News

We’re movin’ it, Topeka! While much of the Midwest has been frozen in fear or taking a “watch and see” attitude with the economy and the housing market, Kirk & Cobb has been selling houses and growing as a company. We have introduced five new associates since November: Amy White, Ashley Clark, Linda Farrar-Bierley, Melissa Herdman, and Kyle Schmidtlein. This is a 31% increase in full-time REALTORS® licensed with Kirk & Cobb in less than seven months.

These five individuals all worked diligently to obtain their licenses and attended almost 60 hours of training provided and arranged by Kirk & Cobb. Their “Move It” attitude has yielded multiple sales for some of them.

We at Kirk & Cobb pride ourselves on providing exceptional service while maintaining the highest professional standards in ethics and practice. These five new associates share the same philosophy and are excited to put their skills to work for you. With home sales picking up all across the country, it’s time for us to get off the fence, Topeka. Let’s Move It.

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Liesel Kirk-Fink, FOTZ Board Member

Our own Liesel Kirk-Fink went on the air on April 25th with Topeka Zoo director Brendan Wiley to discuss the new Penguin Plunge exhibit and the upcoming Ties & Tails Ball. Listen! (Music plays for a several seconds before the interview starts.)

Be one of the first to see The Penguin Plunge Exhibit at The Ties & Tails Ball on Saturday, May 5th, 2012, from 6-10 pm. (Adults only- 21 and older, please.) Tickets can be purchased through www.topekazoo.org, at the Leopard Spot Gift Shop or by calling (785) 272-7595. Tickets are $50 each. Enjoy live entertainment by percussionist Norma Riley and Kansas City-based band ‘Souled Out.’ There will also be a silent auction and guided tours of the new Penguin Plunge Exhibit. South African cuisine and fine beverages (beer & wine) will be served. To assure everyone benefits from the full experience, the event dress code is Wild Glamour/Fun Formal.

There will be a FOTZ Member Preview May 9th from 5:30-7:30 pm; however, the grand opening of the exhibit will take place May 10th with a ribbon cutting at 9:30 am. Winners from Pennies for Penguins School Fundraiser will be participating in the ceremony. The zoo will remain open that day until 8:00 pm.

Starting May 10th will be the Penguin Program every day at 11:30 am to learn more about these fine animal friends! After the exhibit opens the penguins can be viewed online via webcam at: http://www.penguin-plunge.com. The penguins will be here for four months, meaning the exhibit will close in September 2012.

Liesel was recruited to the board this year by some of the current board members and has thoroughly enjoyed such a fantastic group of passionate volunteers!

If you are interested in becoming an FOTZ member you can order online at www.topekazoo.com or stop by the Leopard Spot Gift Shop at YOUR Topeka Zoo! Individual memberships are $30, Family Membership is $50. Other levels including senior rates are available as well. You also can call 785-272-7595 for more information.

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Congratulations to Leah Gabler-Marshall as she celebrates her 30th anniversary in real estate.

Born and raised in Topeka, Leah graduated from Topeka High School and Washburn University. A little more than 30 years ago, Leah found herself searching for a new career. Her friend Terry Cobb said to her, “You ought to sell real estate. You’d be good at it!” So in 1982 she took Terry’s advice and left her teaching career, which she greatly enjoyed, to obtain her real estate license. Since then Leah has become one of the most highly respected and trusted REALTORS^® in the Topeka area. A lengthy list of awards and honors supports this.

Leah’s passion for both her career and her beloved hometown of Topeka are exemplified by the array of activities she participates in and organizations she has belonged to over the years. “I enjoy meeting new people, reacquainting myself with previous customers, and helping my friends find different homes,” Leah said. “Showing homes and selling my listings is the fun part!”

“I think Topeka is a great small city! We have everything here and more… a wonderful place to live and raise a family,” Leah said. “One of the very best things about Topeka is the homes that are available. We’ve always had a fantastic range of homes at very reasonable prices.” She went on to say, “Trees, a super arts community, the state capitol, great schools, more activities for kids than you could ever take advantage of, superb location because of interstate access, AND the most fabulous people you could ever meet!”

