Mel Foster Co. Toasts Historic Year

Fick Family announcing their biggest year in company history
Fick Family announcing their biggest year in company history

Mel Foster Co. held its annual awards reception last night at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa. Lynsey Engels, President Real Estate Brokerage and Marc Engels, President of Mel Foster Insurance presented awards to 122 agents that were recognized for achieving membership in the company’s different sales club levels including Chairman, Executive, President and Honor. Top honors were awarded to:

Thad DenHartog – Commercial Top Sales

Diana Franks – Residential Illinois Top Sales

Geri Doyle – Residential Iowa Top Sales

Joe Ertel – Insurance Top Personal Lines

Mike Smith – Insurance Commercial Top Producer

Mike Kessel – Insurance Top Employee Benefits

Combining all three divisions of Mel Foster Co. Inc., the total sales volume increased by 9.21 percent from 2012, surpassing the total sales of 2005, when the market was at its peak, and making it the biggest year in the history of the 93 year old company. Rob Fick attributed Mel Foster Co.’s success to dedicated staff and agents, who continue to build and maintain relationships within their teams and outside of the company. Fick also attributed the increase as a reflection of a strengthening economy and higher consumer confidence in 2013. “I am very proud of what the company accomplished this year. I know Mel Foster Jr. would be equally proud to see us continuing his vision of forward progress and leadership in this community. We’re starting 2014 with great optimism and a stronger economy than in years past, and I anticipate 2014 to be another year of growth for Mel Foster Co. We were fortunate in 2013 to welcome 39 new agents and staff, and 28 individuals are currently enrolled in our pre-license classes,” commented Fick.

Mel Foster Co.’s residential real estate sales increased by nearly 8 percent from 2012. The average sale price for Mel Foster Co. residential real estate was $148,278, a 1.18 percent increase from last year.

New construction sales are predicted to be strong in 2014. Lynsey Engels said, “We are expecting the real estate market as a whole to continue moving forward, with new home construction heavily influencing home sales volume. We are positioned to meet demand for new construction in our area and are pleased to announce that we will be launching four new subdivisions in 2014 coupled with the four that were launched in 2013. We closed 85 new residential lots last year and will have another 146 lots available in 2014.”

Mel Foster Commercial relocated to the Elmore Office Park in the spring of 2013. Engels reported that agents in the commercial division closed an average of over six million dollars per agent. After having their best year last year since 2005, Mel Foster Commercial still had a one percent increase in sales from the previous year.

Mel Foster Insurance had the biggest year in the history of the company. Marc Engels commented, “We have introduced a lot of new processes throughout the division and our agents and staff have done a great job adapting to the ever-changing insurance markets. Much of our growth can be attributed to our strong carrier representation which has allowed us to secure new business relationships in the Quad City market.” Direct written premiums were up 44.8 percent since 2009 and the insurance division has been able to more than double its employee benefits department. Engels added, “To continue to build each year is a testament to our team’s ability to meet the expectations of our Quad Cities and surrounding area clients.” In 2013, the personal insurance lines department’s sales grew 8.1 percent and the commercial department was up 15.4 percent. Engels also said, “I think individuals and business owners in this market appreciate the consistency, integrity, and professional competence our team brings to the insurance experience.”

Mel Foster Co. invested in multiple technology enhancements in 2013 to help buyers and sellers search for homes more easily. The new website was launched in fall 2013 and a new app was recently rolled out. Internally, agents benefitted from IT upgrades, a more robust intranet site, paperless transactions and enhanced consumer reports with greater details for homebuyers and sellers. Lynsey Engels stated, “We want to make sure that our agents have every tool they need to successfully meet their clients’ needs. We continually invest in technology upgrades and stay current on new features that we can integrate into our systems. With over 90% of people searching for a home online, it’s crucial for our agents to have top of the line technology.”

Mel Foster Co. Launches New & Enhanced Mobile Application

Mel Foster Co. launched a new, enhanced property search app for iPad, iPhone®, and Android smartphones. The app is free and available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Market.

