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Todd Wardle's...

Service For Life! ^®

Insider Tips for Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Living

Inside This Issue...

Learn Almost Anything Online For FREE...
Protect Yourself: How Credit Card Changes Affect YOU...
Fun Facts and Laughs: Real Names of Celebrities, Things Actually Auctioned on eBay, and More...
Trivia Challenge: Win Free Movie Tickets For Two
Real Estate Q&A: What changes have been made to laws on reverse mortgages?

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Todd Wardle,
Phone: (208) 322-8628
Email: Todd@FindIdahoHomes.com
www.FindIdahoHomes.com

Dear Friend

Did you know you there are hundreds of places online to learn almost anything for FREE? I've compiled a list of 7 notable sites to check out in my latest Service For Life! ^® Free consumer newsletter.

You'll also learn how the new credit card changes will affect you, plus some fun facts, a trivia challenge, and lots more.

Enjoy your issue, and please feel free to call me whenever a friend, family member or neighbor needs a caring, competent real estate professional to help with buying or selling.

To health, success and laughter in your life!

Todd Wardle

Todd Wardle, REALTOR^®
Todd Wardle

PS. If you're considering selling your home soon, and want to get every bit of its worth in the least amount of time, request my Free Consumer Report called "How To Avoid 7 Costly Mistakes When Selling Your Home" by emailing me at Todd@FindIdahoHomes.com, or call me at: (208) 322-8628

Today's Brain Teaser . . .

At what point on the thermometer do the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales converge? (answer below)

Learn Almost Anything Online For FREE

You don't have to pay for a college degree program to learn over the internet. Whether you want to fix a leaky faucet, speak Chinese, or listen to a lecture on world history, there's plenty of educational material available for free. Here are some good places to start (and some you might not have thought of):

YouTube. It's not just for funny videos any more. You can find tutorials on sports and home improvement as well as how to do the moonwalk! YouTube also has an education channel where you can view content from universities and other institutions. Go to www.youtube.com/edu and click on a category from Business to Social Science.
The History Channel. On their site at www.history.com you'll find videos on such subjects as the Civil War, Great Inventions and Space Exploration. Check out the videos under "Topics" and "Great Speeches."
DiscoveryEducation.com. Go here for videos on math, science, social studies and more that you can use to help kids with their homework.
University of California-Berkeley. Go to webcast.berkeley.edu to download hundreds of video or audio courses and on-campus lectures.
The BBC. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/languages to study everything from Italian to Chinese. Taking a trip? Learn essential phrases in 36 languages.
AcademicEarth.org. Watch lectures on subjects from Computer Science to Mathematics and Law given by professors from universities such as Harvard, MIT, and UCLA.
OpenCulture.com. This site is a guide to thousands of hours of the latest educational content on the web. Readers will be especially interested in the section on free e-books you can read on your computer.

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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 send me an email by clicking here, or call me at: (208) 322-8628. My promise: there's never any pressure or hassle - I'm here to help!

Protect Yourself: How Credit Card Changes Affect YOU . . .

The new rules for credit card companies that mean more consumer protection went into effect on Feb. 22, 2010. Here's what they mean for you:

Your credit card company has to tell you:

When they're increasing your rate or other fees, giving you 45 days notice. Also, they can't raise the interest rate on an existing balance unless you're more than 60 days late with a payment. And they can't increase your rate for the first 12 months after you open an account (with some exceptions).
How long it will take to pay off your balance. It will say on your bill how long it will take if you only make minimum payments, and how much you'd need to pay each month to pay off your balance in three years.

Monitor your cards closely and follow these tips to protect yourself:

Pay on time. Companies are required to mail or deliver your bill at least 21 days (instead of 14) before your payment is due. Plan accordingly.
Stay below your credit limit. You will, however, be given the choice to "opt-in" to over-the-limit transactions. If you opt-in and go over your limit, your credit card company can impose only one fee per billing cycle.
Try to make more than the minimum payment. You'll pay less interest in the long run.
Shop for the best deal. Don't forget to check out local banks or credit unions when you're looking for a card with the best rate.
Read your mail. They may give you 45 days notice on a rate change, but you won't know if you don't open the envelope if it looks like junk mail.

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Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Thank You! Thank You!

Thanks to all of my clients and friends who support my practice and graciously referred me to your friends and neighbors! Rather than pester people with unwanted calls and visits, I build my business based on the positive comments and referrals from people just like you. I couldn't do it without you!

Fun Facts and Laughs . . .

Do You Know These Real Names of Celebrities? . . .

John Stewart - Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz
Ralph Lauren - Ralph Lifshitz
Bob Dylan - Robert Zimmerman
Elton John - Reginald Dwight
Hannah Montana - Destiny Hope Miley Cyrus
Ringo Starr - Richard Starkey

Things Actually Auctioned on eBay . . .

A piece of French toast Justin Timberlake took a bite of.
Thirty days of ad space on a man's forehead.
A cornflake in the shape of the state of Illinois.
A man's liver (until eBay canceled the auction).
A month of "friendship" (emails, phone calls every week).
A Gulfstream private jet.

Have A Laugh . . .

A man's son sat down in the driver's seat in anticipation of his driving lesson. "The first thing you should do is make adjustments so you feel ready to drive," the father said. "What's the first thing you think you should do?" he asked.

"Change the radio station," his son said.

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Here's A Free, Valuable Resource...

Now You Can Search The Home Market, Get Helpful Community Information, AND Receive Important Resources For Saving Time And Money When Buying Or Selling At www.FindIdahoHomes.com

Trivia Challenge for the Month...

"Who Else Wants To Win Movie Tickets For Two?"

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: Richard Matuszek correctly answer my quiz question.

Which of the following is a new medal event
at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics?

a) Women's hockey b) Ski Cross (men's and women's)
c) Biathlon mixed relay d) Women's ski jumping

The answer is b) Ski Cross (men's and women's). So, let's move on to this month's trivia question:

Who was the top touring act (live concerts) of the decade 2000-2009?

a. Bon Jovi
b. Madonna
c. The Rolling Stones
d. U2

EMAIL ME AT: Todd@FindIdahoHomes.com OR Call Me At (208) 322-8628 And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!

Brain Teaser Answer:

Fahrenheit and Celsius converge at minus 40 degrees.

Real Estate Q&A . . .

Q. What changes have been made to laws on reverse mortgages?

A. First, a reverse mortgage is a loan that lets homeowners (age 62 or older) convert the equity in their homes into cash. The equity can be paid to the homeowners in a lump sum, a stream of payments, or as a supplement to Social Security or other retirement funds. No payment is required until the borrower no longer uses the home as their principal residence.

Here are the key changes to the laws involving reverse mortgages according to the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008:

The loan limit has been increased from $362,790 (depending on home values in the region) to a nationwide limit of $417,000, and that can increase to as much as $652,500 in high-cost areas.
Fees are now capped at 2 percent of the first $200,000 borrowed and 1 percent on the balance, with a maximum of $6,000. To protect seniors from aggressive marketing tactics, the law prevents lenders from requiring borrowers to purchase insurance, annuities or other products as a condition for getting the mortgage.

While these changes have made the mortgages more attractive, they aren't for everyone. You should do your homework and talk with a loan counselor.

If you have any questions, or need capable and trustworthy representation, please email me at Todd@FindIdahoHomes.com.

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. Help your friends get more out of life by forwarding this email to them...

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this email is intended for informational purposes. It should not substitute as legal, accounting, investment, medical and other professional services advice. Always seek a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. This email is not intended to solicit real estate properties currently for sale.

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