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Steve Dana’s SERVICE FOR LIFE! Newsletter - February 2019 PAGE

Check me out on FaceBook Steve Dana Real Estate Services

Read my BLOG at www.SteveDanaHomeSeller.Wordpress.com

Steve Dana’s …

Service For Life! “Insider Tips For Healthy, Wealthy & Happy Living…”

Would You Like To Know How Much Your Neighbor’s Home Listed Or Sold For?

Maybe you’re just curious. Or maybe you want to know how much your home is worth. Either way, I can help…with no “sales pitches” or

run-arounds. Call me at 425-327-5948 and I’ll give you all the facts.

Selling Your Home Soon? You’ll need my Free Consumer Guide titled,

“6 Steps For Selling Your Home For TOP DOLLAR.” Call me right now at

425-327-5948 to get a copy…

February 2019

Snohomish, WA

Inside This Issue… Give Your Back A Break With These Spinal Health Tips…

How To Use Your Smartphone On An Overseas Trip…Page 2

Organize Your Laundry Room For Maximum Efficiency…Page 2

4 Expert Insights On Estate Sale Shopping…Page 3

8 Important Things to do Before Moving into your New Home … Page 4

8 Crazy Cleaning Tips that Really Work … Page 5

5 Tips To Improve Spinal Health Is your back aching? Here are some things you can do right now that can help improve your spinal health. You might even remedy some of the things you are doing that you don’t realize are hurting your back.

• Wear the Right Shoes. Your feet have an important job - holding every-thing above them upright - and when your shoes don’t fit properly that can cause back pain (not to mention blisters!). Make sure your shoes keep your feet in the correct position for spinal alignment with a snug heel and a supportive base. Consider adding shoe inserts if your favorite pair doesn’t provide the support you need.

• Sleep Well. Stomach sleepers do more damage to their spines than those who sleep on their sides or back. Lying on the stomach puts a great deal of pressure on the spine, not to mention the increased potential for sleep apnea. What you sleep on matters, too. There are different types of mattresses and pillows to address every back condition- do some research on WebMD.com (search for your type of back pain-lower, middle, neck- plus “best mattress”).

• Exercise With the Spine in Mind. Being sedentary isn’t healthy, but some exercises may do damage to your spine - particularly spin classes or cycling, which often require leaning forward in a semi-slouch for along time. Make sure the exercises you’re doing are helping strengthen your spine. Core-strengthening exercises are good ways to offer the spine support from the muscles surrounding it.

• Think Ergonomically and Limit Sitting Time. Adjust your workspace to be more ergonomic, from the position of your chair’s armrests to the height of your computer screen. Standing desks make a great option for some people, especially if you can change from standing to sitting throughout the day. If work requires lots of sitting, take regular breaks to move around and stretch.

• Get a Massage. A good massage not only relaxes the mind, it can also help your body - including the spine - heal. Massage not only increases the body’s production of endorphins, which relieve pain, it also improves circulation - and more blood flowing to an injured back speeds the healing process.

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TWO

Using Your Smartphone Internationally

While traveling out of the country used to mean being out of touch with family and friends until you got home, smartphones now make staying in touch easy. Too easy, in fact - because we end up forgetting that it can cost exponentially more to do simple things on our phones when we’re not at home.

Here are a few easy ways to use your phone on an international trip without spending a fortune.

1. Upgrade to an International Plan - Your mobile provider may have international plans to which you could switch just for the duration of your trip. Be sure to find out all the costs associated with phone calls, texts, uploading photos, using maps, etc. for every country you’ll be visiting.

2. Get a Local SIM Card - If you’ve got an unlocked phone, you can pick up a SIM card when you arrive in the country you’re visiting and pop it into your phone. (Just keep your main SIM card safely stowed!) Load up your local SIM card with prepaid credit to make calls, texts, and even data usage much cheaper.

3. Stick to WiFi Only - The easiest way to avoid an outrageous bill when you get home from a trip is to pretend your phone isn’t really a phone - that it’s just a little computer. After you switch to airplane mode, turn WiFi on and you’re good to go. You can even use apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Google Voice, Facebook Messenger, or iMessage to make calls or send messages using WiFi.

