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See all Lethbridge homes for sale @www.top5.ca

Prudential Top 5 Real Estate

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

Buying A Home Soon? Learn how tosave thousands of dollars when finding,buying or financing your home. See my

enclosed insert for details

January 2010Volume IV, # 01Lethbride, AB.

Inside This Issue

Take These Steps If Your Car Is

RecalledPage 1

Make A Resolution To Follow These

Fitness Trends In 2010Page 2

How To Make The Census Count For

YouPage 3

Can Medication Make You

Sick?Page 3

Beat This Trivia Question and YouCould Win Movie Tickets For

Two...Page 4

Heres The Latest On The First-Time

Homebuyer Tax CreditPage 4

Heres What To Do If

Your Car Is Recalled...

Have you ever owned a car thats been recalled? Millions of people have,including (most recently) 3.8 million owners of certain Toyota and Lexusmodels.

Heres what you should know: Manufacturers must notify all registered

owners and purchasers of the vehicles by mail that the problem exists andevaluate its safety risk. They must say how to get it corrected (at no charge),when the remedy will be available, how long it will take, and whom to contactif theres a problem getting the work done.

If youve heard about a recall but dont receive a letter in a reasonableamount of time, take these steps:

Visit the manufacturers web site and the site for the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at www.safercar.gov. Search theNHTSAs database for recalls on your vehicle. While youre there,search the database for any technical service bulletins for your car.

These are memos to dealer service departments on any mechanical issuesthat you might want to have addressed, especially if your car is still underwarranty.

Get a CARFAX report on your car (by Vehicle IdentificationNumber). This is important if youre buying a used car sincemanufacturers are not required to repair a recalled car at no charge if it ismore than 10 years old.

Call your dealer to schedule an appointment. They will probably tellyou to be patient.

Play a key role in keeping vehicles as safe as possible by reporting anysafety-related problems to the NHTSA. File a complaint online, call theirhotline or mail the complaint to their office in Washington, DC. You alsocan search online for complaints others have made by vehicle model.

Learn How To Maximize The Value Of Your Home!Did you know theres a free consumer report showing which repairs and fix-ups will

net you the most value for your home? Its called the Homesellers Guide ToMoney-Making Fix-Ups, and its great even if youre not planning on selling soon.

You can get a free copy by calling me at403-327-5555


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Word of the MonthStudies have shown your income andwealth are directly related to the sizeand depth of your vocabulary. Here isthis months word, so you can impressyour friends (and maybe even fattenyour wallet!)

Ubiquitous (yu-bik-qua-tus) adj.

Meaning: Being or seeming to beeverywhere at the same time.

Sample Sentence: IPODs seem to beubiquitous on college campuses.

Are You Feeling Groggy?The expression dates back to the BritishRoyal Navy, which gave sailors a dailyration of rum to keep them content.Most of them saved it up to have one

big binge. Too much grog made themhappy all right but it had a decidedlynegative effect on their performance.Sounds true today!

Why Do They Call It Bing?Microsofts newest search engine is notnamed after a cherry and does not standfor But Its Not Google. Its meant torepresent the sound of something found,as in Bingo! Ive got it!

Have A Laugh

My neighbors daughter hurt her armand needed to take a painkiller. But shecouldnt get the lid off the bottle. HerMom explained that it was a childproofcap and shed have to open it for her.Wow, the girl exclaimed, How doesit know its me?

Quotes To Live ByThe single most important thing toremember about any enterprise is thatthere are no results inside its walls. Theresult of a business is a satisfied

customer.--Peter Drucker

Remember, you can't steal second if youdon't take your foot off first.

--Mike Todd

True terror is to wake up one morningand discover that your high school classis running the country.

--Kurt Vonnegut

Resolve To Follow These

Fitness Trends In 2010

The American College of Sports Medicine has ranked the top fitnesstrends for 2010 based on a worldwide survey of fitness professionals. Make aNew Years resolution to incorporate these trends in your familys fitness

program this year:

Educated and experienced fitness professionals. As the fitness marketbecomes more competitive,consumers are realizing the importance ofworking with professionals who have been certified through accreditedhealth/fitness educational programs.

