I just witnessed the most adorable thing. A man came into look at our model homes, driving a BIG truck. After he got out, he gently removed his daughter from her car seat. She is probably about 2 or so and started to the office carrying her baby. She then turned around, ran back to the truck, where her dad helped her remove the baby doll's little toy stroller from the back of his truck. He was so patient with her, it just made me smile. Then like EVERY other kid ever to visit us, she proceeded up the ramp with her baby in tow. 

This is a good reminder, that while we build houses... they are homes that families live in.  They are where they celebrate milestones, enjoy family dinners, read stories, play in the back yard and so much more.

We know it is a big responsibility and we do not take it lightly.

It's seminar time!

Building a home is hard.  Do I think it is worth it?  Yes!  Of course!  But many things that are great, take some effort to achieve.

Twelve years ago, we decided to help our customers decide if building a new home was right for them, by offering a home building seminar.  For a year or so, we did one in the fall and spring.

 As time went on, however, we realized this was not often enough.  So we now offer 5 every year.  The first of the season is tomorrow.  We may have a few no-shows or cancels, but right now we have about 40 people coming.

I think it is smart to learn before you leap!  We discuss what a lender is looking for, describe what to expect with the financing process- then we move on to talk about the differences and advantages of manufactured and modular homes- and after that we discuss how to find and develop your property and discuss time frames.

Each person, home, and parcel of land is different... and in one hour there is no way to explain every little thing you might encounter, but everyone leaves with a better understanding of what to expect... "home building 101" if you will.

We are excited to talk to new faces tomorrow and give them an education about building.  It is so exciting to watch our customers walk through their new home for the first time after spending the time to custom design all aspects of it.  There is really nothing like it!

When you are done, you have a brand new home that no one has lived in before you.  It is designed for you by you!  It is built to today's tough building standards, and under warranty for peace of mind.  So is it a little harder... yes!  But good things come to those who wait!

If you ever would like to come, they are free and no obligation- just RSVP!  They are offered January, March, May, July and Late September/ Early October- always at Dino's Pizza.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Like most people, I enjoy the holiday season.  Yes, can it be a little stressful?  Of course, but it is still wonderful to get together with family, and I just LOVE giving gifts.

I put together the gifts for our first year home owners to put in the mail today  (one couple stopped by

today so it saved me a couple of bucks, LOL) and I hope that gives them a little enjoyment knowing that we are still thinking about them- and understand that is the most important part of owning a home- the memories that you create living in it.





And I also get a lot of satisfaction getting pictures from our previous customers and their house all

decorated for the holidays.  Do I think the home is beautiful?  Yes!  But again, more than that, it's all about the people who live there.  The pride they take in their home, and the happiness they get when they invite their family and friends over to enjoy it.

Best wishes from all of us for a happy and safe holiday season!

Eric and Michelle

Giving thanks

This time of year, we make sure to send a little thank you to all our staff, subcontractors and other vendors who make up our team all year long, letting them know that we understand without their hard work, our lives would be much more difficult and we appreciate their efforts.

It is nice, however, to also hear it in reverse.  It is human nature, after all, to only mention the negative, and forget to remark on a job well done.  So it was particularly nice to hear that today on the eve of Thanksgiving.  It is nice to know you are appreciated, and the little "extras" were indeed noticed.

"Michelle, Eric, Wayne, Chris, Little Wayne:

At this Thanksgiving time, and as we enjoy another visit to our new home, we want to pause and take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks for all that you did to get us here.  we feel so fortunate to have found you - thanks to the ad in the real estate magazine!  Your willingness to work with folks at a distance, your constant communication, upbeat attitude, and extreme patience, made this dream a reality for us.  We will be forever grateful to you for guiding us each step of the way and making what we had begun to think impossible...possible.  Thank you for the excellent people you referred us to.  Thank you for always answering our questions without ever making us feel clueless even though we probably were in many regards.  Thank you for going the extra mile with the porch pillars and water test and probably many other things as well.  Thank you for thinking about things and asking questions/ making suggestions about things we wouldn't have even begun to consider.  Thank you for tolerating our perfectionist tendencies.  Thank you for just being such people with whom to work!  We truly can't imagine going through this process with anyone else and surviving it.  You are the best.  We are very pleased with the final outcome, and we know we will enjoy many happy years in our snug, pretty home in the woods--all thanks to each of you at Plattsburgh Housing Outlet and the superb way you do business.  So thankful for you, Sincerely, Marilyn and Durwyn."

