The City of Paso Robles offers a tremendous amount of activities for all ages, including trips, seminars and workshops, for all ages. Most are free, and the rest have minimal fees involved. Be sure to check out the Fall catalog at www.prcity.com/recreation... Art, cake decorating, fishing, fencing, guitar, karate, dance, tennis and everything in between can be found in the catalog.
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
Loan Officer Pismo Coast Financial 350 James Way, Ste. 130 Pismo Beach, CA 93449 Office: (805) 773-7500 Cell: (805) 757-0544 Fax: (866) 484-1553 Justin.Stearns@prospectmtg.com
"Single women account for the fastest growing segment of the home-buying population in the U.S. This trend has been on the rise for many years. From 1994 to 2002, the number of unmarried women owning homes climbed from 13.9 million to 17.5 million. By 2004, 18% of all homebuyers were single women. According to the latest NAR profile of homebuyers and sellers, that number has risen to 22%.
Factors leading to this increase include the following demographic trends: better education, more women working and seeking financial independence, and young women delaying marriage. Also, women have significantly increased their purchasing power. They own and operate 38% of all businesses in America and make up nearly 40% of all business school graduates. More immediately, historically low interest rates, affordable home prices, ample housing supply and the first-time homebuyer tax credit are fueling the increase of single women homebuyers.
Statistically, women do more research and spend a longer period of time searching for a home. They’re also more inclined to make home repairs. Studies show that nearly half of all purchases made in Home Depot and Lowes are made by women. And 94% of women homeowners claimed to have completed a home improvement project by themselves in the last five years.
Some home characteristics that experts say appeal to women: a safe community (single women account for a large number of condominium purchases where they find a sense of security), a home office (home-based businesses are very popular among women), maintenance friendly yards, lots of storage, and natural light, particularly in the master suite and bathroom. Statistically, women are also more likely to work with female mortgage brokers, attorneys and real estate professionals."
Thank you to Justin for allowing me to reprint his article...
Ladies, be sure to visit the Women Homeowners website to find a local support group of women professionals near you who are available to answer all of your questions related to home ownership issues and other topics...
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
Okay, this recipe is a little more labor intensive, but it always gets rave reviews!
9-inch baked pie shell
I cheat on this and buy the Pillsbury rolled pie pastry in the box. After many years of making my own pie pastry, I finally decided Pillsbury was as good or better than my own recipe and certainly a time-saver.
Filling:
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks slightly beaten
1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons butter
Meringue:
8 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
Line pie plate with pie pastry & bake shell. Let cool...
Make filling: In small saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar & salt. Gradually add 1 & 1/2 cups of water and stir until smooth.
Over medium heat, bring to boiling stirring constantly, until smooth and boil for 1 minute.
Remove mixture from heat. Quickly stir half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, mix well and then return egg yolk mixture back into sauce pan.
Over medium heat, return to boiling while stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute.
Remove mixture from heat and stir in lemon juice, lemon peel and butter. Immediately pour into the pie shell.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Make Meringue: In medium bowl, mix egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. (A KitchenAid Mixer comes in handy here, but you can use a hand-held mixer)
Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons of sugar at a time and beat well after each addition. Continue to beat until still peaks form when the beater is raised.
Spread meringue over hot filling sealing to the edge of the crust and make peaks in the meringue with back of a butter knife or spoon. Touch meringue with utensil and lift forming many peaks.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until meringue is golden.
Cool on a wire rack away from drafts for 1 hour before serving.
Two more bits of advice:
Keep an extra dozen eggs on hand just in case your meringue doesn't whip up. This has happened to me more than once. Don't know whether it is because the eggs aren't fresh or I just whipped them too long.
Secondly, lemon meringue pie doesn't last well in the refrigerator (ingredients tend to separate) so you may as well eat the whole pie:)
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
First of all, if you don't have a problem with salt intake, try marinading your turkey in Williams-Sonoma Turkey Brine overnight before stuffing your turkey. This ensures a moist, succulent turkey for your holiday table. Follow the directions on the jar.
8 tablespoons of butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
12 cups Mrs. Cubbison's Herb Seasoned cube stuffing (or whatever is available)
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1 cup canned chicken broth or more
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 - 1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 Granny Smith or Pippin apple cubed or diced
Melt butter in skillet and saute' onion and celery until tender.
Add to rest of ingredients in large bowl and toss with a fork until well combined.
Add additional chicken broth or water if needed to make stuffing moist but not sopping wet.
Put in container and heat until hot. Remove cover last 15 minutes for crusty topping.
