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Prudential Top 5 Real Estate…

Service For Life!


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


®
WARNING: Don’t even think of selling
your home without my Free Consumer
Guide, “How To Avoid 7 Costly
Mistakes When Selling Your Home.”
How To Complain Effectively
See enclosed insert…
The customer may always be right, but sometimes you have to convince
companies that it’s true. If you think you’ve encountered bad service, you not
December 2009 only have a right to complain, you have a responsibility. Here’s how to do it
Volume IV, Issue 6 effectively:
Lethbridge, AB.
 Decide what you want the company to do. Will you be satisfied with a
refund, a credit, a repaired product or a replacement?
Inside This Issue…
 Contact the seller as soon as possible. Talking to a customer service
Got A Gripe? Here’s How To representative can solve many problems. Be ready with details and
Complain Effectively…Page 1 documentation. Be assertive yet calm (not threatening!) as you explain
your position. Keep going up the ladder until you reach someone in a
These Credit Card Changes Will position of authority.
Protect Your Teen…Page 2
 If the issue is not resolved, write a letter to the seller’s national
Beware Of H1N1 Flu Fraud…Page 2
headquarters or the manufacturer of the item. Do your research since
Use It Or Lose It: Making The Most the manufacturer is often different than the brand name.
Of Gift Cards…Page 3
 If you are not satisfied (after a reasonable amount of time), file a
Beat This Trivia Question and You complaint with a third party. In addition to complaining to the Better
Could Win Movie Tickets For Business Bureau and your state consumer protection office, take your
Two...Page 4 issue to the state or federal agency that regulates that particular business.
You might also get help from a trade association or the local news media.
What Are “Walkability”
Scores?…Page 4
 If all else fails, consider filing a small claims suit or pursuing a dispute
resolution program. You can get a directory of programs, including
mediation, arbitration and conciliation, from the American Bar
Association.

For more information, consult the “2009 Consumer Action Handbook”


a free 172-page guide from the General Service Administration’s Office of
Citizen Services and Communication. You can order the handbook, which
contains a directory of several hundred companies and a sample complaint
letter, or download it at www.consumeraction.gov.

Are You Feeling Scrunched In Your Current Home?


Maybe you just had a child and you need more space. Or have that nagging
claustrophobic feeling. Or maybe you just need a positive change in your
environment. Either way, I can help. My service programs can help you find the
perfect home. It’s easier than you think. Just give me a call at 403-327-5555.
My promise: there’s never any pressure or hassle – I’m here to help!

See over 500 homes for sale @ www.top5.ca


Word of the Month…
Studies have shown your income and
These Credit Card Changes
wealth are directly related to the size
and depth of your vocabulary. Here is Will Protect Your Teen
this month’s word, so you can impress
your friends (and maybe even fatten Has your teenager or college student been tempted by credit card
your wallet!)…
solicitations? The Credit Card Act of 2009 will put an end to that. Effective
Circumlocution (sur-com-lo-kyoo shn) February 22, 2010, these new rules will limit marketing and issuing credit
cards to young people:
Meaning: A roundabout way of
phrasing something; verbosity  Companies will not be allowed to issue a credit card to a consumer
younger than 21 unless he or she has a co-signer over 21 or can show
Sample Sentence: To call a school proof that they have the means to repay the card debt.
an “institution for the education of
children” is a circumlocution.  Pre-screened credit offers must not be sent to anyone under 21.

That’s Funny  Companies are banned from offering gifts (such as pizzas or t-shirts) to
Did you hear the one about the induce college students to apply for credit cards on or near campus.
woman whose password was
MickeyDonaldPlutoHueyLouieDewey  Colleges, universities and alumni organizations will have to annually
MinnieGoofy? She was told it had to
disclose the terms of any marketing or promotional agreements they make
be at least 8 characters long.
with credit card companies. Additionally, Congress urges colleges to
require that students receive credit and debt management courses as a part
America’s Safest Cities of new student orientation.
Forbes has named these cities the safest
based on crime rate, workplace
fatalities, traffic deaths & natural Would You Like To Know How Much Your
disaster risk: Neighbor’s Home Listed Or Sold For?
1. Minneapolis Maybe you’re just curious. Or perhaps you’re thinking of selling
2. Milwaukee metro area soon and want to know how much your home is worth. Either way, I
3. Portland metro area
4. Boston (tie) can help…with no “sales pitches” or runarounds. Just give me a call
5. Seattle (tie) at 403-327-5555 and I’ll give you all the facts.

