Home and Family Sample

IT JUST GOT EASIER!

Maya Norton Real Estate Agent

Phone: 780.489.2969 Fax: 780.486.1421 consult@dmsmarketing.ca www.dmsmarketing.ca

1 2 3 REALTY

Volume 39 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 DIRECTIONS: 1. In a buttered Bundt pan put 18 frozen rolls. 2. Sprinkle butterscotch pudding over rolls.

1 tablespoon cinnamon or to taste 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

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

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.

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

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:

CREATIVE STORAGE IDEAS When you spend most of your time in the house all winter, you tend to gather, and get annoyed by, excess clutter. Here are four neat ways to create functional storage in your home this winter. • Storage ottoman - this multipurpose piece can hide books, board games, blankets, seasonal decor and other trinkets while functioning as a place to rest your feet after a long day. • Updated tote - tired of those big blue totes that store so much but look so blah? Upholster one with batting and a cute fabric and then add casters to the bottom so you can wheel it from room to room. Great for toys and clothes and quick clean up. • Banquette bench - if your kitchen or even your entryway allows for it, bench seating complete with storage compartments is a great way to store seasonal clothes like winter boots in the summer or umbrellas in the winter. • Pet stairs - if you have a small pet that needs help to climb onto the bed or sofa, build a set of small stairs for them that allow for their toys, blankets and such to fit inside. With a little creativity and elbow grease, it's easy to add additional storage to your home to give home to any excess items you accumulate this winter.

Maya Norton Real Estate Agent

consult@dmsmarketing.ca www.dmsmarketing.ca

OUTSOURCING YOUR LAUNDRY Laundry is one of those tasks that hardly anyone actually enjoys, yet is as inevitable as eating or breathing. We all need clothes to wear and if laundry seems to be taking over your life, consider using a laundry service for a period of time (or indefinitely) to give yourself a break. The biggest benefit you'll notice is the time saved as most laundry services will pick up and drop off your garments leaving you to only put the clean, and folded, clothes away. They'll also treat stains and wash the clothes according to the care label so you don't have to worry about that either. You can send more than just clothes: sheets, towels, quilts, etc. are all items that need to be washed and might not fit in your home’s washer or dryer. Instead of heading to the laundromat, outsource these items to a laundry service. You might be thinking that it's too costly to hire a service, but look into it as it might not be as costly as you think. In the long run you won't need to purchase laundry supplies, incur utility expenses and maintain your washing and drying machines. If you've recently moved to a new home and have to purchase appliances, you might want to weigh the pros and cons of purchasing a washer and dryer vs. using a service. And ultimately, there is always the cost of your time. If you spend hours each week in the laundry room, consider how much it would be worth to you if you could instead spend that time with family, doing a hobby, or working an extra shift at work.

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