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FEATURED
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE:
Planning
Your Moving Day Can Make A Difference.
Make Your Home Leave
A Great First Impression.
Why Does Time Fly
?
Just For
Fun...
Did
You Know ???
Planning
Your Moving Day Can Make A Difference
Buying or selling a house can be easy compared to the final
task, which involves either moving-in or moving-out of a newly
purchased residence. Like many tasks that you become involved
in, proper planning and preparation can make a world of difference
when initiating the entire moving process.
The total number and sizes of boxes that you are able to assemble
are important to making your move both easier and simpler.
Just like you can't have too many boxes, you can never have
enough of different kinds of boxes. Making sure that they
are clean, strong and functional will assist your move in
many ways.
Boxes will help you move things, but of course, you will also
need different kinds of padding as well, to make sure that
you valuables are moved safely and efficiently. Blankets,
sleeping bags, bubble packs, or actual moving padding, are
all useful and necessary when moving items from one location
to another. Items such as mirrors, fine furniture, beds, statues,
paintings, or other valuable possessions need to be protected
from scratching or breaking. Tape is crucial too, and allows
many items to be secured and wrapped in such a way that no
damage can occur during the transporting process. But while
duct tape doesn't strap a couch into the back of a pickup
very well, a good collection of strong bungee cords will work
just fine and accomplish the task at hand.
Tools can also help to make the moving process easier, and
a simple collection of adjustable screwdrivers, nut drivers,
wrenches, and pliers can help you make the necessary adjustments
while moving. A good measuring tape, hammer, and perhaps a
saw might be a good addition to your "move-time"
war chest.
Once you start your move, it is a good idea to leave the cleaning
process for last! With all items moved, the cleaning process
is much easier with an empty room or garage, and allows you
to make one final inspection to ensure that all personal items
have been removed once and for all. Finally, there are some
things that you really shouldn't pack up for a short-term
move. Clothes, important documents such as papers, bills,
legal or financial documents such as insurance or product
warranties, all are important enough to keep in a file or
separate box or location where you can get access to them
quickly and easily.
It may help to designate someone to handle different aspects
of the move, someone to organize, someone to pack, someone
to transport, someone to label, and yet still another person
to conduct a final cleaning. It might be just as important
to designate a person to oversee the entire moving process
so that everything can be orchestrated like a fine symphony.
Of course this method means that you need a few friends to
"show-up" on moving day, so in order to ensure that
they do, perhaps you can offer them breakfast, lunch, or some
snacks throughout the day. Always remember to include water,
soft drinks and also some "quick" energy snacks,
to keep people refreshed. It keeps people focused and on the
job, instead of making runs to the local mini-mart or store.
With these simple tips and suggestions, you can make your
moving process easy, organized and focused to keep everyone
happy and motivated to complete the move on time.
Make Your Home Leave
A Great First Impression...
Once your home is
listed and the for-sale sign is firmly implanted in your front
lawn, all is ready for would-be buyers to tour your home.
Or is it?
As anyone in the
real estate industry will tell you, it's important to make
your home look its best when it comes time to show it. That
first impression is everything. Even if you're in a market
where homes are selling quickly and for full asking price,
it's still key to spruce up your home and prove that it's
worth every penny you're asking. And it doesn't have to cost
you a fortune.
In fact, a great
first impression, coupled with the decreasing amount of time
the typical home is on the market these days, is sometimes
all it takes to see a speedy offer come your way.
So, if you're in
a market with few available homes for sale, you're probably
less likely to spend a lot of money on major aesthetic improvements.
But there are a lot of simple, fairly inexpensive things you
can do to make a good first impression and attract offers
as quickly as possible.
Some things you
can do to ensure your home's exterior lands favorable first
impressions include:
· Stay on top
of your lawn mowing and maintenance and tidy up your front
landscaping.
· Plop a new,
colorful welcome mat in front of the door.
· Embellish
your door area with a nice, big potted plant to the side of
the front door.
· Slap a fresh
coat of paint on your door.
· Move all the
toys, bicycles, and scooters away from the front of the house.
· Clean all
your windows until they're sparkling.
· Invest in
a new doorknob and lock - this will jazz up your door and
provide greater security.
· Make sure
your street numerals are polished and in place. Or, invest
in a nice new set that stands out among your neighbors' standard
numerals.
· Place a seasonal
wreath or arrangement on your door.
· Repair any
loose shingles - the last thing a potential buyer wants to
worry about is the roof.
· Paint and
repair your gutters.
Once the exterior
wows your potential buyers, you'll need to continue to make
an impact on them when they make their way inside. You can
almost think of it as preparing for a formal dinner party.
For starters, you can:
· Remove all
the clutter - make sure kitchen and bathroom countertops are
as clear as possible, try to keep toys organized in closets
and shelves, temporarily remove any excess knickknacks or
family photos if you tend to have a lot.
· Hang fresh
clean towels in the bathrooms.
· Touch up your
paint if your walls have a few rough spots. You probably already
have the extra paint sitting in your garage.
· Vacuum your
floor each morning. You may also want to think about getting
your carpets clean before potential buyers view your house.
· Make sure
all your faucets are drip-free.
