What I’m doing in February work and life!

Sunlight thru the trees

Well Winter has finally arrived in Northern Vermont! As I write this, we are expecting weekend highs in the single digits and lows of -15. BRRRRR! Weekends like this are a GREAT time to tackle some indoor projects. If you follow me on Instagram (@SusanKaminskiRealtor) you saw the graphic I posted of easy things to keep your home in shape! First on the list was checking all the caulk and grout in your bathrooms and repairing as needed. Damaged or missing caulk/grout can lead to water damage and repair cost FAR more than the $8 for a tube of caulk, a little time and a little patience. Never repaired caulk before – CHECK OUT YOUTUBE, so many great videos of how to tackle this project!

Next on this list is Check your furnace and air filters! Clean the exhaust fans in your bathrooms! A fan covered in dust doesn’t work efficiently, eventually leading to mold, mildew and possibly a house fire. YIKES!

Clean refrigerator coils and deep clean all your appliances. Cleaning the refrigerator coils is a must-do maintenance task if you want it to be as energy-efficient as possible. Refrigerator coils help cool the fridge, and when dirt and debris are obstructing them, they can’t efficiently release the heat, which causes your fridge to work harder and break down sooner. Have you looked at the price of appliances lately? A few hours of love to your workhorses can save you not only replacement costs but energy costs!

Getting my Hygge on:

Nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup, chili, or stew to warm you from the inside out during these cold Winter months. We are trying to eat less meat in our house these days so I went to Pinterest to hunt for some vegetarian chilis. We have really enjoyed this Easy Three Bean Chili from Simple Veganista – check it out! https://simple-veganista.com/texas-three-bean-chili-sweet-chia/

On the Real Estate Front:

Well…I’ve been saying it for years now but I’m going to keep saying it: INVENTORY IS LOW! My best real estate advice right now is NOT to listen to national news forecasts for the market. NW Vermont has been in an inventory shortage for years and while interest rates went for a little ride last Fall they are coming back down now! Mortgage brokers are predicting rates in the mid-5% range for Spring market so we are expecting the buyer activity to continue to be strong. BUT let me tell you – there are plenty of buyers in the market NOW, and buyers shopping NOW are very serious, pre-approved and focused and there isn’t much inventory for them to look at! So if you thinking of listing, give me call! I have a plan to get you on the market quickly so you can beat the Spring competition!

North Hero is getting ready to host its Great Ice Festival! Everything from dog sled rides, ice skating, a bonfire and firework! AND a Lake Champlain Islands Business Expo – which yours truly will be at on Saturday 2/17 from 10am to 3:30pm. Come say and “hi” and I’m bringing my famous homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies…free while supplies last! Hope to see you there!