Waukesha County Home

HOME OCTOBER 2018 2 Distributed by: ©2018 by Conley Media Waukesha County Home is published monthly by Conley Media - Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. A publication of Conley Media Sales Director: Jim Baumgart 262/513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Editor: Dan Muckelbauer 262/513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com Home Volume 7 ■ Number 10 ■ October 2018 Call Today for an Appointment We Offer Free Estimates on: • Bathroom Design • Complete Bathroom Remodeling 117 MacArthur Drive Mukwonago, WI 53149 Telephone: 262-363-7146 www.martensplumbing.com With just one call to our In-House Designers, you can be assured that from start to finish, our highly qualified staff will transform your dream bathroom into a reality! 60+ Years IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD and is not sold commercially — home sell- ers must procure it through their Realtor. Around 3,000 GMAR members have received lockbox training, with another 1,000 expected to in the future. Keeping track of visits The Sentri-Connect app sends notifica- tions when lockboxes are opened, and pro- vides accurate security information. Home sellers and Realtors are able to determine who has visited the property, and for how long. "This makes the timeline involved in property viewing much tighter. Everyone becomes accountable," said GMAR Presi- dent Mike Ruzicka. Manual lockboxes are opened by entering a code. However, codes can be shared with multiple parties, which has led to homes being robbed in the past. Electronic lock- boxes "generate a limited-time one-day access code for contractors and even locked- out homeowners," according to previously published information. "It's another tool in the toolbox to know our listings are safe," Kollmansberger said. The app also allows Realtors to see at what times certain properties are available to visit, which benefits home buyers with busy schedules. "Homeowners set parameters when they want showings to occur. It's a lot more effi- cient and speeds everything up," Ruzicka said. Realtors can set up emergency notifica- tions in the app by setting a timer at the beginning of a showing. After a certain amount of time, the Realtor can indicate in the app that he or she is safe. If the Realtor does not respond, the app will send a mes- sage to his or her emergency contacts. Ruzicka said lockboxes are typical of homes in the top 50 real estate markets in the United States, including New York, Miami and Chicago. Kollmansberger said the new electronic lockboxes have been implemented smoothly so far. "They have been well-received by my clients. (People) should feel safer knowing that not just anyone can go inside (their homes)," Kollmansberger said. For more information on electronic lock- boxes, visit https://www.gmar.com/ sentrilock. Continued from Page 1 Lockboxes: Device helps homeowners set access parameters "This makes the timeline involved in property viewing much tighter. Everyone becomes accountable." — Mike Ruzicka Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors president Submitted photo The Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors has made the switch from manual to electronic lockboxes for area homes. Realtors are able to activate the lockboxes using a Smartphone app or key card. MILWAUKEE — First lady Tonette Walk- er has awarded the Wisconsin Hero Award to Ann and Chris Swain of Special Spaces Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Hero Award is given to Wisconsinites who go above and beyond to help their community. "It is an honor to award the Wisconsin Hero Award to amazing individuals who make a difference in communities across our state," Walker said. "Ann and Chris Swain are a generous couple who are work- ing to make the lives of sick children better through the Wisconsin Chapter of Special Spaces." Ann and Chris Swain were nominated for the award for their work with Special Spaces Wisconsin, a chapter of Special Spaces, a national nonprofit. The organiza- tion works to create dream bedrooms for children with a life-threatening illness in order to help the child recover and find peace. The Wisconsin chapter was founded by the Swains in 2011 in Milwaukee, and has since expanded to include Green Bay, the Fox Valley, and Dubuque, Iowa. The Swains have helped build 75 dream bedrooms. Couple awarded for making dream bedrooms for sick children

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