Tips & Tricks for Surviving a North Dakota Winter (College Edition)

As many of you know and have experienced, winter in North Dakota can get insanely cold. If you are new to North Dakota, you are in for a special surprise… maybe even a snowy, windy, negative 50’s surprise. Below are some tips and tricks on how to stay warm and of course, survive in a North Dakota winter.

1. The Right Clothing

Winter is no joke. Make sure you have a thick coat, a pair of gloves, a hat, scarf, face mask, snow boots, and snow pants. Walking to class may get pretty brisk if you don’t have enough warm clothing. You might find yourself going skiing one weekend or maybe even building a snowman with friends.  If you do not have one of these items, head over to a store that provides winter clothing.

2. Have an Emergency Bag

Everyone should have an emergency bag in their vehicle. Some items to keep in the bag are a blanket, water, flashlight, extra hat and gloves, money, hand warmers, shovel and chocolate. We should always be prepared!

3. Have Sand or Cat Litter in Your Vehicle

Wait? Cat Litter? Yes, you will need it. It can be used to help prevent your vehicle from sliding around on the ice (students with cars, we know exactly what could happen with icy roads). Putting even weight in the front and back of your vehicle will help with the traction. Both sand and cat litter can also be handy. All you must do is put either sand or litter in front or behind your tires and this will hopefully help you get unstuck.

4. Allow Extra Driving Time

We all know that saying we will be able to make it in 10 minutes does not really happen. When it comes to winter, we need to be more cautious with driving. Sometimes it can be so windy that snow blows over the roads causing ice to be covered. We need to drive slowly and be aware. When you are coming to stop, there is no need to slam on the breaks. Simply, press your foot slowly down on the breaks. If you are in 4-wheel drive, slamming your foot down on the breaks can actually harm your tires and the breaks itself.  Try to allow extra time to get to class though!

5. Extra Socks

Wear two pairs of socks instead of one. Sometimes winter boots just do not do the trick. You will be surprised at how warm your feet are when you get back from walking all around campus.

6. Full Tank Always

Winter can be the season where we are constantly filling our gas tank. The reason for this is because we tend to keep our vehicle running longer to keep the heat going throughout the vehicle. Some vehicles also have the option to pre-start with our keys from a dorm room or apartment.  If your gas mileage says you have 20 miles until empty, don’t wait until the next day to fill it up, do it at that moment. Try not to go below a quarter of a tank.

7. Keep Charged Up

Whenever you plan on traveling anywhere make sure your phone battery is charged up. In the unfortunate event where you may run out of gas, your car battery dies or get in a fender bender, you will need to have your phone to be able to communicate with people about what is going on or call for emergency personnel.

8. Communicate Your Travel Plans

College students, this is very important! Whenever you plan on heading home on the weekend do not forget to let your family know when you are leaving and whenever you make a stop at a gas station, check-in with them. You should also let your roommate(s) know so they are aware of what is going on and so they can also keep track of you. Be sure to stay up-to-date on the weather and road conditions by having apps on your cell phone such as weather.com or or the ND DOT site.

9. Ice on Windshield? We Can Fix That Instantly!

Sometimes we run a little behind when heading to class so we will go ahead and scrape a little spot on our windshield for us to see through while driving and call it good. We should know this is not safe but we are trying to save time! Here is a quick trick to help clear your windshield instantly. Go to your local store, grab a spray bottle and fill it with three parts vinegar (or rubbing alcohol) and one part water. This will clear it up within 20 seconds. Its a fast and inexpensive trick!

10. Jumper Cables

Don’t forget to have jumper cables in your car! Sometimes it gets too cold outside to the point where our cars do not even start. Make sure to have a friend handy, you just might need to have them help you.

Now that winter is here, be safe and enjoy the North Dakota winter!

Another helpful tip – Roers Property Management has apartments and townhomes close to campus. If you don’t want to have to deal with road conditions in the winter, contact us to find out more about living close to NDSU.

U32 at 100% Occupancy

You read that right… U32 is at 100% occupancy for August 1st of 2018. This is such an amazing accomplishment for our RPM team! We could not be more proud of them.

We decided to reward the team for their hard work! Jim, Larry, and Danielle all agreed to be apart of making human sundaes…. and things got messy.

Congrats RPM Team! Way to go!

Spring Parade of Homes: Crestwood

Spring Parade of Homes features homes for families in different life stages
FARGO — This year’s Spring Parade of Homes focuses on the homebuyers’ stage of life — and how it affects their home’s size and design.
The Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead’s Spring Parade of Homes features 93 newly constructed homes by 50 local builders, including options for those age 55 and older, first-time buyers, families looking to expand and those wanting to downsize.
Builder: Roers ConstructionValue: $243,900Size: 1,450 square feet, two bedrooms and two baths (For those who need a little extra space, there is a three bedroom, three bath (2,200 square feet) option with an elevator, valued at $322,900.)Address: 2860 Calico Dr., Unit D, FargoStand out details:    – 9′ ceilings – Heated 2-stall garages – Large private patios and courtyards“What makes these homes special is that they are truly one-level living, says Matt Nygard, Roers development research analyst and executive of residential sales. “You pull into your garage and you walk right into your condominium.”During the fall of 2016, Roers – which primarily builds multifamily and commercial housing – decided to build reasonably-priced Crestwood Condominiums for buyers 50-and-older.“We did some research and saw that there were a lot of people in the 50s and 60s looking for this,” Nygard says. “We decided to build these homes at the mid-$200,000 to lower $300,000 price points.”Nygard says by building a spacious one-level condominium at this price point, many people could downsize their current home without going into debt to purchase a new home that would include some aging-in-place features, like the wide, wheelchair or walker accessible doorways and spacious bathrooms.“All units have butler pantries which helps keep the kitchens less cluttered with coffee pots, mixers or toasters,” he says.Nygard also points out the mobility and freedom each home allows its owners. Conveniently located between 45th Street and 42nd Street and just north of 32nd Avenue South, each unit includes snow removal and lawn care.“Owners have peace in mind going on extended vacations knowing that the condo property is secure and taken care of,” Nygard says.
Read the full article here: http://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/4431329-spring-parade-homes-features-homes-families-different-life-stages