Knox Happenings Newsletter | April 2025

Stopping Scammers from Selling Your Home

Imagine a stranger sold your home while you were away. What a nightmare that would be. Unfortunately, some people have experienced this nightmare. Title fraud happens when someone steals the homeowner’s identity using fake identification or forged documents to take away their “title” to the property to do things like sell the property or re-mortgage it.

To avoid being a title fraud victim, read on for some tips.

• Be wary about with whom you share personal information.
• Check bank and credit card statements regularly, as well as your credit report for irregularities, and report any immediately.
• Shred any documents containing personal information before disposing of it.
• Retrieve your mail regularly to avoid mail theft.
• When moving, ensure that you update your address with your contacts and service providers, and have your mail forwarded to your new address.
• Search your property online periodically to see if it is fraudulently listed.
• Get title insurance. It will cover losses from title fraud, the legal costs of restoring your right to the property title, and in the case your home was fraudulently sold, the unwitting buyer will get their money back.

Title fraud is more likely to happen when a property is vacant or paid off, or the owner is vulnerable in some way, such as being elderly or compromised.

By making proactive choices you can protect what is, for many people, their largest financial investment.

Tidy Home, Happy Life

A tidy and organized home makes it easier to feel less stressed, which allows you to focus better. If you live a busy life or if you have young kids though, this can be a challenge. So, if you are in a trance, just wondering where to begin, try these helpful tips.

Donate or sell anything that doesn’t have a practical or aesthetic purpose, including clothes you don’t wear. If you are having a hard time letting go of something, taking a photo can be a way to preserve it so you can let the physical object go.

Make use of hooks, storage bins, and shelves to keep clutter off the floor and counter surfaces.

Follow a ‘touch once’ policy, meaning anything you touch, you will put it where it belongs right away instead of setting it down anywhere.

If you have kids, rotate their toys every few months by storing away half of them to avoid your house looking cluttered or untidy.

Practice the ‘one-in, one-out’ method. Every time you buy something new, find something you don’t use or need to donate.

Digitize your documents. For example, switch your paper bills to paperless to reduce paper clutter and waste.

If you are feeling overwhelmed there are home organization services you can explore online to help you cut through the clutter and organize, so it’s easier to maintain a tidy home.

DIY Reed Diffusers

Do you want to make your home smell beautiful while creating a nice accent piece to add to your home? How about making a reed diffuser? It’s surprisingly simple and also makes a great gift idea for any occasion.

Materials:

• A glass or ceramic vase-like container, glazed inside to prevent leaking, with a narrow opening at the top so the liquid will evaporate slower
• ½ cup of sweet almond oil or safflower oil
• 25 to 30 drops of essential oils of your choosing (note that citrus oils evaporate quicker than other oils, but pairing these with another oil will help it last longer)
• 4 to 5 bamboo skewer sticks (trim the pointy ends) or reed diffuser sticks

Mix the oils, add the sticks, and rotate them after several hours. Continue to rotate the sticks about once a week until they are saturated and then replace them and the oils as necessary.

If you want the scent to travel up the sticks faster, add 1 tablespoon of vodka or rubbing alcohol.

Note: If you have a cat or dog, some essential oils are toxic to them, so check which essential oils are safe.

Words of Wisdom

“Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and it smiles back at you.”
Peace Pilgrim

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”
Margaret Drabble