The new app offers a premium user experience with best-in-class mapping and augmented reality. See large photos, detailed property information on the map and search faster with auto refresh when you select a new location. Users can share properties via text message and email.

The Mel Foster Co. app is the first in the area to feature a homespotter function that Mel Foster Co. calls “Foster Finder.” Foster Finder shows results for Mel Foster and all listing companies.

Foster Finder uses a technology called augmented reality that is coupled with a smartphone or tablet’s GPS and compass to overlay property information on a device’s live camera feed. Simply use your smartphone or tablet to find all homes for sale on the street where you are standing. With a quick tap, a view of the entire street and all homes for sale pop up. There is also a radar display that shows the direction and proximity of nearby properties for sale.

The new app is integrated with the recently redesigned www.melfosterco.com. Saved properties from the smartphone app, tablet app and website are automatically synced so users always have access to their most recently saved properties.

Mel Foster Co. partnered with Mobile Realty Apps, a Minneapolis based company that specializes in real estate applications.

About Mel Foster Co.

Founded in 1921, Mel Foster Co. is a Real Estate Leader of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and the surrounding Quad City area, and it is one of Iowa’s largest independently owned real estate companies. The company specializes in residential and commercial sales and offers services in insurance, farm and land sales, land development, relocation, career development, and new construction. Visit their website at www.melfosterco.com for more information.

About Mobile Realty Apps

Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Mobile Realty Apps specializes in custom mobile apps for the nation’s top real estate brokers and MLSs, featuring apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry, QR codes, text and voice response solutions. Mobile Realty Apps is perhaps best known for its industry-leading HomeSpotter, an augmented reality technology that is a feature of its white-labeled smartphone and tablet apps.

Find homes with the Foster Finder
Mel Foster App

How To Lower Your Taxes With Upgrades

When you prepare your 2013 taxes, you can use your recent home improvements to get energy-efficiency tax credits. In addition to helping you lower your energy bills, energy-efficient products eligible for the new federal tax credits actually lower the amount of federal income taxes that you pay.

Eligible home improvements

Exterior windows including skylights and storm windows

Insulation, exterior doors and roofs

Central air, heat pumps, furnaces, hot water boilers, water heaters, advanced main air circulating fans or biomass stoves

How to claim your credit

Your tax preparer can help determine your credit. There is a cap of $500 for fiscal years 2006-2013 combined. You will need to keep receipts to provide proof of purchase and have a copy of the manufacturer’s certification for the product you purchased. If you file taxes on your own, you will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes.

 

How to lower your taxes with upgrades.
How to lower your taxes with upgrades.

Five Tips To Prevent Identity Theft

Moving is stressful, and that’s the way identity thieves like it. It’s confusing with people coming in and out of your house to pack and move your belongings. Keep your guard up and follow these tips to keep your identity yours.

1. Change It

The people who move into your old place might not be as diligent as you about shredding credit card offers. You could have pre-approved offers ending up unopened in the garbage and this is easy pickings for an identity thief. Change your address through the U.S. Postal Service online or fill out the form at your nearest post office.

2. Shred It

While you pack, go through your old financial documents, including bank and credit card statements. Fire up the shredder and give yourself peace of mind by taking care of the shredding and disposal yourself.

3. Watch It

Your personal identity and financial documents should be kept in a folder that you keep with you during your move. Don’t let this folder get packed away into a file cabinet and put on a moving van.

4. Protect It

Each of your mobile devices should be password protected. Don’t print out a list of your passwords. Use an online or mobile source to securely keep all of your passwords. Keep your phone with you at all times during your move. And don’t pack your computer, tablet or other device in a box labeled electronics. Write fragile on the box and mark it with a star so only you know what’s really inside. The star will help you identify this box more quickly when you unpack.

5. Shut It

Don’t count down the days until your move on social media. Chances are, criminals are counting down the days with you! Wait until the movers are gone and you’re settled into your new home before telling the world about your move.


,
Office:




© 2024