Courtesy of Dennis Bowles (FV)

Dennis's Fraser Valley Mini-Mag

Personal, professional service.

DENNIS BOWLES Real Estate Professional DennisBowles@royallepage.ca

www.DennisBowles.ca Cell 604.671.5371

Volume 17 | Number 03

STAGE YOUR HOME TO STAND OUT

With the spring market just starting, you may be considering listing your home for sale. One way to stand out above the competition is to stage your home. This can be done even if you're still living there while you wait for it to sell. Staging is essentially arranging the furniture and decor in your home so it will be most appealing to a large number of potential buyers. Think of it as putting your home's best foot forward with the help of someone who isn't emotionally attached to the rooms and items in them. It helps create a positive first impression, which we all know is so important these days.

When your home is staged, most often with the help of a professional, you are more likely to have buyers willing to pay top dollar and it often results in a quicker sale. Some home stagers work with the items you have in your home already and others will bring in their own furniture and accessories to highlight the best aspects of your home. You can consult with a few local home stagers to see what type of service will suit your needs and budget. The small investment of hiring a professional home stager should see a greater return on investment.

RASPBERRY-BANANA BREAKFAST TACOS

INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 1 cup 2% milk 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

DIRECTIONS: 1. Whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Combine egg, milk, canola oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 2. Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease griddle. Pour batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto griddle; cook until bubbles on top begin to pop and bottoms are golden brown. Turn; cook until second side is golden brown. 3. Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and yogurt.

1 small banana, sliced 1 cup fresh raspberries

Spread over pancakes; top with banana and raspberries. Fold up.

Courtesy of www.tasteofhome.com

HAPPINESS? THE COLOR OF IT MUST BE SPRING GREEN. - Frances Mayes

An American writer, Francis’ memoir Under the Tuscan Sun was a New York Times best seller and the inspiration for the film by the same name.

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer as you can't see, smell or taste it and you likely won't know it's affecting your home unless you have a carbon monoxide detector or are feeling unwell, which can end up being too late. You can purchase carbon monoxide detectors at your local hardware store or even online. Experts suggest you should install one on each level of your home and within 10 feet of bedroom doors. If you tend to sleep with your door closed, a detector inside the room is encouraged. They should also be installed near the door of a garage if it is attached to the home as vehicles emit carbon monoxide. Other sources of carbon monoxide include fireplaces, wood stoves and gas appliances to name a few. For the most part, if they are used and installed properly with

adequate ventilation, you shouldn't have to worry about carbon monoxide building up. However, it's often better to err on the side of caution and install carbon monoxide detectors whenever possible and ensure proper maintenance on all sources of this harmful gas. Be sure to replace the detectors according to package instructions as well.

GARDEN BY ZONE

With the mild winter seen across a lot of the country, many gardening enthusiasts are itching to start their outdoor gardens and are flocking to home garden centers to get everything they need for the upcoming season. However, when you're a beginner gardener, or new to a particular area of the country, it's important to know what can and cannot be started early indoors and then transplanted outside when the ground and weather are ideal. First you need to determine what zone you live

in. Head to planthardiness.gc.ca for an interactive look up tool and maps. Once you have your zone determined, you'll be able to find what should grow nicely and what might not be the best idea to plant based on the local environment. And from there, you can research which plants can be started indoors, planted now or need to wait. Your local garden center will be a wealth of information as well as the seed packets themselves should state their ideal growing conditions.

JOKES

Q: What do you get when you cross a bunny and a leaf blower? A: A hare dryer! Q: Why did the duck cross the road? A: To prove he wasn’t a chicken! Q: What did one ant say to the other ant when they got a mouthful of honey? A: Nothing, ants can’t talk!

Q: What kind of bow can’t be tied? A: A rainbow. Q: If 10 kids try to squeeze under one umbrella, how do none of them get wet? A: Because it wasn’t raining.

