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Chinowth & Cohen Realtors and its affiliated companies continued to see enormous growth in 2021, expanding resources and business across Oklahoma, continuing to be the largest independent real estate company in the state.
Along with gaining an additional 170 agents in the past year, Chinowth & Cohen Realtors has also announced 2022 plans for offices in Glenpool and Wagoner, stretching the powerhouse real estate company's reach to a total of 16 real estate offices, along with the property management division, American Property Management.
The company is also seeing continued success in Oklahoma City after purchasing Churchill Brown & Associates in 2020. The Nichols Hills and Edmond offices already have around 120 agents between both locations. Mary Fitzpatrick is the Managing Broker of the Nichols Hills office, and Khari McVey and Bill Beauprey assist in training new and existing agents in the Edmond office.
Chinowth & Cohen also built a brand new office in Owasso. The new location, just off U.S. 169 on 116th St. N, replaces the company's former Owasso office at Smith Farm Marketplace off of 96th St. N. The Owasso branch, one of C&C's first offices, launched in 2004 with only a handful of agents. Now, with around 115 agents in the Owasso area, Chinowth & Cohen knew it was time to build a new office, which also includes a state-of-the-art training facility. The office held its grand opening in October.
C&C also added new members to its corporate leadership team, including Lindsay Padilla as Director of Corporate Development, Travis Guillory as Director of Marketing & Public Relations, and Julie Orlando as Director of Accounting. Jamie Smith has been hired on to run American Property Management, Arlys Spiker is the new Managing Broker of the Bixby office, and Adonna Anderson has been promoted to Director of Education to spearhead the company's real estate training efforts.
(Top row: Lindsay Padilla, Travis Guillory, Julie Orlando; Bottom row: Jamie Smith, Arlys Spiker, Adonna Anderson)
Speaking of Chinowth & Cohen's education department, in addition to continuing its commitment to providing aspiring and current agents with top notch real estate training services, C&C created and implemented a new Post 45 course for provisional associates, upgraded the main training facility with new technology to provide in-person, live webinar, and hybrid classes, and created 10 new OREC-approved classes. C&C also added a full-time trainer in Oklahoma City, expanding the team to a total of five educators statewide and around 20 OREC approved instructors.
One of the most exciting developments for Chinowth & Cohen Realtors in 2021 is the partnership with Partners United Financial, a multi-state joint venture mortgage company formed in tandem with Newrez.
Partners United Financial is a fully-funded, independent mortgage banking firm that offers an array of unmatched advantages and perks to mortgage professionals, including direct access to agencies, innovative Non-QM offerings, marketing and sales support, industry-leading benefits and more.
Nikki Pauly has joined the firm as Senior Loan Officer, and the joint venture is seeking to hire a total of at 15 talented mortgage professionals to join the team between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Another fantastic service Chinowth & Cohen provides in-house to its agents and clients is Elite Title Services, which saw two grand openings in 2021. The Oklahoma City office, along May Ave, held its grand opening in June. The South Tulsa location moved from 101st and Yale to 61st and Yale in KingsPointe Village. That office held its grand opening in October and continues to provide unparalleled title services. ETS also has locations in Midtown Tulsa and Owasso.
These developments have secured Chinowth & Cohen's placement across the state as a dominant real estate entity. And because of smart business decisions made by Sheryl Chinowth, Lee Cohen, Leland Chinowth, and Taylor Chinowth, clients can come to our family of companies and receive top real estate, title, and mortgage services all under one umbrella, making the home buying and selling experience one like no other.
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To learn more about Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, visit ccoklahoma.com
To learn more about Elite Title Services, visit etsclosings.com
To learn more about Partners United Financial / Newrez, visit nikkipauly.com
Oklahoma's Largest Independent Real Estate Company Reaches Milestone!
Chinowth & Cohen Realtors ended the year of 2020 by reaching the record-breaking $2 Billion mark in annual sales.
Founded In 2004 by Sheryl Chinowth and Lee Cohen, Chinowth & Cohen Realtors opened the brokerage with only one office and 25 Sales Associates. Today, Chinowth & Cohen Realtors has grown to be Oklahoma's largest independent Real Estate company, with over 800 agents operating out of 15 offices across the state of Oklahoma.
Chinowth & Cohen Realtors is one of the fastest-growing real estate brokerages in the U.S.
