Great Pool home to rental in SE Cape Coral. This is an Annual Rental

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Punta Gorda, FL is second highest in County for Home Ownership Rate.

Image via WikipediaAccording to a survey and stats complied by US Census and reported in Investors.com Punta Gorda, Florida is second in the nation in regards to home ownership.  Monroe, Mich had the highest at 79.8 owner-occupied and Punta Gorda is at 79.7.   This is reported in the Florida Realtors' News and Events Oct 25, 2011 issue.

Home ownership numbers has been collected since 1890. The highest numbers were reported in 2000.  This report marks the second highest home ownership. 

Five Reasons Banks would rather Foreclose

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeEver wonder why don't banks just reduce the monthly payments or the amount of a loan instead of taking the home and selling it to someone else at a reduced price. This question is ask frequently by homeowners facing foreclosure or are upside down on their mortgage. 

Professor Jack Guttenberg, a mortgage columnist writes for Inman news. Guttentag believes that lenders have been too stingy when it comes to reducing loan balances. Private lenders have offered loan reductions only sparingly, he says, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac not at all.

Here's the professor's take on why homeowners can't catch a break on loan reductions and stay in their homes.

His five reasons discussed are:

1. Buck stops Here!
2. Banks are in the business of making money.
3. In this economy, you will likely default anyway.
4. Banks are short-staffed and the staff they do have is untrained.
5. Mortgage insurance works against you.  

It is FALL, now is the time to bake witrh Apples!

Best Apples for Baking

[1] Baskets of apples at a "farmers market" at Rogers, Ohio.
Credit: Annette McCarthy

Related Articles

• Baking Tips: Pie [2]
• Blog: Apple Cider Pressing [3]
• Seasonal Crafts: Apple Heads [4]
• How to Cook Apple Tarts Recipe (Video) [5]
• Apples [6]

Login [7] or register [8] to leave a comment.

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Almost any apple can be enjoyed when eaten fresh. However, not all apples are ideal for the kitchen. Below is a chart with some of the best baking and cooking apples in North America.
Note: When it comes to cooking with apples, it may be helpful to know the following:
1 pound of apples = 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 to 5 small apples
1 pound of apples = 3 cups peeled and sliced apples
As you cook those apples, here are some of our favorite apple recipes:
Parsnip and Apple Soup [9]
Caramel-Covered Apples [10]
Baked Apples Filled With Sausage [11]
Perfect Apple Pie (The Classic) [12]
Apple Butter [13]
Green Cabbage and Apples [14]
Apple Oatmeal Crisp [15]
Rutabaga and Apple Compote [16]
Apple Puff [17]
Indian Summer Applesauce [18]
For more about apples, see our Related Articles (above) and see recipes using apples [19].
Please post your favorite apple varieties and any cooking tips below! 

NAME	Best Uses	Flavor Characteristic, Appearance
Braeburn	Sauce	Tart, sweet, aromatic, tall shape, bright color
Cortland	Pies, Sauces, Fruit Salad	Tart, crisp, larger than 'McIntosh'
Fuji	Baking	Sweet and juicy, firm, red skin
Gala	Dried, Cider	Mild, sweet, juicy, crisp, yellow-orange skin with red striping (resembles a peach)
Granny Smith	Baking	Moderately sweet, crisp flesh, green skin
Jonagold	Pie, Sauce	Tangy-sweet, Yellow top, red bottom
Jonathan	Sauce	Tart flesh, crisp, juicy, bright red on yellow skin
McIntosh	Sauce	Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh, red skin
Newton Pippin	Pie, Sauce, Cider	Sweet-tart flesh, crisp, greenish-yellow skin
Rhode Island Greening	Pie	Very tart, distinctively flavored, grass-green skin, tending toward yellow/orange
Rome Beauty	Baking, Cider	Mildly tart, crisp, greenish-white flesh, thick skin
Winesap	Sauce, Pie, Cider	Very juicy, sweet-sour flavor, winey, aromatic, sturdy, red skin

Now is Great Time

This fantastic  article from
Annie Blatz, RSPS, CRB, ABRM CIPS, GREEN
Cape Cod,  Massachusetts

How many times have you said “This is a great time to buy.  Interest rates are low, inventory is plentiful and prices are lower than they have been in years.”
In May I decided to take my own advice and buy an investment property in Florida.  Although I had considered a second home in Florida several years ago, when the market changed, my discretionary money wasn’t there and my plans went on the back burner.  But things have changed dramatically.  Prices are unbelievable.  Even after all I had read, I could scarcely believe the values compared to my own Cape Cod market.  I looked at nice single family homes that were priced at one-third of what they were 5 years ago.
Part of the good news was when I learned that the equity line that I already had in place on my primary residence has a ridiculously low interest rate and I could use that to pay cash for my Florida home.
I discovered that rental rates are excellent and the monthly rent would cover my taxes, insurance, and interest on the loan – with some left to go toward the principal.  My daughter is a student in graduate school in Florida and was prepared to move in as soon as I closed.  So my investment would start working for me right away.

I closed on the perfect little house just 60 days after making the decision to buy.
In 4 or 5 years, my tenant/daughter may be ready to move on and I will need to reassess the investment.  To sell?  To rent?  To retire and move in myself (it is Florida, after all)?  There will be choices.
Today I feel pretty good about how I just spent my money – IT IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY A SECOND HOME.   So for all you Resort and Second Home Specialists out there, consider taking your own professional advice and make an investment!

 

Rate on 30-year mortgage falls to record 3.94 pct.

Average rate on 30-year mortgage falls to record low of 3.94 pct.; first time below 4 pct.
Now is an outstanding time to buy or refinance. For more information on this interesting news go to link below.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Rate-on-30year-mortgage-falls-apf-2069630673.html?x=0

Golden Pumpkin Raisin Bread

Please enjoy this fine Authum treat:

Golden Pumpkin Raisin Bread

This sweet bread is sure to please. Stephanie Leach, Los Gatos, California—The Old Farmer's Almanac Recipe Contest, Dublin, New Hampshire

Yield: 2 loaves

• 2 packages (2 tablespoons) dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1 can (16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6-1/4 to 7-1/4 cups flour, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups raisins

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water; stir until dissolved. Add the pumpkin, oil, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and 1-1/2 cups of the flour. Using a mixer on low speed, beat until well blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs and 1 cup flour; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in the raisins and enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl, turning the dough so that the top is greased. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Note that because of the high sugar content, it is essential that the first rising be in a warm place; room temperature will not do. For the best results, put the bowl in a 125°F oven for 20 minutes to get things going. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each half into a loaf. Place each loaf in a greased 9x5-inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.