Bushkill – Donna Cleveland, Realtor has joined Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates as a member of their sales team in the Bushkill office. Cleveland was recruited by Lynn Wilklow, Sales Manager.
Cleveland, whose family is local to the East Stroudsburg area, has always resided in the Poconos. Prior to joining Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates, Cleveland was in the Timeshare industry and past work experience includes TreeTop in Bushkill and Wyndham Worldwide in Shawnee-on-the-Delaware. She was also a travel agent and owner of DC from June 2007 to present where Cleveland plans and books vacations for a variety of clients, reviews resorts, hotels and locations on behalf of her clients and networks with travel agents worldwide.
Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “We’ve seen a lot of the timeshare salespersons come over to the general real estate business. We’re pleased to say that all of the recruits that we’ve brought in to the company have made a very smooth transition with their real estate knowledge, particularly of the Pocono region as a vacation destination, that “know how” will add a great deal of value to their success.”
While the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate office is not involved in timeshare sales, through their vacation rental department are preparing to work in conjunction with the different Resorts in the Poconos to provide weekend-weekly vacations at some of the best known resort properties.
Said Wilkins, “Teaming up with the resorts that are involved in the timeshare industry is a new model that we’re working hard on. We hope to roll out our vacation program for the winter season. It’s a combination of working with the associations themselves, to rent delinquent owner units- and then pay the Association the rent collected as well as the developer to rent their unsold inventory. The idea was actually developed and is modeled after Wyndham Extra Holidays which has been a very successful program for them.”
Cleveland, when not selling real estate, is very passionate about horses and horseback riding. She is both a horse breeder and owner. Cleveland owns and operates Waterfront Farms in East Stroudsburg. Said Cleveland, “I’d really like to known for listing and selling of horse farms, farm-ettes and other equestrian-type properties throughout the Poconos, Lehigh Valley and Pike County areas. I’ve been around horses since I was a little girl.”
Cleveland has been active and been a committee member for the Smithfield Township Committee on Parks and Recreation from 1996 until 2000. During that period, the committee acquired and developed the Smithfield Township Park and Historical Site located on Marshalls Creek. For 20 years, Cleveland has worked with the PA Department of Transportation for road clean-up in Smithfield Township and an organizer of Tricky-Trays for the schools.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates operate 4 offices in the Pocono Mountains including Milford, Bushkill, Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono. All offices are open 7 days a week and they can be viewed online at www.wilkins1.com and on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/BHGWilkins.