Doubling their annual sales since 2018, independently-owned Chinowth & Cohen Realtors dominates the Oklahoma Real Estate market across all aspects of the business, including first-time homes, luxury homes, land and ranch, lake properties, Commercial, and Relocation. Chinowth & Cohen Realtors' track record is unmatched in the industry. Sheryl Chinowth attributes the company's success to its team of experienced sales professionals and top-producers who consistently deliver strong performance through all economic cycles. "We are committed to our agents by providing top-tier marketing and cutting-edge IT services," Sheryl says. "Our agents undergo extensive training, are backed by the very best support team, including Managing Brokers, Administrative Staff, Training Specialists, and Marketing creative talent, and have access to global referral networks."
Recipient of Countless Honors
Sheryl Chinowth and Lee Cohen recently were honored at the Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate 24th Annual Luxury Fall conference with the "Lifetime Achievement Award." This prestigious award is given to Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate members for their outstanding peer recognition, hard work, and persistent dedication to the global luxury real estate industry.
Recognized as forerunners in the industry, Chinowth & Cohen Realtors has also been honored with:
Giving Back to the Community
Chinowth & Cohen Realtors' owners are passionate about giving back to their community. Sheryl's altruistic concern for human welfare, and generosity to socially responsible purpose was recognized by Who's Who of Luxury Real Estate with the prestigious "Extraordinary Philanthropists" Award. The company continually supports and is actively involved with local hospitals, police departments, public schools, food banks, and organizations. Here are a few out of the many:
• The Junior League
After adjusting to our lives during quarantine, we are now beginning to think about the end of the crisis, and what the world will look like afterward. As our states emerge from lockdown at different paces, opening back up one-by-one, we, as a nation, are adjusting to our "new normal", asking ourselves, "What will our new lives look like?"
Lessons From the Past
The 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed about 675,000 people in the U.S., changed hygiene forever. In the following years, signs bearing the message, "Spitting is Unlawful" sprouted up in places like train stations. Covering your cough grew to be considered common courtesy, where before the pandemic, this etiquette was almost unheard of.
In the wake of COVID-19, certain habits we've adapted will likely stick around as well, says Kate White, a behavioral scientist at the University of British Columbia. "Our vigilance around things like disinfecting surfaces — that's probably going to continue," she says.
Our new ways of greeting (elbow bumps or "live long and prosper" salutes instead of handshakes), and interacting with each other (video chats instead of conference-room huddles) are also likely to stick to some degree.
People are accessing more educational resources online for their kids; finding unconventional ways to connect with coworkers, friends, and family; and employers are being more flexible in how they respond to employee needs through more dynamic, cloud-based technology.
Working From Home Will Become the New Normal
Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, says "The pandemic has resulted in what is effectively the largest "work from home" experiment ever conducted in human history. I think we'll see these shifts last well beyond the immediate fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak."
Companies are becoming more comfortable with at least some of their staff working from home. Some CIOs say they might consider letting as much as 25% of their staff work from home. That would mean less people in the office, and in turn, possibly less demand for office space. According to Tim Bajarin, principal analyst at Creative Strategies, "I believe that this could signal the death of open space work environments. The experience with COVID-19 will for years make people more aware of working in shoulder-to-shoulder open offices where it is easy for viruses to spread."
Vivek Ravisankar, CEO and cofounder of programming-challenge platform HackerRank says,
"Remote hiring of technical talent will become the norm, accelerated by the normalization of remote work. This is a win-win for the economy and the talent pool, as it allows companies to fill positions quickly with qualified talent and opens up high-paying tech positions to developers everywhere."
Connecting Digitally Will Accelerate
It's becoming more evident every day that the way people are using technology to spend quality time with loved ones, engage with businesses, and perform their jobs is fundamentally shifting to a new normal. Stan Chudnovsky, VP of Messenger, Facebook explains, "Loved ones who hadn't seen each other in years are now seeing each other daily, people are getting creative with virtual happy hours and keeping up with their formerly "physical" lives with shared workouts and virtual birthday parties on products like Messenger. Of course, there will be some tough consequences when we come out the other side of this, but I believe the growing acceptance of technology to help us feel connected will have lasting benefits."
Education Goes Virtual
The change we are seeing right now in education is not something that is likely to revert back to "normal" in the fall. Although teachers will always be integral to the education process, there will need to be continued flexibility and agility when it comes to things like the delivery of content, testing, and grading. "I expect that we will see an increase in blended learning environments that include learning in both the physical classroom setting and online," says Simon Allen, CEO of McGraw-Hill.
