Courtesy of Amber Parton

Amber's Mini Mag

DWAYNE GROOME

Call For a FREE Property Evaluation 780-443-0068 Residential and Commercial

AMBER PARTON REALTOR®

GroomeRealEstate.com

Volume 17 | Number 01

MAINTAIN A GOOD CREDIT SCORE

A good credit score is paramount to being approved for a low interest rate mortgage. If you're looking to make the best impression on your mortgage lender, take a few months ahead of getting pre-approved to improve your credit score. A credit score of 660 or higher is recommended with 900 being the top score available. You can also consult your lender or a financial advisor for additional tips. The best thing you can do is be diligent about making payments on credit cards, loans, bills, etc. Be sure to always make your payments on time and pay in full whenever possible. If you can't pay the full amount, at least pay the minimum amount owed. Your credit score will benefit with consistent payments over a long period of time. Another thing that you can do to improve your credit score is to be wise about how you use your credit. If you use less than 30% of your available credit (for example spend about $1,500 a month on your credit card with a $6,000 limit) lenders will see you as less of a risk than if you regularly use close to the full $6,000 limit. In the eyes of a lender, it's better to have a higher credit limit and use less of it each month than to have a low credit limit and use it all. A final tip is to limit the number of credit applications or credit checks as lenders may think that you're trying to live beyond your means which makes you a higher risk. Of course, you may need to apply for credit from time to time, but just be wise if you're looking to get a mortgage in the near future.

PULL APART BREAKFAST CINNAMON ROLLS

INGREDIENTS: 18 frozen round rolls 3 oz pkg of cook and serve butterscotch pudding 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon or to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a buttered Bundt pan put 18 frozen rolls. 2. Sprinkle butterscotch pudding over rolls. 3. In a saucepan, cook sugar and butter until sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and nuts (if desired) and pour cooked mixture over rolls and pudding. 4. Let set over night or 10 to 12 hours. 5. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes. 6. Leave in pan 5 minutes then turn out on plate. 7. Cooked mixture will run down rolls.

Source: www.food-recipes-free-online.com

MY MISSION IN LIFE IS NOT MERELY TO SURVIVE, BUT TO THRIVE. - Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou (1928 to 2014) is probably best known for her writing: seven autobiographies, three books of essays and numerous books of poetry as well as an extensive list of plays, movies and television shows.

IDEAL HUMIDITY LEVEL The air quality in your home is affected by more than just the temperature. The humidity of the air plays into how comfortable you are as well. Ideally, a humidity level between 30 and 50 per cent should be maintained throughout your home. When your home is too humid, you'll find mold and mildew can form as well as slight damage to finishings like wallpaper, furniture, flooring, etc. can occur. If it's not humid enough in your home, you could experience some health issues like dry skin, nosebleeds and dry eyes and throat. If you don't already have humidity control through your heating or cooling system, you can test the humidity in your home with a portable humidistat or hygrometer. They can be purchased online or at your local home improvement store. If your home tends to be too humid, you may want to look into a dehumidifier. Also be sure to use the exhaust fan in the bathroom when showering as well as the stovetop exhaust fan when cooking. When your home leans toward being too dry, obviously a humidifier can help. Also look to fill any cracks or gaps around doors, windows and pipes that can allow humid air to escape.

HOT DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2024

When scouring home decor magazines, blogs and the Internet for design trends for 2024, the buzz words you're going to consistently come across are bold, bright, texture and unique. Gone are the days where white walls and furniture create a sophisticated room. Instead, designers are looking to bold patterns and colours mixed with a neutral palette to create the latest in sophistication. Choose a few of the trending looks to incorporate into your home this year. Starting with paint, the colour of the year is a dark grey/soft black

that pairs really well with other rich hues that are popular this year. Accents or fabrics in gold or aluminum (new or vintage) are a great way to finish off the sophisticated look of any room. If you're not ready for such a drastic change, start with a textured, odd shaped rug in a bold colour. Furthering the odd-shaped theme, choose to hang mirrors in unique shapes with bold frames. Have fun with the trends and make your living spaces warm, conversation inducing and personal this year.

CANADIAN WINTER FACTS Do you find it cold this winter? Enjoying the snow? Here are some interesting records from winters past. • Canada's coldest recorded temperature was back in February 1947, in Snag, YT. A frigid -62.8˚C! • The coldest windchill ever recorded in Canada was -91˚C in January 1989 in Pelly Bay, NT when the ambient air temperature was -51˚C. • In February of 1999, a record amount of 145 cm of snow fell in one day covering the town of Tahtsa Lake, BC. That’s over 4.5 feet of snow in a day!

MATH CHALLENGE

Use the numbers 1 through 16 to complete the equations. Each number is only used once. Each row is a math equation. Each column is a math equation. TIP: Remember that multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

Courtesy of: www.thinkablepuzzles.com

Solution:

December Market Busier Than Usual, Not Enough To Outpace 2022 Activity

$170,408 apt./ condo DOWN 5.2% year-to-year

$489,392 detached UP 3.7% year-to-year

AVERAGE SALE PRICES

$260,959 row/ townhouse

1,497 NEW LISTINGS 1,229 SOLD LISTINGS

detached 839 271 detached 701 195

UP 9.9% year-to-year

apt./ condo

apt./ condo

3.8 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

4,626 ACTIVE LISTINGS

82% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO

52 DAYS ON MARKET

Edmonton, January 3, 2024 - Total residential unit sales in the Greater Edmonton Area (GEA) real estate market for December 2023 came to 1,229. New residential listings amounted to 1,497. Total residential average prices came in at $388,637, up 2.0% from November 2023, and up 3.5% from December 2022. Detached homes averaged $489,392, amounting to a 3.8% year-over-year increase, and up 2.2% from November 2023. Row/townhouse prices were down 4.0% from November 2023 and increased 9.9% when compared to December 2022, selling at an average of $260,959. Apartment Condominium average prices hit $170,408 down 0.4% from last month and 5.2% from last year.

“Though December’s month-over-month numbers are higher than in 2022, the strong second half of this year hasn’t quite achieved the level of activity seen in the previous year,” says REALTORS ® Association of Edmonton 2023 Board Chair Melanie Boles. “As the year closes, the year-to-date average selling price is $398,735, compared with $415,115 in 2022, and year-to-date average unit sales are still lagging by 8%.” Overall, all residential listings averaged 52 days on the market. Statistics reflect market activity in December 2023 | Source: REALTORS ® Association of Edmonton | Market values stated are of the average of Edmonton and surrounding region. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to-date evaluation of your home.

DWAYNE GROOME

Call For a FREE Property Evaluation 780-443-0068 Residential and Commercial GroomeRealEstate.com

AMBER PARTON REALTOR®

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