Paragon Relocation, a leading provider of global relocation solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Calanni as Director, Global Business Development covering the southeastern United States, stretching from New Jersey to Florida.

“We are excited to welcome Rick to Paragon to focus on expanding our reach throughout his territory. His deep experience in sales and marketing will be essential to our success in the region,” said Glenn Chapman, Vice President of Global Business Development with Paragon Relocation.

Calanni brings 20 years of sales and marketing experience in various capacities in industries related to real estate services. Prior to joining Paragon, Calanni held roles in sales for Realogy and DVC Worldwide Sales Promotions in addition to owning a marketing/consulting firm. Calanni has an undergraduate degree in Communications – Public Relations from Rowan University.

About Paragon Relocation

Paragon Relocation is the premier partner of choice in the Global Relocation Management industry providing innovative programs, value-added support, superior customer service and thought leadership to our clients and the families we relocate. Paragon Relocation has been providing relocation services for over 24 years and offers services in 150 countries. For further information, please visit www.paragonrelocation.com.

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How do you live well while on an international assignment? The short answer is the same basics to living a good life while in your home country: have good relationships, health, finances and have a positive perspective on life. People who do these things are generally happy. However, with the changes that you experience while on an international relocation it may not be as easy to keep the basics in mind at all times. Below you will find some quick advice to help you live the “good life” while on international assignment.

What is the good life?

The good life is defined as living up to the expectations you have for yourself and living at a standard living where you are relatively comfortable in good health and have good relationships. Generally speaking it is living life being thankful for the relationships and things that you have.

How to be happy while on an international assignment?

1. Protect Relationships – You can’t over communicate before, during and after an international assignment with a spouse and children. Each person will be feeling different stresses during the process. Sharing these feelings will be an opportunity for the family to grow closer to one another as they are honest with each other. (Check out When Moving Abroad, Consider Relationship First and Expat Exchange’s Relationship Advice by City).
2. Join a community – This is especially important if one spouse is relocating based on the other spouses career. A trailing spouse not adjusting to life abroad is the number one reason for failed assignments.
3. Prepare for culture shock – Culture shock is often a reality of an international relocation to another country. However, if you can manage your own expectations and approach it effectively it should not be problem for your assignment. (Check out How to deal with Culture Shock and the Expat Exchange Culture Shock by City list).
4. Pick a good school – Picking schools for your kids might be one of the most difficult decisions you have to make. Take your time, do research, and find a school that meets your kid’s needs. (Check out International Schools Review and Expat Exchange’s School Reviews page to help with your search).
5. Manage your expectations – By the very nature of living in a foreign country things are going to be different than they were back home. Embrace these changes and be thankful for what you have. Sometimes changes in perspective can make all the difference.
6. What makes you happy at home? – Whatever it is you do at home that makes you happy do that as much as you are able in your new location. Do you like to run outside? Don’t stop because you moved to a new location. Do you like to take your wife out to dinner? Enjoy the adventure of finding restaurants you both love in your new location.

How to live comfortably while on international assignment?

Sometimes the costs of an international relocation might catch a family a little bit off guard because of the cost of living difference in the new location. This doesn’t mean that the family can’t adjust their financial plan in order to live comfortably in the new location. Recently we wrote on the happiest places to relocate to, in this article we cited data that indicated that while not always true there was a connection between the wealth of a country and its perceived happiness. To be able to live comfortably you need to be able to have enough money to acquire what you need. If money is tight there are two options: either spend less of what you have or earn more. If you would like to boost your income while living abroad to help you live more comfortably do the following:

1. Budget – The simple idea of a budget is to spend less than you take in. This might seem like a daunting task at first but with the help of free online money management software products available today it can be fairly easy because these systems can aggregate all of your spending across multiple bank accounts and credit cards so that your spending can be found all in one location. (Check out this list of money management software from One Money Design).
2. Shop around – What might seem like a task that isn’t worth your time might actually end up saving you lots of money. From a Telegraph.co.uk article: “For example, can you switch to a lower interest rate mortgage? Can you buy your groceries in a budget supermarket, or will you save more if you shop locally or buy in bulk? Can you halve transportation costs by car sharing?”
3. Find a job – If the trailing spouse is allowed to work in the host country there might be many options available. Among them are teaching the language you are fluent in, you could be sell local items on eBay, or even become a Destination Service Provider for expats coming into your host country . (Who knows better about the experience of relocating to your host country better than you?)
4. Make wise decisions – Be careful when buying large items. These questions might help reduce costs of big purchases. For cars/appliances/electronics: Can I buy this item used for a better price?, Do I need to the get the newest version?, Will it be worth shipping home?

