HOMES & FOOD

Home Foreclosure and Debt Cancellation

2011-01-20T13:21:00.001-07:00

Home Foreclosure and Debt Cancellation

Have you received a 1099-C from the sale of your home or restructuring of your mortgage debt? Please don't panic! If you had a mortgage foreclosure, home short sale or mortgage restructuring, ask your tax accountant about the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007.

According to the IRS Update Dec. 11, 2008, "the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 generally allows taxpayers to exclude income from the discharge of debt on their principal residence. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, qualify for this relief".

You may check out this IRS link to read more about the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 and its qualifying factors http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174034,00.html

I am not intending to provide tax advice of any kind to anyone. Please consult your tax accountant or the IRS for tax advice.

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Free Tax Preparation at VITA

2011-01-20T08:35:00.002-07:00

It is 2011 and time to prepare your 2010 tax returns. If you need help in preparing your 2010 taxes and qualify as a senior citizen (60 years of age and older) or not a senior citizen and making $49,000 or below, you may want to consider getting them done free by the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Plus, some of the VITA volunteers will come to an individual that is home bound.

Typically, VITA will only do individual tax returns and not business. VITA prepares the federal and state tax return. Should you need multiple years prepared, they are able to do this for free as well. VITA will prepare and file your taxes electronically which will typically process a refund in half the time as compared to mailing your return to the IRS.

Below are some VITA sites in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and Greeley Colorado. To locate the nearest VITA site, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Foothills Mall
248 E. Monroe
Fort Collins, CO
Tuesday, 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Fort Collins Senior Center
1200 Raintree Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80526
970-221-6644
Wednesday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Poudre River Public Library District
201 Peterson St.
Fort Collins, CO
Monday and Thursday, 1 PM-4 PM, Closed February 14, 2011

First United Methodist Church
533 N Grant Ave
Loveland, CO 80537
970-227-0307
Monday - Thursday, 11 AM - 3 PM, Closed February 21, 2011

Windsor Recreation Center (AARP)
250 11th Street
Windsor, CO 80550
970-674-3500
By Appointment Only

Clearwater Library
720 3rd Street
Windsor, CO
Wednesdays: 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Closed February 23 and March 23, 2011
Open Saturdays in February and March 26: 10 AM- 1 PM
April TBA (Call 211)

Greeley United Way (AARP)
814 9th Street
Greeley, CO
970-353-9251
By Appointment Only

Loveland Mobile (Housebound & Special Needs) Call: 599-1794Providing this information is not intended to recommend the services provided by the IRS VITA program and I am not providing tax advice to anyone. You should contact the IRS or your tax professional for all tax advice.

Fort Collins Mobile (Housebound & Special Needs) Call: 599-1765

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-01-08T12:39:00.013-07:00

This is my twist on a chicken noodle soup. This soup is easy to make and it freezes well. I love a warm bowl of soup on a cold Colorado day.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 bone-in chicken breasts & 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
2 - 49 ounce cans of chicken stock
6 cups of water
5 carrots, chunks
5 stalks of celery, chunks
Frozen bag of pearl onions
Bay leaf
Extra wide egg noodles
Spinach, frozen or fresh

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil. Place chicken on sheet pan, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Bake chicken breasts for about 40 minutes and thighs for about 50 minutes. Remove chicken meat and cut in chunks.

Cook noodles al dente and toss in olive oil. In a large stock pot, simmer chicken stock, water, carrots, onions and bay leaf until veggies are tender. Add chicken and spinach.

Place noodles in bowl and cover with soup. Serve with toasted baguette or biscuit.

Enjoy!

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Fort Collins Rental Vacancies Down and Rents Up

2011-01-04T17:59:00.007-07:00

According to recent data from the Department of Housing, Fort Collins and Greeley have the lowest rental vacancy rates in Northern Colorado in the third quarter of 2010. In Fort Collins, vacancy rate was 2.8 percent and average rent was $868 in the third quarter of 2010. Rents are expected to continue to rise in Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland. I don't have statistics to show a direct correlation between people loosing their homes and a decrease in vacancies. However, common sense tells me that the more people who lose their homes with damaged credit scores and no jobs or lower-income will increase the demand for rentals and landlords will continue to increase rents.

I wonder if it will get to a point where average rents will exceed an average monthly mortgage in Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland areas? Of course, this would be good for home sales in Northern Colorado. However, it would not be so good for home values. While I don't have a solution to this problem, my experience as a Certified Distressed Property Expert tells me that it is in our best interest for mortgage lenders to work with willing homeowners to keep them in their homes, cooperative efforts from the private sector (lenders, real estate agents and those selling and purchasing a home) to streamline the short sale process (a home sells for less than what is owed on the home) and for us to work together and encourage the creation of a new and vibrant segment in our economy so that people can pay their mortgages.

