An informed customer is a happy customer

Eight years ago we started our home building seminars.  The first one was held in May at the Holiday Inn, Plattsburgh.   We weren't sure what to expect-whether customers would be interested in taking time out of their busy days to come listen and learn.

But while the content has evolved over the years, and the venue is now Dino's Pizza, one thing has stayed the same- our customers are appreciative of the information we provide.

The first year we did one seminar, the second year we did two, and since then we have done 4-5 every year.  We space them out so that there will always be a new learning opportunity in the not too distant future.  We go over how to finance a home and what a lender is looking for to qualify you for a mortgage, the differences and advantages of manufactured and modular homes, and how long the building process takes. 

One of my favorite points in the evening is the question/ answer portion because it changes each time.  I "bride" the attendees with little prizes for asking a question because people are shy at first, but it always gets going and sometimes gets pretty animated.

And while we offer this service with no cost or obligation, and while its primary intent is to educate our clients on what to expect during the somewhat daunting home buying experience, there has been an interesting unexpected effect from these workshops.  An informed customer is a happy customer.  It has also helped us as the builder when a new client has been to the home building seminar.  They have an idea of what happens next and aren't surprised when we talk about things like appraisals or NYSEG delays.

Our second session of the year is scheduled for tomorrow.  We have a couple "second timers" who are now a little closer to building who wanted to come learn a little more and several new faces- some have been into our see us, and some who saw the advertisement in the paper and tomorrow we will meet for the first time.

So as long as we have continued interest, we will put in the effort to host them!

A special thank you

We received a special acknowledgement of our and our contractors work yesterday.  It warmed my heart.  Our customer, Mary, came in and presented us with a beautiful play-by-play photo album of her home's completion from start to finish.

It was done with love, and she was so proud of her work, which made it even more special.

On a busy day, in a busy week, it was nice to get a thank you.  It reminds me of why we work hard at what we do.

February is American Heart Month

Heart disease has probably already affected you or someone you love.  In fact, it is the #1 killer of women.  Learn more and share your knowledge with those you care about- you could be a lifesaver!

Check out http://www.goredforwomen.org/ and order a GO RED healthy heart kit for up to 5 women you love!

Share heart healthy tips for Valentine's Day!

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Heart-Healthy-Valentines-Day-Tips_UCM_322023_Article.jsp

For every free Valentine you send on the Heart Association's website, Macy's will donate $1 up to $250,000 to  GO RED for women!

Take care of your heart and help protect the hearts of those you love. 

Your family needs you!

Home again, home again...

We just returned from Florida where our buyer’s group met. It is a mandatory annual meeting where the group must have a quorum of its membership to act on items.

It is interesting to see how others in the industry are doing both personally and professionally. It was nice to see some old familiar friendly faces who asked about the boys. They were surprised when they heard that Josh just turned 16. Many of them met him when we first joined the group in 2000, after taking ownership at PHO. A few met him even before that in '97 on a Fleetwood Homes cruise (photo.) He was just two then and we were the only ones who brought our kid. Needless to say, he got a lot of attention from the moms in the group missing their own children. I’ll never forget when he said to me after returning home “Mom, when are we going back to the boat?” Funny kid.

It was nice to see some new faces too, mostly the next generation in a family owned business. There were a couple of young men in their early twenties clearly trying to get out of their father’s shadows and make a name for themselves. And there were other young families that looked like ours when we first started. Amazing how fast this all goes by.

I was surprised by the optimism in the room. This is not a naïve group of people. Many have been building homes for 3 or 4 decades, and they represent all areas of the country. While most thought there were still challenges ahead, they were excited by the traffic at their sales centers and number of commitments to build they have received. We too are feeling excited about the opportunities that this year will bring. With 54 in attendance at the seminar, we felt like most folks have realized they need to take advantage of these low interest rates. And while not everything is necessarily perfect, that’s life. We have often found that when people wait for everything to be just perfect, they never achieve their dream, because perfect rarely comes.

So, it’s back to the cold as I write this on the plane, and I am looking through the new agreements we forged with our building partners, pleased about what was accomplished and excited to pass on our efforts to our customers for a great housing value.

Oh, and there was a celebrity sighting to report- we saw Johnny Damon at Margaritaville enjoying lunch with his wife and kids. Eric says he signed with Tampa. Pretty cool.

What is your inspiration?

Beyond the walls and R-value or our homes, what I find most interesting is the story behind a new home.  Each home is different, and the reason to do so varies as well.

Sometimes, like today, its to celebrate an expanding family.  I had the pleasure of having a great yong couple in today with their new baby daughter.  They have a 2 year old son at home as well.  They have the land and now we are helping to design their new home!

Other times, customers come to see us later.  I had a great phone conversation with a customer today and her husband passed away a couple of years ago.  She is now ready to start a new chapter in her life, and she has someone interested in their current home and business.  The new home will offer her peace of mind as she will have little upkeep in a new home. 

Regardless of the reason, we would be honored to help you.  A home is where you feel most safe.  Thank you for allowing us the privilege to assist you.

Start the new year on the right foot!

Our first home building seminar of the year has been scheduled- and if this year your resolution is to finally build your dream home, then consider yourself invited!

There is no cost or obligation to join us- and even if your plans are for some point in the future, the information will stay with you.  We have built homes for folks who came to seminars two years before!

We hold the workshop at Dino's Pizza so it is a relaxed environment- not high pressure "condo sales!"

You will learn about financing and lending requirements, how to find land and develop your property, how long building takes and more.

The best part is often the question and answer section- if you have a question, chances are the person next to you is thinking the same thing!

So mark your calendar for Thursday, January 20th!  We can't wait  to see you there!  All the details are on the website.

Do you ever outgrow report cards?

The day before Christmas both our boys got their progress reports.  We also have a sign on the wall at the holidays that reads "Dear Santa, define good."  Lucky for them, they both had all A's so Santa made a trip to our house after all.  Apparently the lost science homework made its way into school in the nick of time.

In today's mail we received a Customer Satisfaction Survey from one of our customers.  After a couple of months in their home, or in this case, camp, each of our customers receives this in the mail along with a self addressed stamped envelope.  It's not designed for us to pat ourselves on the back, though that feels good from time to time, but it is a snapshot of what went well and areas that we could improve for next time.

It asks about our client's experience from the beginning to end and asks about honesty- a huge thing for me, helpfulness, knowledge and more.

We really appreciate the time it takes our customers to fill it out and we look at each one carefully because we should always strive to do better next time- even when it went well.  Without change and improvement even the best companies can eventually falter so each of us involved talks about the "report card" and the opportunities for the next time.

Wishing you each a happy new year!