Ultimately, life on assignment is the same as it is living in your home country – it is what you make of it. You make the decisions that decide whether your experience is going to be a positive one or not. Embrace the adventure of living in a foreign country while on assignment. If you are able to protect and build relationships and live comfortably within your means than you should be able to experience the good life where ever you live in the world.

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Paragon Relocation is very pleased to announce that we have won first place in the HRO Today Baker Dozen Customer Satisfaction Rantings for their Size of Deals category. We would like to congratulate and thank our clients who make this possible and wish them mutual success for many years to come!

This means that the world’s largest organizations are choosing Paragon Relocation to manage their full service relocation program’s around the world more often than any of our competitors. As a result Paragon Relocation is among the fastest growing companies in the industry.

Recently, we’ve launched our PRISM 2.0 (Paragon Relocation Information Systems Manager) so that all clients can seamlessly manage their global mobility population from a single customizable web based interface. Additionally, last month we opened an office in France and in May we expanded our office in the Benelux region in Europe. Also, we recently announced we are able to now provide even more billing flexibility to our clients because we are able to bill in Renminbi in China (a non-convertible currency) among 22 other global currency options we offer.

Paragon Relocation CEO, Joseph Morabito commented on Paragon Relocation’s reach around the globe in a recent blog post:

Today, there are Paragon branded boots on the ground in Switzerland, France, The Benelux Countries, Spain, Britain, Ireland, South Korea, China and Hong Kong. We also recently incorporated in Russia to allow for billings there. Our goal in 2011-12 is to expand into Germany, Italy, India, Brazil and perhaps other countries where we have significant volume. Otherwise, we do also have affiliates in place to manage moves to 150 or more countries. Though we have experienced challenging times in the past few years, we are still very focused on growing our four subsidiaries; Paragon Relocation, Paragon GeoImmigration, GenEquity Mortgage and Paragon Decision Resources, our consulting company. We will accomplish growth both organically as has always occurred and perhaps through some strategic acquisitions in the years ahead. Most importantly, we are not standing still, even during challenging times because to do so would be going backward.

Paragon Relocation won this prestigious Relocation Bakers Dozen award because of reviews like these from our customers: Paragon Relocation Reviews.

From all of us at Paragon Relocation we can’t say Thank You enough to clients who gave us such a positive review! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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When taking a relocation in the US one of the major considerations before taking the relocation is the cost of housing in the new location. Recently, Coldwell Banker put out their Home Listing Report which gives property values of homes throughout the United States. Do you live in one of the most expensive or least expensive cities in the United States? Find out below.

Have you considered relocating from Newport Beach, CA to Niagara Falls, NY? If you took the money from the sale of your home in Newport Beach with you to the Honeymoon Capital of the World, Niagara Falls, you would have the opportunity to become a real estate mogul. See what you can get for your money below in Niagara Falls which has the lowest average home price in the US.

What are the top 10 most expensive cities to buy a home in the US?

What are the top 10 least expensive cities to buy a home in the US?

How much home can I buy in Niagara Falls New York?

Have you ever wanted to own a lot of real estate? If the answer is “Yes” then you might want to consider taking a relocation to Niagara Falls, NY home of the famous falls on the US side of the border. According to the chart above the sale of an average home in Newport Beach would equal the value of over 41 average priced homes in the Niagara Falls area.



