It's November, which means it's time to put away the costumes and get your house ready for Thanksgiving, especially if you're the one hosting the feast. With these quick tips from EXIT Realty Upper Midwest, real estate and investment experts serving Iowa, Minnesota, and the Dakotas, you'll be up to the challenge of preparing the food and entertaining your loved ones.

• Clean Your Silverware: Clean the dishes beforehand so you don't wind up making your family wait while you scrub everything in a last-minute panic. You can do all at once by boiling them in a pot for three minutes in a mixture of water, baking soda, and salt.
• Optimize Your Heating System: With winter already well on its way, it's important to keep your home comfortable for your guests. Balance your system by closing all the vents in rooms you don't use very often, then adjusting the rest to make airflow uniform throughout your home.
• Clean Your Ceiling Fans: The blades on your ceiling fans are easily neglected dust magnets, collecting allergens which can irritate members of your family with respiratory conditions. Slipping a pillowcase over each fan and wiping it clean is a great way to minimize the mess.
• Sharpen Your Kitchen Knives: Preparing a feast is hard enough, but dull knives make it even harder. Get a whetstone and sharpen all of your knives before you start cooking.

Exit Realty Upper Midwest has prime franchise territories available throughout the region and a real estate agent investor training program, so visit their website, or call (612) 414-4022 to jump-start your career in real estate today.