April 2019

Florence's...

Service For Life !

Insider Tips for Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Living

If you're not already a subscriber to my free e–newsletter e-mail me at Florence@bchrealestate.com to sign up

Florence Gadbois, Realtor CA BRE#01040021 (805) 701-8410 E-mail: Florence@BchRealEstate.com

Do You Need An Energy Boost That Isn’t Another Pot Of Coffee?

Not only are there plenty of other ways to combat the afternoon slump, they’re good for you, too. In today’s Service For Life ! ® Free consumer newsletter, you’ll learn easy ways to perk up your energy levels, from when to exercise to what color to paint your office. You’ll also learn about how to stay safe when you’re using a public Wi-Fi network, what to look for on U.S. currency to see if it’s counterfeit, and some things you can do at home to improve your house’s energy efficiency – plus fun facts, a trivia challenge, and lots more. But first… Here’s what’s happening in your neighborhood. Here are the sales stastistics for: Mandalay Shores, Hollywood Beach, Silverstrand Beach, Mandalay Bay, Seabridge, Westport, The Colony, HarborWalk, Harbors West, C.I. Waterfront Homes, Harbour Island.

Closed Escrows

Active Listings

Inventory (months)

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 11 17 21 21 14 16 14 18 12 15

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 50 62 75 70 67 2.48 2.7 4.02 2.13 4.49 53 63 84 53 91 2.78 3.03 3.95 2.59 3.37 72 70 84 63 69 3.03 3.69 3.9 2.51

January February

March

25 18 34 28 19 17 18 19 29 23 20 31 24 21 44 22 28 24 22 15 28 22 30 32

6 thru 3/19

April May June

87 80 88 60 95 74 107 54 96 83 112 70 99 102 102 97 95 112 103 92 91 106 95 95 87 107 96 81 75 93 61 87 64 83 63 79

4.33 3.58 4.72 2.42 4.22 3.8 4.99 2.82 4.35 4.73 4.19 4.2 4.3 5.27 4.26 4.1 4.13 5.11 3.82 4.21 3.83 5.18 3.83 3.67 3.33 4.52 2.4 4.13 2.8 4.06 2.45 3.81 2.81 3.64 2.54 3.32

July

August

September 27 26 29 23

October

25 24 28 16

November 21 19 23 19 December 20 22 11 12

Finally, I want you to know, that you may call me for any reason. And please let me know if a friend, family member or neighbor needs a caring, experienced real estate professional to help in buying or selling. I truly appreciate your friendship and referrals. Enjoy your issue!

Warmest regards, Florence

Florence Gadbois DRE#01040021 RE/MAX Gold Coast

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Florence’s…

Service For Life ! “Insider Tips For Healthy, Wealthy & Happy Living…”



WARNING: Don’t even think of selling your home without my Free Consumer Guide titled, “How To Avoid 7 Costly Mistakes When Selling Your Home.” Call me right now at 805-701-8410 to learn more…

5 Non-Caffeine Energy Boosters While most of us could benefit from getting more (or better) sleep, coffee and energy shots are not the solution to that brain fog you feel in the afternoon. There are some easy - and healthy - ways to boost your energy levels, however, many of which offer additional health benefits.

April 2019 Oxnard, California

Here are a few tips to help increase energy, without caffeine:

Inside This Issue…

 Exercise in the middle of the day. Some studies show people who work out by midday are more productive, while others suggest you should head for the gym just as you’re starting to feel the afternoon slump. Regardless of timing, regular exercise is a great way to keep your body energized. That includes moving throughout the day - get up from the desk at regular intervals to do some yoga stretches or take a brief walk around the block.  Have smaller meals and eat more snacks. Food is fuel, and if you’re limited to three square meals a day your body is more likely to experience energy slumps as it burns through that fuel. Eat smaller meals (which means you’re less likely to fall into a food coma) and snack frequently. And make sure that what you eat gives you energy rather than sapping it. Complex carbs, fiber, and protein give your body longer-lasting energy, while sugar will make you crash after an initial energy spike.  Decorate with red. Colors definitely change our mood, and red has been shown to improve overall energy levels and productivity.  Drink plenty of water. We all know we should be drinking more water, but we’re often surprised at how many health problems come from dehydration - including fatigue. Limiting dehydrating beverages (coffee and alcohol) helps, too.  Add aromatherapy to your environment. Certain scents are more stimulating than others, which can help you feel more awake. Put a diffuser in your office and use essential oils like cinnamon, rosemary, or lemon.

