Realtors holding out for real heroes

Through her work with Homes for Heroes, local realtor Candice Pagliarulo is working hard to make savings for heroes go up, up and away.Homes for Heroes, a nationwide program, was founded shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 as a way to give back to heroes who risk their lives for others.”Our mission is to provide extraordinary savings to local heroes who provide extraordinary services to our community every day,” they state on their website.One of her clients is a Lynn family, Mike and Laura Crosby, whose house she helped sell in only seven days.Pagliarulo, who works for Century 21 Real Estate, has been an affiliate of the program for six months and has helped a dozen people save money and find homes.”I anticipate to have triple that this year, if not more,” she said.She heard about Homes for Heroes when a family member in Maine got involved. She said she “saw it and it was amazing.””My grandfather was in World War II,” she said. “I’ll never forget the stories and pain that he had when he talked about it.””It’s kind of my way to honor him,” she said. “I wish he was around to see it.”Heroes, to this foundation, are people who spend their time helping others. According to Jamie Erler, a real estate agent who works with Pagliarulo and doubles as her assistant, “A hero comes in many forms, here. Teachers and educators, firefighters, police, medical professionals such as nurses, doctors and EMTs, military, active and retired.””It’s scary to think that they risk their lives but they do,” Pagliarulo said. “It’s just such a crazy world right now. It’s kind of a way to give back to people that are always there when you need them.”According to Erler, Pagliarulo “is the only realtor locally who does this,” along with her teammate affiliate lender Deb Visco.”Deb Visco is my partner in crime,” Pagliarulo said. “She works for Union Trust Mortgage. We’re a lender and an agent who do this together … between me and her, that’s where all the savings come from.”Typically, alongside Visco, she helps heroes save “a couple thousand dollars.””It’s her way of giving back to people who’ve done so much for all of us,” explained Erler, “The savings come directly out of their pockets, as they donate their commissions and earnings back to the heroes, so it really is a special program.”They do this by giving 25 percent of the gross commission back to the heroes. “It’s hard to do the program and still work and make a living. It’s not easy so we need to spread the word in order to keep doing this for other families.”Pagliarulo and Visco helped the Crosbys rec?eive a $10,000 rebate on the sale of their home. Laura Crosby, who works for North Shore Arc doing early intervention for children, and Mike Crosby, a Lynn police officer, sold their house in only seven days.”We’ve become friends,” she said, “They’ve just invited me to their house warming party.”So far, nationwide, Homes for Heroes has saved heroes $9,681,839.02, according to a running ticker on the programs website.”There’s no red tape, nothing that the hero has to do,” Pagliarulo explained, “They sign up on the main Homes for Heroes website and they get linked to us.” In addition, you can visit their website, Helpingheroesmove.com.