Word of the Month…

Studies have shown your income and wealth are directly related to the size and depth of your vocabulary. Here is this month’s word, so you can impress your friends (and maybe even fatten your wallet!)…

hygge (hue-gah) noun

Meaning: Danish concept; describes a content and cozy feeling of well-being

Sample Sentence: A crackling fire and cup of hot cocoa on a snowy day is a sure way to conjure hygge.

A Group of Zebras

Some collective nouns for animals are mundane, while others are unusual, funny, and especially apt. Here are a few interesting ones:

· Dazzle of zebras

· Parliament of owls

· Sloth of bears

· Pandemonium of parrots

· Bloat of hippos

· Ostentation of peacocks

· Crash of rhinos

· Journey of giraffes

Smart Sheet Storage

Don’t you hate having to dig for the matching pillowcases for your sheets? Or the fitted sheet that goes with the flat sheet on top of the pile? Make changing the bed lin-ens easier by storing sheets differently.

Fold all pieces of a sheet set (fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcases) into a neat pile, leaving one pillow case out. Slide that neat pile into the remaining pillowcase. No more hunting for missing pieces when you’re making the bed!

Quotes To Live By…

“One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.”

–Thomas Fuller

“Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.”

–Charles M. Schulz

“I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it.”

–Maya Angelou

Easy Ways To Organize Your Laundry Room

Don’t overlook your laundry room when tackling home re-organization

projects. Sure, it’s not a room where you want to spend hours, but it’s a place

you’ll spend time regularly. Organize your space for efficiency and you’ll be

done in no time.

1. Unobtrusive Drying Racks - If you’ve got a high ceiling, hang an old ladder or crib bed spring low enough to reach for an easy way to hang clothes to dry without taking up valuable floor space.

2. Behind-the-Door Storage - Take advantage of every nook and cranny for storage. Hang a shoe or shower caddy from the back of the door for laundry and cleaning products or build a shallow shelving unit to fit on the wall behind the door.

3. Rolling Cart - Buy or build a simple rolling cart that fits in the narrow space between your washer and dryer for additional (out-of-sight) storage.

4. Laundry Messages - Use a dry-erase marker directly on your washing machine (test it in an unseen area first!) or paint a cabinet door with chalkboard paint for notes to other family members like, “There are two shirts in this load that need to be hung dry.”

If You are thinking about Buying or Selling A Home…

CALL ME at…425-327-5948.






THREE

HELP! HELP! HELP!

I need your HELP The real estate business isn’t like my old business at The HUB. I used to see many of you on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. You came into my restaurant because I had what you wanted and you needed to eat several times a day, every day and I was there for you with good American Drive-In fare. I have to admit, I don’t miss the business, but I do miss my restaurant friends. (We did have a great reunion this past July!)

Now, as a realtor, I hope I have something else you need. Buying and selling a home is usually the most significant and stressful transaction in our lives. In this crazy market it can be especially stressful.

I am reaching out to you today because the real estate market is still crying out for product. We have so little to sell that when a new house comes on the market it is swarmed by buyers. That means prices are still very seller friendly. If you have been thinking about selling but weren’t sure the time was right, I can only say they won’t be any right-er!

My business is 100% referral based which means my business comes from my family, friends and Old Hub customers. If you fall into one of those categories and are thinking about selling or know of someone who needs an excellent realtor, please call me so I can help.

As a member of the Century 21 network, I have access to cutting edge technology unmatched in the industry. At the same time, I have the personal and professional skills to provide the absolute best service in the industry. Call me at 425-327-5948 so you can see how helpful I can be for you and your family, short of cooking you a burger.

Brain Teaser…

What has forests but no trees, roads but no cars, and lakes but no water?

(See page 4 for the answer.)

What’s My Home Worth?

If you want to know your home’s current value, I will gladly conduct a Maximum Value Home Audit. Request this “no charge” in-depth home value analysis by calling me at: 425-327-5948

DIY Produce Wash

Clean your fruits and veggies with this easy make-at-home solution. Mix together:

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

• juice of 1 lemon

Store in the fridge (because of the lemon juice) until you need it.

Greener Fabric Softener?

Ditch traditional dryer sheets in favor of felted wool dryer balls. They reduce stat-ic, cut drying time (sometimes in half!), and last for years. Plus, you can make your laundry smell like whatever you want with a few drops of essential oils.