Quick Pick-Me-Ups That Are Not Coffee…Page 1

How To Keep Information Safe On Public Wi-Fi…Page 2

How To Tell If Your Cash Is Counterfeit…Page 3

Easy Ways To Make Your Home More Energy-Smart…Page 3

Answer This Trivia Question and You Could Win $75 Gift Card for Lure Restaurant...Page 4 I Want To Buy A Home. How Do I Get Help With A Down Payment?...Page 4

Learn How To Maximize The Value Of Your Home Did you know there’s a free consumer 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. You can get a free copy by calling me at… 805-701-8410

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

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!)… ASMR (acronym, noun) Meaning: “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response,” a calm or tingling feeling produced by aural or visual stimuli Sample Sentence: Someone brushing my hair gives me ASMR tingles. Repurposing Kid’s Art Can’t bear to get rid of your child’s masterpieces, but you’ve run out of room on the fridge? The empty back side of those drawings is the perfect place for your kids to write thank you messages when they receive gifts. DIY Seed Start Containers Starting seeds in eco-friendly containers you can plant directly into the garden saves you money and saves the planet from more plastic. Cardboard egg cartons : Cut them apart when they’re ready to plant. Toilet paper tubes : Be careful about soil coming out the bottom. You can rubber-band a coffee filter around the base. Refreshing Cedar Boxes Cedar is one of the best natural ways to keep moths from devouring your hand knits, but that pest-repelling property only lasts as long as the scent does. You don’t need to get a new cedar chest, though – you just need to replenish the wood. Sand the surfaces lightly or apply some natural cedar oil to the wood.

A Heartfelt Message To My Special Clients and Friends… I want to share a little secret with you. I don’t spend my time cold calling or pestering people for business. Instead, I focus 110% of my efforts on giving such outstanding service that people naturally think of me when a friend, neighbor or family member needs a caring and experienced REALTOR®. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank a few of the special people in my life who’ve helped build my business with their enduring support and referrals. I couldn’t do it without you! important to practice good internet hygiene . That means checking to see if HTTPS is at the start of web addresses you visit (‘s’ means secure), changing your passwords often (try LastPass.com to safely manage passwords), and enabling two-factor authentication for apps and services you use. Additionally, in public places, be sure to turn off file sharing, and “forget” the public network when you’re done using it. And always avoid using websites that contain sensitive data, such as online banking, that could compromise your identity. Secure Surfing On Public Wi-Fi The internet is everywhere these days, it seems, making it easier for us to stay connected (for work or play) no matter where we go. But just as there’s no such thing as a “free lunch,” free public Wi-Fi isn’t necessarily the boon it appears to be–you can expose private information to hackers and scammers. Here are some ways you can keep your information safer if you’re using public Wi-Fi.  The safest option is to turn your mobile phone into a hotspot , thereby avoiding unknown public networks entirely. Switch on the “personal hotspot” option in your phone’s settings and you’ve got a password-protected network for your use alone. (Note that this method uses your phone’s data, so if your phone plan has limited data this can use it up fairly quickly.)  People who travel or work outside the office frequently should consider investing in a mobile Wi-Fi device (like MiFi or Karma) for secure Wi-Fi on the go.  If you must connect to a public Wi-Fi network, the safest way to do that is by using a VPN , or “virtual private network.” VPNs encrypt data and connect you to secure servers, making it more difficult for nefarious characters to see what you’re doing through public Wi-Fi loopholes. There are both free and paid VPN clients out there, and in most cases, you’ll get what you pay for. In other words, the paid services are less likely to be suspect.  No matter how you get online when you’re out and about, it’s

Quotes To Live By… “We allow each other so little

enjoyment or even tolerance for our individualities, our uniquenesses, and yet to me, that's what it's all about.” –Buffy Sainte-Marie

“Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.”

