“I feel truly honored to have been nominated and to have received this award,” Gruse said.  “Thank you to everyone who helped me.  I look forward to 2012 and to delivering the highest level of service and value to all of my clients.” 

Using the full complement of First Team resources to launch her career, Gruse studied for her license with the company’s Jumpstart Training Program, then participated in Power Curve, a 12-week program that teaches newly licensed agents how to grow and sustain a profitable business.  First Team’s mentoring program, which enables Gruse to train with top real estate professionals with varied areas of expertise, was a major factor in her decision to work with First Team, she said.  She was also impressed with the company’s unique value proposition which maximizes exposure of sellers’ properties through unmatched advertising and online marketing opportunities.  

Gruse describes herself as a “people person” who genuinely cares about her clients and their situation.

“My philosophy is that being an agent is really about making friends and the rest falls into place,” she said.  “I listen to my clients carefully and help guide them to informed real estate decisions based on their needs and the goal they want to achieve.  It’s all about them and I think that’s what makes clients enjoy working with me.”

 “Margaret tackles every challenge with a smile and is a joy to be around,” said Wendy Whitelaw, business development manager for First Team’s Temecula office.  “Her passion for caring and her positive outlook have been key to her quick success in her new career. I am very proud of Margaret and look forward to seeing her career flourish as she continues to use all the tools and support First Team has to offer.”

Margaret Gruse can be reached at (951) 265-4133 or margaretgruse@firstteam.com.

Corona agents collected toys for kids this holiday season.

Record numbers of Southland families continued to struggle for basic necessities this holiday season, prompting First Team^® Real Estate’s home and branch offices to organize initiatives throughout the region to assist those in need. 

With local aid groups strained to meet rising demand for food aid, our offices collected dozens of tons of food and personal care products for regional food banks.  In some neighborhoods, agents mobilized residents, dropping off thousands of grocery bags donated by area supermarkets* which were filled and returned to offices. 

Highlights included:

• A family fun day and food drive to benefit Project Touch coordinated by First Team’s Temecula office;
• A food drive organized by the Corona office on behalf of the Corona-Norco Settlement House.  Corona also held a holiday toy drive for underprivileged children;
• Food donations collected by the Diamond Bar office to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society;
• The Fullerton office’s annual food drive, which netted truckloads of goods for the Salvation Army’s Food Basket Program (click here for video);
• The annual food drive and auction held by the Irvine office, which raised nearly $2,000 and desperately needed products for Families Forward;
• Newport Beach’s food drive for Second Harvest, which was extended a full month due to overwhelming response from residents;

In addition to these community-based initiatives, First Team’s home office and family of companies continued their tradition of participating in the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program.  Employees fulfilled the wish lists of four families this year, purchasing clothing, toys, shoes, food, gift cards and other items which were delivered in time for Christmas.

“I am proud of our employees and agents who continue to give so generously of themselves in order to make a difference in the lives of people in the communities we serve,” said First Team Founder and CEO Cameron Merage.  “As a company founded and bred in Southern California, we have a deep commitment to helping our neighbors throughout the region.  Amid the ongoing recession, we reaffirm that commitment as we let area families struck by financial hardship know they are not alone this season or at any time of the year.”

*Special thanks to Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, Trader Joe’s, Albertson’s and Ralph’s for their generous grocery bag donations.

This month, the home office and family of companies were delighted to participate in the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program for the third year in a row.

Coordinated by local Salvation Army chapters throughout the U.S., Adopt-a-Family matches impoverished families to individual or group sponsors to provide gifts and basic needs for Christmas.  In Orange County, the program assisted 150 families representing almost 750 people this year.

First Team employees fulfilled the wish lists of each member of its four families, purchasing clothing, toys, shoes, food, gift cards and other items.  Gifts were collected throughout the month of December and dropped off at the Salvation Army’s collection center at Angel Stadium in time to be distributed to the families by Christmas.

“Our participation in the Adopt-a-Family program, along with the many food drives and fundraising events sponsored by First Team branch offices throughout the region, are our way of letting area families struck by financial hardship know they are not alone this season or at any time of the year,” said First Team Founder and CEO Cameron Merage.  “I am proud of our employees and agents who continue to give so generously of themselves in order to make a difference in the lives of people in the communities we serve.”

More than 80 area real estate agents, their friends, families and clients gathered for the annual event which helps fund critical programs for southern Orange County families in financial crisis.

A Kindle e-reader, a Blue Ray player and a host of gift certificates donated by local merchants earned some of the day’s highest bids.  Participants also brought canned goods for Families Forward’s food bank which services more than 400 families each month.

Auction coordinator Charleen Nagata Newhouse, a Families Forward volunteer, was pleased with the turnout.

“We have seen demand for food aid rise dramatically this year to the point where local aid organizations are severely strained to help everyone in need,” she said.  “We were thrilled to see so many concerned individuals come out and lend a hand to fight local hunger, which is affecting every community in the county.  We’d like to thank participants and the many area businesses that contributed products and services to the auction and were instrumental to its success.”

First Team will continue to accept donations of nonperishable food goods for the food bank at the Irvine office and at offices throughout Southern California.  Goods can be dropped off at the Irvine office, located at 4040 Barranca Parkway, #100, Irvine, CA 92604.  For more information, contact Charleen Nagata Newhouse at 949-632-6035 or charleennagata@firstteam.com.

