Courtesy of Rick Simioni

HELPING PEOPLE BUY & SELL HOMES

SALES REPRESENTATIVE Rick Simioni IN NIAGARA SINCE 2008 VISIT MY WEBSITE TO SEE LISTINGS ANYWHERE IN ONTARIO

ricksimioni@royallepage.ca www.RickSimioni.com

905.380.5957

NRC Realty Brokerage; Independently Owned & Operated

Volume 17 | 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 1 tablespoon cinnamon or to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

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

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

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.

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:

MARKET UPDATE

MARKET ACTIVITY in Selected Niagara Areas December Residential Activity

Number of New Listings

Number of Sales

HPI Benchmark Price

Average Days on Market

Areas

December 2022

December 2023

December 2022

December 2023

December 2022

December 2023

December 2022

December 2023

Fort Erie

49

46

32

25

$529,600

$508,500

59

71

Lincoln

31

17

18

20

$781,800

$757,900

58

54

Niagara Falls

99

75

54

51

$619,900

$605,800

42

38

Niagara-on-the-Lake

15

15

11

10

$1,038,700

$1,000,200

72

68

Pelham

19

14

16

10

$809,800

$813,100

40

27

Port Colborne / Wainfleet

34

29

11

11

$512,400

$494,900

39

58

St. Catharines

104

88

85

73

$571,500

$559,100

43

36

Thorold

21

26

16

22

$586,100

$606,200

44

53

Welland

51

48

27

36

$507,100

$526,900

42

46

West Lincoln

10

8

5

2

$729,700

$768,100

43

55

Niagara Totals

Note: Numbers of sales represents sales reported on properties listed on the Multiple Listings Serves (MLS ® ) of the Niagara Association of REALTORS ® (NAR). 50.6 Note: Numbers of sales represents sales reported for the month of December on or before January 2, 2023. SALES REPRESENTATIVE Rick Simioni The greatest compliment my clients can give me is the referral of family and friends. 433 366 275 260 $629,600 $617,000 48.2

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905.380.5957 | ricksimioni@royallepage.ca

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