–Erma Bombeck

We are about to close escrow on the third property for Penny Myers of San Juan Capistrano, California…Thank you Penny

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” –Marie Curie

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

How To Detect Fake Money

Brain Teaser… What points in all directions but can never get there all by itself?

Would You Like To Know How Much Your Neighbor’s Home Listed Or Sold For? We might be using cash less often these days, but that doesn’t mean counterfeiters aren’t still in the business of making fake money. Here are some identifying marks to help you tell fakes from the genuine article. All U.S. currency is made on special paper that has tiny red and blue threads woven into it. You should be able to pull those threads from the paper. If you can’t, it might a fake. Other features to look for:  Watermark: Most bills have a watermark copy of the main portrait, though older $5 bills may have a watermark “5” instead of Lincoln’s portrait.  Color-Shifting Ink: Denominations of $10 and higher each use color- shifting ink in the corresponding numeral. The number 10, for instance, should look copper when you look at it straight and change to a greenish color when you tilt the bill. The $100 also uses this ink for the bell symbol inside the inkwell.  Security Thread: Denominations of $5 and higher all have a thin security thread embedded into the paper, which can only be seen when it’s held up to the light. Two handy online resources for checking your cash against the real thing are:  uscurrency.gov/denominations  secretservice.gov/data/KnowYourMoney.pdf Save Energy, Save The Planet Making your home more energy-efficient has multiple benefits. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also make a positive environmental impact. Here are a few great ways to save energy and the planet simultaneously.  Stock the fridge. The average refrigerator uses roughly 9% of a home’s energy, and a full fridge uses less energy. (Overfull means it has to work harder to circulate air, though, so aim for reasonable.)  Keep the oven door closed. Don’t peek at that casserole! Opening the oven door makes the internal temperature drop by up to 25 degrees.  Wash clothes in cold water. Only about 10% of a washing machine’s energy usage is to make the motor run. The rest is to heat water.  Unplug chargers when not in use. Even when your iPhone isn’t plugged into its charging cable, the charger itself is still using energy.  Plant trees around the house. Deciduous trees planted around the house offer shade in summer and allow sun for warmth in winter, reducing your heating and cooling bill by up to 25%. Maybe you’re just curious. Or maybe you want to know how much your home is worth. Either way, I can help…with no “sales pitches” or run-arounds. Call me at 805-701-8410 and I’ll give you all the facts.

(See page 4 for the answer.)

What’s My Home Worth? If you want to know your home’s current value, I will gladly conduct a Maximum Value Home Audit . Request this “no charge” in-depth home value analysis by calling me at:805-701-8410. Cleaning Car Cupholders No matter how fastidious you are, chances are there’s still unreachable dust and grime in the bottom of your car’s cupholders. Clean it out by putting an old sock over a travel mug, spraying it lightly with an all-purpose cleaner, inserting the mug into the cupholder and twisting. Don’t Toss Used Tea Bags Plant them in your garden instead! Remove any plastic or non- biodegradable elements and those used tea bags will provide much-needed nutrients to your veggies. Eco-Friendly Mail Order Websites Saving time while saving the planet is easier than ever with the help of some of these mail order companies for things we all need at home. dropps.com – Dropps makes plant- based cleaning pods for your dishwasher and washing machine. There are several scented (and unscented) options, and there’s no plastic in the pods or the packaging. whogivesacrap.org – Get premium recycled toilet paper, bamboo tissues, and paper towels made from bamboo and sugarcane delivered to your house and help fund the construction of toilets for people in need. There’s no plastic in their packaging, either. mightynest.com/try-the-mighty-fix – MightyFix is a subscription box for the eco-conscious. Each month, subscribers get one green item to use in the home. Past goodies include beeswax food wraps, reusable produce bags, and wool balls for the dryer.

The energy.gov/energysaver site has more useful tips for increasing your

home’s energy efficiency, including updates on new technology.

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Thanks For Thinking of Me!

“Who Else Wants To Win $75 Gift Card for Lure Restaurant?”