First Team agents, take note: there’s a special basket just waiting for your bid filled with great First Team products and samples courtesy of the home office.  Agent Tim Morissette will don his famous auctioneer’s tuxedo again this year and get the bidding going.

Funds raised at the holiday auction will provide critical supplies and programs to families in financial crisis under the auspices of Irvine-based Families Forward.  With a dramatic rise in demand for food aid among South County families, community assistance is more vital than ever, according to agent Charleen Negata Newhouse who volunteers regularly at Families Forward.  Charleen has witnessed a huge increase in the number of people seeking help this year, with more families with children living in cars and parents struggling to provide the most basic needs.

First Team’s Community Auction will take place on Thursday, December 8 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. at the Irvine  office, 4040 Barranca Parkway, #100, Irvine, CA 92604.  Participants are also encouraged to bring non-perishable canned goods for the Families Forward food bank which is currently servicing more than 400 families each month.

For more information, contact Charleen Nagata Newhouse at  949-632-6035 or charleennagata@firstteam.com

First Team offices throughout the region have been out full force this season organizing food drives for the most vulnerable in our communities.  This Saturday, Nov. 19, our Corona office will host a holiday food drive to benefit the Corona-Norco Settlement House.  Area residents are asked to bring donations of canned and non-perishable food items to the office, located at 200 South Main in Corona, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Established in Corona in 1912, The Corona-Norco Settlement House, a United Way Agency, is a non-profit, charitable organization that provides temporary, emergency needs to local, low-income families and individuals.   

Your donations are more vital than ever.  Come on out to First Team’s Corona office and help your neighbors have a more enjoyable holiday season.

For more information, contact the First Team office at 951-270-2800.

Burns founded The Teen Project in 2008 after learning that 65% of kids who leave foster care at age 18 have no home or family to return to.  Only three percent of emancipated youth go to college; they make up over one quarter of our nation’s homeless population.

Determined that no teen would ever be without a safe home or family, Burns, who grew up in the child dependency system herself and has raised 30 foster kids, established the non-profit group to give former foster kids in Orange County with no other forms of support the emotional, financial and career guidance they need to become independent.

First Team’s relationship with The Teen Project began that same year when Lora Rosenfeld-Steindler, an agent in the Mission Viejo branch office, helped Burns find and purchase the home that would house her mission.  Today, The Teen Project house provides a home and family for incredible, young women and forever changes their lives by providing food, medical services, career counseling, financial planning advice and scholarships and grants for college or trade school.

In an evening filled with emotion and inspiration, the most moving moments came when the girls shared their recent successes.  Among them, 22-year old Chelsea, a Teen Project house resident since 2008, thrilled the audience when she announced that she had graduated  from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, a school she had dreamed of since childhood but, with a broken home and no family support, never thought she could even apply.   Next to stand up was Ashley, whose new career in manufacturing elicited loud applause.

In its commitment to supporting the communities it serves, First Team feels a special affinity for The Teen Project.  We know that a home is the foundation from which its inhabitants draw strength to pursue their goals and dreams, and we see that process taking place within the walls of The Teen Project house.  First Team applauds The Teen Project and looks forward to its continued relationship with this important organization in our community. 

Watch The Teen Project “My Story” video at www.FirstTeam.com/MyStory

(l to r) Jennifer Shamoo and Briana Lawrence

Thanks to overwhelming response from agents and concerned residents, the Newport Beach office’s holiday canned food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank has been extended until Nov. 30.

Donations can be dropped off throughout the month of November at the office, located at 4 Corporate Plaza, Suite 100, Newport Beach, Calif. 92660. 

Agents collected more than 1,500 pounds of canned and dry food goods and personal care items in October after dropping off paper grocery bags at the doors of thousands of homeowners in Newport Beach and Corona del Mar.  The donations are being provided to some of the estimated 615,000 Orange County residents currently at risk of hunger, the majority of whom are children, single parents, seniors and the working poor, according to Second Harvest.

“We are honored and inspired to be working with so many people who are taking an active role in the wellbeing of their neighbors,” said First Team Estates agent Jennifer Shamoo, who is coordinating the food drive with agent Briana Lawrence.  “We welcome the community’s continued support as we approach the holiday season.”

First Team Estates wishes to thank Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, Trader Joe’s, Albertson’s and Ralph’s for their generous grocery bag donations.

For more information or to arrange for a grocery bag drop-off in the Newport Beach area, call 949-759-5747.

Troy will talk about today’s market conditions and guide participants step-by-step through the purchasing process.  He’ll offer valuable tips for buying a home and present properties currently available.

The agenda also includes:

Julie Parker of Coast Cities Escrow, who will help you understand what escrow is all about and the importance of a title company;

Young Nam of Farmers Insurance will discuss homeowners’ insurance policies and the types of protection you’ll want to consider;

Derek Clemons from Lenders Direct will explain the current lending market and new products and programs available to first time buyers.

Free First Time Home Buyers Seminar

Saturday, November 5, 2011

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

First Team Estates, 4 Corporate Plaza, Suite 100, Newport CA 92660

Free and open to the public

For more information contact Troy Hall at 949-836-9308 or TroyHall@FirstTeam.com

First Time Home Buyer Seminar Flyer