Courtesy of Mary-Ann Kennedy

PARKSVILLE QUALICUM BEACH REALTY

Mary-Ann Kennedy Real Estate Agent, REALTOR ® Office 250.248.4321 | Cell 250.616.2332 maryann@maryannkennedy.ca maryannkennedy.ca

173 Island W Hwy Parksville, BC V9P 2H1

YOUR HOME GUIDE

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:

BUYERS TAKING MEASURED APPROACH IN SPRING MARKET

PARKSVILLE-QUALICUM

$470,300 apartment DOWN 10.3% year-to-year

$850,500 detached DOWN 14.1% year-to-year

$705,500 townhouse DOWN 1.6% year-to-year

BENCHMARK PRICES

53 TOTAL SOLD LISTINGS

May 2023 – Last month, there were 391 sales of single-family homes in the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) area, a 22 per cent decrease from one year ago and a three per cent increase from March 2023. Sales of condo apartments in April came in at 77. In the row/townhouse category, 88 units changed hands in April. Active listings of single-family homes were 956 in April. VIREB’s inventory of condo apartments hit 304 last month. There were 246 row/townhouses for sale last month. “We’re seeing a lot of positivity among buyers, but they’re taking a more thoughtful approach this spring compared to last year, when the fear of missing out contributed to a frenetic market,” says Kelly O’Dywer, 2023 Chair. She notes that a “perfect storm” of factors last year – including record low supply, historically low mortgage rates, and lifestyle changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic – fuelled dramatic price increases and highly competitive real estate transactions.

“It isn’t a balanced market yet, largely because inventory is still lower than what’s needed on Vancouver Island,” says O’Dwyer. “But prices are down board-wide from last year, so homes are definitely more affordable this spring.” The board-wide benchmark price (MLS® Home Price Index) of a single family home was $738,600 in April 2023, down 14 per cent from one year ago and up by one per cent from March. In the apartment category, the benchmark price was $410,000 last month, a 10 per cent decrease from April 2022 and up by one per cent from March. The year-over-year benchmark price of a townhouse was $563,600 in April, down seven per cent from one year ago and a slight increase from March. The Parksville-Qualicum area saw its benchmark price decrease by 14 per cent to $850,500. Stats Reflective of April 2023 | Source: Vancouver Island Real Estate Board | Market values stated are of the benchmark of Parksville-Qualicum. 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.

Mary-Ann Kennedy Real Estate Agent, REALTOR ® Office 250.248.4321 | Cell 250.616.2332 maryann@maryannkennedy.ca maryannkennedy.ca Call me with all your real estate needs and questions.

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