It shouldn't be so difficult to get a home refinanced with a lower rate or possibly reduce a principal balance. Do you know that it is taking some of the major lenders more than three months to refinance a mortgage for a homeowner in good standing? There are responsible people unnecessarily loosing their homes to foreclosure and devastating their credit because a lender turns down a fair offer on a home in short sale and the home may sit empty or possibly sell on the courthouse steps for far less money.
For more information about vacancy and rent statistics in Northern Colorado, check out Department of Housing at http://dola.colorado.gov/cdh

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Merle Haggard Honored by Kennedy Center!

2011-01-04T13:08:00.006-07:00

On December 28, 2010, Merle Haggard received the well deserved respect and salute for his 50 years of incomparable contributions to the music of this great country. I had been so looking forward to seeing the tribute to Merle Haggard and missed it! However, I was happy to find this wonderful video of Merle Haggard honored at the Kennedy Center and want to share with all of you that love the music of Merle Haggard too.

By the way, Merle Haggard will play in Denver at the Buell Theatre on February 25, 2011 http://www.merlehaggard.com/

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-03T19:38:00.003-07:00

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE

"Yes, I Can!"

Broker Associate

Keller Williams Realty

Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591

Fax: 970-686-9586

Email: mail@margaretblythe.com

Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Turkey, Wine and Football Pic

2010-11-24T11:02:00.005-07:00

COWBOYS VS SAINTS..... GO COWBOYS!!!

Wine Pick: Newmans Own Chardonnay

Butterball has a great web page on how to cook a turkey http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/how-tos/know-when-your-turkey-is-done

Be sure to check out how to make a turducken under my Thanksgiving recipe section on this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Pumpkin Carving, Photography and Seed Roasting Tips

2010-10-22T18:50:00.005-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE BLYTHE PUMPKIN FAMILY

Here Are Some Links To Check Out:

Pumpkin Carving Tips and Tricks & Pick Your Pumpkin

How To Photograph Jack-O-Lanterns With A Digital Camera

HGTV Pumpkin Carving Pattern Ideas

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds with Alton Brown

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE

"Yes, I Can!"

Broker Associate

Keller Williams Realty

Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591

Fax: 970-686-9586

Email: mail@margaretblythe.com

Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

1150 Norma Ct. Milliken, CO--Approved Short Sale at $136,000

2010-10-22T11:26:00.009-06:00

This beautiful home has just received an approved price reduction from the lender to $136,000! It is priced to sale and you can expect a very quick turnaround from the lender.

The homeowners continue to take excellent care of this 2-story home located in a quiet cul-de-sac. Beautiful large back yard with wooden fence, nice landscaping, amazing playground, garden area, matching shed and separate dog run. Plus, you will receive the following NEW improvements: roof, exterior paint and water heater. Enjoy the front patio year-round. Central air conditioning. Basement is a great family room getaway.

As part of a short sale this property is Sold AS-IS and offer is subject to 3rd party approval.

Buyer to verify measurements. This home qualifies for USDA financing with zero down payment!

For more information, please feel welcome to contact me, Margaret C. Blythe, at 970-412-7591.

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit my Homes and Food Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

BRONCOS VS. RAIDERS RECIPE

2010-10-21T11:03:00.000-06:00

BRONCOS VS. RAIDERS
Sunday, Oct 24, 2010 at 2:15PM MDT

I am making Puerco Pibil for this Sunday football game between Broncos and Raiders. Did you see the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico showing Johnny Depp obsessing over Puerco Pibil? Puerco Pibil is a traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Península. Be sure to wear food gloves or plastic baggies when handling habañeros. By the way, you can find banana leaves for $1.59/lb in a 12 x 12 sheet at the grocery store Avanza 462 in Greeley (970) 351-0727 Address: 3635 W 10th St.

I plan to use the following substitutions:

Replace the 5 lemons with 3 limes and 2 lemons to make it less tart
Increase orange juice from 1/2 cup to 1 cup for more juice
Most likely increase cook time from 3-4 hours to about 6 hours for more tender meat

I will try to post pics of my Puerco Pibil.

GO BRONCOS!!!