Strength training. This was once the domain of bodybuilders, but itsnow an essential part of a complete physical activity program.

Children and obesity. This is the year to reverse an alarming trend ofrising obesity rates by getting overweight kids involved in exercise.

Personal training. As more personal trainers are educated and certified,they are becoming more accessible to a greater number of people.

Core training. This training specifically emphasizes strength andconditioning of the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back.

Special programs for older adults. Fitness facilities are offering moreexercise programs for active older adults. Get your parents involved now!

Sport-specific training. High school athletes are now training during theoff-season to prepare themselves for their specific sports.

Pilates. This form of exercise that targets the core of the body has becomea mainstay of most fitness facilities. If you havent already done so, try itthis year to increase your flexibility and posture.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Thank You! Thank You!

Thanks to YOUthe word is spreading. Thanks to all of my clientsand friends who graciously referred me to your friends and neighbors

last month! See, rather than pester people with unwanted calls andvisits, I build my business based on the positive comments andreferrals from people just like you. I just couldnt do it without you!

Mr. & Mrs. D. Hoytos, E. Whalen, Mrs. B. Berg,

Mr. D. Trockstad, Mr. & Mrs. S. Demkiw,

Mr. & Mrs. W. Thompson


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Heres A Free, Valuable Resource

If youd like to receive a Free List of gorgeous homes, personallyresearched to meet your individual requirements (with no obligation

whatsoever), please call me at 403-327-5555.

Brain TeaserName five days of the week withoutsaying Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday and Friday?

(See page 4 for the answer.)

To Friend Or Unfriend?Apparently unfriend is more popular.

Thats why theNew Oxford AmericanDictionary chose it as the 2009 Word OfThe Year. It means to remove someoneas a friend on a social networkingsite. Other finalists were intexticated(distracted while driving and texting)and funemployed (having fun whilebeing unemployed). Work these wordsinto a conversation today!

Thats FunnyDuring rounds, a new nurse heard thedoctor yelling, "Typhoid! Tetanus!

Measles!""Why does he keep doing that?" sheasked a colleague."Oh, he likes to call the shots around

here."

Stay In A Hotel With HistoryHistoric Hotels of America hasidentified more than 200 hotels that fitthe bill. These hotels must be at least50 years old, listed or eligible for theNational Register of Historic Places orrecognized locally as having historic

significance. Click on Travel & Sites atwww.preservationnation.org.

Kids Are ExpensiveA new government study found theaverage cost to raise a child from birththrough age 17 is $221,000! Heres thebreakdown: Housing 32 percent Child care/education 16 percent Food 16 percent Transportation 14 percent Health care 8 percent Miscellaneous 8 percent Clothing 6 percentToo True!Did you hear about the teenager whogot a tattoo but kept it a secret? Pleasedont tell my parents, she begged whenshe showed off the little Japanesesymbol to her friends. Great, theysaid, but what does it stand for?"Honesty," she replied.

Make The Census Count For You

Its almost time to stand up (or sit down) and be counted. 2010 censusforms will be mailed or delivered to every residence in the U.S. and PuertoRico this March. Heres what you should know about it:

Its the law. The Constitution requires that the government count every

resident of the U.S. every 10 years. Responses are mandatory, but areconfidential and used for statistical purposes only.

Its short. It should take only 10 minutes to answer the 10 questions. But youwont be able to do it online.

Its providing temporary jobs. The government is hiring hundreds ofthousands of census workers to complete the task. Call your local censusoffice for employment information.

Its important. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats tostates and to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state

and tribal governments each year.

It benefitsyour community. When you fill out the form, youre helping yourcommunity determine what resources it needs. The data is used to makefunding decisions on things such as schools, hospitals, job training centers andemergency services in your area.