Earth As Art
Want to download a cool free satellite
image for your desktop? Go to the
Beware of H1N1 Flu Fraud
Earth Resources Observation and
Science image gallery at With so much attention focused on the H1N1 flu virus, it’s important to be
http://eros.usgs.gov/imagegallery/. as knowledgeable as possible. Here’s what you need to know:

Quotes To Live By… Immunizations are available. Get details from your doctor. If you do get
If you can't sleep, then get up and do flu-like symptoms, stay home and avoid contact with other people. The
something instead of lying there Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most people who have
worrying. It's the worry that gets you, become ill with this virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment.
not the lack of sleep. For a list of symptoms and emergency warning signs, go to
–Dale Carnegie www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm.
Do not squander time, for that is the Beware of products that claim to diagnose, prevent or otherwise act
stuff life is made of.
against the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions
–Benjamin Franklin
consumers to buy only FDA-approved products from licensed pharmacies.
'Tis better to remain silent and be (The only two antiviral drugs approved for treatment to date are Tamiflu and
thought a fool, than open one's mouth Relenza.) For a list of unapproved products (from hand sanitizers to herbal
and remove all doubt. extracts) and websites that have received a warning letter from the FDA, go to
–Samuel Johnson www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/h1n1flu/.

See over 500 homes for sale @ www.top5.ca


Brain Teaser…
What is the hardest material in the
body?
Use It Or Lose It: Making
(See page 4 for the answer.) The Most Of Gift Cards
Get Trained For One Of Chances are you’ll give or receive at least one gift card over the holidays,
These Jobs but there’s more to buying and redeeming them than you think. Follow these
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says
tips to get the most for your money.
these will be the fastest growing jobs by
2016:
 Network systems & data If you’re purchasing one…
communications analyst ♦ Only buy cards that clearly state the cost, monthly fees and expiration
 Personal & home care aides date.
 Home health aides
♦ Include your purchase receipt with the gift card in case the recipient
 Computer applications software
engineers has problems with it.
 Veterinary technicians
 Personal financial adviser If you’re using one…
♦ Know what you have. Is it a store card or bank card? Bank cards (Visa,
Know Their Real Names? MasterCard and American Express) are popular but they come with fees
• Pink – Alecia Beth Moore and terms. If you receive a bank card, register it online so you can get a
• Elvis Costello -- Declan MacManus replacement if it’s lost or stolen. (You’ll need to report it right away.)
• Snoop Dogg -- Cordozar Broadus
• Tom Cruise – Thomas Mapother IV ♦ Use the total value of the card within six months. You’ll avoid fees and
• Queen Latifah -- Dana Owens the possibility of the store going out of business.
• Whoopi Goldberg – Caryn Elaine
Johnson
♦ Try to use the card at stores that accept split payments (part card,
• Bono -- Paul Hewson
part cash). While most large chain stores do, some stores don’t. The
• Tina Turner – Anna Mae Bullock
Consumer Federation of America says 10 percent of the value of bank
cards is never used.
Make Sure Your Diploma Is
Legitimate ♦ Keep track of your balance (the store may be able to tell you). It’s
If you’re about to sign up for an online easy to forget you have money left on the card. Any unused amount only
education program or a specialized
benefits the store or bank.
school, check to see if the school is
accredited. The U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of Postsecondary There’s good news: Effective August 2010, a new law requires cards to
Education maintains a database at be active for at least five years and prohibits companies from charging fees if
www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation. gift cards are used within the past 12 months.

