Exton, West Chester, Chester County Business Networking

Advice from our Mortgage Broker

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Created: September 22, 2015

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. We welcome new member Matt Simmers, a banker with First Niagara Bank. We were also joined by guests representing promotional products, payroll services, solar power, and auto detailing.

Our showboater was Garret Davey (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), our electrician. He displayed several lighting options that he can install. Of course, he can work to solve all sorts of electrical issues.

Our speaker was our mortgage broker, Lonnie Cooper (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Lonnie spoke with us about adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). ARMs have all the same closing costs as a fixed rate mortgage, but they initially have a rate that is lower than the typical fixed rate mortgage, and this low rate is locked in for a period of time (e.g., two years). After that initial period, however, the rate may change, and there is no way to predict how it will change. There is a cap to the amount that the rate can increase (2% above the initial rate), and the rate won't go above that cap for a year. Then there is a secondary cap for the next year of another 2%. The final cap sets the rate at no more than 5% above the initial rate. ARMs make the most sense for people who know that they won't be staying in their house long-term. Young people who plan to move to a larger home within a few years or military families who move every couple of years are typical candidates for ARMs. For questions about rates or more details about how to choose the best mortgage product, please contact Lonnie.

Commercial and Residential Heating and Air Conditioning

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Created: September 1, 2015

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. We were joined by a guest representing the category of Banker. We voted to accept a new member, Garret Davey who is an Electrician. Welcome, Garret!

Our showboater was our web designer, Greg Cazillo (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). He displayed a design that he added to a website for photo ordering. Customers could select their desired poses and photo packages on the website and then pay for their order. Greg can design a full website or add components to an existing website, and he always aims to keep viewers engaged.

Our speaker was Scott Brown, our Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor from James Brown Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (www.jamesbrownphac.com). Scott showed a selection of photographs showing various parts of jobs that he has worked on in the past. James Brown PHAC prides themselves on their green mechanical systems, for both residential and commercial buildings. Scott described radiant floor heating, Unico high-velocity air conditioning systems, and geothermal heating/cooling systems. Many of the newer systems are more efficient, requiring smaller control areas. Scott can install new systems or provide replacements in existing systems. Contact him (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for a consultation to discuss heating and air conditioning options.

Chester County General Contractor - Latta Kennedy Builders

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Created: September 15, 2015

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. We are pleased to announce our newest member: Mike Hoopes, representing property and casualty insurance. We were also joined by guests representing banking, marketing, and graphic design.

Our showboater was our mortgage broker, Lonnie Cooper from The Rate Kings Mortgage (www.theratekings.com). Lonnie always welcomes referrals for customers who are looking for first mortgages or who are thinking about refinancing an existing mortgage. He gives away promotional items at closing for his customers, and he displayed shirts, beach towels and hats that he might give away.

Our speaker was our general contractor, Bob Latta from Latta Kennedy Builders (www.LattaKennedyBuilders.com). Bob has learned a number of construction techniques over the years as a laborer and also as a superintendent prior to starting a business in 2009 with David Kennedy. They began with smaller jobs, but they provided such quality work and excellent service that their small jobs quickly led to bigger jobs. They formed key relationships with other builders and architects that led to more work and more growth as a company. Bob told us that no job is "officially" too small, and they are willing to meet with any potential client. They prefer to work in Chester County but are willing to travel a bit further, as needed. They love doing historical restoration work, and they have also worked on kitchens, renovations, additions, decks, and patios. Contact them to talk about any construction project.

Expand Your Website with New Features For Your Customers

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Created: September 8, 2015

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. We were joined by guests representing the categories of Property & Casualty Insurance, Marketing, and Telecommunications. Our showboater was our General Contractor, Bob Latta from Latta Kennedy Builders (www.lattakennedybuilders.com). Bob displayed a variety of wood samples to show what types of materials he can choose from for different construction products. His choice may be based on appearance and also the conditions that the materials will experience (for example, moisture).

Our speaker was our Web Designer, Greg Cazillo (www.cazillo.com). Greg showed us a feature that he added to a local photographer's website to enable ordering of student photos taken at the studio. Greg generated non-guessable links for each student so that no one else could view their photos. Each student was required to select a yearbook photo with cap and gown prior to ordering personal photos. Options were available to order individual prints and/or print collages. The school provided student information from their database that Greg used to populate the order form, so that less typing would be necessary during the checkout process, minimizing the chance for errors. For the photographer, Greg created a program that he could use to upload the photos for each student, connecting with a student roster already in the system. Greg made sure that the photos on the site were a suitable size for easy viewing, including mobile optimization to make viewing and ordering easy on any sized device. The photographer can also view a report that tells him who has ordered and also allows him to send an e-mail to those who haven't ordered, reminding them to look at and select their photos. Greg would be able to take these concepts to create website ordering for any business, not just photography.