 

 

We wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  All of us at Plattsburgh Housing Outlet

Fall open house time

This is the time of year we head off to our manufacturers to learn about the new trends in housing, see models with updated decors and features and meet up with the folks who build and service our homes.

We bring up issues we have encountered throughout the year, bring up innovations that our customers are looking for, and get energized being around people in the same industry we have chosen.

So while it can be hard to be away from the office for a few days, it is well worth it.  It helps us, and ultimately helps us serve you better.

I am excited to report back what I find- and look forward to getting to see all of you at our open house the following weekend!

It's a whirlwind sometimes... but it's my whirlwind!

"Spring" Open House

Soooo.  Mother nature has been tricky this year.  We worked so hard to get our new model up and ready and she thought it would be fun to have a mid March storm right before our open house. 

Well what she didn't know is that north country folk are hearty, and once the snow was cleared, and there was a lot of it, our local

customers still came out to see us.  It is always nice to see familiar faces and some new ones too!  Thank you so much to our builder reps who all made the trek to see us and answer questions and meet our customers. 

But no rest for us!  We will be back at it tomorrow, getting information for those who were in this weekend, and then Thursday we hope you can join us for our home building seminar.  Great information, even if you have already built a home, there is a lot to

think about.  And while it is not mandatory, our happiest customers over the last 11 years, have been to one or two seminars.  It just helps put their mind at ease as they have a better understanding of what to expect.

Thanks again for visiting us yesterday, we appreciate each and every one of you and look forward to earning your business!  Eric and Michelle.

Can Eric hold down the fort?

The next two weeks are going to be exciting and down right life changing.  Our son, Josh, is graduating from high school on Saturday.  This kid, who has been a part of our lives, for over 18 years, is about to venture off on his own.  Luckily, the nest isn't quite empty yet.  Jacob is only 13 and will be home for several more years.

So for Josh's graduation gift, he and I are going on a European vacation ( look kids- big ben...) and I'm freaking out a little bit.  I knew the timing would be hard.  I don't want to disappoint anyone who needs my help.  And I have never been away from the office for 10 days.  Ever.

So, I am going to have to accept Eric's help and let go a little bit and trust that he can keep things under control in  my absence.  After all, he did actually successfully run Plattsburgh Housing Outlet for 9 years before I came on board!  And it might be a good lesson in letting go a bit with Josh headed to college this fall.  No parent has ever done their kids any favors by micro-managing their lives and not allowing them to learn to fend for themselves.

So on July 1st, Josh and I will hopefully have an adventure of a lifetime- something that he and I will both fondly look back on as he begins this rite of passage into adulthood.  Like I said, I don't want to disappoint anyone.  Least of all my first born son. 


Congratulations Josh, your hard work and dedication has paid off.  We couldn't be more proud of you.

I don't care who you are, it is nice to be recognized.

Any business is a lot of work.  There is working with your customers to make sure you are doing a good job for them, there is the negotiations with the vendors you work with to get a fair price and good product, and there is trying to work together with your colleagues to create a good work environment and team among other things.

And after all of that, there is the day to day working in and on your business.  At the end of a good, hard day you often wonder if you are doing the right thing and are you doing enough.  Everyone hopes they have but you often wonder.  Once you are out of school, there is not a black and white way of measuring success.  Gone are the days of class rank and SAT score.

So a couple of ways that I hope we are measuring up compared to our competition is based on

employee longevity.  Plattsburgh Housing Outlet has blessed with many long term employees.  Lisa LaPorte, joined the company in 2003 and just celebrated her 10 year anniversary.  And Mike Trombley has been with the company since 1993, almost since the beginning.  In May we had a celebration to recognize their hard work and dedication. 

In April, Plattsburgh Housing Outlet, received national recognition at the Manufactured Housing Institutes's National Congress, when they were named Retailer of the Year for the Northeast and MidAtlantic states.  Each year, the choose 4 companies from across the nation and bestow this honor.