Eyewear Websites

You’re no longer limited to the eyeglass frame selection at your local mall. Here are a few online spectacle shops to check out.

www.eyebuydirect.com –See which in-expensive frames suit you with the site’s virtual try-on tool, and if you’re not hap-py there’s a 14-day no-questions-asked return policy.

www.fetcheyewear.com – Fetch donates 100% of their profits to animal welfare. There’s a try-at-home program so you’ll get to test frames before you buy.

www.lensabl.com – When you have specs you like and just need an updated prescription put into them, try Lensabl. They’ll replace the lenses in your existing frames – and it’s all done by mail for

Make The Most of Estate Sales

Anyone who loves shopping garage sales and thrift stores knows that estate sales are like utopia for treasure hunters. Estate sales aren’t like yard sales, though, so here are a few things to know before you head out on your own shopping spree. Looking for a good sale? Try www.estatesale.com

• Know Who’s Running the Show - Some estate sales are organized and run by family, but more often it’s a team of professionals who are handling everything. This information is useful because you can do your homework in advance to find out what payment methods they accept and whether they’ve got strict rules about when to pick up purchases.

• Day One vs. Day Two - Going bright and early on day one of an estate sale means you’ll have the best selection of goodies to peruse. It also means you won’t get to do any haggling. Day two (or three, if the sale goes longer) is when haggling can happen, though the selection will be more picked-over.

• Poke Around Everywhere - Estate sales generally spread throughout a house, making use of every available nook and cranny to stash items for sale. If an area is off-limits, it’ll be clearly marked. Open cabinets and drawers, go up and down stairs, and don’t forget the garage and backyard.

• Bring Cash - If you can’t find information about payment methods accepted, bring cash. Don’t assume they’ll take checks or credit cards.






MY CORE VALUES

To Always... Live by the

"Get By Giving" philosophy. ——-

Make My client's #1 Goal, My #1 Goal.

——-

Live up to my standards, despite temptations to lower them.

——-

Be willing to work toward a common good.

——-

Do what I say I will do, sometimes more, just never less.

FOUR

DID YOU KNOW… Unlike most real estate agents, I DON’T spend my time pestering

people with phone calls or bothersome interruptions to find good clients.

Instead, I dedicate 110% of my time providing outstanding service to my clients. My hope is when a friend or family member needs help buying or selling a home. You give them my name. THANKS for your referrals!

Brain Teaser Answer:

A map!

Saving Old Cast Iron Pans

Finding old cast iron cookware at thrift shops is great, but what if they’re all rusted? Not to worry! Here’s how to restore and season them back to life.

1. Scrub the whole pan (including handle, sides, bottom) with hot water, mild soap and steel wool. It may take some time to get rid of every speck of rust.

2. Rinse with hot water.

3. Scrub again with an abrasive (but not metal) sponge to get rid of all steel wool remnants and rust bits.

4. Rinse again with hot water.

5. Rub a small amount of oil (canola is fine) onto every surface of the pan with a paper towel. Wipe off any excess.

6. Put the pan upside-down in a 450-500F oven for roughly an hour. Let the pan cool in the oven after you turn the heat off.

8 Important Things To Do Before You Move Into Your New Home You’ve signed and initialed on all the dotted lines. The house is yours — no more landlords or leases. Enjoy it. Revel in it. Even spend a night in your new, empty home on an air mattress with a box of pizza before things start to get real (it’s a memory you might appreciate down the road). But when the house honeymoon’s over, there’s work to be done, and certain things belong on a “the sooner the better” list. These eight expert tips offering guidance on what to do before you move into your new home just might surprise you.

1. “Borrow” your real estate agent’s contacts. Most agents have plumbers, electricians, and more that they recommend regularly. Ask your Realtor (that would be Steve) for a list of preferred providers so you have it handy in the future when you need something.

2. Wait to paint the walls. Living in your home unpacked for a little while lets you see where the light hits every room at all times of the day. So don’t rush to paint the walls before your things are in place, even if that seems easiest. You may end up choosing colors you don’t love — and then you’ll have to paint again. The type of light bulbs you use also impacts the paint color.

3. Add a UV film on your windows. Before you drill any holes or plan where you’ll hang your art, find out where the sun is strongest in your new home. Sunlight can damage works on canvas and paper over time and fade colors. You won’t notice it’s there, but it will offer some protection for your precious artwork and furniture.

