3rd Straight Year for Salo Home Watch of Gloucester, MA - Dana Salo named to the NHWA Advisory Board!

Jack Luber
Executive Director

Greetings and salutations!

 

I am very happy to announce that Salo Home Watch of Gloucester, MA and the Cape Anne area has once again qualified for accreditation. Dana Salo is a very active member of, and a big cheerleader for the NHWA. I have had the pleasure of spending time with Dana during his trip to "pick my brain" back in November of last year. Dana is a 30 year veteran of the US Postal Service and was the President of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 33 for 8 years. He chose to leave that position in 2011 to devote more time to Salo Home Watch.

 

 

Dana started Salo Home Watch back in 2009. He and his brother had been doing a lot of clean-out work for some local Realtors. While he was out on his postal route, he would pass a lot of empty homes. But he would have to deliver junk mail to them, even though he knew the owners weren't there. And junk mail buildup is an obvious sign that a house is empty. He spoke with Realtor friends who informed him that some clients had asked them if there was anything like Home Watch available, and there was not. Salo Home Watch was born 5 months later. After his first year in business, Dana reached out to me because he saw the need for a national organization. Dana's enthusiasm for the NHWA really meant a lot to me. He has actually met with a potential member to help him get started with his business. I have asked Dana to serve on our Advisory Board, and he has agreed. Says Dana: "I am proud to be a member of NHWA and look forward to working with its leadership to make it the best it can be.”

 

Dana is a 1983 graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, with a BS in Criminal Justice.  He and his wife Karen have two daughters. I hope to meet them at our upcoming National Conference. Dana can be reached at SaloHomeWatch@comcast.net. You can visit his website at http://salohomewatch.com/.

 

Thanks for your support, Dana. You know I wish y'all

 

Much success!

 

Jack

 



The NHWA welcomes Home Watch of The Villages, Inc.



Jack Luber
Executive Director


Greetings and salutations,

Fact: Florida has more Home Watch businesses than anywhere else in the world. In fact, you could probably throw a stone and hit one if you tried. Because Florida has so many people doing Home Watch, it's a pretty good bet that many are unlicensed and uninsured. Here is another fact: There are no requirements to have a Home Watch business in Florida, and in fact in most states. Anyone can put a sign on a pickup or sedan, or even put up a website...and boom! XYZ Home Watch is open for business. Being an Accredited Member of the NHWA in Florida is carries weight. And that is why Home Watch of the Villages, Inc. immediately made application for accreditation in the NHWA as soon as they went into business.

Home Watch of the Villages, Inc. was founded by Steve Stiffler and Fred Slotnick. Fred and Steve became friends through their love of riding Harleys. Every week a group of friends ride to a restaurant in Inverness, and after 6 years of getting together weekly, the two of them decided to join forces and open the business. Steve's background is in commercial insurance. Starting  his career in Ohio, he and wife Patty moved to West Palm Beach in 1995, before finally retiring and moving to the Villages in 2009. Not one to sit around, he cut his golf back to 3 days a week (How terrible!) and started a painting business with his 3 boys. But he kept seeing the need for Home Watch...



.

Steve Stiffler

Enter Fred, a sales and marketing veteran from Rochester, NY. Fred moved to Mt Dora and worked in the automotive industry for many years before joining the real estate industry in 2003, where he enjoyed a very successful career.

 

Fred Slotnick

 

The Villages is an incredible place. The population shot up from 8300 in 2000 to over 92,000 in 2012. It is located in Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties and is the fastest growing micropolitan area in the country. Because of the sheer amount of second and vacation homes located there, their strong work ethic, and their affiliation with the NHWA, Fred and Steve feel that Home Watch of the Villages will quickly become the premier Home Watch in the area. Their slogan is "When reliability counts!" Visit their website at www.homewatchofthevillages.com. Congratulations guys. We wish you

 

Much success.

 

Jack



The First Official NHWA Home Watch Insurance Policy Has Been Issued!!

Jack Luber
NHWA Executive Director

Greetings and salutations.

I could not be happier. After a whole lot of pleading, lobbying, and cajoling, the first general liability policy that actually provides coverage for Home Watch has been issued! Imagine that. A national insurance company has worked with the NHWA to define Home Watch, and guarantee coverage for our services. I urge all of you to take a look at how your business is being classified. There is a very distinct possibility that you ARE NOT COVERED for the services that you perform. I kid you not!

This policy is available only to Accredited Members of the NHWA. In addition to the many other benefits of membership, this should make all non-member companies consider joining us. Give us a call at (843) 357-6660 to learn more.

Much success,

Jack

House TRAC* of Yuma, AZ

Greetings and salutations.

The NHWA  is extremely proud to welcome House Trac* of Yuma, AZ to our family. Fred Ennenga is the CEO of House Trac*, which is a division of Code2 CTS Decon. A man of many talents, Fred was born in a naval hospital in New York, and raised in California's San Joaquin Valley. He spent 30 years in agriculture, managing his family's almond farm. He has also served as a chaplain in the Modesto, Sacramento and Stanislaus County law enforcement communities, as well as being a Gospel mission chaplain.

Fred Ennenga

When Fred and his wife Jan moved to Yuma to be near family, he became a master gardener, studying at the Yuma County Cooperative Extension of the University of Arizona. He became a certified trainer for the Arizona Department of Agriculture for pesticide handlers and farm workers. Fred is also a member of the Arizona Citizen's Corps Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and an OSHA trained Amdecon Certified Biological Hazard Specialist. This all means that Fred is certified to clean bio-hazard sites.