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.

Guess who won last month’s Trivia Question? I’m pleased to announce the lucky winner of last month’s quiz. And the winner is…drum roll please: Jerry Meller of The Colony won the drawing for my quiz question. According to the Congressional Research Service, in which decade did the largest percentage of the workforce belong to a union? a) 1980s b) 1940s c) 1950s d) 1920s The answer is c) 1950s, with union membership as a percentage of employed workers in the United States peaking at 28.3% in 1954. So let’s move on to this month’s trivia question. The name for this familiar sweet comes from the Persian and Turkish word for a sweet fruit juice. This word was also used in Europe for a carbonated drink. What is it? a) Clafoutis b) Taffy c) Nougat d) Sherbet

Brain Teaser Answer:

Your finger!

Don't Cry…Cutting Onions If you put an onion in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you need to chop it up, it will help with the tears that cutting onions tends to produce. How To Jump Start A Car With both cars off: 1. Connect the red clip to the dead car’s battery’s + side

2.

Connect the other red clip to the donor car’s battery’s + side Connect the black clip to the donor car’s battery’s – side Connect the other black clip to bare metal

Call Me At 805-701-8410 OR Email Me At Florence@BchRealEstate.com And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!

3.

4.

Real Estate Corner…

5. 6. 7.

Start the donor car Start the dead car

Q. I’m wasting money on rent and want to buy a home. How can I get help with a down payment?

Remove the clips in backward order from 4-1

A. There are ways to get a down payment, including the following:

THANK YOU for reading my Service For Life ! ® personal newsletter. I wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and 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… Florence Gadbois DRE#01040021 RE/MAX Gold Coast 805-701-8410 florence@BchRealEstate.com BchRealEstate.com 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.

 Look into local or federal government programs. They expire or change frequently, so ask your REALTOR ® about any programs that may apply to your area and situation.  Have the seller finance you . Some sellers may be willing to help you buy their homes in something called a “seller take-back.”  Use a financial gift from a friend or relative. Tax law allows gifts of up to $15,000 a year to be given without tax consequences to the giver or recipient (see IRS publication 950). You can get a gift from each parent or two friends without them having to pay a gift-tax, which brings it up to $30,000. For more information and tips on how to get a down payment to purchase a home, ask for my Free Consumer Report called “4 Quick Ways To Buy A Home With Little Down.”

Do you have a real estate question you want answered? Feel free to call me at 805-701-8410. Perhaps I’ll feature it in my next issue!

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Florence’s….

MarketWatch ™ “ Here’s Neighborhood Home Information For The Colony To Help You Evaluate The Value Of Your Investment. ”

Homes Currently Active …

Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

2305 Martinique

2

2

1113

Martinique (Phase I)

$539,000 $589,000 $599,000 $594,888 $999,000 $1,499,888 $803,463

Antigua

2 2 2 3 3

2 2 2 3 3

1549 1368 1549 2360 2139

Antigua Madeira

4463 Antigua Way

Antigua

Antigua

2222 Cannes Sq. 2315 Vina del Mar Market Average

Vina del Mar San Tropez

Homes Accepting Back-Up Offers… Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

Martinique

2 2

2 2

1450 1617

Antigua

$615,000

2031 Majorca

Capri

$629,000 $622,000

Market Average

Homes Pending…

Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

4711 San Sebastian

2

2

1550

Antigua (Ambassador)

$729,000 $729,000

Market Average

Sold Properties… (01/01/18 Thru 03/19/19) Address List $ Sale $

Sq.Ft. $/sq.ft

Floor Plan

Date Sold 01/31/18 02/05/18 02/28/19 07/25/18 04/22/18 05/11/18 06/07/18 08/14/18 02/26/18 03/27/18 03/30/18 06/11/18 04/27/18 05/23/18 10/18/18 10/23/18 05/25/18 08/24/18 07/06/18 05/31/18 04/11/18

4442 Antigua

$499,888 $499,999 $539,000 $549,888 $595,000 $589,000 $624,888 $638,888 $635,000 $635,000 $649,000 $655,000 $639,888 $640,000 $679,500 $669,000 $799,000 $845,000 $839,888 $1,050,000 $1,295,000 $698,985