Healthcare Will Embrace The Digital Age
The healthcare industry will be greatly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, and we can expect digital health technologies to form an essential part of the way forward. Dr. Claire Novorol, cofounder and chief medical officer, Ada Health, explains, "The adoption of digital health tools—from assessment services to telemedicine—has rapidly accelerated…and we are witnessing a step-change in the adoption of digital health solutions, and that this has long-term potential."
Other Possibilities
AARP's List of 10 Things the Pandemic has Changed for Good
https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/coronavirus-lifestyle-effects.html
As the world emerges from the crisis, employees will find new ways to interact, entrepreneurs will realize business opportunities, consumers will take advantage of new environments, and policy and regulation will adapt to keep everyone safer in the future. With foresight, the results of these innovations may allow our economic infrastructure to grow stronger as it overcomes these challenging times.
Categories: Community, Health, Education, Safety, COVID-19, Wellness
The Psychology of Design
There's a psychological reason behind everything we like or dislike in our lives, and our favorite design trend is no exception. Your favorite color, design style, and furniture type says a lot more about you than you may think.
Color and Pattern Trends for 2020
The current trends for 2020 are very exciting! Designers are pushing the boundaries with color, and the spaces they go into. These colors lend themselves to organically combining solids and prints. Whether your design style is traditional, modern or trendy, you can't go wrong with a neutral color or by adding natural wood statements and big vintage pieces to you room.
Whether you choose just one or two, or want to hold on tight and run with all of these ideas, you will be on trend with your upgrades. From the sound of rain on a metal roof, living a little greener with solar panels, or being excited to see your garage door because it isn't boring anymore, a simple change can make such a difference. Turn your rooms into art pieces! Your home tells the story of your journey through your upgrades.
Drones in Real Estate
The Real Estate industry has jumped on board, taking full advantage of the power of drones. These unmanned aerial vehicles can help residential realtors capture awesome aerial photos and videos that best highlight the property's features and the surrounding area. Drones are being used for all types of real estate listings including residential homes, apartments, resorts, vacant land, commercial properties, and more. Current drone camera technology is capable of capturing still images, video, multiple overhead map images, and even 360 degree panoramas. Drone shoots of your property can put the WOW into the selling of your home - taking it to a whole new level and helping it to stand out, attracting attention.
Location, Location, Location
Creating HD video clips of not only the featured property, but also nearby attractions, amenities, parks, airports or schools, helps to sell the lifestyle of potential buyers, not just the house.
Benefits of Drone Shots
Using drones for real estate is quickly becoming the industry's new normal and innovative companies are using drones for real estate to attract savvy clientele. An important consideration when selecting a Real Estate Company is to choose one that has entered the game of drone photography. Leading the way into the new digital world, Chinowth & Cohen Realtors employ professional, experienced photographers trained in making drone photos and videos.
After you have read all the books you have and binge watched Ozark on Netflix 6 times, why not broaden your horizons by visiting a national park or touring a famous museum? "But I have to stay home!" you say. Well, yes you do…but don't let that stop you! You can visit all those wonderful destinations you've always hoped to see right from the comfort and safety of your own home. Check out some of our favorite virtual destinations!
Feeling like you need a bit of culture after hours of Tiger King?
Visit all those famous museums you've always wanted to see but never had the time or money. Best thing is; you can now do it for free and in your jammies!
Cancel your vacation this year?
Check out these GORGEOUS 360 degree aerial panoramas and virtual tours of some of the world's most interesting places. Travel around the world without jet lag:
> Choose your destination here <
Missing the adrenaline rush of your extreme hobby?
Go to YouTube and search for VR 360 Extreme for videos of everything from roller coaster rides, white water rafting, hang gliding and rock climbing.
Craving the excitement of attending a live concert?
NPR has a continuously updated list of artists performing live or sharing previously recorded concerts. You can find just about any musical genera that you can tune in to at almost any time.
> Click here to find NPR's list <
Feeling cramped in your home?
Feel like a royal for an afternoon while you virtually tour some of the world's most famous castles. Appreciate that you don't have to worry about cleaning a space that big!
Needing to enjoy some of the great outdoors?