To access the full home listing report to see where your city ranks please go here: Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report



Paragon Relocation specializes in helping relocating families make important real estate decisions when they are relocating. Having up-to-date information about local real estate markets is crucial to the success of homeowners relocating to the new locations of their jobs. What makes Paragon different from other relocation management companies is that we have the ability to pick the absolute best real estate agents in any given market and aren’t tied to a parent company that mandates we use certain agents regardless of the quality of service. When it comes to selecting real estate agents we are rigorous in our standards for home marketing best practices. Our collaboration with the absolute best real estate agents means homes get sold faster and at a better price. To hear more about our independent Relocation Real Estate Agent Broker Network, please contact us!

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Paragon Relocation’s Partner Select company AGS Worldwide Movers have reported a strike in a port in the country of Gabon. For more information see below.

Dear Partners & Colleagues

Ships at the port of Libreville, Gabon, are unable to unload their cargo due to striking port workers, and this has led to the complete paralysis of the port. The employees are demanding higher wages.

The strike will severely disrupt AGS Frasers Gabon’s activities, as its operations have already been hampered by port congestion.

The strike may spread to the port of Port Gentil.

For more information, please contact Bernard Duret, branch manager of AGS Frasers Gabon, and our coordinator at the AGS Frasers Africa Desk, Kirsten Blake.

Best regards,

Mathieu Dunod
AGS Frasers Africa Desk Director

For more information about if this affects your shipment of household goods in Africa please contact your Relocation Consultant or Relocation Client Relations Director for more information.

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Do you live or work in the Dallas area? Are you interested in learning more about Best Practices in Visa and Immigration? Do you like a free breakfast? Then this is for you!

Critical Considerations in Developing Your Corporate Immigration Program

For anyone responsible for corporate Visa and Immigration in the Dallas area, Paragon GeoImmigration is holding a free breakfast seminar July 29, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on “Critical Considerations in Developing Your Corporate Immigration Program.” Register today at www.paragongeoimmigration.com/Registration.htm!

Who: Elaine Martin will be hosting the event. Ms. Martin has practiced immigration law exclusively since 1997. She established her own immigration law practice in 2008. Before that, she worked for almost 9 years as a Senior Associate with Fragomen Del Rey Bernsen and Loewy, the largest immigration firm in the world. She has significant experience in working with businesses of all sizes, ranging from multinational Fortune 500 corporations to start-up ventures and sole proprietorships. She also advises companies on the immigration implications of corporate restructuring and layoffs and she frequently conducts immigration training at client sites and public seminars.

When: July 29 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Where: Hotel InterContinental – 15201 Dallas Parkway, Addison, TX 75001

Register here for the Visa and Immigration free breakfast seminar!

For more information on Paragon GeoImmigration, please visit their website: Paragon GeoImmigration.

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Paragon Relocation, a leading provider of global relocation management services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Ronayne as IT Director, Applications. In this newly created position, Ronayne will be responsible for managing all software applications and leading the IT development of the company.

“Paragon is thrilled to bring Catherine on board to manage our IT applications and development. I am confident that she will make an immediate impact on our technology management,” said Thomas True, Vice President of Global Relocation Services.

Prior to joining Paragon, Ronayne worked for Corporate Relocation as the Director of Information Services where she was successful in converting new systems while creating greater functionality for the users. Additionally, she developed new analytical reports and managed quality assurance projects.

Ronayne has an undergraduate degree in Latin from Texas Tech University. She holds the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

About Paragon Relocation

Paragon Relocation is the premier partner of choice in the Global Relocation Management industry providing innovative programs, value-added support, superior customer service and thought leadership to our clients and the families we relocate. Paragon Relocation has been providing relocation services for over 24 years and offers services in 150 countries. For further information, please visit www.paragonrelocation.com.

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Why Communication Matters

Communications are important to success in business and in life. As someone who started in business 32 years ago when there were no desk top computers, no e-mail and no cell phones, it has been very interesting to watch the evolution of technology to where we are today and where we are likely to go in the next decade. Until about ten years ago, it was difficult if not impossible to implement a fully integrated, cost effective, global automation system-that has all changed. Today, Paragon maintains a fully integrated global automation system that connects all of our offices and provides our employees, clients and customers up-to-date information live at their fingertips. Beginning this year, we have migrated to PRISM 2.0, our enhanced operating system. All new clients are already on PRISM 2.0 and we will complete migration of all existing clients by year end. Our enhanced operating system provides better, faster access to information including cost analysis and a move authorization and approval routing system that is very efficient.

