Happy New Year...Let's turn the page on 2011!

Greetings and salutations to everyone. First of all, I'd like to wish everyone the happiest of New Years.  While last year did have some bright spots, I for one, will not miss '11. Many people will look back on last year as one that they'd all like to forget.

On New Years Eve I made dinner for my family, and as people tend to do, we reminisced about past NYE's. We talked about this year, and that year, an about where we all were when the ball dropped.  I remember New Year's Eve 1999, and how we all waited with baited breath for the world to come to a screeching halt because of Y2K. The computers were going to crash, banks were going to collapse and the food supply would dry up causing people to have to protect their homes and possessions with firearms. Ah, the good old days. Who knew that nothing bad would happen? Who knew that two very short years after that on NYE 2001, our world would become so different because of 9/11? I think that it's fair to say that nothing has been the same since. I know that because of that day and the ramifications from it, I started to look at life in a whole new way. It was part of the reason that I left New Jersey and moved here to the Grand Strand. They say that "life turns on a dime," and I wanted to shake my life up, so I did. I've never regretted that decision to begin "chapter two" of my life and form Coastal Carolina Home Watch in 2005.

I will say that it has been quite a learning experience. That is probably the understatement of the year.  Being a small businessman in these wonderful economic times, will tend to keep you on your toes. Maintaining a small business today, requires healthy relationships between you, your clients and those you do business with. I believe that you need two main ingredients for those relationships to exist: Trust and good communication. It is my wish for 2012, that Coastal Carolina Home Watch continues to provide good communication to all of our clients and business partners, and that we continue to earn your trust each day of the coming year. Thank you for that trust and your continued business.

Happy New Year,


Jack

Rain...finally!

It has been too hot and too dry for too long.  I was beginning to think that our getting rain was dependent on the debt ceiling being raised! For those of you with irrigation systems, it is ok to lessen the frequency for a few days, but don't forget to re-adjust them back. Temps are still going to hot, and if our area doesn't get back into the "hot day-afternoon t-storm" pattern we are used to, this drought will still hang around. When you are re-adjusting, remember that your pop-up spray heads water the same spot about three times as much as a rotor head does. If you are running your turf zones for 30 minutes, only let your gardens get about 10-12 minutes. And please remember not to water in the heat of the day. Start those systems up very early: maybe 4 AM or so. You should be finished watering by about 6 AM this time of year. If you have any questions, give us a call.

For those of you who don't know, CCHW has been doing a lot of work with rentals, foreclosures and short sales. We have a "crack staff" capable of whipping a home into shape. Painting, handyman work, landscaping. irrigation, and even house cleaning (linens too!). Our Home Watch clients hail from as far away as the United Kingdom. Each year (now starting our 7th), we seem to discover new services and better ways to serve our clients. Thank you for being a part of our story.

All the best,

Jack

Hurricane Season expected to be very active this year.

This is the time of the year that the weather prognosticators make their predictions, and we get scared out our wits. Hurricanes are a fact of life in the Southeast, and all we can do is to be prepared for them. One of the most common questions that we get from homeowners is whether they should get hurricane panels for their windows. In our area, builders provide panels as per the building code. Most builders provide that very heavy "press board" cut into pieces that fit over the windows. Unless you do something to ease the installation of these, you actually have to screw them into the window frames. Well, I can tell you that this is a very time consuming and awkward process for most people. A lot of our customers count on us to be ready to install these panels just in case. I know that some people do nothing to prepare, because their feeling is that if there is a hurricane, their insurance will deal with everything, and it is really out of their hands. Everyone has their own opinion, and we are not here to make your mind up for you. I will say this: If you are close to the ocean or marsh, or rivers, don't take chances. Make sure that you have a plan in place. If you have not discussed your plan with anyone, do it right away. Do you have provisions like bottled water? How about a weather radio with extra batteries? Non-perishable foods, comfortable shoes or sneakers, cash and important papers are also important things to consider keeping at the ready. If you are evacuated, do you know what routes to take to get to safety?

All of this is definitely worth a conversation. At CCHW we are here, whether you are or your not. We will help give you the peace of mind that all is being done to protect your property. If you'd like to talk about it, we are here.

Let's all pray for a peaceful hurricane season, and that we never need to put our emergency plans into action.

Wishing you all peace of mind,

Jack

Tornados on the Grand Strand

Greetings and salutations to all.

This time of year it seems like every other day we are under some kind of storm warning. We sit glued to the TV or computer looking at the Doppler images and maps shown ad nauseum by giddy weathercasters. For those of you who are not at your Grand Strand home, you can feel pretty helpless. This is a major reason to make sure that you have a professional Home Watch service keeping an eye on things for you. While we can't keep the storm from happening, we can make sure that your home is as ready for it as it possibly can be. If there is a major weather event, we will be at your home, inspecting and evaluating the situation. We will provide pictures and effective communication to you as soon as we are on property. If you would like to discuss our storm preparation and post storm protocol, please call or Email us here at Coastal Carolina Home Watch. FYI- you can always have access to Grand strand weather and news by visiting our RESOURCES page.

That being said, have a great Friday and weekend! I'm planning to golf, then go to the beach, have a couple of ice cold beers while I grill some ribeyes and shrimp. Then I am gonna hang out and maybe watch a baseball game.  Yeah. Right. In reality....I'll get to clean the garage. (Hmmm... but maybe the beers.)

Thanks for reading.

Jack

Welcome to the CCHW Blog!

Coastal Carolina Home Watch is almost 6 years old, and we finally have a Blog. A couple of years ago,   I didn't know what a blog was, and now I am doing it. This Blog is just another way of communicating with all of you. I will be sharing relevant information with you concerning the Grand Strand, storms, lawn care, or anything else that I thing you should know about. As all of you who know me are aware, I am a very shy person ...ahem.  I have a very hard time sharing what is on my mind. But I will do my best.
A very big concern this year is "squatters". Now more than ever, these uninvited houseguests are becoming an issue. The Chamber of Commerce and local governments really don't speak of them, but I assure you that they are causing problems. Our area is full of vacant and uninhabited homes and condos. Most of these have air conditioning, heat ...even cable TV. Some even have food in the cupboards. Pretty inviting when you have nowhere to go.  With the current amount of homeless, and people losing their homes to this economy, it might be a little easier to understand how "squatters" might be on the increase. Specifically in complexes and sub-divisions that have a lot of renters and part-time residents coming and going.  For those who are leaving for a while...here are some helpful tips: get your junk mail removed at least twice a week; make sure that you get a couple of timers for lamps (have them go on and go off at different times); keep your grass mowed as if you were there; notify your neighbors, mail carrier and local law enforcement of your planned absence. These suggestions may seem obvious, but you would be amazed how many people overlook these obvious steps.

Thanks for reading.


Jack

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hi and welcome to the Official Blog for Coastal Carolina Home Watch!

We will be posting all sorts of goings on, so stay posted.

Jack Luber