Try virtually visitng some of the country's best National Parks. These places are full of beauty, history and excitement and you don't even have to leave the couch to see it all.
And when you can't endure any more excitement, take a walk around your neighborhood. Sometimes there's nothing better than moving your bones and breathing some fresh air. Stay safe!
With so many people out of work due to the COVID-19 crisis, we are living in a different world right now. One huge effect is that the mortgage industry is teetering on the lowest interest rates in history. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the home purchase market has not slowed down. There are currently more eager buyers than willing sellers. What does this mean to you?
Are You Thinking of Refinancing?
If you are looking to refinance and do not plan to take any cash out of your new loan, and if your loan is currently guaranteed by Fannie Mae, you can do an exterior only appraisal because of COVID-19. There are also many property inspection waivers where appraisers can sit at their desk and look at the pictures in MLS without ever stepping inside the home. But, if you want cash back, then you have to do an interior appraisal.
When Does it Make Sense to Refinance?
Ask yourself how much you are really spending to get this loan. You will find your Loan Costs on your Loan Estimate, page 2. Also, check to see if there is a Lender Credit offered to pay all or some of this amount. Look for the Mortgage Tax amount and government fees. Your loan amount may be adjusted by these amounts. You will need to decide if it is worth it, and how long will it take you to recoup this amount. Measure the benefit of refinancing against upfront costs you will spend.
Shopping to Buy a New Home?
The mortgage world has adapted to continue to facilitate home purchase mortgages and refinances, but if you are shopping to buy a home, the rules are changing, and underwriting criteria is tightening:
Note: There are independent lenders who are still offering 3% down as a minimum for loan amounts of up to $510,400.
The mortgage lending industry is a moving target right now. As quickly as the rules keep changing, if you applied for a loan and received your pre-approval letter even two weeks ago, you need to call your lender to make sure you still qualify.
State of the Mortgage Business
According to Brian Wickert, CEO and founder of Accunet Mortgage, remember that a lot of people are losing their jobs, and, "You have to have a job and income to refinance or get a new loan."
The CARES Act
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act -The CARES Act provides fast and direct economic assistance for American workers. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has a website giving you information about the CARES Act. For everything you need to know, plus information about your personal finances, check out:
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares
In short, if you are having trouble making your mortgage payment, and you have a federally backed mortgage (a loan owned by Fannie Mae or Freddy Mac and insured by FHA, VA or USDA ) you can call up your mortgage servicer and tell them you have a financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 emergency. Because of the CARES Act, that mortgage servicer has to ask you if you would like the Forbearance Plan where you don't have to make any payments for 180 days, (extendable for another 180 days after that) or reduced payments. Key is: Forbearance is not free. Delayed payments must be repaid. That repayment plan will be worked out between you and your mortgage servicer. They will want you to pay it back as soon as possible. After the Forbearance period, you may be asked to make double payments or add a few hundred dollars a month to your regular payment until the total amount is paid back. So if you don't really need the relief, don't ask for the free ride. Also, there are a lot of people who do need it, so the phone lines to all mortgage lenders are jammed right now and you may have to start the process early. One good resource about Forbearance:
https://www.accunet.com/blog/the-mortgage-f-word-of-the-day-is/
If you are in the process of getting a new mortgage loan, do not ask for Forbearance before making that first payment. During the period after closing until the first payment is made, your funds are not federally backed or insured and the Cares act only applies to federally backed loans. So find out first if your loan is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddy Mac. If you have a freshly closed mortgage, it may not be yet. If your loan is a few years old and you really need the help, then it is an excellent method to help with your loan payments. Don't ever just stop making your payments! Have a conversation with your mortgage servicer so that foreclosure doesn't begin.
Current mortgage rates are very low, and demand has gone through the roof. The wait is a bit longer, so think ahead, and get in line!
If you decide to buy a home, have a conversation with your lender to see if they can get it done by the time you want to buy. Refinance can take 90 – 120 days. Your lender may not be able to lock in a rate until you've been approved. Be clear and do not make assumptions. Also, because of the high unemployment, lenders are checking within three days of closing to make sure your employment status and income has not changed since your application.
Many of us know someone who served in the military, and the country is grateful for their service. Memorial Day weekend can be solemn for some, so here are a few uplifting stories that might bring a little joy in these difficult times.