Courtesy of funology.com

1. Halt, tells the time

WHAT WORD?

2. Off opposite, bird home

Can you guess what ONE word being described? It is just ONE word and this can get a little tricky but fun. Example: Clue: Display the animal hair "Literal" Answer: Show Fur End Answer: Chauffeur

3. Tell the dog/cat to get away, car noisemaker

Answers: 1. Stopwatch 2. Honest 3. Shoehorn 4. Tailpipe 5. Arkansas 6. Cartoon 7. Copycat 8. Sweepstake 9. Forefathers 10. Detail

4. Animal wagger, used in plumbing

5. Noah's boat, aluminum container, cuts wood

6. Automobile, fix the piano sounds

7. Police officer, 5th letter, dog opposite

8. Clean the floor, cut of beef

9. 2+2, dads

Courtesy of: www.thinkablepuzzles.com

10. 4th letter, dog wagger

Sales, listings continue to pick up heading into spring

$546,100 apartment UP 7.2% year-to-year

$1,485,600 detached UP 8.4% year-to-year

5,561 ACTIVE LISTINGS

$831,000 townhouse UP 6.7% year-to-year

BENCHMARK PRICES

apartment 1,284 803 townhouse

detached 1,865

1,235 SOLD LISTINGS

4.5 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

2,797 NEW LISTINGS

22.2% SALES TO ACTIVE LISTING RATIO

BC, February, 2024 – The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board recorded 1,235 transactions on its Multiple Listing Service ® (MLS ® ) in February. New listings increased to 2,797 in February, up 18 per cent from January. With a sales-to-active listings ratio of 22 per cent, overall market conditions are edging into a seller’s market “There is somewhat of a buzz in the market right now,” said Narinder Bains, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “We are seeing new listings come onto the market and REALTORS ® continue to see more traffic at open houses, however buyers are still exercising caution. We aren’t out of the woods just yet, but the signs are pointing to a further increase in activity as we head into spring.”

The average number of days homes are spending on the market is dropping, with single-family detached homes spending 35 days on the market, down from 44 days in January, apartments spending 29 days on the market, down from 41 days in January and townhomes moving more quickly at 28 days. At $1,485,600, the Benchmark price for an FVREB single-family detached home increased 1.3 per cent compared to January 2024 and increased 8.4 per cent compared to February 2023. Statistics reflect market activity in February 2024 | 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.

Privacy Disclosure: We respect your privacy. The sponsor indicated on the front panel provides a complimentary subscription of this publication to you, a valued client. If at any time or for any reason you do not want to receive this publication, please contact the sponsor using any of the contact info on the front panel, and your personal information will be removed from the mailing list immediately. Without response to this cancellation offer, we assume your implied consent and permission to continue provision. Disclaimer: This publication is distributed for the purpose of information only. It is not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract by a real estate firm or under contract with another Broker or Mortgage Specialist, nor is it intended to cause or induce breach of any existing agreement. Distributed by: dmsmarketing.ca Copyright© 2024 All Rights Reserved / Printed on recyclable material. The trademarks REALTOR ® , REALTORS ® and the REALTOR ® logo are controlled by CREA and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Privacy Disclosure: We respect your privacy. The sponsor indicated on the front panel provides a complimentary subscription of this publication to you, a valued client. If at any time or for any reason you do not want to receive this publication, please contact the sponsor using any of the contact info on the front panel, and your personal information will be removed from the mailing list immediately. Without response to this cancellation offer, we assume your implied consent and permission to continue provision. Disclaimer: This publication is distributed for the purpose of information only. It is not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract by a real estate firm or under contract with another Broker or Mortgage Specialist, nor is it intended to cause or induce breach of any existing agreement. Distributed by: dmsmarketing.ca Copyright© 2024 All Rights Reserved / Printed on recyclable material. The trademarks REALTOR ® , REALTORS ® and the REALTOR ® logo are controlled by CREA and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

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