Courtesy of Dennis Bowles (FV)

Personal, professional service.

DENNIS BOWLES Real Estate Professional DennisBowles@royallepage.ca

www.DennisBowles.ca Cell 604.671.5371

Volume 16 | Number 5

MOVING INDOOR PLANTS

Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, packing your houseplants takes a bit of advance planning. Before you even start packing, you’ll want to ensure your plants are healthy, the pots filled with fresh potting soil and any dead leaves or stems are pruned away. Next, you’ll want to wash larger plant leaves with a moistened cloth to remove dust and bugs. Allow them to dry thoroughly before moving. You’ll also want to keep a regular watering schedule as much as possible. Remember though that excess water in a plant is heavier to move and can react to extreme weather conditions which may harm the plant.

On moving day you’ll want to pack your plants in open boxes or totes that are tightly packed around the plant pot. Use newspaper, towels or packing peanuts to ensure the pots don’t shift during transport. If you’re travelling a long distance, you may want to use moss on top of the dirt to help prevent spilling. When it comes to weather and how it affects your plants, treat them as you would your pets. Plants will need to be protected from harsh extremes. Use a sheet to cover plants in cool weather and ensure air flow and a light spritz of water is available in hot weather. Once you’ve arrived at your new home, allow them time to adjust to the new environment. Sunlight, humidity, temperature and air flow can all affect how a plant grows and you may need to reposition them to find the ideal living space. Thankfully with a bit of planning and forethought, you can move your favourite plants with you to your new home.

Courtesy of ehow.com CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS

INGREDIENTS : 1 pound ground chicken 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons taco seasoning 15 ounces canned red or black kidney beans, drained 15 ounces canned corn, drained 1 1/2 cups pico de gallo

1 ripe avocado 3 cups brown rice or quinoa, cooked 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1/4 cup scallions, chopped 3 tablespoons of oil Chipotle yogurt sauce

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add the ground chicken and taco seasoning. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, while breaking it up with a spatula. 2. While the chicken is cooking, combine the cooked rice, cilantro and scallions in a bowl. Toss until evenly combined. 3. Dice the avocado. 4. To individual bowls or containers, add the rice, ground chicken, corn, beans, pico de gallo and diced avocado. The total number of containers will depend on their size. 5. When you're ready to eat, add a drizzle of chipotle sauce and dig in.

TRY NOT TO BECOME A MAN OF SUCCESS. RATHER BECOME A MAN OF VALUE. - Albert Einstein

German born Einstein was perhaps the most influential physicist to live. From developing the theory of relativity (E = mc2) to having an element in the periodic table named in his honour, Einstein contributed tremendous value to the world of science.

PAINT TECHNIQUES TO TRICK THE EYE Painting a room is a quick, cost effective and relatively easy way to change the look and feel of a room. Instead of painting all four walls the same colour, consider the following techniques to enhance the perception of the room. Dark Accent Wall – probably the most common technique, painting one wall of a room a bold colour will draw attention to that particular wall. This is helpful in open concept homes where a focal point is needed as well as rooms where interesting architecture or design elements are showcased. Dark Ceiling – a darker ceiling colour will make a room feel smaller and cozier. Paired with lighter walls and furniture, this technique is popular in dining rooms and bedrooms. Narrow – to make a wide room appear more narrow, try painting opposing walls in darker colour and leaving the end wall light. The dark walls will make you feel like they are closer to each other than they are and therefore make a wide room appear narrow. Lengthen – making a room appear longer is done by painting the ceiling and a back wall the same, dark colour. A light colour on the opposing walls draws your eye toward the dark wall and ceiling making the room appear longer. Do some research online or speak to a interior decorator to determine which painting technique can help your problem spaces.

