Holiday Stress

Wellness

The holidays are here! For many people, this is a time for family gatherings and festivity. It is a joyous and beautiful time of year. But it is also a period when people tend to overeat, stress about budgets, worry about lack of time, and neglect taking care of themselves. Therefore, we have a few tips to help you keep the cheer up and the stress down.

Make the holidays your own. They don’t have to be perfect to be great. Be realistic about your expectations and focus on what makes you happy.

Set a budget for gifts and entertainment. Before you get knee-deep in holiday debt, sort out what you can realistically afford and stick to it. A few alternatives could be to make homemade gifts or donate to a charity in a friend or relative’s name. As for holiday gatherings, consider a potluck or BYOB for your party to help alleviate some of the expense.

Respect your time. If you can’t make it to a party or activity, politely decline and move on with it – don’t feel guilty about not going. There is only so much a person can do, and learning to say “no” is important. This will help you preserve your resources when you are too tired or busy to participate and keep you chipper for the events you are able to attend.

Don’t completely abandon your good eating habits, but also, don’t stress about a few extra calories either. Eat some healthy snacks on the way to a party so you are not grasping at food on an empty stomach. And be sure to stick to your exercise routine this time of year. 

Take some time to escape. You are not the only person who is stressed during the holidays – your friends and family may also be a bit pressured. Recognize that everyone may be a little more taxed than usual and allow yourself time to escape for a few moments. Taking a few deep breaths and reflecting on the joys of the holiday will help you stay calm when you return to the crowds.

If you are currently sad or grief-stricken, you don’t have to pretend to be cheerful. Acknowledge your feelings and accept them. You can tell your friends and family how you are feeling and ask them for a little space when you need it.

Remind yourself what you are thankful for. There is no better time of year to check your gratitude perspective. While this may be a time of extra stress, it is also a time to celebrate all the goodness in your life and share smiles with the people you love. 

Happy holidays from all of us at Keller Williams Realty NW!

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

Home Inspections

How Listing Agents Help Sellers Prepare for the Home Inspection

Most sellers understand that there are at least a few things that need to be done to prepare their home to go on the market. Staging and cosmetic improvements may be some of the issues that come to mind first, but in order for the selling process to go smoothly, sellers should also consider preparing their homes for the inspection.

The inspection can play a pivotal role, with buyers taking the opportunity to use issues that arise as leverage to negotiate for a lower price. In some cases, the deal may fall apart because of the results of the home inspection.

As the listing agent, you can help mitigate the need for these negotiations by helping your seller properly prepare for the home inspection. One way to make this easier for your client is to provide guidance for preparing the home for inspection as well as a list of repairs that must or should be completed prior to the inspection.

Preparation

-Ensure inspector has easy access to all areas of the home, including attics, basements and crawlspaces.

-Create a clear path to mechanical items, such as the furnace, electrical panel and water heater.

-Move furniture away from exterior walls so they can be assessed for cracks.

-Clear closet clutter so all walls inside a closet can be seen and examined.

Must-Fix

-Remove all ceiling stains. Regardless of origin, ceiling stains make people think of water damage, whether or not the source of the issue has been taken care of.

-Check the attic for mold. Improper venting for bath or exhaust fans can create a breeding ground in the attic if not properly vented to the outside.

Should-Fix

-If the seller has done any electrical work on their own, hire an electrician to ensure all electrical work is up to code and includes the appropriate GFI outlets in the kitchen and bathrooms while eliminating hazards such as double-tapped electrical breakers.

-Repair leaky faucets, slow drains and running toilets.

-Locate, repair and paint any rotting exterior wood. Even if it isn’t a structural defect, it may give the appearance of one.

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

24437 Superior Drive, Rogers, MN Presented by Karen Pelkey.

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

Yoga at Work

Be more productive and healthier in just 20 minutes a day. No gym required.

Even though yoga has been around for 5,000 years, it has grown in recent popularity. And for very good reason. It used to be that scientific studies proving the benefits of yoga were scarce and unaccepted. That isn’t the case anymore. Research is more prevalent, proving that yoga is an effective way to improve both physical and mental health.Workout fads come and go, but no other exercise program is as enduring as yoga. What makes it even more popular is that anyone of any age can do it. Dogs are even known to do “doga.”

Yoga is a total mind and body workout. While strengthening muscles, it helps to relax the mind. There are many styles of yoga ranging from fast paced and intense to gentle and relaxing.

Here are some of the more popular styles:

Hatha. The form most often associated with yoga, it combines a series of basic movements with breathing.