They research a company's reputation and dedication, its community involvement, customer satisfaction among other things.  They also look at the way the company presents itself with model home staging, and customer education initiatives.

http://www.northcountryman.com/news/2013/may/01/plattsburgh-housing-outlet-recognized-sales-center/

So, I have to admit, on the days that business feels hard, it is nice to be recognized and hope you have made your family proud.

23 years in the blink of an eye.

So much has changed since Eric started at Plattsburgh Housing Outlet, fresh out of St. Michael's College.  Plattsburgh Housing Outlet at that point was located up on the corner of Route 3 and Route

190 on rented property near the bank.  When the opportunity arose to purchase the property next 

door, we moved and set up shop with paved sidewalks, lawns and landscaping to create an professional yet inviting sales center.

Over the years, much has changed.  Mortgages became available for manufactured homes.  The trend changed from single to double wide.  And then in the early 2000's we added modular homes to the mix, which took us to another level. 

It has been a pleasure helping the good folks of the North Country build their homes, a safe place where they have friends over and raise their families.  It will be exciting to see what comes next.

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.

A great way to come together

Champion was excited to be selected to build the House United and we are proud to donate this home to a deserving veteran. Along with our partners, Craftsman, a division of Sears Holdings, as well as NextGen Home, Bank of America and nonprofit organizations, Rebuilding Together and Heroes at Home we will construct two halves of a modular home in our manufacturing facility in Salisbury NC.

One half will be displayed at the Republican National Convention in Tampa and the other half will be displayed at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. At each of the events Ty Pennington will lead delegates as they complete the construction of the home in a display of political unity in support of our troops. After the home is completed it will be placed on its foundation in Charlotte and then handed over to a deserving veteran.

To learn more about the House United project, to sign the petition encouraging delegate involvement or to sign up to volunteer, please visit www.facebook.com/craftsman .

Where to start?

Over the years, we have built many homes for folks who have owned homes but had never constructed one themselves.  There is a misconception on what a modular home can offer.  There are tons of standard plans available, but we truly can customize a plan as well.

From Sticky notes:

To Ultimate vision...

To near Fruition...

Stay tuned for the finished product!

Nothing makes me happier...

Often when we leave a job site, the best is yet to come.  The house always looks great, the land has been graded etc, but rarely is there a lawn or landscaping.  Eric and I enjoy Sunday drives (our kids do not) going back to see the outsides of the homes we have built once they are lived in.

But we truly, sincerely love to get updates from you.  We got a thank you after one of our home owners had a Christening party at their home after their son was born, we get wedding pictures, retirement announcements... there are so many reasons people come to see us for their homes.

These photos were sent to us from a client in Lake Placid.  They bought a modest cape cod knowing that while on "vacation" here- ok so his wife and kids are on vacation, he has single-handedly finished the upstairs of their cape cod.  While his kids are still young, I'm sure with every swing of that hammer, he thought about how they will have this home for generations now.  And that his kids will bring their kids there someday for Fourth of July celebrations, like they did this year.

And while this may not always be the easier job in the world, this is what makes it the best.

Sometimes you just have to find out yourself.

I had a woman and her father in today.  Now I have one of those Dads.  At 42, I'm still his baby girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I know in his heart he is just looking out for his daughter, but he didn't trust or believe anything I said.  He yelled and eventually stormed out.

I hope they come back, but if they don't I will know that I answered their questions to the best of my ability, and I'm not going to change my approach or my values to get a quick sale.  While, of course, we'd like the business, I would rather lose a sale than compromise our integrity. 

Essentially, what this gentleman was upset about was he was told the interest rate on the home would be 4%.  That may be true if he were doing a mortgage, but when the loan is on the home itself, the interest rates are higher because the loan is riskier.

How much higher?  I don't really know, but I told him that it was dependant on credit, amount of money down, and other variables, and would likely be 7-9%.  As you might guess, that was where the conversation ended.

I guess I was feeling sorry for myself, with the "good guys finishing last" thought running through my mind, so I took solace in a couple of thank you's we'd received.

Trudy said. "Thanks, Eric and Michelle, for being honorable business people..."

And Samantha wrote   "Everything Mike said was going to happen, happened & in a very quick manner." 

Hopefully, they will do their homework and realize what I have told them was the truth and that I wasn't trying to take advantage of them.  I know it's hard to know who to trust, and who is honest- especially when you get different answers.