Member News & Exclusive Offers

This section is dedicated to communicating special offers and promotions, personnel appointments, etc. to the 1000 luxury business leaders and influentials who read LuxeSF each month.

If you have an item to share with our readers, please e-mail the information to nucifora@luxesf.com for publication in the next edition of LuxeSF.com.

In This Month's News ...

• Kearsley® Chosen for Rob Report's Best of the Best Event
• Sotheby’s Recognized as “The Best Customer Experience”
• DEPARTURES Raises Money at Auction Napa Valley
• The Murray Team Mortgage Buydown
• Success Brings Growth and Top New Hires for Sotheby’s International Realty
• Congratulations to Mary Lou Castellanos of Sotheby’s
• Diablo Wins Award
• Diablo in the News
• Chase International Announces New Date for Leading ESTATES of the World Lake-wide Tour
• McRae & Company to Host Dining By Design Kick-Off Party
• 2007 Best of the North Bay -- Frank Howard Allen Wins Best Real Estate Company, Best Website
• Jill Rudnick Named Vice President of Marketing at DEPARTURES
• Announcement from Ed Kelly, President and CEO, American Express Publishing
• Alain Pinel Realtors Welcomes The LanceDan Group

Kearsley® Chosen for Rob Report's Best of the Best Event

Kearsley®, theSonoma-based designer and manufacturer of fine loomed textiles has been chosen for the Robb Report's Best of the Best Event in Greenwich, CT to be held September 7th.

Additionally, Kearsley will offer online shopping beginning in August, and is extending a 15% discount to Luxury Marketing Council Members. For more information, please contact

Heather Wolf
707.935.7273 or
heather@kearsleyhome.com

Sotheby’s Recognized as “The Best Customer Experience”

The New York-based Luxury Institute finds Sotheby's International Realty overwhelmingly earned top honors as "the best customer experience" as rated by their own high net worth clients.

Sotheby's International Realty's clients said that the firm meets the real estate needs of wealthy consumers most effectively, has the most enthusiastic, polite and trustworthy representatives, presents the best environment in their office,
and has the lowest incidence of reported problems.

DEPARTURES Raises Money at Auction Napa Valley

DEPARTURES was a sponsor of this year's Auction Napa Valley, the world's most successful charity wine auction. The event took place from June 7 to June 10 and showcased multiple events featuring barrel auctions, e-auctions, wine & food tastings, private vintner dinners, luncheons at celebrated vineyards, and the renowned Live Auction Gala. This year's auction raised $9.8 to benefit health, youth and low-income housing non-profit organizations in Napa County.

Along with partners Singapore Airlines, Raffles Singapore and Steinway Music, DEPARTURES raised $220,000 with their live auction lot. This was the 10th highest auction bid out of 45 lots, with the highest of the night going for $1.1 million.

The Murray Team Mortgage Buydown

Interest Rates are Climbing! Mortgage Payments are Adjusting Higher! So what?

Thanks to a unique and exclusive program available to members of the Luxury Marketing Council, The Murray Team at Triton Funding Group has arranged a special interest rate incentive for members wishing to buy a new home or refinance their existing mortgage.

Click here for details.

Success Brings Growth and Top New Hires for Sotheby’s International Realty

Sotheby's International Realty is in a growth mode as they have expanded into the 10,000 sf, second floor, in their existing building (Landmark #102 The Italian Swiss Colony Warehouse on the corner of Greenwich and Battery after two years of negotiation with Levi Strauss). Patrick V. Barber, Vice President, recently announced the following top agents have joined the company.

• Mark Levinson
• Val Steel
• Melissa Bialla
• Kristen O'Donnell
• Tom Pollack
• Doug Manful
• Beth Lassila

Congratulations to Mary Lou Castellanos of Sotheby’s

Mary Lou Castellanos of Sotheby's International Realty sold (represented sellers) 1090 Chestnut St. #9 for $6,750,000, which is the highest price per sq. ft. Co-Op ever sold in San Francisco.

Diablo Wins Award

Diablo magazine will be presented with a 2007 Blackhawk-Nunn Mountain Star Award at Save Mount Diablo's anniversary dinner, Moonlight on the Mountain, Saturday, August 25.

Over the years, Save Mount Diablo has presented Mountain Stars Awards in 12 different categories. This is the first time since 2001 the organization has presented a "Mountain Star Media Award."

This category recognizes significant media contributions to the public's awareness of Save Mount Diablo and of the mountain. Specifically, Diablo is receiving this award because of its influence in establishing and celebrating our region's identity and quality of life.

