Advent into the video age

We asked Sarah to start taking videos of the model homes and manufactured and modular home "sets" to help our customers get a better virtual experience from us.  and boy did she take that seriously!

http://youtu.be/z3TSJVnVQco

 

...Is a sneak peek of our new gorgeous ranch!

 

And on our website, there is a video section that you can see many other model tours as well as a link to our YouTube channel. 

 

http://www.plattsburghhousing.com/videos.php

 

As always, we'd love to see you in person- and there is nothing like walking the model first-hand, but this is a great way to see us at 3am!

 

Don't forget!  Open house is March 16th!  Thanks, Michelle

 

 

A little patience

Our new ranch modular home has arrived!  But this week, I had to go with the flow, which is not always my best quality.  It was an interesting change of events as "I" was the recipient of the new model, sort of!  So it was good for me to feel what you feel when your new home is about to arrive.

Excitement, nervousness, anticipation....all mixed with a little disappointment.

The home was scheduled to leave PA on Monday the 28th.  It was ready, we had permits.  But there was an ice storm.  So that was not meant to be.

Wednesday, the original "set date." was, of course, 50 degrees- it would been a dream for a winter set for the crew.

But the home didn't arrive until Wednesday, so we had it scheduled to set on Thursday.  We then had 60 mile an hour wind gusts.  That wasn't safe to subject our guys to such danger.  So I had to wait.

Monday the 4th the sections got put in place, and Tuesday the crane arrived to lift the roof and the pre-assembled dormer pieces.  It is starting to take shape!

And with any luck, it will be ready to make its debut in a few short weeks!

I am so excited to have a new model- we worked really hard on the design to incorporate many of the amenities and design elements that our customers have been asking for.  Stop by soon, or in the meantime, you can go to facebook to watch progress updates!

PS: On Thursday, I was able to attend my god-daughter's talent show as the set was postpone- so there's my silver lining!

It's been an exciting week!

A big thank you to everyone who attended the home building seminar last Thursday during the "arctic freeze."  Luckily the roads weren't bad, but it was unbelieveably cold.  We had folks from VT, Lewis, Gabriels, Saranac Lake...needless to say, they had a little drive.  But the pizza and conversation was great!

It was one of the most lively question and answer periods I could remember.  I'd love to say it was because of the awesome prizes I gave out to those brave enough to speak up- but I think there were just some great questions out there.  And as always, everyone benefits from that.  There might be a question you didn't event think to ask!

So if you were busy, or just now thinking about building there will be another session on March 21st- as always 6pm at Dino's Pizza.

And the excitement continues this week.  Our new ranch modular is in Oneonta as I write this.  Unfortunately, it was supposed to ship on Monday but there was an ice storm in PA so there was a slight delay.  And the "set" was scheduled for today- but that has been pushed back until tomorrow.  It wasn't safe to drive under those conditions, so even though it would have been really nice for the guys to work in 49 degree weather today, it wasn't meant to be.  Safety first.

We expect it will then take several weeks of finish and then cleaning and decorating before she makes her official debut but I will put construction photos and updates in the blog and on facebook so everyone will get a glimpse early!

In this business, there is never a dull moment!  Just how I like it!

New beginnings

Happy new year!  This is the time of year that we reflect on the past year and hope to improve in the next.  We are always very excited to start the new year off with a home building seminar.  Often times it is the largest, best attended one of the year.  Even though the North Country is under a blanket of snow, if you want to be enjoying your new home this summer- crazy as it sounds- you must start now.

The seminar will be on January 24th starting at 6pm at Dino's Pizza.  There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP so we can save you a seat!

Another new beginning for us this year, is we have a new model coming in.  As you may know, our brown ranch modular left for its forever home in Fairfax VT the fall and it is where it was meant to be.  Surrounded by trees and other lovely homes, it looks like it has always been there.

So after long and careful consideration about building trends, and what our customers have been as king for- I think we nailed it!  The new home is just under 1600 sf, a very nice size.  It will have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms- including an amazing master bedroom, bathroom, and walk in closet with closet organzier (I've gone to heaven!!)  It has a formal foyer and a cheery front kitchen both spacious and practical with lots of cabinetry.  There is a great room in which we have cornered a gas burning fireplace with TV mounts above.  And it also has an end entry with lots of storage, perfect to add a garage.

We expect the home to arrive the last week of January and then we will need several weeks to complete it, but we expect it to be ready to make its debut on or before our March open house!

It is better to give than to receive

All over Facebook since the beginning of November have been posts about what people are thankful for.  Indeed, it is good to remember all that we are blessed with.

We host a Halloween Festival here at PHO every Halloween; the kids trick or treat in our model homes, are entertained by a magic show, and have fun with arts and crafts.  This, our 13th year, was our biggest and best yet.  We hosted 800 kids and their families the Saturday before Halloween, and as a result raised $5300 for the Ronald McDonald House in Burlington, VT.

