Monthly real estate tips from Dennis and Jane Guertin

From Dennis and Jane Guertin | Guertin Family Realty
Jane@GuertinFamilyRealty.com | (952) 442-1300 | www.GuertinFamilyRealty.com

In This Issue

5 Tips for a Safe and Stress-Free Holiday Season

Links that Make Life Easier

The Lighter Side

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Dennis and Jane Guertin

'Tis the season for holiday cheer... and also for making sure we're not caught unprepared for anything winter may have in store!

Below are helpful tips to keep you and your home safe and sound this holiday season.

(Please feel free to forward this email on to those you know who would find the information helpful.)

By the way, if you or anyone you know has a real estate need, please contact us today. We'll always provide first-class service!

5 Tips for a Safe and Stress-Free
Holiday Season

1. Keep Emergency Car Items Handy

A car emergency kit is a good idea no matter where or when you're traveling, but many people get so overwhelmed by the massive lists and kit choices they find online that they end up never getting one at all.

With that in mind, here's an easy-to-assemble list of some top car emergency kit items.

Easy Car Emergency Kit Items

Car lock de-icer. (Keep some on your person, not just in your car.)
A warm sleeping bag or space blanket sleeping bag (space blankets are inexpensive and fold to a very small size.)
Water.
A JetBoil, or something similar with which you can heat up drinks and food. (Lightweight and easy to use, a JetBoil can also be a great gift for anyone who camps or hikes.)
A lighter or matches.
Freeze-dried food (requires water, tastes surprisingly good, and can be made in the JetBoil.)
Energy bars, powdered soup, and hot chocolate packs.
Plastic eating utensils.
A headlamp or flashlight.
Jumper cables.
An emergency cell phone charger.
A windshield scraper.

With those items in the trunk of your car you'll be far ahead of the majority of drivers on the road. There are also pre-made kits for sale online - here's a selection of options. Just remember that having even some of these on hand is better than nothing, and a car emergency kit makes a great gift for others as well.

2. Check Out the Sno Wovel

The what? :) Yes, it's a funny name, but if you know someone who could use a break from shoveling snow this year, read on. The Sno Wovel is a clever, man-powered tool that uses leverage to toss snow out of the way and transforms the traditional (and back-tweaking) lifting motion of shoveling into a much easier pressing down motion.

(Consider this: Over 11,000 people in the U.S. visit hospitals each winter due to injuries related to shoveling snow.) Here's the Sno Wovel in action - click here or on the image below to see the video.

The Sno Wovel made Time magazine's "Best Inventions of 2006" list and has over 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon reviews, but many people have still not heard of it. If you've tried this or end up using one we'd love to hear what you think about it.

3. Make Sure Your Home Is Winter-Ready

Overlooking even one of these items can lead to unnecessary damage and expense, so it's worth reviewing these basics yearly:

Clear out gutters and downspouts.
Direct water from downspouts away from the home.
Insulate exterior faucets during cold snaps.
Have the heating system serviced.
Replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

4. Practice Braking with ABS

The winter season means more driving in the dark and a greater likelihood of needing to stop suddenly, but the first time you slam on the brakes in a car with ABS (anti-lock brake system) you could be in for a shock. The pedal hammers up and down beneath your foot, and usually there is a grinding sound so disconcerting that some people actually stop braking.

Rather than experience this for the first time in an emergency situation, practice hard braking in a safe, controlled environment. The Driver's Ed Guru link below has good advice on how to do this:

Click here for "How to Practice Emergency Braking"

(The old "pump the brakes in order to not skid" advice does not apply to cars with ABS.)

5. Protect Your Assets Against Lawsuits

Picture of gavel You may have heard it before, but so many people find this out too late that it's worth saying again: Having an umbrella liability insurance policy is crucial when it comes to protecting your assets and avoiding an enormous amount of potential stress.

An umbrella policy kicks in if you or a member of your household gets sued for something related to your home or vehicle and the claim goes beyond your car or home insurance liability limits. (Think of this as your "seat belt" policy: Chances are you won't need it, but if you ever do, you will really, really be glad it's there.)

What you should know:

Umbrella insurance is relatively affordable. One million dollars worth of umbrella liability coverage typically costs a few hundred dollars a year.

You don't have to own a home to have umbrella insurance. You can purchase it if you have homeowner, condominium, or renter's insurance.

Your home and car insurance liability limits should match the umbrella policy deductible, which is typically $300,000 or $500,000. (This is because it is designed to take over at the point where your primary insurance ends.)

Popular advice is to insure yourself to the extent of your net worth, but instead you may want to insure yourself to the extent you would want to be protected in case of a claim. For example, how would someone with a net worth of $200,000 feel about a liability claim against them for $800,000? Compared to a financial wipe-out, $1 million of umbrella insurance protection looks like a pretty wise choice.

State minimum requirements for auto liability coverage are very low. Your own car insurance limits are probably higher, but even so they are likely to top out well below the amounts of many liability claims.

The bottom line:

We can't insure ourselves against everything, but for a relatively small cost umbrella liability coverage protects your assets and provides peace of mind. That's worth a bundle!

* I recommend the best products and services that I know of, but please use your best judgment when evaluating them for yourself. I'd love to hear your opinion on any that you use.

Recent Market Highlights

Chart and magnifying glass. - U.S. home prices rose 13.3 percent year-to-year in September, according to a recent S&P/Case-Shiller report. They rose 12.5 percent year-to-year in October according to CoreLogic, a data and analytics company.

- The national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is in the mid 4-percent range.

- The Pending Home Sales Index dropped 1.6 percent year-to-year in September, according to the National Association of REALTORS� (NAR).

Note: Housing statistics based on closed sales typically reflect market conditions of two or three months ago. To find out what's going on right now in our local market, please call us directly.

Are you planning to buy or sell a home, or do you know someone who is? Please call or email us. We're never too busy to help you and the people you care about with real estate.

(*What the lawyers make us say: The information in this newsletter is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Please always consult a qualified expert before making decisions based on this content. Nothing in this article is meant to be taken as expert legal, financial, or medical advice.)

View Our Featured Home Listings

The Monthly Skinny - Summary of Twin Cities Market Activity

Links that Make Life Easier

Sometimes real estate-related, sometimes not... these are assorted links that come in handy:

Compare Gift Cards

If you're buying a gift card for someone this year, here's a great summary of the pros and cons of many different brands.

Car Emergency Kit List

A long list of car emergency kit items courtesy of Consumer Reports, in case you're feeling ambitious. :)

Do You Need an Umbrella Policy?

As mentioned above, most likely the answer is "Yes." This article gives good information regarding what umbrella policies do and don't cover.

Pet Travel Tips

Tips for traveling by car and air with your four-legged friend. This site also has a handy pet-friendly lodging finder that lets you search by route.

24 Kids' Christmas Crafts

Martha Stewart's list of creative, iPad-free craft projects that kids can have fun with during the holiday season.

The Lighter Side

Could you use some inspiration in advance of a challenging New Year's resolution this year? If so, take a look at this amazing 1950-era footage of Harry Kramer, a 76-year old bicycle trick rider who proves that we're capable of far more than we might think.

Click here or on the image above to watch the video on the family-friendly Flixxy site.

We welcome the opportunity to serve you, your friends and associates. Please give us a call today if we can be of assistance!

Have a great day,

Dennis and Jane Guertin
Broker/Owner, REALTOR�, CRS, SFR, ABR, CBR, e-PRO, GRI
Guertin Family Realty

Jane@GuertinFamilyRealty.com
952-442-1300
www.GuertinFamilyRealty.com

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