LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. Our showboaters were our realtor, Scott Darling (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and our financial advisor. (Due to regulations in the financial industry, we do not blog about our financial advisor, but you can find out more about him on our chapter's website www.letipcce.com.)

Our first speaker was our mortgage broker, Lonnie Cooper with The Rate Kings Mortgage (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Lonnie spoke about options for down payments when buying a home. The length of time that a buyer plans to stay in the house can make a difference in the amount of money they will want to invest in their down payment. Lonnie can help each buyer determine what makes sense in their situation. He can also give more information about first-time buyers getting down payment funds from immediate family members as well as the possibility of seeking seller assist. Every person's plans and finances will be different, and Lonnie enjoys helping people to make the best decisions for their home purchase.

Our second speaker was Greg Cazillo, our web designer with www.Cazillo.com. Greg emphasized the draw of video in business promotion. Many people prefer video to text. An e-mail newsletter may have a higher open rate if it contains a video and this video is referenced in the subject line. YouTube is the second most popular search engine (with Google being the first). YouTube videos can increase brand awareness and drive viewers to your website. Video also increases trust, because people can see you face-to-face. Contact Greg to put together a video or other web design components.

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. Our showboaters were Mike Hoopes and Dan Frame. Mike (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) is our property and casualty insurance agent, and Dan (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) is our electrician.

We had two speakers, but due to regulations in the financial industry, we do not blog about our financial advisor. You can find out more about him on our chapter's website http://letipcce.com/meet-your-sales-force/344-financial-advisor.html. Our other speaker was our residential realtor, Scott Darling (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Scott spoke about how and when people may choose to appeal the tax assessment on their home. Scott can help a homeowner to evaluate the assessment of comparable properties in the neighborhood and decide whether an appeal is a good idea. Appealing can be helpful if there appears to be a reasonable chance of decreasing taxes. However, opening up the appeal process can result in a change either way, increasing or decreasing the assessment. Scott is always willing to answer questions and provide advice and assistance.

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. Our showboaters were web designer Greg Cazillo (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and mortgage broker Lonnie Cooper (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Our first speaker was Scott Brown, our heating and air conditioning contractor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Scott showed photos of some of the issues he has had to repair due to poor designs, incorrect installation, quick/unsafe fixes, fire hazards, and inaccessible systems. When Scott completes an installation, everything is done properly and in compliance with existing codes.

Our second speaker was landscaper Vince DelVacchio (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). He does all sorts of landscaping and hardscaping, but he talked with us about mulch, because it's getting to be the season for ordering and laying mulch. Mulch is beneficial, because it helps to retain moisture, regulate temperature, prevent erosion, and prevent the growth of weeds. Mulch decomposes over time and nourishes the soil. There are several types of mulch depending upon the desired look and use of the area being mulched. Vince can help you choose from bark, hardwood, cedar, playground, wood chips, or dyed mulch. DelVacchio Landscape & Garden Center has both mulch and soil available. Contact Vince with any questions or to order mulch for this season.

LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. Our showboaters were Scott Brown of James Brown Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (www.jamesbrownphac.com) and new member Vince DelVacchio of DelVacchio Landscape & Garden Center (www.delvacchio.com).

Our speaker was Theresa Barlow Conahan, our interior designer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). When she meets with a new client, Theresa asks plenty of questions about what they like in terms of colors, style, etc. She will pick a starting point, which could be a fabric, and work from there to design the room, adding other items like window treatments, pillows, hardware,unique furniture and decor, and lighting. Theresa aims for timeless design that will serve the client well for many years. She will accept both small and large jobs, from holiday decorating to changing the look of a whole house or office. She offers a one-hour free consultation for new clients, and then she typically charges by the hour for her design work. Contact her to schedule a consultation.