We chose them as our receipient years ago because so many of our Northern NY families utilitze the House when they have a sick or injured child in the hospital in VT.  I can only imagine how difficult it is to watch your child suffer, that whatever little extra we can help with is worth our effort.  The ferry and car ride would be just too much for a parent to bear, they would want to be as close as possible to their child.

It is the best of both worlds when we can provide a safe and fun event for our local kids- where parents know that the children could run around without worry of traffic, and they know the candy they received was safe.  In the 13 years we have done the Halloween Festival, we have sent over $47,000 in donations to the Ronald McDonald House, all in $1 donations from attendees and from our business partners generous contributions.  It is amazing what a lot of little businesses can do when we put our efforts together.

From all of us at PHO, we wish you all a safe and joyous Thanksgiving and holiday season!

We're sold out!

I just took a "deposit" to hold the last model for our Halloween Festival.  It is a lot of effort every year to pull this thing off.  I start planning at the end of August, and crescendo into the end of October.  It makes my heart swell with pride that how giving our community is.  Every year different civic organizations and local business help out in so many ways.  They "rent" a house for the 3 hours of the event, they give auction items, or let us borrow things like tables and chairs so that every dollar we raise goes over to the Ronald McDonald House.

Through 2012 we raised over $42,000 and I think/ hope the money impacts our community since so many from our 3 counties utilize the House if they have a sick child.

So here we go again, let's hope for good weather!  And spread the word, 13th Annual Halloween Festival, Saturday October 27th from 1-4pm at Plattsburgh Housing Outlet!

Be prepared and stay safe.

It's fire safety month.  District 3 will be here for the Halloween Festival to help teach fire safety but please take a moment to learn more.  And PHO 2nd year homeowners, check your mailbox for the batteries we sent- and take the time to change them!  Stay safe!

Read below for information from the NFPA.  Learn more at:
http://www.nfpa.org/

Home Fires

• One home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds in 2010.
• Most fatal fires kill one or two people. In 2010, 19 home fires killed five or more people. These 19 fires resulted in 101 deaths.
• In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to 369,500 home structure fires. These fires caused 13,350 civilian injuries, 2,640 civilian deaths, and $6.9 billion in direct damage.

Escape Planning

• According to an NFPA survey, only one-third of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
• Almost three-quarters of Americans do have an escape plan; however, less than half actually practiced it.
• One-third of Americans households who made and estimate they thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!
  Smoke Alarms
• Almost two-thirds (62%) of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
• In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 92% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 77% of the time.

Cooking

• Cooking has been the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries since 1990. Unattended cooking was by far the leading cause of these fires; Two-thirds of home cooking fires began with ignition of cooking materials, including food, cooking oil, fat, or grease .
• Cooking caused two of every five (42%) of reported home fires, roughly one of every seven (15% ) home fire deaths, and two of every five (37% ) home fire injuries, and 11% of direct property damage from home fires in 2010.
• Ranges accounted for the 58% of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16%.
• Children under five face a higher risk of non-fire burns associated with cooking than being burned in a cooking fire.
• 90% of burns associated with cooking equipment resulted from contact with hot equipment or some other non-fire source.

Heating

• Heating equipment was the leading cause of reported home fires in the 1980s and has generally ranked second since them. It is the second leading cause of home fire deaths. Fires involving heating equipment peak in December, January and February, as do deaths from these fires.
• The leading factor contributing to heating equipment fires was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.
• Portable or fixed space heaters, including wood stoves, were involved in one-third (32%) of home heating fires and four out of five (79%) home heating deaths.
• Half of home heating fire deaths resulted from fires caused by heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.

Smoking Materials

• In 2010, smoking materials started and estimated 17,500 home structure fires, resulting in 540 deaths, 1,320 injuries and $535 million in direct property damage. Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths.
• Sleep was a factor in two of every five home smoking material fire deaths. Possible alcohol impairment was reported in one quarter of these deaths.
• In recent years, Canada and the United States have required that all cigarettes sold must be “fire safe,” that is have reduced ignition strength and less likely to start fires.

Electrical

• Half (49%) of home electrical fires involved electrical distribution or lighting equipment. Other leading types of equipment were washer or dryer, fan, portable or stationary space heater, air conditioning equipment, water heater and range.
• In 2010, electrical failures or malfunctions were factors in an estimated 46,500 home structure fires resulting in 420 deaths, 1,520 injuries and $1.5 billion in property damage.

Candles

• On average, there are 35 home candle fires reported per day.
• More than one-third of these fires started in the bedroom.
• More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle.
• In 2010, candles caused 3% of home fires, 4% of home fire deaths, 6% of home fire injuries and 5% of direct property damage from home fires.

Home Fire Sprinklers

• Automatic fire sprinkler systems cut the risk of dying in a home fire by about 83%.
• Home fire sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.
• Sprinklers are highly effective because they react so quickly in a fire. They reduce the risk of death or injury from a fire because they dramatically reduce the heat, flames and smoke produced, allowing people time to evacuate the home.