Gardnerville auto shop welcomes new head mechanic

Superior Collision & Auto Repair in Gardnerville has a new head mechanic, Brian Caldwell.

Caldwell has been a Valley resident for more than 10 years. He is a car enthusiast who specializes in drivability issues, electrical diagnosis and does everything from minor repairs to major refurbishments.

Caldwell grew up in a family-owned automotive repair facility whose history spanned over three generations.

He has more than 15 years experience in the mechanical and collision repair fields and has been trained by General Motors. He's also obtained multiple General Motors and Automotive Service Excellence certifications.

He said family values and training have "taught him to fix it right the first time and make customer service my No. 1 priority."

Superior Collision & Auto Repair is located at 1473 Industrial Way, Suite B.

Business hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For more information, call 782-2966.

Gardnerville residents Alycia and Donna Tanner are hosting an open house 6:30 p.m. today at Carson Valley Inn to present Zrii, a nutritional drink, to the community.

"Zrii is a powerful, new liquid drink rooted in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda," they said. "Zrii is also a wonderful small business opportunity."

Alycia and Donna Tanner make up an independent executive team that sells the "synergistic blend of seven all natural herbs and botanicals," including ginger and turmeric, among others.

"Our entire business is unique," they said. "We have a wonderful product, a terrific business opportunity and a great team dedication."

For more information, call (775) 291-4062.

Richard Campbell of Century 21 Clark Properties has earned the certified distressed property expert designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales.

This is expertise to offer at a time when the area is affected by distressed homes in the foreclosure process.

Short sales allow the seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

In the Minden and Gardnerville area, hundreds of homes are in danger of foreclosing. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune.

"This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales," said Campbell. "It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure."

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that agents such as Campbell with the designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating.

These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online.