Can Medication Make You Sick?

Medication is supposed to make us better, but it can have the oppositeeffect. Take care to avoid these medication mistakes:

Mixing over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. Youmay be double dosing. For example, if you take a cold pill that containsacetaminophen (more than 600 OTC and prescription medicines do), dont

pop an additional Tylenol for good measure. Too much of the drug cancause liver damage.

Not recognizing the rebound effect. Thats when a drug producesreverse effects when the effect of the drug has passed or the patient nolonger responds to it. In other words, a remedy meant to help may make acondition worse. This has been known to happen with pain relievers, OTCeye drops, decongestant sprays, sleeping pills and teeth whiteners. Bestadvice: If you dont think a drug or product is working, dont just take

more of it. Talk to your doctor about alternatives.


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Thanks For Thinking of Me!Did you know I can help you or any ofyour friends or family save time andmoney when buying or selling a home?Thanks for keeping me in mind withyour referralsand spreading the wordabout my services.

Brain Teaser Answer:The day before yesterday, yesterday,today, tomorrow, and the day aftertomorrow.

Check Out These MarketsHere are the 2009 MSN Real Estatemost-livable and affordable U.S.markets:

Des Moines, IA Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY Oklahoma City, OK Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA Minneapolis-St. Paul/

Bloomington, MN

Little Rock-North Little Rock, ARClever Uses For UnwantedCDs/DVDs Candle holders: Theyll catch drips

and reflect the light.

Cool decoration: String themtogether and make a mobile.

Party invitation: Jot details on theshiny side and mail in envelope.

Game pieces: Make a giantcheckerboard & spray paint theCDs in different colors.

Kids name tags: Hang them onribbons and let the kids wear them.

THANK YOUfor reading myService For Life!

personal newsletter.I wanted to produce a newsletter thathas great content and is fun andvaluable to you. Your constructivefeedback is always welcome.

ANDwhether youre thinking ofbuying, selling or financing real estate,or just want to stop by and say Hi, Idlove to hear from you

Jeff van de Bennet - REALTORAssociate BrokerPrudential Top 5 Real Estate

[email protected]

Real Estate Corner

Q. Im planning to rent my home. How can I find quality renters?

A. Obviously, you want renters who will treat your home as if it were theirown.

Here are some tips Ive learned from clients who have rented their homes.

If you are renting to the public, you are subject to provincial and federallandlord/tenant laws. Learn about the laws that apply to you & your rentalbusiness in Alberta.

Find a good rental application and lease (try a site likewww.landlordandtenant.org) and make sure they comply with the lawsof your province. Add in any special stipulations you might require.

Target your advertising to the renters you want to attract (e.g. singles,families, etc.). Let friends and neighbors know youre renting. Theyre agreat source of referrals

Review applications in order of receipt, and only consider the ones that arecomplete. For example, look for five years of work history and phonenumbers for all references, previous landlords and places of employment.Call the references to determine the applicants reliability.

Know that if you do a thorough job going in, youre more likely to end upwith a mutually beneficial agreement for both parties.

If you have any questions, or need capable and trustworthy real estateservices, please call me at 403-327-5555

Who Else Wants To Win

Movie Tickets For Two?Guess who won last months Trivia Question? Im pleased to announce the

lucky winner of last months quiz. And the winners aredrum roll please:Mrs. B. Berg, Lethbridge, AB. was the first person to correctly answer my quizquestion.

Who was the first host of Saturday Night Livewhen it debuted on October 11, 1975?

a) George Carlin b) Steve Martin c) Billy Crystal d) Candice Bergen

The answer is a) George Carlin. So, lets move on to this months triviaquestion:

Who is the highest paid athlete in the world (includingsalaries, bonuses, prize money and endorsements)?

a) Michael Jordan b) Kobe Bryant c) Tiger Woods d) David BeckhamCall Me At 403-327-5555 OR Email Me [email protected]

And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!

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