Vinyasa. A series of poses that flow smoothly into one another.

Power. A faster, higher-intensity practice that builds muscle.

Ashtanga. A series of poses, combined with a special breathing technique.

Bikram. Also known as “hot yoga,” it’s a series of 26 challenging poses performed in a room heated to a high temperature.

Iyengar. A type of yoga that uses props like blocks, straps, and chairs to help you move your body into the proper alignment.

Tip: If you are new to yoga, try a few different studios, teachers and styles. This way you’ll find a style and teacher that resonate with you!

Most people begin with hatha yoga – it’s the most popular, and it’s good for beginners because of its slow pace.

Another benefit of yoga is that it can be practiced almost anywhere. Its only equipment requirement is a mat, and even that is not mandatory. Just 20 minutes of yoga practice is enough to reap exercise benefits. This fact alone makes yoga a popular option for workplace exercise.

At Keller Williams Realty, our associates are family. And to us, that means fulfilling our mission to help build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living. We realize a life worth living has to be a healthy one, which is why we developed our all-encompassing wellness plan. Learn more about KW Wellness.

20 Minutes of Yoga at Work

Studies have shown that just 20 minutes of yoga followed by conscious breathing and meditation can improve concentration and memory.

By taking time out of your day to practice yoga, you can return to your tasks with a fresh mind and even be able to focus better and process information more quickly.

Some of the many health benefits of yoga include:

• Increased flexibility
• Increased muscle strength and tone
• Improved posture
• Improved respiration, energy and vitality
• Balanced metabolism
• Weight reduction
• Cardio and circulatory health
• Improved athletic performance
• Protection from injury
• Increased immunity
• More focused
• More relaxed

Yoga can be done at home, in a studio, at work, at the beach, at a park or just about anywhere. There are even yoga apps that can be downloaded to your phone! The key to yoga is practice – it is not about what you do but how you do it. Find a quiet place at the office and give yourself 20 minutes to sync in with your body and mind.

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

1110 Flintwood Street Southwest, Isanti, MN Presented by Karen Pelkey.

APRIL SELLERS BRING FULL PRICE OFFERS

New Listings showed a second year-over-year decline in 2016 while pending purchase activity rose for the 17th straight month. Buyers signed 6,373 new purchase agreements, a small but important 1.6 percent gain compared to a record-setting April 2015. Due to the well-known supply shortages in our market, would-be sellers are concerned about their ability to secure their next property in the current environment. Inventory levels fell 19.4 percent to 12,849 active properties. Because of record demand, weak supply and a more expensive mix of homes selling, the April median sales price rose 7.7 percent to $231,500. Median list price, by contrast, has already reached and exceeded its previous record, perhaps an indication that the median sales price could do the same this year.

As was the case in March, serious buyers came out swinging in April. In fact, sellers had the same chance of getting offers above their current list price as they did below. Those odds were exactly fifty-fifty—as they were in 2005. That’s not the case for original list price, which indicates that once a home is properly priced, serious buyers are willing to write full-price offers. Unsurprisingly, homes tended to sell in less time, with cumulative days on market declining 14.1 percent to 73 days. That’s the lowest April figure since 2007. Months supply of inventory fell 27.8 percent to 2.6 months—the lowest April figure on record going back to 2003. Generally, five to six months of supply is considered a balanced market. While our region as a whole is favoring sellers, not all areas, segments or price points necessarily reflect that.

“This is an important milestone that speaks to the health of our market,” said Judy Shields, Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) President. “Sellers should not interpret this to mean they are guaranteed offers above their list price. Every price range, area and segment is still unique. It’s more important now than ever to properly price your home. This means buyers–particularly those in multiple offers–should be ready to make full price offers on the properties that best fits their needs.”

The last time absorption rates, consumer demand and home prices were where they are today, the median percent of current list price received at sale was also 100.0 percent, so this isn’t entirely unfamiliar territory. There was also significantly more inventory in 2004 and 2005. The marketplace is finally closing the gap from the recession before advancing—sustained by smarter lending policy, job and wage increases, population growth, the risk of higher interest rates and relentlessly rising rents. It’s worth noting that traditional sales tend to fetch a higher ratio of sales price to list price. For the first April since 2007, traditional sales made up over 90.0 percent of overall sales, which boosts the percentage of current list price received.

The national unemployment rate for April was unchanged at 5.0 percent. With a local unemployment rate of 4.0 percent, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area was among the top ten large metros with the lowest unemployment rate. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate continued to hover just above 3.6 percent compared to a long-term average of about 8.0 percent. Rates took a surprising dive after the Federal Reserve announced the first hike last year. Marginally higher rates were widely expected in 2016, even though a June rate hike seems unlikely.

