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!)…

rewild (pronounced ree-WILD) verb

Meaning: to restore something to its native state or habitat
Sample Sentence: It’s becoming increasingly popular for homeowners to rewild their lawns, letting native plants take the place of grass, for a low-maintenance yard solution that’s far more pollinator-friendly.

Weight Washing

More and more people swear by weighted blankets, but how to wash them may not be obvious.

In most cases, you can throw blankets weighing less than 20 pounds in your washing machine. Experts recommend using the gentle cycle on your machine with cold or warm water, not hot water and tumble dry on low. Skip the fabric softener, too.

Be sure to check the care tag for specific washing instructions—and get more blanket laundering tips in this article, including information about washing weighted blankets based on their fabric content:  

https://www.dropps.com/blogs/spincycle/how-to-wash-a-weighted-blanket

Quotes To Live By…

“Speak in the vernacular. The moral urgency of change acquires its greatest grandeur when expressed in shared language.”

– Mike Davis, Historian

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

– Douglas Adams, Writer

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

– Coco Chanel, Designer

Plant-Based Eating On A Budget

     Whether you’re looking for a healthier diet option for yourself or the planet, focusing on primarily plant-based meals is an excellent option. Eating a plant-based diet can be budget-friendly, but getting started may take a little more effort and planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

• The produce section of any big grocery store will have plenty of inexpensive fruits and vegetables, so you don’t have to make a trip to a specialty market for organic produce.
• Buy extra vegetables when they’re on sale to freeze for later use.
• Fresh isn’t your only (or even best) option. Frozen and canned veggies or beans can be incredibly cheap, making meal prep faster.
• Use every bit of what you buy. Carrot tops make great pesto, beet greens behave like spinach leaves when sauteed, and even onion skins and carrot peels can be turned into homemade veggie stock.
• Getting enough protein when you cut back on meat is an easy money-saver: protein-rich foods like legumes and beans cost a fraction of what you’d spend at the butcher’s counter.

     The Plant-Based on a Budget site has a huge catalog of healthy and delicious vegan recipes as well as cookbooks:

 https://plantbasedonabudget.com/

Renovations That Can Devalue Your Home

     Contrary to what you might think, not all home improvements and renovations increase the value of your home. Some do the opposite. You might want to reconsider these changes if you wish to boost value:

• Bold colors: Brightly colored walls can be off-putting, especially on the exterior (as it’s more costly to change). Neutral colors better allow buyers to envision themselves in the space.
• Pools or hot tubs: Between maintenance, insurance costs, and safety issues for families with kids, pools and hot tubs can seem like a headache to potential buyers.
• Some major conversions: Turning a bedroom into a walk-in closet or a garage into a living space can downgrade your home’s classification. Even changing a tub to a shower can be a dealbreaker for some.
• Carpeting: New carpet in a living room or bedroom is usually a perk, but most people think too much carpet (especially in odd rooms like bathrooms or kitchens) is a turn-off.

 www.rudyperkinsrealty.com

Would You Like To Know How Much
Is your Neighbor's Home Listed Or Sold For?

Maybe you're just curious. Or perhaps you want to know how much your home is worth. Either way, I can help… without "sales pitches" or run-arounds. Email me at [email protected],
and I'll give you all the facts.

Brain Teaser…

A yellow house, green house, and white house are on one side of the street. The yellow house sits to the left of the middle house and the green house sits to the right of the middle house. Where is the white house?  (see pg. 4)

Real Estate Question?

Maybe you want to know how much your home is worth. Or maybe you need a recommendation for a handyman, carpet cleaner, or plumber…Either way, I love hearing from all my good friends and clients. And I’m happy to help answer questions you might have about anything relating to real estate or home ownership. If you have a question, tip, or idea, call me at (203) 243-3820.

S.O.Say What?

We all know that SOS means “help,” but do you know what SOS stands for? Trick question! It doesn’t stand for anything. The letter combination was chosen as a Morse Code distress signal in the early 20th century because it was simple to send out and interpret—three dots, three dashes, three dots.

Media 'Trigger Warning' Websites

Several websites you can check before pressing play will alert you if anything in a movie or TV show might be troubling to kids or those with sensitivities.

DoesTheDogDie.com As the name suggests, this site has crowdsourced warnings about whether a dog dies in a movie or show, but it also tracks more than 180 other triggers. 

ThisCouldBeTriggering.tumblr.com This Tumblr blog catalogs potential warnings for movies, TV shows, books, and music. 

IMDb.com The popular movie and TV database has a "Parents Guide" feature that might contain trigger warnings. Scroll down on anything you want to watch and click "Parents Guide" below the "Storyline" section.