So imagine what Fred and House Trac* will do for absentee homeowners in the Yuma area. His attention to detail and commitment to excellence in all he does, guarantee that your home will be cared for and represented with the very highest of standards. Fred and House Trac* exemplify the type of business that represents the NHWA.

House Trac* can  be reached by phone at (928) 920-9710. Visit the website at www.HouseTrac.net. Congratulations to Fred and the House Trac* team! We are very proud to call you a member.

Much success,

Jack

Life Made Easy of Cape Coral, Florida

 

                                                                              

                                                                 Jerry and Cindy McKay


Greetings and salutations to all!

It is my pleasure to offer congratulations to Jerry and Cindy McKay of Life Made Easy for earning NHWA accreditation for the second consecutive year. Jerry and Cindy live in beautiful Cape Coral, Florida.  They moved there almost 13 years ago from Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  Jerry and Cindy have been married for over 25 years and have two children and five adorable grandchildren.

While in Wisconsin, they owned rental property, rehabbed properties, and also both worked outside their business.  Jerry worked for an appliance business for over 34 years, with the last 26 years as a manager, and Cindy worked for the Oshkosh Area School District in various secretarial positions.

After moving to Florida, Jerry became employed by the City of Cape Coral as a groundskeeper at their golf course and Cindy became employed as an executive assistant to the CEO of a large health care facility.  Over the years, neighbors and friends would ask them to watch over their homes while they traveled.  When Cindy returned to college to obtain her Bachelor’s degree she had to write a business plan, which is how Life Made Easy was born.  After doing the research on home watch, and knowing their own personal strengths with property management, it just made sense to them that it would help out many residents (especially the snowbirds) in the community.

Both Jerry and Cindy are involved in the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce, and the National Home Watch Association. Jerry is a member of the Fraternal Order of Elks, and Cindy is a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals.  They also are involved with various charities, and especially with Hope Hospice.

Life Made Easy, LLC offers Home Watch and home inventory services for the Cape Coral and Pine Island areas of Florida. They can be reached by calling (239) 770-5618 or by emailing help4u@lifemadeasy.net. Visit www.lifemadeasy.net for more details.

Much success,

Jack



 

A few things to consider...

Greetings and salutations.

First of all, I want to send positive thoughts and prayers to the people of Moore, Oklahoma. There are no words that can be spoken to truly describe the horror and devastation they experienced yesterday. Like Super Storm Sandy late last year, natural disasters always seem to put things in perspective. I have many friends and family that are still feeling the effects of that horrific day. Last week I was contacted by a reporter from the Star-Ledger newspaper of Newark, NJ for a comment about the amount of burglaries happening along the Jersey Shore in homes that were damaged and are unattended. I gave him my thoughts, but passed along Keith Gunsten's contact info. Keith, of NJ Home Watch, is right in the middle of things on the Shore, and certainly more qualified to discuss the situation. Great job on the article, Keith.

I'd also like to address a couple of comments that I've received about our "Home Watch Start Up Guide". When I wrote the guide, I did so with the intention of having it help a new company form a business plan that makes sense, while avoiding some of the pitfalls and obstacles that I experienced with Coastal Carolina Home Watch. When I speak with people before they purchase it, I always let them know that depending on how far along in the process they are, they might feel that they know some of the information already. However, it is very important that they don't simply dismiss what I am trying to get across. But the guide is only a part of the program. Once you have purchased it, the NHWA is available to be contacted with questions and guidance throughout the entire start up process. We have helped many companies transition smoothly from concept, to becoming operational. And, the price of the guide is applied to the cost of your membership fee. I am extremely confident in our "mentoring program."

I'd like to update you on the NHWA National Conference being held in Myrtle Beach this October 24th - 26th. The event will include demonstrations of Home Watch management applications for smart phones and tablets. My company will be beta testing two of these systems prior to the conference. We will also be officially introducing our very own General Liability policy, available only to members of the NHWA. I can't tell you how excited the membership is about this. We will also have speakers and forums addressing SEO, social media, and networking. We have a lot planned, and much to be accomplished.

Look for new member announcements from Arkansas, Utah, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and California. And, there are more states in the process of coming on board. If you are considering joining, do it already! Our website is generating lots of leads for our Members, and we have many potential clients in other areas looking for Accredited Members. Become a member today.

Much success,

Jack

BIG NEWS on the insurance front!

Greetings and salutations!

2013 is shaping up to be a big year for the NHWA. We have been receiving a lot of inquiries from across the country and Canada about membership and our mentoring program. I actually spoke with a woman today that had been considering membership over three years ago. It is very satisfying to know that we have staying power, and that we've been able to maintain people's interests, even after three years. As expected, Florida and Arizona remain the states with the most inquiries: from both Home Watch clients and companies. Because we are constantly gathering information and data, the NHWA is a great source of knowledge and advice for companies in our industry. Whether you are just starting out, or have been in the business for years, becoming an Accredited Member will help you grow your business and make you more profitable.

As a result a lot of very hard and tedious work, the NHWA will soon be making available a GENERAL LIABILITY policy to it's Accredited Members. This policy is being written SPECIFICALLY for HOME WATCH.  This is huge news, because as an industry, we are not classified. Check your policies, and you may find that you are classified as "janitorial" or "security guard" or maybe even "miscellaneous". The categories that we are shoved into by insurance companies would amaze you. We have also been researching SOFTWARE and MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS. We have been inundated with questions about different products, so we have decided to get involved. Look for our choice(s) and recommendation(s)  at our National Conference in Myrtle Beach this October.

If you have been considering joining us, do it already. If you've never considered it, here is your chance. There are many good reasons to join. We can help grow your business not only through our marketing, but also through the ability you'll have to interact with other leading companies. That, my friends, is invaluable.

Much success,

Jack