“The economy is still strengthening and the market is very competitive,” said Cotty Lowry, MAAR President-Elect. “Serious buyers must be prepared to make strong offers right away or risk not having their offer accepted.

By Aubray Erhardt on Tuesday, May 17th, 2016

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

747 Eagle Lake Road S, Big Lake, MN Presented by Karen Pelkey.

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

710 5th Avenue SW, Isanti, MN Presented by Karen Pelkey.

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Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

God Made A Realtor

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

Existing-home sales start 2016 at a six-month high

Existing-home sales start 2016 at a six-month high: While existing-home sales started the year off at the highest annual rate in six months, a lack of housing supply continues to hamper growth. Spring less than a month away, and total housing inventory is 2.2% lower than a year ago (1.86 million).

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

Spring energy saving tips for your Maple Grove Home

Plug electronics into a power strip.

Plugging electronics into a power strip provides a convenient ‘turn-on/turn-off’ point, so you can be sure your products are only on when you are using them. It is estimated that stand-by power accounts for more than $11 billion in annual U.S. energy costs.

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Use your ceiling fan.

Use a ceiling fan so you can turn down your air-conditioner. This way you can lower your energy bill and still stay comfortable. Just be sure to turn it off when you leave the room. Ceiling fans cool people, not the room. ENERGY STAR® certified ceiling fans with lights are 60 percent more efficient and can save $165 in energy costs over the fan’s 10-year lifetime.

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Install a programmable thermostat.

This small but useful item is worth every penny. You can set the home temperature back 7-8 degrees when you’re sleeping or away to save energy. With proper use, programmable thermostats can save about every year in energy costs. Xcel Energy now offers a $50 instant rebate on select models of smart thermostats. Visit xcelenergystore.com to learn more.

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Opt for high-efficiency faucets and shower heads.

Faucets that use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute can reduce a sink’s water flow by 30 percent or more from the standard flow of 2.2 gallons per minute without sacrificing performance. Also, if you have a 2.5 gallon-per-minute (low-flow) shower head, a 7-minute shower will use less water than a full bath.

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Change your furnace filter.

The average home spends more than $2,000 per year on utility bills, nearly half going to heating and cooling. Check your air filter every month, especially during heavy use months. If the filter looks dirty, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter slows down air flow and makes your system work harder to keep you comfortable.

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Caulk and weather strip around windows and doors.

Check for signs of air leakage around windows and doors. Then use caulk and weather-stripping to stop the leaks. Homeowners typically save up to $200 a year in heating and cooling costs by air sealing their homes and adding insulation.

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Sign up for Saver’s Switch®.

It’s free – all you do is sign up and you’ll receive 15% off of your June through September electric energy charges just for participating. A small device is attached outside of your house near your central AC unit that cycles it off for 10-minute intervals during the hottest days. Your furnace fan stays on, circulating cooled air; and the difference is just a degree or two...but it helps everyone on those days when the need is greatest. You get the discount no matter whether your AC unit is ever cycled off. If you’re in the market for a new cooling system, Xcel Energy provides rebates for higher efficiency AC models to help offset the cost.

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Install LED lighting.

LED lighting provides bright, while using 85 percent less energy and lasting up to 25 years. Replace bulbs in your home, one at a time. Which lamp do you use most? Which room are you in the most? Start with that bulb or room and build from there. Xcel Energy partners with retailers to offer discounts on energy efficient bulbs. Visit xcelenergy.com/lightingdeals for participating retailers.

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Choose ENERGY STAR appliances.

A new ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator uses less energy than a 60-watt light bulb. ENERGY STAR dishwashers and clothes washers use a third of the energy and water and require one-third of the soap. By the way, Xcel Energy will recycle your secondary fridge that’s chugging away in your basement. We’ll give you $35 for it, and haul it away for you, too.

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Hire an expert.

For $60 ($200 value), you can get a Standard Home Energy Audit, which includes a visit from a contracted energy expert who will identify energy efficiency opportunities and help you develop a plan of action. The audit includes a review of the attic, insulation, doors, windows, furnace, appliances and more. The expert will identify problems such as drafty windows, insufficient insulation, humidity problems, inefficient appliances, poor ventilation, or inefficient heating and cooling systems. You could also choose the Infrared Home Energy Audit for only $100; you’d get all of the above plus an infrared scan of your home so you can see where your conditioned air is escaping. If you plan to implement several energy efficient upgrades, consider the Home Performance with Energy Star program to earn even more in rebate dollars.