NATIONAL GUARD
Members of the Oklahoma National Guard have been serving as aid to combat COVID-19 in many ways like packing food at food banks, handing out medical supplies to those in need, and helping at testing facilities. One of the sweetest stories was the news that members of the Oklahoma National Guard were going to long-term care facilities and cleaning for them, bringing peace of mind to the residents and a sense of fulfillment to the members of the Guard. The National Guard has a positive reputation of responding and cleaning previous natural disaster incidents. To read more on this story we attached the link here!
MARINES
A Marine and his son ran the Historic Half in the most unusual way due to COVID-19. The Historic Half is a 13.1 mile run that is typically run between the capital of the Commonwealth in Richmond and the nation's capital, but this year due to COVID-19 the rules have changed. To keep all athletes safe. runners uploaded their running times from their current location. Marine Major Kutze and his son were determined to still run together even though Kutze was stationed in Okinawa. Both he and his son were disappointed that he couldn't come home, but they made the best of the situation and planned out their runs together. Kutze ran through an Okinawa mall known for its vending machines, planning for the vending machines to be his water breaks. With a couple of yen in his pocket and knowing his son was running the same race stateside, Kutze set off running. The highlight for Kutz was that his son ran in 2 hours and 9 minutes and Kutze best time was 2 hours and 10 minutes. Kutze was so proud of his son for "leaving him in the dust"! For the rest of the story, click here.
NAVY
While many enlisting offices were closed for a short period due to COVID-19, they are staring to slowly open back up with many precautions. The Navy spoke about what they are doing during this time of recruiting, explaining that they ask for those interested to call ahead and schedule an appointment. Once the recruits are off to basic training, they must first have a 14 day quarantine when they arrive to their first destination, then a second quarantine at the second designation. They want to go above and beyond to make sure that their new recruits stay healthy. Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Administrator, John Nowell Jr. had a goal this year of having 40,800 personnel. Even with COVID-19 he is "Cautiously optimistic," because of the steady increase of enlistment. This is exciting news for our military service men and women! To read more on the story click the link here!
AIR FORCE
Unfortunately, many teenagers this year are missing their Prom due to COVID-19. Many have already bought suits and dresses prior to self-isolation and now those items remain hanging in a closet, but not for some. Upon hearing the news of school and prom cancelations, many students that worked in the Food Court of Spangdahlem Air Base decided to go to work instead. Management of the food court made prom day special for those who couldn't go to prom by letting their high school employees wear their prom apparel to work. While they still had to work, on their breaks they had mini prom celebrations. During breaks they would have mini hors' d'oeuvres, vote on prom king and queen, and at the end of the night they had a brief dance party all keeping within CDC guidelines. This brought so much joy to the high school employees and many said that it was less stressful at work because they were still able to celebrate prom. The full story is here.
COAST GUARD
Known for their preparation for surviving in every intense situation, the Coast Guard picks up many skills including sewing! The Coast Guard knows how to sew their own materials when they are in need of repair. This led to the idea to sew masks for those in need. When they aren't flying, repairing something, or training, they are found sewing masks together. When one team stops, another team takes over the work. The community is extremely grateful for the aid and they continue to be big supporters of the Coast Guard! Read the whole story here.
ARMY
COVID-19 may be keeping people apart physically, but the USAG Bavaria MWR (Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) is determined to keep their community strong. Just this last weekend they had a drive-in movie event! The whole community got involved, even having staff paint the side of a building white so they could project the movie. It was a fun event that was by registration only. They were sold out within minute of opening registration. They made sure everyone was a parking space apart and had prepackaged popcorn ready for every vehicle that came. The community just raved about how fun and exciting it was for them to have community in this way. They are planning for another event for this coming Memorial Day. Meanwhile they are posting online material or the community to have access to, even a daily story time for the young members of the community. USAG Bavaria MWR is determined that they will thrive in this difficult time and continue to have community not matter what comes their way! For the full story click here!
SPACE FORCE
Even amidst COVID-19, the new branch of the military - the United States Space Force - is starting to come together. Started December 20th, 2019, this is the first branch of the military added since the Air Force in 1947. Since December they have announced Chief of Space Operations as General Jay Raymond and Senior Enlisted Advisor Chief Master Sargent, Robert Towmebrman. While they are still figuring out rank and uniforms, they were excited to announce the new flag for this branch of the military. Seeing this branch push on to develop, has given hope to many to look toward a bright future! To read the rest of the story and to see the flag design click here!
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