Sounds Like Star Wars


International researchers recently
Please Welcome New Clients And Good
discovered 43 more planets outside our
solar system using a High Accuracy
Friends Into Our Real Estate Family…
Radial Velocity Planet Searcher. So far I’d like to take a moment to personally introduce a few of my newest
they’ve found 75 out of about 400. One
clients and good friends who have supported my business over the
thing is for sure: We are not alone!
years. And special thanks for everyone who thought of me with your
Cool Names For People referrals!
• Hypergelast – one who laughs The Weaver Family
excessively The Conroy Family (referred by S. Whitaker. Many thanks Stephen!)
• Gormandizer – a greedy person The Williams Family
• Cacographer – someone with bad M. Heggie - Referred by W. Thomphson.
handwriting and spelling skills Your referrals are warmly appreciated
• Ichthyologist – someone who
studies fish
See over 500 homes for sale @ www.top5.ca
Thanks For Thinking of Me!
Did you know I can help you or any of “Who Else Wants To Win
your friends or family save time and
money when buying or selling a home? Movie Tickets For Two?”
Thanks for keeping me in mind with Did you get Last Month’s Trivia Question, but you either forgot to call OR
your referrals…and spreading the word Thought someone beat you to it? Well, you may have missed out on a FREE
about my services. Movie!

Most Everyone Knows That there’s 12 items in a dozen. But


Brain Teaser Answer: How Many Items Are In Two Baker’s Dozen?
The enamel (outermost part) of the
tooth!
a) 36 b) 26 c) 12 d) 24 e) 28

No need to call a baker, because the answer is “B,” 26.


Internet Change Coming Now…let’s move on to this month’s trivia question…
The Internet is about to become Give me a call ASAP and you could be the winner this month!
internationalized. By mid 2010, domain
names may be written in Chinese, Who was the first host of Saturday Night Live when it debuted on October 11,
Arabic, Korean and other languages. 1975?
For the first time, users will be able to a) George Carlin b) Steve Martin c) Billy Crystal d) Candice Bergen
write an entire Internet address in a non-
Latin alphabet, making it more Call Me At 403-327-5555 OR Email Me At jeff@top5.ca
accessible to millions of people in Asia,
And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!
the Middle East and Russia.

Funny Signs.
 In A Vet’s Waiting Room: “Be


back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!”
On A Plumber’s Truck: “We repair
Real Estate Corner…
what your husband fixed.”
 On A Radiator Shop: “Best place Q. What are “walkability” scores?
in town to take a leak.”
A. CEOs For Cities, a national network of urban leaders, commissioned a
Household Hint study released in August 2009 that explored the relationship between home
Need to get cooked-on grease off your values and walkability in various U.S. metropolitan areas.
broiler pan? Mix a cup of apple cider
vinegar and 2 T of sugar. Apply it to
Walkability is defined by the Walk Score algorithm, which calculates the
the hot pan and let it sit for an hour.
The grease should be easy to remove.
closest amenities to a U.S. address. Scores range from 0 (car dependent) to
100 (most walkable).
THANK YOU for reading my The results showed that the walkability of cities translated into increased
Service For Life!® personal newsletter.
home values in 13 of the 15 housing markets studied. In the typical
I wanted to produce a newsletter that
has great content and is fun and metropolitan area, a one-point increase in Walk Score was associated with an
valuable to you. Your constructive increase in value ranging from $700 to $3,000 depending on the market. The
feedback is always welcome. gains were larger in more dense, urban areas like Chicago and San Francisco
and smaller in less dense markets like Tucson and Fresno.
AND…whether you’re thinking of
buying, selling or financing real estate, Houses with above-average levels of walkability commanded a premium
or just want to stop by and say “Hi,” I’d of about $4,000 to $34,000 over houses with average levels in the typical
love to hear from you… metropolitan area.
Jeff van de Bennet - REALTOR® Walk Score is an approximation. It does not consider factors such as
Associate Broker
Prudential Top 5 Real Estate public transit, crime and topography. Lots of real estate agents, however, are
403-327-5555 adding the Walk Score to their listings.
jeff@top5.ca
www.homesold.ca If you have any questions, or need capable and trustworthy representation,
please call me at 403-327-5555.
See over 500 homes for sale @ www.top5.ca

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