Steven Silva’s… Tips for Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Living
- 7 Major Financial Mistakes & How To Avoid Them…
- Save Money On These Simple Home Repairs…
- Fun Facts and Laughs: What To Do If Your E-mail Is Hacked, Great Travel-Planning Websites, And More…
- Trivia Challenge: Win Movie Tickets for Two
- Real Estate Q&A: My Home Didn’t Sell The First Time. What Should I Do Now To Get It Sold?…
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Steven Silva
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Realty Centres
Phone: 1-855-737-8383 ext 0
Email: info@stevensilvateam.com
All it takes is one emergency to disrupt your short-term financial goals such as taking a vacation this year or even long-term plans for when you can retire. That’s why I want to share how to avoid seven major financial mistakes in this month’s newsletter.
You’ll also learn three do-it-yourself home repairs that will save you money, fast fixes if your e-mail is hacked, and great travel websites to plan your next trip – plus fun facts, a trivia challenge, and lots more.
Steven Silva, REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty Centres
P.S. When you notice people talking about real estate in the next few weeks, can you tell them about the free information I provide?
They may be people wanting to move this year, and you can tell them about my Free Report: “How To Avoid 7 Costly Mistakes When Selling Your Home”. You’ll give them a huge boost in confidence because this guide shows how to net the most money from a home sale in the least amount of time. To request a copy for a friend, simply email me by clicking here.
People are hired to get rid of me.
I’m often hiding under your bed.
In time, I’ll always return you see.
Bite me and you’re surely dead.
What am I?
(see answer below)
& How To Avoid Them
Watch out for these seven mistakes that could cost you big time:
- Not having an emergency fund. Keep at least three months’ worth of your expenses in an account so you’re not using credit cards to pay for unexpected events, such as a job loss or medical expense.
- Not having a budget. Take your income minus your fixed expenses, and the difference is what you can spend each month. Track your spending using tools like www.mint.com.
- Not saving for retirement. Be sure to take advantage of your employer’s retirement savings plan, and open your own retirement savings account.
- Not paying bills on time. Late payments affect your credit score. Sign up for a free service such as www.manilla.com, which lets you organize your bills in one place and sends you bill pay reminders.
- Not planning for your children’s education. Consider investing in a Government of Canada Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). With an RESP, you may be able to receive other saving incentives, such as the Canada Learning Bond. Visit www.canlearn.ca to get more details.
- Not monitoring your credit history. There are two national credit bureaus in Canada: Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. You can request a free copy of your credit file by mail. You can also obtain your credit report plus your credit score sooner by paying a small fee. Visit the Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada website to order your copy online. Check it for accuracy and to ensure you’re not a victim of ID theft or fraud.
- Not paying down credit card debt before everything else. If your credit card interest is 20% and your mortgage interest is 5%, pay off the credit card debt to avoid paying more in interest over the long term.
Value Of Your Home!
Did you know there’s a free report showing what to fix to net the most value for your home? It’s called “Make Your Home Show Like A Model Without Breaking The Bank” and it’s an essential guide to homeowner profits. To request your copy, simply email me by clicking here.
Sometimes you can just do-it-yourself. Here are three simple home repairs almost anyone can do:
Caulking. Save energy costs by using caulk to seal air and water leaks. Use 100% silicone caulk (available at a hardware store), because it’s waterproof and shrink-resistant. Remove old caulk with a razor blade, outline the area with masking tape, and use a caulk gun to apply new caulk. Smooth it with your finger and remove the tape.
Cleaning grout. If you’re tired of scrubbing, buy a grout color restorer at Home Depot or Lowes. Stone Care International’s Grout Ink, for example, comes in white, earth tone, or gray for about $8 a tube. Clean the surface, apply a coat and let dry. Do a second coat.
Fixing squeaky doors. Shut the door and pull out the center pin from one hinge. Clean the pin with a scrubbing pad and coat it with petroleum jelly. Put the pin back in and open and close the door a few times. Repeat with other hinges if necessary.
Great Travel-Planning Websites . . .
• www.tripit.com – Create a detailed itinerary of car rentals, restaurants & hotels, and even keep up with the weather.
• www.lonelyplanet.com – Follow the discussions of those who have just come back from your travel destinations.
• www.plnnr.com – Create free automatic travel itineraries for major cities in the U.S. and Europe.
What To Do If Your E-mail Is Hacked . . .
If your friends and family say they got a spam message from you, your email may have been hacked. Try these fixes:
• Change your e-mail account password. Use phrases, upper/lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Don’t use your birthday!
• E-mail your contacts immediately. Tell them your account was hacked and they shouldn’t open your e-mails containing suspicious links or requests for money.
• Check your security levels. Firewalls usually block hackers. Do an anti-virus update and run a scan on your system.
• Don’t click on anything in suspicious e-mails. That’s probably how your e-mail got hacked in the first place.
Remember These Classic Candies? . . .
• Bit-O-Honey — Honey-flavored taffy guaranteed to remove your fillings.
• Bubble-gum cigars & cigarettes — Yes, they sold these to kids!
• Little Wax Bottles filled with a sugary liquid — you can still find them out there!
• Clark’s Teaberry Gum — It even had its own song called The Teaberry Shuffle.
Have A Laugh . . .
Just A Click Away!
Learn valuable secrets for saving thousands and avoiding costly mistakes when buying, selling or refinancing a home. Best of all, it’s FREE. Email about my “Insider’s Free Resources” by clicking here.
March Break is just around the corner and a trip to the movies sounds nice doesn’t it? Be the first to answer this question…
What was the highest grossing movie of the 1990s?
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.
A. The biggest things to consider are the home’s price and its condition.You may have set the price too high, keeping buyers and real estate agents away. If you lowered your price in increments, it may have been too late since it was already viewed as an “overpriced” home. Also, look at your home’s condition from a buyer’s perspective. Is there more you can do to make it stand out from other homes for sale?
It may be time to hire not just a REALTOR®, but a Home Marketing Expert. This is an agent who understands your needs and can use their expertise to re-evaluate the price plus share easy ways to make your home appear more attractive to buyers.
To learn more about how to sell your home quickly, call and ask for my Free Report called “4 Tips To Guarantee Your Home Sells The Second Time.” I’ll send a copy right over to you.
Do you have a question you want answered related to real estate or home ownership? Feel free to call me at 1-855-737-8383 ext 0 or email me by clicking here. Perhaps I’ll feature your question in my next issue!
Forward this to a friendTHANK YOU… for reading my personal newsletter. I wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you. Help your friends get more out of life by forwarding this email to them…