In addition, we are in the process of providing all of Relocation Consultants, International Assignment Consultants and International Relocation Coordinators in our Global Customer Service Centers with cell phones to allow for afterhours emergency telephone connectivity 7/24. Of course, e-mail connectivity is already 7/24. To provide for disaster recovery, we recently moved our primary data center, off-site, to a secure co-location center with significant disaster recovery capabilities. However, to be completely certain that we will have business continuity, in the event of a disaster, we maintain a fully functional, redundant secondary data center in our new Global Customer Service Center in Dallas, Texas. To fully prepare for any disaster recovery efforts, we have focused on this process with renewed vigor because we recognize that our clients and customers around the world rely on our company to be up and running under any and all circumstances. Finally, by year end, we will phase in a 7/24 Information Technology Help Desk that will be available to Paragon employees and our clients and customers to facilitate assistance with all of our automated applications and internal hardware support.

Advancements in Technology

Today, most communications are by telephone, e-mail, fax, regular and overnight mail or wire transfers. Even though all Paragon’s offices are also connected by video, video is not yet the norm related to all customer and/or client interaction; but it is coming. While we sometimes have client interaction by video today, certainly, within the next few years all of our Consultants will be dealing with our customers, transferring employees and their families by video. Such interaction will create a new dynamic requiring significant additional training for our current Consultants and perhaps different hiring practices related to new Consultants. There is no doubt that any service business is highly dependent on communications. As a result, Paragon intends to be at the forefront of innovative modalities to best communicate with our clients and customers.

Extending Our Reach

Paragon is also continuing to extend our reach around the world. Today, there are Paragon branded boots on the ground in Switzerland, France, The Benelux Countries, Spain, Britain, Ireland, South Korea, China and Hong Kong. We also recently incorporated in Russia to allow for billings there. Our goal in 2011-12 is to expand into Germany, Italy, India, Brazil and perhaps other countries where we have significant volume. Otherwise, we do also have affiliates in place to manage moves to 150 or more countries. Though we have experienced challenging times in the past few years, we are still very focused on growing our four subsidiaries; Paragon Relocation, Paragon GeoImmigration, GenEquity Mortgage and Paragon Decision Resources, our consulting company. We will accomplish growth both organically as has always occurred and perhaps through some strategic acquisitions in the years ahead. Most importantly, we are not standing still, even during challenging times because to do so would be going backward.

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Paragon Relocation announces that on July 1, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the final six months of 2011. Taxpayers may use the optional standard rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and other purposes.

Beginning on July 1, 2011, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

• 55.5 cents per mile for business miles driven
• 23.5 cents per mile driven for moving purposes

The rate will increase to 55.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011. This is an increase of 4.5 cents from the 51 cent rate in effect for the first six months of 2011, as set forth in Revenue Procedure 2010-51.

In recognition of recent gasoline price increases, the IRS made this special adjustment for the final months of 2011. The IRS normally updates the mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year.

“This year’s increased gas prices are having a major impact on individual Americans. The IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the recent increase in gas prices,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “We are taking this step so the reimbursement rate will be fair to taxpayers.”

While gasoline is a significant factor in the mileage figure, other items enter into the calculation of mileage rates, such as depreciation and insurance and other fixed and variable costs.

The optional business standard mileage rate is used to compute the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use in lieu of tracking actual costs. This rate is also used as a benchmark by the federal government and many businesses to reimburse their employees for mileage.

The new six-month rate for computing deductible medical or moving expenses will also increase by 4.5 cents to 23.5 cents a mile, up from 19 cents for the first six months of 2011. The rate for providing services for charitable organizations is set by statute, not the IRS, and remains at 14 cents a mile.

The new rates are contained in Announcement 2011-40 on the optional standard mileage rates.

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

Announcement 2011-40 contains additional details regarding the standard mileage rates.

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