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Jeff & Grace Safrin, Broker / Owners, Northwest Indiana

JUST Sold - Home in Chesterton, IN - F.C.Tucker 1st Team Real Estate represented the Buyers->RELOCATION business happens regularly->

F.C.Tucker 1st Team Real Estate Relocation Business Corporations continue to move their Managers and Executives despite economic conditions.

Seasons do not matter either.....Today we Closed on a home in Porter County, IN in which we represented the Relocating Buyers.

We've been blessed with a wave of RELO business lately in NW Indiana.

The benefits of being part of F.C.Tucker - Indiana's Largest Real Estate Company...which is part of the Largest Relocation network in the WORLD !

Relocation Clients come pre-approved with a narrow window or time frame to find a home and the transaction itself moves rather quickly - only a few weeks from accepted offer to closing!

The best fringe benefits of working with relocating buyers is making new friends! We plan to visit them next week when they are settled in their new home :)

If you are an experienced REALTOR and would like to be afforded the opportunity to work with referrals of corporate relocation business, please give us a call for a confidential interview.

Queen Esther - A Musical Dramatization By Keri Burman of Yadah Praise Productions - @ Valparaiso's Christ Lutheran Church 9/29/09 7:30 pm

Queen Esther - A Musical Dramatization on 9/29/09 by Keri Burman @ CLC in Valparaiso, IN

Funny how sometimes thin threads connect people.....

Keri Burman, an actress and singer of Yadah Praise Productions found my Blog on the Women's Bible Study I facilitate at my Church in Valpo!

Since our topic is Women of the Bible and Ms. Burman (a local Valparaiso resident) does Musical Dramatizations (scriptural based monologues and songs) to tell the incredible stories of Humble Heroines like Queen Esther.

She wrote me a letter and enclosed her CD and asked if we would be studying the book of Esther (which we will be this fall), and if we would be interested in seeing the story of Queen Esther enacted ?

The ladies at our bible study and in the women's groups at our church got so excited ...

We decided to open this event for all to share!

So, if you would like to join us on Tuesday Evening, September 29th at 7:30 pm please call Paula Starek at Christ Lutheran Church located @ 2610 North Campbell St. in Valparaiso, IN 46385. tel # 219-462-6660 or

or email - > CLCValpo@verizon.net

There is no charge to attend - (free will offerings for Keri Burman are appreciated).

We just ask you RSVP in advance by Sunday 9/27/09.

Visit Keri's website to read how her God given gifts and talents are reaching across all denominations to bring stories of the women of the bible to life and remind us of God's word and love!

Come Join Us...All are welcome here :)

Someone You Should Know in VALPO.......

Valparaiso, Indiana is close to Chicago, so we get nightly news feeds from the Chicago-land TV stations.

One such station, channel 7 - an ABC affiliate, has a reporter named Harry Potterfield, who over the years has done a series of reports named "Someone You Should Know"

These reports highlight everyday citizens who make a difference in their local communities.

I recently met a person of this caliber. We connected 1st on Twitter - I am one of her followers :)

Her name is Ms. Christine Hisick and she is the Founder / Organizer of Banta Feeds Food Drives.

Her grass roots movement to organize neighborhood food drives to re-stock the dwindling food pantry supplies in Porter County is commendable!

Recently, she told her story at the Ladies Bible Study at our Church, and our small group is coming on board to support her cause by collecting items to help her supply those in need in our local community this fall.

Her motto is simple, yet profound :

"Alone we have a pebble,

but together we can build mountains"

Visit their Website @ www.bantafeeds.com

or Facebook Fan Page

" Banta Feeds Food Drive "

for more information!

Things Happen For a Reason.....Some buyers get a better deal the second time.

Home Sold in Porter County-Safrin's Found the Buyers That's what we told our Buyer clients earlier this summer when they put in a bid on a Ranch home for sale that we showed them in Porter County, IN that ended up in a multiple offer situation.

Jeff showed them the comparable solds in the neighborhood and it was clear from the numbers that bidding up in this particular market to try and out do the other buyer was not in their best interest. Disappointed at first, they agreed to wait.

Low & behold, this week, we closed on another home with these same buyers. This home had double the square footage ( a Ranch with a full finished basement ) for thousands less in price than the previous home and in the same county ...and the best part - it was totally remodeled inside & out!

We moved quickly on this move in ready home and now they are happy homeowners!

Sometimes, Things happen for a reason :)

Indiana Association of REALTORS Road Show - A Few Things of Interest ......

Jeff & Grace Safrin are Members of The Indiana Association Of REALTORS

This past Tuesday, Jeff & I attended the IAR Region I Road show held this year in La Porte County, in the Grand Ballroom of the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City.

We go every year and especially look forward to the legislative updates by Sally Johnson our IAR government affairs/Lobbyist and legal updates by IAR attorney Richelle Cohen Mossler.

3 things I found interesting from this conference which was attended by nearly 200 REALTORS/members of our local GNIAR Board:

  • The Statewide Number of Members of the Indiana Association of REALTORS has dropped from 21,000 to 16,600 and the speaker said they expect an even further drop by year end speculating bottom at 13,000 ?
  • Case of Pride Vs. Christian Buyer who breached Indiana Residential Purchase Agreement did end up paying $$$$$ to parties affected.
  • HVCC related issues ->Complaints against appraisers on the basis of "GEOGRAPHIC Incompetance" are being filed.

This year I tweeted all the great new website info from the various speakers PowerPoint presentation

so if you follow our twitter feed, you already saw some of these links :)

As Professional REALTORS, keeping current and informed on the frequently changing laws, and even moreso, being aware of legislation introduced that impacts the homeowner or Home Buying consumers who we serve is important to us!

IAR does a great job of traveling around the state with annual Road Show Updates and we appreciate this!