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VETERAN HOMEWATCH, CONCIERGE and HANDYMAN SERVICE LLC
Always Have a Plan in Place! Lesson Learned!
“In September 2017, I was living in Alexandria, VA. I also owned a condominium in Marco Island, FL that I bought in 2004 when I was single. I only visited the island a few times a year until I became a permanent resident upon my retirement in 2019.
As you may recall, Hurricane Irma was the most powerful hurricane in recorded history. It was a Category 5 when it made landfall on Barbuda on September 6, 2017. Its winds were tropical storm-forced winds that extended 185 miles from the center; its coastal storm surges were 20 feet above normal tide levels. Above-average ocean temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit sustained the storm. Irma held 7 trillion watts of energy, which is twice as much as all the bombs used in World War II. On September 10 Sunday morning, Irma strengthened to a Category 4 as it accelerated the Florida Keys. The eye made landfall in Cudjoe Key as a 130-mph Category 4 at 9:10 AM. The center of Irma then made landfall in Marco Island, FL at 3:35 PM that afternoon as a category 3 with 115 mph winds. In Collier County, winds left a total of 197,630 Florida Power and Light customers without power. A total of 154 of the 212 Collier County cell towers were out of commission. Extensive damage to trees and electrical poles occurred in Marco Island. Much of the island was without power and water. My condo’s front door blew off the hinges, and for approximately 45 minutes, projectiles were flying through the condo, shattering the lanai glass doors; damaging walls, ceiling, and floors; bringing water damage; damaging furniture; and ripping screening.
My valuable lesson as a 2017 absentee owner was the necessity of having a plan in place for hurricane preparedness with a trustworthy, honest, knowledgeable, and reliable home watch company in the area and the importance of making an investment in storm protection systems before hurricane season. I contracted for the repair and improvements to the condo, but it took a long time since all the local contractors were busy for months. Now that I am a permanent resident on Marco Island, I own two properties, and I continue to make the necessary safety improvements/upgrades to make sure they are in code compliance and are protected from a hurricane. In addition, I have established a rapport and created a reputable vendor and contractor list that also includes service providers and technicians from all industries. I do a lot of minor repairs myself. The moral of the story is that I worked with numerous states, communities, and federal agencies to restore the economic viability following natural disasters, including Hurricane Agnes, Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Isabelle, Midwest floods, and the Northridge Earthquake. I learned the hard way with the damages to my personal property during Hurricane Irma.”
As you may recall, Hurricane Irma was the most powerful hurricane in recorded history. It was a Category 5 when it made landfall on Barbuda on September 6, 2017. Its winds were tropical storm-forced winds that extended 185 miles from the center; its coastal storm surges were 20 feet above normal tide levels. Above-average ocean temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit sustained the storm. Irma held 7 trillion watts of energy, which is twice as much as all the bombs used in World War II. On September 10 Sunday morning, Irma strengthened to a Category 4 as it accelerated the Florida Keys. The eye made landfall in Cudjoe Key as a 130-mph Category 4 at 9:10 AM. The center of Irma then made landfall in Marco Island, FL at 3:35 PM that afternoon as a category 3 with 115 mph winds. In Collier County, winds left a total of 197,630 Florida Power and Light customers without power. A total of 154 of the 212 Collier County cell towers were out of commission. Extensive damage to trees and electrical poles occurred in Marco Island. Much of the island was without power and water. My condo’s front door blew off the hinges, and for approximately 45 minutes, projectiles were flying through the condo, shattering the lanai glass doors; damaging walls, ceiling, and floors; bringing water damage; damaging furniture; and ripping screening.
My valuable lesson as a 2017 absentee owner was the necessity of having a plan in place for hurricane preparedness with a trustworthy, honest, knowledgeable, and reliable home watch company in the area and the importance of making an investment in storm protection systems before hurricane season. I contracted for the repair and improvements to the condo, but it took a long time since all the local contractors were busy for months. Now that I am a permanent resident on Marco Island, I own two properties, and I continue to make the necessary safety improvements/upgrades to make sure they are in code compliance and are protected from a hurricane. In addition, I have established a rapport and created a reputable vendor and contractor list that also includes service providers and technicians from all industries. I do a lot of minor repairs myself. The moral of the story is that I worked with numerous states, communities, and federal agencies to restore the economic viability following natural disasters, including Hurricane Agnes, Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Isabelle, Midwest floods, and the Northridge Earthquake. I learned the hard way with the damages to my personal property during Hurricane Irma.”
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About James W. LaveryJames W. Lavery, owner of VETERAN HOMEWATCH, CONCIERGE and HANDYMAN SERVICE LLC was born and raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Jim graduated from California University of Pennsylvania where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban and Rural Planning and Management. He continued his graduate degree studies in urban geography at the same university.
Jim is a four-year veteran of the United States Air Force where he served at the Los Angeles CA U.S. Air Force Station Space and Missile Systems and at the Alconbury Air Force Base in Alconbury, England. |
Jim’s post-graduate career started in 1976 when he served as the director of planning and zoning, code enforcement, and building inspection for the city of Uniontown, PA. He was then appointed to serve as the county director of planning and zoning by the county commissioners in 1984. In 1988, Jim accepted a position with PSI Inc in Alexandria, VA where he served as a senior project manager in charge of east coast development and construction of storage buildings, business parks, and marinas.
In 1991, Jim started his federal government career with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), in Washington, D.C. where he served as an economic development representative and economic adjustment specialist. He administered technical and financial assistance to communities that experienced sudden and severe economic dislocations and long-term economic deterioration. He worked with communities impacted by the Military Base Realignment and Reuse Commission (BRAC) to move them from a military-based, dependent economy to a commercial economy. Jim helped lead the economic recovery following natural disasters such as the Midwest floods, Hurricane Agnes, Hurricane Andrew, and the Northridge Earthquake.
In 2002, Jim accepted a portfolio/project manager position with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Asset Enterprise Management, in Washington, D.C. where he worked in the Investment Enterprise Development Service, Enhanced-Use Lease Program. Jim’s responsibilities included implementing a capital investment strategy that predominantly provided for senior and homeless housing for veterans and their families on VA-owned properties with private developers that financed, built, and operated the facility for up to 75 years. In October 2019, Jim retired from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and became a full-time resident and homeowner in Marco Island.
Your home is a big asset and leaving it unwatched places yourself in a risky, vulnerable position. Jim wants to offer peace of mind to Marco Island, Naples, and Collier County homeowners while they are way. He is committed to being your eyes and ears, watching over your property and communicating with the owner on the status of their home. As you may know, following Hurricane Irma and other disasters, some vendors/contractors took advantage of some seasonal homeowners. Jim brings a more professional, trustworthy, and client-focused home watch business to the Collier County area. Veteran Home-watch, Concierge, and Handyman Services has been certified as a State of Florida Veteran Owned Business. Jim Lavery has been designated as a Certified Home Watch Professional through the National Home Watch Association. It is the mission and goal of the National Home Watch Association to establish and maintain the highest set of standards and ethics for all Home Watch companies in the United States of American and Canada.