$466.000 $490,000 $535,000 $525,000 $575,000 $575,000 $615,000 $625,000 $625,000 $625,000 $625,000 $627,500 $628,000 $640,000 $648,000 $669,000 $785,000 $820,000 $830,000

1217 1368 1113 1217 1368 1550 1459 1549 1459 1368 1369 1627 1550 1369 1800 1800 1628 2360 2360

$382.91 Martinique $358.19 Madeira

2365 Martinique 2223 Martinique

$480.68 Martinique (Phase I)

1955 Majorca

431.39

Martinique

2133 Martinique 2051 Majorca 2386 Martinique 2227 Martinique 2313 Martinique 1990 San Tropez 2317 Martinique 2345 Martinique 1900 Majorca 2325 Martinique 1992 San Tropez 2202 Vina del Mar 2206 Vina del Mar 2333 Vina del Mar 1965 San Sebastian Market Average 4451 Antigua 4440 Antigua

$420.32 Madeira

$370.97 Antigua

$421.52 Antigua (Phase I)

$403.49 Antigua

$428.38 Antigua (phase I)

$456.87 Madeira

$456.54 Madeira (Ambassador)

$385.68 Capri $405.42 Antigua $467.49 Madeira $359.80 Capri

$379.04 Capri

$482.19 Capri (Ambassador)

$347.46 Vina del Mar $351.69 Vina del Mar $434.32 Vina del Mar

$1,025,000 2360 $1,215,000 1550

$783.87 Antigua (Ambassador)

$679,675

$431.86

RE/MAX represented buyer, seller or both . Properties as of March 19, 2019 and may not be listed by RE/MAX. Information herein has not been verified, is not guaranteed, and is subject to change

Florence’s

MarketWatch ™ “ Here’s Neighborhood Home Information For HarborWalk To Help You Evaluate The Value Of Your Investment. ”

Homes Currently Active … Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

Harbor Sunset Harbor

2 2 2

3

1128 1475 1502

Plan B

$470,000 $574,800 $699,000 $581,266

2.5 2.5

Villa Villa

Market Average

Homes Pending … Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

3135 Harbor

2

2.5

1502

Villa (end unit)

$729,000 $729,000

Market Average

Sold Properties (01/01/18 Thru 03/19/19) Address List $ Sale $

Sq.Ft. $/sq.ft

Floor Plan

Date Sold

3039 Harbor 2949 Harbor 3031 Harbor 3057 Harbor 3554 Sunset 3013 Harbor 3120 Sunset 3624 Sunset 3424 Sunset 3420 Sunset 3674 Sunset

$365,000 $495,000 $549,000 $524,500 $549,000 $539,000 $575,000 $580,000 $595,000 $$595,000 $605,000 $619,999 $650,000 $710,000 $571,180

$370,000 $490,000 $500,000 $515,000 $520,000 $539,000 $575,000 $580,000 $580,000 $583,000 $590,000 $610,000 $635,000 $695,000 $562,643

781

$473.75 $409.02 $443.26 $456.56 $458.15 $477.84 $479.97 $511.01 $511.01 $413.18 $400.27 $462.47 $481.43

Plan A Plan D Plan B Plan B

06/20/18

1198 1128 1128 1135 1128 1198 1135 1135 1411 1474 1319 1319 1485

08/31/18 05/11/18 10/22/18 07/13/18 03/14/18 02/28/18 02/15/19 06/25/18 08/07/18 05/21/18 09/19/18 04/13/18 10/30/18

T-3

Plan B Plan D

T-3 T-3 T-3 T-1 T-2 T-2

3650 Sunset

4526 LaBrea 3225 Harbor

$468.01

Villa (end unit)

Market Average

$458.34

Bold: REMAX Represented Buyers, Sellers or Both

The information referenced has been provided by the Ventura County MLS Corporation’s MLS as of March 19, 2019. The listings and sales are not exclusive to RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors and may have been represented by others. Display of the MLS data is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed by the MLS and prices are subject to change.