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To find these and other great energy and water saving tips, visit www.energystar.gov.

To learn more about Xcel Energy’s rebates and energy efficiency programs, please visitwww.xcelenergy.com.

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!

 

Submitted by BATC on February 19, 2016

Radon in Maple Grove Homes

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) provides information on radon and how to protect your family's health. MDH also recommends that every Minnesota home be tested for radon.

Download a printable version of the brochure "Radon: Keeping Your Home Safe" (PDF)

What is radon?

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that seeps up from the earth. When inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can damage the cells that line the lung.

Long term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer. In fact, over 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US each year are from radon, making it a serious health concern for all Minnesotans.

Where does radon come from?

The soil. Radon is produced from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. Uranium breaks down to radium. As radium disintegrates it turns into radioactive gas...radon. As a gas, radon moves up through the soil and into the air you breathe.

How dangerous is radon?

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer (after tobacco) in smokers. Thankfully, this risk should be entirely preventable through awareness and testing.

Where is your greatest exposure to radon?

While radon is present everywhere, and there is no known, safe level, your greatest exposure is where it can concentrate-indoors. And where you spend most time-at home. Your home can have radon whether it be old or new, well-sealed or drafty, and with or without a basement.

How serious a problem is radon in Minnesota?

High radon exist in every state in the US. In Minnesota, 2 in 5 homes has radon levels that pose a significant health risk, and nearly 80% of counties are rated high radon zones. Some factors that further contribute to Minnesota's high radon levels include:

• Minnesota's geology produces an ongoing supply of radon.
• Minnesota's climate affects how our homes are built and operate.

How does radon enter a home?

Since radon is produced from soil, it is present nearly everywhere. Because soil is porous radon gas is able to move up through the dirt and rocks and into the air we breathe. If allowed to accumulate, radon becomes a health concern.

Two components that affect how much radon will accumulate in a home are pathways and air pressure. These components will differ from home to home.

• Pathways are routes the gas uses to enter your home and found anywhere there is an opening between the home and the soil.
• Air pressure between your home's interior and the exterior soil is what helps to draw radon gas into the home via pathways.

Radon's Pathways into your home

Cracks in concrete slabs -Spaces behind brick veneer walls that rest on uncapped hollow-block foundations-Pores and cracks in concrete block-Floor-wall joints-Exposed soil, as in a sump or crawl space-Weeping (drain) tile, if drained to an open sump-Mortar joints-Loose fitting pipe penetrations tops of block wall-Building materials: brick, concrete, rock

Air pressures in your home

Minnesota homes commonly operate under a negative air pressure, especially during the heating season. What this means is that the air pressure inside your home is typically lower then the surrounding air and soil, and this creates a vacuum that pulls soil gases, such as radon, into the home via pathways. Even if the ground around the house is frozen or soaked by rain, the gravel and disturbed ground underneath the house remains warm and permeable, attracting radon gas from the surrounding soil.

Other factors also contribute to air pressure changes in a home, including:

Stack Effect	Down Wind Effect	Vacuum Effect
As warm air rises to the upper portions of a home, it is displaced by cooler, denser outside air. Some of that displaced air comes from the soil.	Strong winds can create a vacuum as they blow over the top of the home.	Combustion appliances like furnaces, hot water heaters and fireplaces, as well as exhaust fans and vents, can remove a considerable amount of air from a home. When air is exhausted, outside air enters the home to replace it. Some of this replacement air comes from the underlying soil.

What happens after radon gets into the home?

Radon levels are often highest at the entry point-typically in the lower part of a building. As radon gas moves upward, diffusion, natural air movements and mechanical equipment (such as forced-air ventilation system) distribute the radon through the home. Radon gas becomes more diluted in the upper levels of the home because there is more fresh air for it to mix with.

Greater dilution and less house vacuum effect occur when the house is more open to the outdoors, as during the non-heating season. This generally results in lower indoor radon levels in the summer compared to the winter.

Understanding how radon moves through the home environment helps to explain why timing and location are important factors to consider when conducting a radon test.

Three ways to protect you and your family:

1. Test your home - obtain a test kit
2. Reduce your exposure - reduce radon gas by taking action to reduce radon entry into your home
3. Protect your loved ones - tell your family and friends to test so they are not exposed to a deadly gas in their homes.

Karen Pelkey

REALTOR®  Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest                    

612-414-2888

www.KPelkey.com

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Minneapolis Metro, let me be your expert!