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Menomonie, WI Real Estate News

By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Why Grandma Should Google.   Using Google or other internet search engines may help older people stave off dementia and cognitive decline, scientists say. UCLA researches asked volunteers, ranging in age from 55 to 78, to spend an hour a day using Google to search for information about a range of subjects. Many had never used the Internet before. After two weeks, brain scans revealed increased blood flow in the regions involved in decision-making and short-term memory. The results validate the notion that seeking out new ideas and interests helps to keep the brain stimulated and healthy. "Becoming involved in new things and keeping your brain active are all hallmark activities that would tend to preserve your cognitive skills," neuro scientist Susan Bookheimer tells Nation Geographic ne...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
How to find...   A Liar The story of Pinocchio may not be entirely mythical. When someone is lying, the cells lining the inside of the nose swell and release histamine, which causes itching. As a result, liars are more likely to touch and/or scratch their noses, say's Alan Hirsch, MD, founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, who has studied this Pinocchio effect. Other lying tip-off's include leaning forward ("liar's lean") and using words such as would not or could not rather that wouldn't or couldn't for extra emphasis ("expansion of contrition").  
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Going Green...   Cold water washes are greener, but will they get my clothes clean?   For a hot-water load, about 90% of the energy used to wash clothes goes to heat the water, not agitate your clothes. The good news is washing your clothes in warm water or even cold water will get rid of almost anything, except for the worst dirt or oily stains. Reader Digest Version: Switch from hot to warm water to cut energy use in half; cold, to cut even more.
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
                                    Commercial Real Estate:   Campmark, one of the nation's biggest commercial property lenders, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, said Mike Spector and Lingling Wei in the Wall Street Journal. The company listed $21 billion in debt. Capmark "has been one of the biggest lenders in the U.S. investors and developers of office towers, strip malls, hotels and other commercial properties." With the recession crimping retail sales and business travel, many of its commercial borrowers have defaulted on their loans. Widespread layoffs by business of all sizes have also stifled demand for office space. Campmark's troubles could also be a grim portent of commercial real estate's future, said Dawn McMarty in Bloomberg.com. "Losses from commercial real ...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Your Going To Love This When this come in as an e-mail I felt that I just had to share this with all my AR family. This is not the first time I saw it but, I hope that it yours. Do you think the person who put it up still has there job?
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Here is a couple ways to hide a water stain on a ceiling. After the original leak has been fixed. If you do not want to repaint the entire ceiling,try touching it up with a can of Kilz Upshot. This is an aerosol can, ceiling primer that is tinted to more closely match any aged white ceiling. If you do prefer to redo the entire ceiling try some Sherwin Williams Visible Solutions ceiling paint. It goes on kind of a Violet color and dries to a nice bright White in 20 minutes, which will ensure you that you don'tr miss any spots on your ceiling.
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
I was in a waiting room and found a Womans Day Magazine. One article I read was. Seven Of The Most Germiest Places. #1 The Grossest! The Start button on the office microwave. Everyone touches it and maybe with not the cleanest hands. #2 A shopping cart E. coli was found on 80% of all shopping carts sampled. #3 The First floor elevator button. Again everyone touches this throughout the day. Meaning that the amount of germs increase drastically. #4 The ATM Enter key. Once again, More fingers = more germs. #5 Your desktop. Staying in your office day in and day out means higher germs. Do you eat at your desk? You would probably stop in you knew what the germ count was.  #6 A cutting board. There are more harmful bacteria on this kitchen staple than on your toilet seat :~() #7 Playground equ...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
  How does Hand Sanitizer work?   I found this in my wifes Womans Day Magazie. I found it interesting.Ethyl alcohol (Ethanol) is found in most hand sanitizers. It is a anti-microbial agent that has been recommended as a hand sanitizer since 1888. Alcohol disinfects the skin by disrupting the metabolism of bacterial cells. To be effective, the alcohol content must be over 60%. Other alcohols, like isopropyl alcohol, are also effective, but ethyl alcohol has a lower drying effect on the skin.Find environmentally-friendly hand sanitizers. Should I be concerned about alcohol content?When average adult applies alcohol-based hand sanitizer generously to her hands and forearms, the small amount of ethyl alcohol absorbed is equivalent to drinking 1.5 ml of wine with a 10% alcohol content.Howeve...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
            Wisconsin Home Sales Up in Third Quarter as Median Prices Moderate by David Clark, Economist MADISON, WI - Wisconsin home sales increased for the first time since the recession began nearly two years ago, according to data reported by the Wisconsin REALTORS Association (WRA). Existing home sales increased 5.8 percent in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter last year, the first increase since the recession began in the fourth quarter of 2007. Let's keep the trend going!
