management Associates, has been involved in the property management business for the past 20 years.  From the ground up, Wilkins successfully developed an all inclusive and diversified property management company that interfaces with his primary company Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates.

Starting in Mt. Pocono in 1989, Wilkins began his property management team with a small condominium complex in Mt. Pocono.  From that one account, he has grown the company into one of the largest and most respected management companies in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Wilkins is an accredited teacher licensed by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission as a Real Estate instructor.  This course will expose the student to the basic concepts of non-residential property management, Management Ethics, Management Agreements and income collection.  Wilkins has extensive knowledge and expertise in that field.  His blog and writings can be found in such real estate publications as RIS Media, the Pocono Record, Northeast Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Business Journal and other periodicals both on a regional and national level.  Online, Wilkins’ articles can be found on the following sites:

http://poconorealestatehappenings.blogspot.com; https://www.realtown.com/PoconoRealEstate/blog; http://www.biggerpockets.com/users/thomasrwilkins

For more information on the course, please call Robert Walker at Vintage Real Estate Academy at (888) 712-719.