On Wednesday, August 21, America’s Preferred hosted an open house for our new call center in DeWitt, Michigan. Continuing our high level of service for homeowners and families, the new call center will benefit the local community and provide growth opportunities for employees. For information on positions at this location and throughout the organization please visit: AmericasPreferredHomesWarranty.appone.com#GodEconomics #APHW
Team APHW officially met and surpassed their Relay for Life fundraising goal of $20,000 Wednesday! With more than a month to go before the main event, we’re excited to see what new heights we can achieve!
Relay for Life Team APHW members pictured left to right: VP of Operations Mike, Nicholle (Secretary), Cara (Captain), Hannah, Donna (Treasurer), Patty (Co-Captain), and VP of Accounting Terri.
Join our fight and visit the #APHW tent at the #RelayForLife of Jackson County event Friday, August 2nd and Saturday, August 3rd at Cascades Falls Park in Jackson, Michigan. You can also help the cause by making a donation here: https://lnkd.in/eHBQTkx. To donate to APHW’s team total, click on the Donate button and search for America’s Preferred Home Warranty. #AmericanCancerSociety #HisStrengthGuidesOurSteps #Fundraising
America’s Preferred Home Warranty attended the annual Junior Achievement (JA) of the Michigan Edge fundraising dinner and auction Tuesday evening at the Commonwealth Commerce Center in Jackson, Michigan, as one of three Entrepreneur and Scholar #Sponsors recognized at the event. The birthday theme of the evening celebrated JA’s 100th anniversary of empowering young people to own their own economic success with volunteer-run K – 12 programs fostering work-readiness, financial literacy skills, and experiential learning. Visit their website https://bit.ly/2Hy03zW to learn how you can help with this amazing program!
The first few weeks of home ownership can be stressful. As you familiarize yourself with the various systems in the house, you may become aware of problems that weren’t obvious when the purchase of the home was finalized.
Many new homes come with a home warranty to protect new homeowners from financial liability when a system breaks down, but you have to know the warning signs of a problem.
Septic tanks are susceptible to clogs and overflow. These problems often occur when a septic system is not pumped at regular intervals. Many homeowners must pump their septic system every two to three years, or as often as is recommended by their septic tank pumping professional. Here are the signs you should watch for:
If your septic system is showing signs of an overflow, seek help from a qualified professional as soon as possible.
Many years ago, homes needed less electrical service than they need now. Using 60 Amp electrical service was common in the middle of the 20th century. Today, many households need 100 to 200 Amps of service. This Increased demand on older systems can cause circuit overloads and other problems. Electrical problems can be dangerous, so watch for these issues:
If your home has any of these problems, contact an electrician.
Plumbing leaks can lead to wet rot, dry rot, pest invasion, mold, and other problems. Plumbing leaks are especially common in homes with older, deteriorating pipes. If your home has galvanized piping, inspect your property regularly and watch for these signs:
If you suspect that your plumbing system is leaking and you’re not sure how to tell, turn off all water-consuming fixtures and appliances, then watch the water meter for movement. If the water meter changes in the next half hour, this is a sign you have a leak. Contact a plumber as soon as possible.
Your home’s HVAC system includes the heat and air conditioner. HVAC systems do best when they get regular tune ups from an HVAC professional. Your home’s HVAC system also needs to have the air filter changed periodically. If these things didn’t happen under the previous owners, your HVAC system may run inefficiently or may be prone to breakdowns.
Signs that the HVAC system is in trouble includes:
If you notice any of these signs, contact a professional before the temperature outside becomes uncomfortable.
If you have concerns about your home’s major systems, contact your home warranty company to find out which systems are protected by your policy.
Many policies expire fairly quickly after the time of purchase, so contact your home warranty company as soon as possible. Your home warranty company can help you get into contact with the professionals who can fix systems like your plumbing, electrical, and septic tank.
For more information about taking care of your new home and signs of damage to the various systems, contact America’s Preferred Home Warranty. We’ll be happy to answer your questions.
The smell of freshly mown grass. The sun on your face. The ball. The competition. The cheering fans. These are things most kids enjoy easily. While special needs children may have to work harder to enjoy it, they want to compete just as badly—and win.
“That’s what it’s all about,” said Donna, the America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) employee who organized the company’s volunteers for the Special Olympics of Michigan 2018 State Fall Games. “It’s to show the world that yes, they may have a handicap or disability, but it doesn’t stop them from wanting to achieve what everyone else achieves in the world. They have wants and desires. They have goals, and being part of the Special Olympics helps them achieve some of those goals.”
The games were held September 28-30 in Ann Arbor, Canton, Chelsea, and Ypsilanti, Michigan. At first, Donna accepted the task because she felt APHW, which has donated to the cause in the past, should be represented. “We support this, so we should be out there as a team, showing our support,” she said. After attending the games, however, it became more than just being present.
“Going there and helping out and seeing the kids just made me feel really blessed,” she said. “I enjoyed seeing the kids go out and do things that people thought they couldn’t, watching them prove the stereotypes wrong.”
Donna’s efforts resulted in an additional nine volunteers attending the events, something the organizers were very appreciative of. “The new president of the organization, Tim Hileman, said that without the volunteers, the coaches and the athletes, the Special Olympics wouldn’t be there,” Donna said. “He escorted the person carrying the torch during the opening ceremonies. I felt blessed to be a part of it.”
Dave, who volunteered in the Flag Football games, was impressed at the joyful spirit of all the participants. “It was really fun seeing how the kids were into it,” he said. “It caused me to pause and reflect on what we take for granted.”
“It was so much fun!” said Arricca, who volunteered in the Skills Golf area. “Everyone who participated was in such a good mood, and just laughing and enjoying themselves. To be part of something that can bring them as much joy as they bring to the rest of the world is a real blessing.”
Breonna Binschus, a junior at Columbia Central High School in Brooklyn, Michigan, visited America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) Thursday, April 19, to spend the day job shadowing with the Marketing Department. Her visit was coordinated through Salida San Miguel, the program coordinator for Junior Achievement of the Michigan Edge, and the 2018 Spring Job Shadow Program.
While Breonna was skeptical at how interesting a home warranty company would be, she dressed to impress and arrived with a smile. “At first, I was like… a warranty company?” she remembered with a laugh. “Then I realized it has its own marketing department, and everyone in it does a different job.”
Her day started with a tour of the building, led by Marketing Manager Jeff Fett. Jeff told Breonna all about the history of APHW while he showed her around, including his development of their logo and brand over the years. “It was so much better than I expected,” Breonna said. “I really liked it!”
Next up was Marketing Systems Coordinator Heidi Vickers, who laid out the logistics side of APHW’s marketing program. Heidi was followed up by Copywriter Cara Baker, then Social Media Manager Dave Parham, and finally back to Jeff for a review of APHW’s printed marketing materials. The day culminated in a lunch discussing what she had learned.
Breonna was inquisitive throughout the day, asking questions about projects the Marketing Department had done in the past, how long they took, and how they were broken up into tasks. She already had quite a bit of marketing know-how from classes at the Jackson Area Career Center and through promotional projects for the school store, but her visit to APHW was still an eye-opening event. “I’ve learned a lot,” Breonna said. “Marketing is definitely something I want to get in to.”
She has dreams of starting off at Jackson College when she graduates high school, and from there the sky is the limit. She’s also interested in potentially coming back to APHW for an internship in the future. For now, however, Breonna is content to learn more about marketing from her favorite teacher, Andrew Haltom. “He’s taught me everything I know,” she said.