4. Plan a party. Scheduling a housewarming party two to four weeks after you move in gives you an incentive — and a deadline — to get all those boxes unpacked. Once the invites are out there, you’re committed. It’s the homeowner’s equivalent of telling a friend you’ll meet her for a Pilates class. In many aspects of life, accountability is key. And if the result is a party in your newly organized house? All the better.

5. Do a doggie meet-and-greet. Before you move in, walk Fido around the neighborhood. It’s a good chance to meet your new neighbors and introduce Fido to his new surroundings. Since your neighbors will then know your doggie by name — and where he lives — they’ll know whom to call if he ever gets out of your yard. (Moving-day pet escapes are all too common!)

6. Keep every receipt. Make a folder, get a notebook, and keep receipts for everything. You might be surprised at what’s tax-deductible. Claiming the space for your home office isn’t big news, but don’t forget all the pieces that go with the home office.

7. Get an energy audit. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save up to 30% on your energy bill by making upgrades identified in an energy audit. Energy-efficient homes are a win-win for the owner and the environment. During a professional energy assessment, an auditor will identify shortcomings in your home that can be fixed to save energy and lower your bills. To find an auditor near you, ask your local electric or gas companies or search the Residential Energy Services Network directory.

8. Vet the vents. If your home is new construction, be sure to vacuum out the vents (with a hose attachment) before turning on the HVAC. Otherwise, the dust that settled in the vents could be blown out — and into your home. Owners of new-construction homes often report needing to change their air filters more frequently, and this is why. Your builder should have done this too, but it can’t hurt to make sure.






THANK YOU for reading my

Service For Life! newsletter.

Your constructive feedback is always welcome. AND…whether

you’re thinking of buying, selling or financing real estate,

or just want to stop by and say HI, I’d love to hear from you…

Steve Dana Century 21 North Homes Realty

425-327-5948 [email protected]

Www.stevedanahomeseller.wordpress.com Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is intended for informational purposes. It should not substi-tute as legal, accounting, investment, medical or other professional services advice. Always seek a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. This newsletter is not intended to solicit real estate properties currently for sale.

FIVE

Real Estate Corner… Q. What advice can you give to first-time homebuyers?

A. The best advice is to learn from the mistakes of others. Here are three common examples:

1. Not knowing what you can a afford . Examine your budget, get a copy of your credit report, and sit down with a qualified lender to deter-mine how much of a loan you can afford. Feel free to ask me for a list of lender recommendations, then make sure you comparison shop for a mortgage.

2. Forgetting to consider the overall costs of home ownership. You can make the monthly payment, but remember to add in the cost for home-owners’ insurance, property taxes, utility costs, plus maintenance.

3. Paying too much for a beautifully staged home. The home looks per-fect, but will it look that way when you move in your furniture?

If you’re buying a home for the first time, you should have a copy of my Free Consumer Report called, “Top 10 First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes To Avoid.” Call me and I’ll send a copy out to you.

Do you have a real estate question you want answered? Feel free to call me at 425-327-5948. Perhaps I’ll feature it in my next issue!

8 Crazy Cleaning Tips That Actually Work You may have your allegiances to certain brands of cleaning products, but are they really getting the job done? If you have an especially tough cleaning problem to solve and the supermarket supplies just aren’t cutting it, maybe it's time for a slightly more …

1. Coffee Filters for Cleaning Glass

When your mirrors or windows start to look cloudy, you probably reach for paper towels and a glass cleaner, but this tired old cleaning method can leave behind streaks and spots. The next time you need to shine up some windows, try using clean coffee filters for spot-free glass cleaning.

2. Hairspray to Clear Dry-Erase Boards

Nothing ruins a dry erase board faster than a dry erase marker stain that just won't go away, no matter how much cleaner you put on the board. If you have a stubborn stain on your dry-erase board, try spritzing on some hairspray to remove it. After spraying and erasing, wipe down the board with good old-fashioned soap and water to get rid of the sticky residue.

3. Sunscreen to Remove Permanent Marker

Sunscreen is crucial for protecting you and your family from the sun’s harmful UV rays, but did you know that it can also protect your furniture, clothes, and other surfaces from a rogue permanent marker? Rub in a dollop of sunscreen to get rid of those impossible-to-remove permanent marker stains.