A Budget You Can Keep

     Budgeting is top-of-mind for many at this time of year, but you might be better served by working on a spending and savings plan instead. Some experts contend that while a budget can feel punitive, a spending and savings plan sounds more freeing. This plan focuses on saving but doesn’t make people feel like they must deny all spending in the process—which means they’re more likely to stick with it.

     However, before you decide what to spend and save, you need an accurate picture of your current money situation. Create a tracking method for income and routine expenses like mortgage, car payment, utilities, etc. This gives you a clear picture of how much you must save or spend each month.

     Here are a few tips for creating your own spending and savings plan.

• Set up automatic savings methods like auto transfers into your savings account or an investment account every payday, bumping the amount you transfer up every time you get a raise. You can also try a service that rounds up each time you buy something and deposit it into a savings account, like Chime or Acorns.
• Set some SMART savings goals for yourself. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based—articulating these points in detail makes it far more likely you’ll stay on track. Learn more about SMART goals here: atlassian.com/blog/productivity/how-to-write-smart-goals
• Refrain from significant expenses that aren’t in your overall plan. Spending in and of itself isn’t bad—but if you’ve planned for a $10,000 renovation and end up spending $20,000, that’s a problem. Think hard about any vast expenses that you didn’t have in your plan to begin with. Look at your SMART savings goal again if you need extra motivation to hold back.
• Take advantage of the free resources from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB’s “Your Money, Your Goals” includes a toolkit about tracking your money, making spending decisions, and handling debts. There are even templates you can use to build your own spending and savings plan quickly. It’s available to download from the CFPB site in multiple languages (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/your-money-your-goals/), or you can order a printed copy.

 www.rudyperkinsrealty.com

Please Welcome New Clients And Good Friends Into Our Real Estate Family...

I want to welcome my newest clients and good friends who have supported my business. Special thanks to everyone who thought of me with your referrals! 

Thanks For Thinking of Me!

Did you know I can help you or any of your friends or family save time and money when buying or selling a home? Thanks for keeping me in mind with your referrals…and spreading the word about my services.

Brain Teaser Answer:

Washington D.C.!

From Soup To Nuts

Sitting down to a multi-course meal in the evening isn’t how most of us probably experience dinner.

But that kind of formal affair gives rise to the familiar idiom, “from soup to nuts,” which means “from start to finish”—soup being a traditional first course and nuts, cheese, or dessert being standard options for the final course.

This version of the idiom dates from the mid-1900s in the U.S., though there are older variations from England (“from pottage to cheese,” pottage being a porridge made from vegetables) and Ancient Rome (“from eggs to apples”).

THANK YOU for reading Rudy Perkins Realty my newsletter. I wanted to produce a newsletter with great content that is fun and valuable to you. 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…

RUDOLPH PERKINS

Rudy Perkins Realty

12032433820

[email protected]

_{Disclaimer: The information contained in this letter is intended for informational purposes. It should not substitute as legal, accounting, investment, medical or other professional services advice. Always seek a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. This letter is not intended to solicit real estate properties currently for sale.}

Real Estate Corner…

Q: Will I net more money if I sell my home, or should I hire a REALTOR^® to do it?   

A: It depends on your situation, time, and motivation. You can sell your home yourself by staging it, setting the right price, creating a marketing plan, and fulfilling all legal requirements. Or you may hire a “Home Marketing Expert,” who will charge a commission but help you with pricing, provide you exposure by marketing your property to other real estate agents, show your home, and coordinate the closing process. You might consider these facts:

• According to a recent National Association of Realtors report, sellers selling their homes sold at a median of $310,000, significantly less than the median sale price for a home sold with an agent, $405,000. About 7% of homes sold were sold without an agent.
• Sellers who sold their homes sold more quickly because they were typically sold to someone the seller knew. 
• Setting the right price was the most challenging part for those who sold their home. 

     To learn more about how to sell your home, call and ask for my Free Consumer Report called “7 Insider Tips To Net More Money Selling Your Own Home.”  I’ll send a copy right to you. Do you have a question you want answered related to real estate or home ownership? Feel free to email me at [email protected]om. 

 www.rudyperkinsrealty.com

"Who Wants To Win A $50.00 Gift Certificate?"

     Then, be the first person to answer this month's Trivia Question correctly.

Last Month's Trivia Question and Answer.

How big was the most giant snowflake ever recorded in width?

a) 8 inches b) 12 inches   c) 15 inches   d) 23 inches

      The answer is c) 15 inches. According to Guinness World Records, the giant snowflake recorded was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. The snowflake was reported on January 28, 1887, by Matt Coleman, a rancher in Fort Keogh, Montana. So, let's move on to this month's trivia question.

This band's biggest hit reached number one on airplay charts in 1995, but it wasn't even available as a single at the time. What's the band?

a) TLC b) No Doubt c) The Rembrandts   d) Boyz II Men

Email Me At [email protected]. And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!