Make sure to have either home-made or canned cranberry sauce for your table.
Most cookbooks these days suggest that you cook the dressing in a separate container for health reasons, but that is up to your discretion.
Enjoy!
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
I wandered into the BPO arena recently and found out that they are a lot of work for not a lot of compensation, but my question does not relate to that.
The BPO was turned in on time, but this weekend I received an email stating that I needed to revisit the property as the listing agent stated to someone -- I don't know who -- that the property has pest infestation and mold issues.
I spoke with the listing agent today, and he/she said that he/she only said there "might" be these existing problems and that he/she didn't have the expertise to say whether these conditions existed or not. I asked if there had been any inspections, reports or repair estimates performed on behalf of the agent or seller and was told no.
Now, I am not a pest inspector or a mold inspector, so how can a BPO company expect me to identify these problems and estimate repairs and costs? I feel these are issues that should be identified by professionals.
What say you? Have you had a BPO company require you to perform inspections and repair estimates for pest and mold problems?
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
Great news for consumers and the housing market recovery!
November 4, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend the home buyer tax credit formerly available only to first-time home buyers. As of today, the federal tax credit will be extended to April 30, 2010, with a 60-day extension available if a binding contract is in place prior to the deadline.
This tax credit is now available to existing homeowners also with a few caveats. Existing homeowners will be eligible for a reduced credit of up to $6,500 as compared to a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers. In addition, existing homeowners must have lived at their current residence for at least 5 years.
This bill also increased the qualifying income limits from $75,000 for single tax filers and $150,000 for joint filers to $125,000 and $225,000 respectively. In both instances, the price of the home is capped at $800,000.
Taxpayers can claim this home purchase credit on their 2009 tax returns, but as always, please consult with your tax preparer or CPA for professional advice.
Home buyers do not have to pay back the credit as long as the home remains their primary residence for 36 months.
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
Thanks to the University of Kansas Hospital Department of Nursing for the following simple ways to prevent catching the flu. This makes sense...
Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice-
From: The University of Kansas Hospital Dept. of Nursing Units 43 & 51
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps can be practiced
1. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine. *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive, and powerful preventative method.
2. Blow the nose hard once a day and swab both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water. This is very effective in bringing down viral population.
3. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamins C and D. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
4. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
I suggest you pass this on. You never know who might pay attention to it -- and STAY ALIVE because of it.
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
Keller Williams Realty, Paso Robles Commercial Division, has the honor of being the listing agent for a new, innovative project in Paso Robles called Winery Row, Paso.
The concept is a destination where you can go from tasting room to tasting room without having to drive several miles in between. After you finish wine tasting, you can take your bottle of wine and lunch to a beautiful landscaped park to enjoy the outdoors.
The first phase of the project will be the building and leasing of 14 wineries. The phases planned for future development include the building of 30 crush facilities, a restaurant/microbrewery, an event center/park, a Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, possibly some high-end retail and an RV Park. Winery Row, Paso will become quite the destination in Paso Robles.
Right now, the listing agent is primarily working to lease up the wineries, but if someone has the desire to purchase a winery or one of the retail pads, he would love to talk to you.
If you would like to see a brochure on the project, contact me by email or phone, and I'd be happy to send that to you...
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
The first Pioneer Day Parade in Paso Robles happened in 1931 at a time when bank failures were at an all-time high. Sound familiar? This event is held each year so Paso Roblans can celebrate their history and the pioneers who built our quaint city.
At 7:00 am in the park, the volunteers start cooking huge pots of beans. The parade starts at 10:00 am, and that is followed by the bean feed at noon. This event has always been free; even the bean feed. Most downtown businesses close until after the parade so employees can celebrate with their families and friends.
This year's parade featured community floats, marching bands, wagons, horse & mule teams, antique tractors and equestrian groups.
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in tractor County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
In general, in order for a lender to consider allowing a short sale for a home owner, there must be a hardship.
Any one of these circumstances - or a combination of them -- might constitute a legitimate hardship in a lender's eyes:
Damage to property
Job relocation
Divorce
Excessive medical bills
Business failure
Incarceration
An upward adjustment of your mortgage payment
Military service
Death of a family member
Separation
Significant income loss
Death of a spouse or domestic partner
Loss of employment
When you decide to pursue a short sale, one of the first things your REALTOR(R) will request from you will be a hardship letter addressed to your lender, because most lenders will require it. The hardship letter should explain which of the hardships listed above caused you to fall behind on your payments, and you must be able to prove it so be sure to present the facts clearly and honestly.
If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.
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