BUDGETING WITH CASH AND ENVELOPES Budgeting your monthly expenses isn't a new concept. Most people have some form of budgeting that works for them. With costs on the rise, some people are turning to a popular budgeting solution that uses money envelopes to track spending. It allows users to stay accountable to their budget and prevent overspending because once the money from the envelope is spent, it is not replaced until the next envelope filling day. Here are the basics: 1. Create an envelope for each expense category in your life, for example: groceries, entertainment, eating out, gas, savings, debt, etc. 2. Determine how much you typically spend in each category taking

the past few months into account. If you find you overspend in one category, determine how much you want to spend and start there. 3. When you get paid, fill each envelope with the appropriate amount of cash. If you get paid twice a month, put in half each payday. The money in the envelope can ONLY be used on what it is allocated for. Take the envelopes with you on your shopping trips and errands. If a purchase is overbudget, reconsider the purchase. 4. Remember, no borrowing from one envelope

to fill another. If you find that is happening frequently, go back to step two and see if you need to adjust your amounts in the envelopes. 5. If you pay your bills online or tend to shop online, keep track of money spent on the envelope and stick to the budget you allotted. It's tricky to not overspend, but it is possible. Over time, you may find you're able to save more by being more aware of what you're spending your hard-earned money on.

JOKE

Question: Five friends were eating tacos. Amber finished before Laura, but behind Marlene. Dianne finished before Jennifer, but behind Laura. What was the finishing order?

Answer: Marlene, Amber, Laura, Dianne and Jennifer.

Directions: A is south of E: D is south of V B is north of T and west of E C is west of Y and south of G E is west of S and south of J F is west of O: G is east of P H is east of J and north of O I is east of U: W is east of B L is south of B: M is north of Y N is north of U: O is east of A P is north of T: Q is west of V R is west of C: Z is north of F S is east of V and north of I K is south of J and east of T Y is east of T and south of V

ALPHA-GRIDDLE

Use compass directions to find the correct locations for the missing letters of the alphabet. When you have completed the grid, see if you can discover the hidden city, country, river or mountain located in the completed grid. Note: North or south means any location along the same column. East or west means any location along the same row.

Courtesy of www.puzzlechoice.com

Solution:

Spring sales hold steady in Fraser Valley real estate market

$530,200 apartment DOWN 9.8% year-to-year

$1,442,900 detached DOWN 17.8% year-to-year

4,632 ACTIVE LISTINGS

$808,000 townhouse DOWN 13.3% year-to-year

BENCHMARK PRICES

apartment 1,034 647 townhouse

detached 1,567

1,554 SOLD LISTINGS

34% SALES TO ACTIVE LISTING RATIO

3.0 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

NEW LISTINGS 2,478

BC, May 2, 2023 - Despite persistent inventory shortfalls, housing sales in the Fraser Valley remained steady in April as buyers took advantage of the continued pause in interest rate hikes. In April, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) processed 1,554 sales on its Multiple Listing Service ® (MLS ® ), virtually unchanged compared to March and a slight decrease of 5.1% compared to April 2022. “Buyers are continuing to find opportunities in the Fraser Valley, even in the face of lower inventories,” said Narinder Bains, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “With prices remaining strong, we expect to see inventories increase over the coming months as sellers seek to capitalize on price growth after sitting out for so long.”

The Board received 2,478 new listings in April, off by 3.2% compared to March, and down by 31.6% compared to 2022. The month ended with a total active inventory of 4,632, a 2.2 % increase over March, and 14% less than April 2022. Across Fraser Valley in April, the average number of days to sell a single-family detached home was 25 days; a townhome 23 days and apartments took, on average, 26 days to sell. Low inventories helped nudge prices upward with the composite Benchmark price up by 2.8 per cent to $992,000 and single-family detached homes up by nearly four per cent, month-over-month. Statistics reflect market activity in April 2023 | Source: FVREB ® Fraser Valley Real Estate Board | Market values stated are of the benchmark of Fraser Valley 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.

DENNIS BOWLES Real Estate Professional DennisBowles@royallepage.ca

www.DennisBowles.ca Cell 604.671.5371

Send your friends and family my way. I treat every client to the same high level of service and effort. No matter the value of the home they are buying or selling. What matters most is my clients satisfaction. Nothing else.

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