Diablo in the News

Diablo magazine's editor Susan Safipour was featured on ABC7's View on the Bay on July 9 where she shared the "Best of the East Bay" as featured in the July issue of Diablo magazine.

Pete Crooks, senior writer/senior editor, appeared on CBS's "Eye on the Bay" on July 19 to share the "Best of the East Bay."

Chase International Announces New Date for Leading ESTATES of the World Lake-wide Tour

Chase International's Leading ESTATES of the World lake-wide tour of Chase homes was postponed because of the devastating Angora fire at South Lake Tahoe. The new date is September 12. If LMC members would like an invitation to this all-day event (10 AM to 5 PM) showcasing our lakefront and lake view homes, plus high profile properties in Reno, Nevada, please let us know, please contact Trinkie Watson.

Trinkie Watson, CIPS CLHMS
Regional Lake Tahoe Broker
530-582-0722 or 800-783-0722
twatson@chaseinternational.com
www.chaseinternational.com

McRae & Company to Host Dining By Design Kick-Off Party

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
6 pm - 8 pm

Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. RSVP to Kathleen Jose at josek@ari.ucsf.edu or 415-597-4650

Benefiting ...

DIFFA and the Positive Health Program of the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF

2007 Best of the North Bay -- Frank Howard Allen Wins Best Real Estate Company, Best Website

Website has 2 million hits and counting since the re-launch in January

Frank Howard Allen Realtor’s new website went live on Friday, January 26, 2007 and it has already garnered the distinction of “Best Website” as voted by the readers of NorthBay biz Magazine for the publication’s annual reader’s poll, recognizing outstanding businesses in Marin, Napa and Sonoma.  Additionally, Frank Howard Allen took top prize for Best Residential Real Estate Company, an honor it has proudly accepted every year since 2003. 

Read the full story.

To explore the website, visit www.fhallen.com

Jill Rudnick Named Vice President of Marketing at DEPARTURES

DEPARTURES magazine Vice President and Publisher Ed Ventimiglia named magazine marketing veteran Jill Rudnick vice president of marketing for the luxury lifestyle magazine for American Express Platinum Card® and Centurion® members. Most recently, Rudnick was vice president of marketing of LTB Media and she was executive creative services director of House & Garden.The position marks Rudnick's return to DEPARTURES, where she was marketing and promotions manager from 1993 to 1995.  Her appointment is effective immediately.

"I am thrilled to have Jill back and for her to lead our marketing team to develop strategies, implement initiatives and create programs that in partnership with sales and editorial, will take DEPARTURES to greater heights and continued success," said Ventimiglia.

Previously, Rudnick served as chief marketing officer of Wenner Media for Rolling Stone, US Weekly and Men's Journal. She has held senior marketing positions at America Online, Time Warner, Elle and Mirabella magazines.

Announcement from Ed Kelly, president and CEO, American Express Publishing

Congratulations to DEPARTURES for winning a 2007 National Magazine Award from the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) -- the first for any magazine in the American Express Publishing family!

The magazine was awarded an "Ellie," as the award is known, for its October 2006 issue in the Single-Topic Issue category. The winning Latin-themed issue focused on the personalities, fashion and lifestyles of South America. As the judges cited during the selection process, "From cover to cover, the Latin issue of DEPARTURES gift-wraps a continent and delivers it as the best present a discerning traveler could ever want. With imagination and flair, the editors set a new standard for single-topic issue. Ay, caramba!"

The National Magazine Awards are the industry's most prestigious editorial honor and were presented last night at a black-tie gala. More than 1,000 editors, publishers, industry professionals and guests attended the 42nd annual award ceremony, held in New York City.

This year's program attracted 1,774 entries from 334 print and online magazines. The 127 finalists and 25 winners were chosen by more than 270 editors, art directors, educators and online media experts.

Please join me in congratulating the exceptionally talented DEPARTURES team on this outstanding achievement.

Alain Pinel Realtors Welcomes The LanceDan Group

Alain Pinel Realtors' Vice President and Regional Manager for San Francisco and the North Bay Tim Murray announced the addition of The LanceDan Group to its San Francisco brokerage operations.

Two top-producing industry veterans, Lance Fulford and Dan Marshall established The LanceDan Group in 1996. Prior to joining APR, they were with Pacific Union in its Opera Plaza office where they produced an astounding $28 million in 32 sales during 2006.

"I am delighted to welcome The LanceDan Group as the newest members of Alain Pinel Realtors (APR) in San Francisco," said Murray. "I am confident that they will be an enormous asset to APR as we grow our presence in the city and continue to provide our customers with best-in-class real estate services."

Read the full story.