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Dress in layers for fall runs The goal is to stay warm without overheating, which can be difficult in chilly weather. At first, your body will be cold, but as you run you may find that you become sweaty and uncomfortable. dressing in layers will help solve this problem.The first layer should be a long-sleeved shirt or turtleneck made of fabric especially designed for drawing moisture away from your skin. Depending on the temperature, you many also want long underwear or tights on your legs, made from the same fabric. Avoid cotton; it traps the sweat next to your skin and makes you clammy and cold. The next layer is for warmth. A heavy sweatshirt or fleece jacket or shell will insulate and hold body warmth in. Concentrate on keeping your core warm. As you run, you will be able to remove ...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
IS Home Staging really important?  The Midwest's housing prices have dodged some of the more severe damage from the economy. I know, for example, Milwaukee's home prices have held up pretty well in spite of the tepid times. Nevertheless, no resting on your laurels - staging is still important. I believe staging is clearly worth the time and effort. I've said it many times - it's a beauty contest out there and REALTORS® who understand how to apply makeup correctly and dress their listings appropriately will win the pageant! In fact, according to professional stager Barb Schwartz, 95 percent of staged homes sell (on average) in 35 days or less. Those not staged take 172 days or more. And, of course, now you can get accredited in home staging; it's called the Accredited Home-Staging Specia...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said,'Jesus knows you're here.'He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze.When he heard nothing more , after a bit, he shook his head and continued.Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard'Jesus is watching you.'Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice.Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot. 'Did you say that?' he hissed at the parrot.'Yep', the parrot confessed, then squawked, 'I'm just trying to warn you that he is watching you.'The burglar relaxed. 'Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?''Moses,' r...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
The Greenest of the Green, Cellulose Insulation While people may debate the causes of global warming, it is just common sense to use products that have the minimum impact on the environment. Insulation, by reducing the amount of energy required to heat or cool a building, is environmentally friendly. But don't be fooled into thinking all insulating materials are equal. There is plenty of greenwashing taking place to make products look more beneficial, or less harmful, to the environment than they really are. Cellulose Insulation is one of the greenest products in the world. Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newsprint and other paper sources, paper that might otherwise end up in landfills, releasing greenhouse gases as it decomposed. If all the paper currently being put into lan...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
  Forget what you saw in the 1970s: These days, indoor-outdoor carpet is more than just green turf. A large selection of colors and textures is available, and an intermediate-level do-it-yourselfer can tackle the installation in one day. You might have to rent a carpet-roller, but the tight seal it will provide will make it worth the minor expense. Outdoor Carpets are designed for use on boats, decks, patios, porches, and any other outdoor area where you want something other than wood or concrete flooring. The yarn is specially treated to resist fading in direct sunlight, and the backing materials are formulated to resist damage from moisture.  
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Homebuyers $8,000 Tax Credit Extended through April 30, 2010On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed into law an extension of the $8,000 first-time homebuyers tax credit until April 30, 2010. Binding contracts for the purchase of a principal residence signed by April 30 must close by June 30 to qualify in order for the first-time homebuyer to qualify for the credit. For qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers will have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return.  The new law added several new provisions that apply to persons purchasing homes on or after November 7, 2009: Homebuyers with higher incomes can now qualify for the credit for homes purchased after November 6, 2009. Income limits have been increased to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for coup...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Maple syrup The process of making maple syrup is an age-old tradition of the North American Indians, who used it both as a food and as a medicine. They would make incisions into trees with their tomohawks and use birch barks to collect the sap. The sap would be condensed into syrup by evaporating the excess water using one of two methods: plunging hot stones into the sap or the nightly freezing of the sap, following by the morning removal of the frozen water layer. When the settlers came to North America, they were fascinated by this traditional process and in awe of the delicious, natural sweetener it produced. They developed other methods to reduce the syrup, using iron drill bits to tap the trees and then boiling the sap in the metal kettles in which it was collected. Maple syrup was...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Fall Turkey Hunting.   The first item a hunter has to keep in mind is that a fall bird is not a spring bird. Turkeys behave differently in the fall than they do in the spring. In the spring the focus is breeding. Gobblers are seeking hens and hens are nesting. In the fall the focus is on flocking and feeding. So, while a spring hunter looks for places such as strutting zones a fall hunter should be concerned with feeding areas. As with any wild critter, turkeys are where you find them, however, looking for mast producing trees along ridge tops, and agricultural fields close to roosting areas will greatly increase a hunter's chances of locating a fall flock. The second item that a hunter needs to keep in mind is that, where it is legal, it is acceptable to shoot a hen. In most states th...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
THIS IS HOW TO FISH IN  CRIVITZ WISCONSIN I was going to build the Gazebo on the edge of my dock down by the lake but I thought ...I might just as well build the deck with floats on it and I can then take it out fishing too....... Has 15,000# capacity. The deck is 18ft x 18ft with 12 plastic foam filled dock floats that are 4ft x 4ft by 18 inches high and the Gazebo is 10 ft. Hexagon with a table and chairs. Inside, under the table is my trolling motor so I can take it out to my favorite fishing hole. The trolling motor is remote controlled wireless so I can be fishing outside and operate the motor. On the top of the table I have a LOWRANCE Fish-Finder with depth sounding sonars and temp gauge. I have 2 electric winches with 40# anchors. I have also built in a water pump so I can clean...
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
Fall Squirrel Hunting Sneaking through the forest in fall is a rewarding hunting technique that gives you the feeling you are outwitting and ambushing your prey.   A squirrel will always feed with it's back to the trees trunk   This brand of squirrel hunting requires woodsmanship and a keen sense of hearing and eyesight. A silent approach requires stalking skills -- concentration on slipping silently through underbrush, calculating each footstep, selecting the best silent route through the forest -- while searching for game. It's not an easy task, but it's very exciting and rewarding. It requires agility, strength, coordination and attention to details as you silently glide along the forest floor.
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By Jason Simonson, Realty Executives - Menomonie WI
"6 Tips to Better Real Estate Photos"With a majority of home buyers perusing listings online, real estate professionals would be wise to use top-quality photos in their listings. However, experts say many make the mistake of taking pictures of rooms without enough light, failing to focus on the room itself, or snapping photos of rooms that have not been cleaned. Dennis Huckaby, an architectural photographer in Blaine, Wash., says, "Real estate agents can't sell something to (consumers) who (chose not to contact) him because they didn't like the pictures." To show homes in the best light, experts encourage agents to prepare them to be photographed by removing clutter and positioning some flowers or fruit bowls on bare countertops, for instance. They should avoid using cell-phone cameras,...
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