Leah has spent the majority of her career with Kirk & Cobb. In that time, she has had the opportunity to work with many of the area’s finest professionals, including Kirk & Cobb’s beloved founder Bob Kirk. It is with great excitement that we look to the future and continue to support Leah in her career. “I’ve been blessed in my life to have had two full-time careers, both of which I’ve loved,” Leah said.

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We at Kirk & Cobb are proud to support Grant Sourk as he begins serving a 3-year term as a member of the Topeka / Shawnee County Landmarks Commission. According to its web site, “The purpose of the Landmarks Commission is to advise the city council on historic assets and to safeguard the architectural and cultural heritage of the community through the preservation of historic resources, historic landmarks and districts.” Grant’s appointment was officially approved by the city council on Tuesday, March 6. Wasting no time, he attended his first commission meeting on March 8.

“I was first approached about the position by the current chair person, Stacey Keller,” Grant said. “There were two vacancies on the commission and she felt that with my occupation, education, and past experience regarding historic properties, I would be a good fit.”

In order for someone to receive an appointment to the commission he/she must first be nominated by a member of the city council; therefore, Keller gave her recommendation of Grant to Councilman Chad Manspeaker. A list of nominated persons was then collected and given to the mayor who made the actual appointments. The final step in the process was approval by the city council.

“I am the only REALTOR^® to currently sit on the commission, but others have served in the past,” Grant said. “Our own Helen Crow was actually a founding member of the commission, and she served for multiple terms.”

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Kirk & Cobb is currently interviewing candidates interested in a full-time career in residential real estate. Our next intensive training series begins in February. This course is free of charge. It is also separate from the courses necessary to obtain your license, although you may participate in both simultaneously. Click here for more information or call 272-5555 for details.

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Congratulations to Leah Gabler-Marshall and the Junior League of Topeka Sustainers. Leah was the winner of a contest held at Kirk & Cobb this holiday season where the coveted prize was a $250 donation to a charitable cause.

The contest was simple. Kirk & Cobb staff and associates were encouraged to identify a need in the community and get involved. The only catch was it was to be a cause with which they weren’t normally involved. Participants were then asked to present a written or oral narrative of their experience to Steve Kirk.

Although all of the entries were worthy causes, it was Leah’s account of a recent project carried out by Junior League of Topeka Sustainers that pulled at Steve’s heart strings the hardest. “…I followed the discussion up with a suggestion that we could talk with schools where students needed hats, gloves, mittens, etc. and collect those in the few weeks until the Christmas vacation. Everyone agreed at the committee meeting, and I was given the task of finding a deserving school,” said Leah in her 3-page written report to Steve.

After careful consideration, Leah and the Sustainers agreed on which elementary school would receive the collected items. In the first week of December, collection boxes were positioned in various places across Topeka, and the campaign was under way. “We picked up the donations on December 19. After sorting and sizing, we had 61 gloves/mittens, 41 hats, 4 scarves, and 21 hat/glove sets,” said Leah. The items were delivered to a very gracious principal on Tuesday, December 20.

”I know for a fact that $250 would be the most appreciated additional gift we could offer as a great surprise. To think that some kids don’t have something as simple as a pair of gloves really brought the true meaning of the season home to me,” said Leah.

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Thank you to all of the Kirk & Cobb REALTORS® and staff who donated to the Topeka Rescue Mission! Your generosity will benefit so many less fortunate members of our community.

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You can now access a comprehensive list of open houses for the entire Topeka area by clicking on the white “Open Houses” link in the black banner on our home page.

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A list of Topeka-area open houses is now available under the Buyer’s Resource Center at KirkandCobb.com. Information will be updated several times a day.

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Welcome to the new and improved KirkandCobb.com! After struggling through a premature launch due to irreparable technical problems with the old site, we have launched Phase 2 of our new site and feel much better about its functionality and design. We would like to thank Scott Goldblatt of 75nineteen Media for coming to our rescue and doing such a fabulous job! Be sure to check out all the sections. We’ve put a lot into making this site what it is and hope that you find it a valuable tool in your buying and/or selling adventure. And even if you’re not in the market to buy or sell, we think you’ll still find the articles and information here valuable. Thanks for stopping in. Come back often!

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