4. Baby Powder and Dish Soap to Remove Oil-Based Stains

Oil-based stains are perplexing and tough to eliminate from furniture or clothing, no matter how much you dab or how hard you scrub. Remove those offending stains once and for all by treating them with a mixture of equal parts baby powder and dish soap.

5. Chalk to Remove Oil Stains on Clothing

How many times have you ruined your favorite shirt by splattering it with bacon grease during the breakfast rush? After your next encounter with oil or grease, before you throw your shirt in the washing machine, pretreat it by rubbing plain old white chalk into the stain. The chalk will absorb the grease, making it more likely that the shirt will emerge from the wash stain-free.

6. Vegetable Oil for Cleaning Wood Floors

Vegetable oil is great for frying eggs and is often a key ingredient in a batch of cookies, but did you know that it can also be used to clean wood floors? Get your shiniest wood floors ever by combining equal parts vegetable oil and vinegar in a spray bottle, spritzing the floor, and mopping up the solution. Follow up with a clean cloth or dust mop.

7. Windshield Water Repellent for Glass Shower Doors

The same product that prevents a buildup of rainwater on your car windshield can also work wonders on your glass shower door, which is notoriously difficult to keep clean. Simply spray on the water repellent coating and wipe it down lightly to prevent those annoying hard water or soap scum stains.

8. Mayonnaise for Cleaning Cloudy Wood Stains

Those cloudy stains from heat or water rings can really mar the look of a nice piece of wood furniture. Brighten up that beautiful surface by slathering on some mayonnaise—yes, mayonnaise—and letting it sit overnight. Once the stain is gone, wipe off the mayonnaise, buff the spot, and then shine it up with furniture polish.







BACK Steve Dana Century 21 North Homes Realty 722 Avenue D, Suite 1 Snohomish, WA 98290

Inside This Issue… Give Your Back A Break With These Spinal Health Tips…Page 1

How To Use Your Smartphone On An Overseas Trip…Page 2

Organize Your Laundry Room For Maximum Efficiency…Page 2

4 Expert Insights On Estate Sale Shopping…Page 3

8 Important Things to do Before Moving into your New Home … Page 4

8 Crazy Cleaning Tips that Really Work … Page 5

COUNTDOWN TO HUB BURGER FUNDRAISER II Now that we are into the new year, it’s time to start planning the next Hub Burgers for Charity event. The important date to remember will be Saturday July 13. That will be the weekend before Kla Ha Ya Days.

For year two, Donna Walsh has agreed to let us come back to The Walsh Pavilion on Terrace Ave. I am so grateful to have Chris & Carol and Donna (and Wally in spirit) in our corner. Donations for adult beverages all go to support the Delta Foundation.

So what we learned from last year was that we didn’t have nearly enough cooking capacity for the number of people we had attending (400). So many of you waited literally hours for your burgers. We are determined to fix that problem by increasing the number of grills we have cooking. To facilitate that, we are looking for two 48” propane flat top grills to go with the ones we borrowed from the Kiwanis Club and our friend Chris Walsh. That will double our grill space. It should speed up the operation some.

Ben Krause has a couple commercial gas fryers that will help on the French fry end since I nearly burned Denny Kendall to death last year. Safety wasn’t a high

enough priority last year so we will do better in 2019

I also need to borrow some refrigerators for the week-end. Last year was really hot and the cooling capacity we had was not adequate.

Our good friend Fred Wright took pity on us after last years event and bought us three brand new 10 x 10 pop up tents. How blessed can I be to have friends like Fred and Connie.

Our charity partner is still THE ROAD BACK TO LIFE FOUNDATION. Bob Crabtree and his team do wonder-ful work in their own arena, but at last year’s event he brought a team of volunteers that helped with our event too. We look forward to seeing Bob and Sam this year.

Once again, we are blessed to be associated with so many thoughtful and caring partners. If you would like to help with our event this year, please contact me by email with your name and contact information along with how you want to help. It cost us about $3500 to put on our event so if we get donations of supplies or cash that would be wonderful. We will need about 25 workers on the day of the event.

We need help creating a website with money collection capabilities so we can pre-sell tickets and promote our event in the community. Our town is so generous. Thank You everyone.



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