· Replace any
nonfunctioning bulbs in your light fixtures and vanities.
· Thoroughly
clean all your appliances, including the inside of your oven
and microwave.
· Place a beautiful
centerpiece in the center of your dining room table.
· Eliminate
odors as much as possible - place potpourri in the bathrooms,
use air freshener and deodorizer, especially if you have indoor
pets or there's a smoker in the house.
· Let the light
in - open all your blinds and curtains. If your house's natural
light leaves some rooms dark during certain portions of the
day, turn on the lights if you know your house may be shown
that day. If you have any decorative or track lighting, be
sure it is on.
· Clean your
fireplace.
· If you have
too much furniture, place some of it in storage.
· Add some
final touches, a couple of fresh bouquets of flowers and some
nice potted plants in decorative containers can do wonders.
Basically, just
use common sense. Remember that everyone has his or her own
style. You're not trying to impress with your particular brand
of décor. Rather, you're trying to present a simple,
clean, attractive home that exudes potential - an empty, yet
enticing, palette for your home's next owners.
Why Does Time Fly
?
According to a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology,
there's a reason why days seem so much longer when you're
a child.
The reason is that new experiences have an effect on how we
perceive time. When we encounter new experiences in life,
time seems to pass more slowly. Routine behavior then makes
time seem like it goes much faster. Routine time can be thought
of as a straight line; new experiences can be thought of as
jagged lines - and they include new perceptions. That's why
as we age, time seems to go faster and we click over to autopilot,
which also affects memory.
Sometimes it's hard to remember where you parked your car,
for example. It's probably because you were operating on autopilot
and the brain does not register much of what you're doing.
That's why new and unusual experiences also seem to embed
in our memories much more strongly. Routine is a form of inaction,
explains Dinah Avni-Babad, a psychologist at the Hebrew University
in Jerusalem. So as we get older, time flies and we remember
less of what we do because we do fewer and fewer new things.
Just For Fun...
A caller recently dialed a wrong number and got the following
recording: "...I am not available right now, but I thank you
for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my
life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return
your call, you are one of the changes."
Question: What do you call a chicken that takes every word
people say seriously?
Answer: A technical fowl.
A man walked past a house with a sign in the yard that read
"Talking dog for sale." He asked the owner where the dog was,
and was directed to the backyard. There sat a Black Lab. The
man asked him "Do you talk"? The dog said "yep." The man said,
"Tell me your story." The dog said, "Well, I discovered this
gift pretty young, and I wanted to help the government. So
I went to work for the CIA. They sent me around the world,
sitting in on important meetings, because no one ever thought
a dog would eavesdrop. I acquired lots of information, and
was their best spy for eight years running. Then I got tired,
and went to work for airport security, mostly hanging around
shady characters. I caught a lot of drug dealers and criminals,
and was awarded a batch of medals. Finally, I got a wife,
had a litter of puppies, and now I'm retired." The man was
amazed. He ran back to the owner and asked, "How much do you
want for the dog"? The guy said "Ten dollars." "Ten Dollars?
That dog is incredible! Why are you selling him so cheap?"
"He's a liar" the man replied. "He didn't do any of that stuff."
A man left Chicago for a vacation in Key West . His wife was
on a business trip and was flying down to meet him the following
day. When the man arrived in Florida , he e-mailed her to
let her know he had gotten there, but mis-typed the address.
So instead, his message went to the inbox of a woman whose
husband had recently passed away. When the widow opened her
e-mail, she read the message, screamed and passed out cold.
The woman's daughter rushed into the room and found this note
on the screen: My darling wife. Just checked in. Everything
is prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to
being with you again. Your loving husband. P.S. Sure is hot
down here!
A College student walked into his ornithology class and found
five birds with bags over their heads so only their feet were
visible. "What's this?" he asked. "It's an exam," the professor
replied. "Your job is to identify each bird by looking at
its feet." "What a stupid test," the student retorted. "What's
your name? The professor demanded. The student pulled up his
pant legs and answered. "You tell me!"
Did You Know ???
In the 1400's a law was set forth that a man was not allowed
to beat his wife with a stick thicker than his thumb. Hence,
we have "the rule of thumb."
Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was
ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden" ... and
thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear
better.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to
work: Alaska
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get
this...
The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%)
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven:
$6,400
The average number of people airborne over the US any given
hour: 61,000
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
The San Francisco cable cars are the only mobile National
Monuments.
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king
from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs - Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front
legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has
one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds
received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the
ground, the person died of natural causes.
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on
July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest
signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until
5 years later.
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace.
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular
boat name requested?
A. Obsession.
Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have
to go until you would find the letter "A"?
A. One thousand.
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers,
and laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey.
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day
of the year?
A. Father's Day.
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames
by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened,
making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence, the phrase..."goodnight,
sleep tight."
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that
for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply
his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a
honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this
period was called the honey month. which we know today as
the honeymoon.
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in
old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would
yell at them, "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle
down."
It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."
Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked
into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they
needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service.
"Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this
practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their
elbow.
Hope you've enjoyed
the newsletter. Please call or send an e-mail if you have
any questions about buying, selling, or investing in real
estate.
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