Recipe by Chris DeJohn, Executive Chef at INVESCO Field at Mile High

Centerplate’s Signature Puerco Pibil
Yield: 5 pounds Puerco Pibil

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
5 Tbsp. Whole annatto seed
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. Whole peppercorns
8 each Whole Allspice
3 tsp. Whole Cumin seeds
½ tsp. Whole cloves
(Grind the above ingredients to a fine powder using an electric spice grinder or coffee grinder)
8 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 5 lemons
½ cup orange juice
½ cup white vinegar
2 each Habañero pepper (seeded and de-veined)
1 cup Tequila
5 pounds pork butt (cut into 2” squares)
3 banana leaves (if available)

Method: For the marinade
After the spices have been ground to a fine powder, place all of the marinade ingredients in a blender and blend until garlic and habañero peppers are pureed smooth.

Method: For the Pork butt
Add the marinade to the cubed pork butt and mix thoroughly making sure to cover all pork pieces.
Place pork in refrigerator and let marinate for 24 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 325ºF.
Line roasting pan with banana leaves (if available) or foil.
Place pork and marinade into pan and cover tightly with foil to seal in the steam.
Place pan in oven and cook for 3-4 hours or until pork is very tender and falls apart easily.

Serve with cilantro corn rice, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, avocado, and flour tortillas.

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty

Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Visit the Homes & Food Blog by Margaret C. Blythe at http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Calabacitas

2010-08-16T11:03:00.001-06:00

Calabacitas is a traditional healthy New Mexico dish from the Pueblo Indians. Calabaza means squash in Spanish. My preference is to use New Mexico Hatch Chile in my calabacitas. Check out my above video of Hatch Chile being roasted in New Mexico.

Calabacitas Recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 cobs of corn, roasted or boiled and kernels cut-off cob

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups summer squash, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
1/4 cup roasted Hatch Chile, diced
1/2 grated Mozzarella cheese

1 avocado, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onion for five minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, squash and zucchini and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in corn kernels, green chile. Top with cheese and cook until melted.

Ladle calabacitas in bowl, top with avocado and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Margaret C. Blythe, CDPE "Yes, I Can!
"Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Fax: 970-686-9586
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Visit the Homes & Food Blog by Margaret C. Blythe at www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Windsor, Colorado Community Garden

2010-07-22T11:26:00.001-06:00

The Windsor Community Garden of "Treasure Island" is located along the bike trail near Eastman Park and the Poudre River. Be sure to stop at Treasure Island to see all the fun and beautiful parts of the garden.

The beautiful garden is a cooperative effort of the Town of Windsor and Colorado Weld County Master Gardeners. Also, people donate their time and plants to the garden. The Master Gardeners have various educational programs on the second Saturday of each month at 10 A.M. free of charge (donations are accepted).

The celebration of growing season to pick your own pumpkin is on October 09, 2010 at 10 A.M.

Margaret C. Blythe
Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Stuffed Jalapenos

2010-06-07T15:41:00.000-06:00

Stuffed Jalapenos

Stuffed Jalapenos (a.k.a. ABT’s) are a favorite appetizer among BBQ competitors. It is fun to try different ingredients to stuff jalapenos. Chiles may be kept upright or horizontal when cooking. These may be assembled ahead of time and cooked just before serving.

30 jalapenos
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces shredded pepper-jack cheese
Seasoning salt or BBQ rub
1/2 pound of meat, cooked and well drained (favorites are crab, shrimp, smoked meat, chorizo and little smokies)
Bacon strips
Toothpicks

Method 1: Upright Chiles
I use a Chile grill http://www.irondesert.com/ to hold ABT’s upright on the smoker or grill. You can also turn a disposable aluminum pan upside down, mark an X, push through the X and place a jalapeno in the hole. Cut off top of jalapeno and use a jalapeno corer or small gadget with a serrated end to remove seeds and membrane. Be sure to remove most of the membrane in the tip of the jalapeno or it will be very hot. The more membrane you leave, the more atomic! Combine room temperature cheese, seasoning salt or BBQ rub and cooked meat in a food processor. Use a baggie with a cut corner to stuff jalapenos. Leave a little room at top of jalapeno for cheese to expand. Top jalapenos with half bacon slice and secure with a toothpick. Smoke with apple wood over indirect heat at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, or until bacon is done and crisp and peppers are soft.

Method 2: Horizontal Split Chiles
Cut jalapenos lengthwise, core, stuff, wrap in a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Grill: Lay jalapenos cut side up in a circle around charcoal and apple wood. Cook over indirect low to medium heat for about 45 minutes, or until bacon is done and crisp and peppers are soft.
Oven: Place jalapenos cut side up on a foil-lined sheet pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, or until bacon is done and crisp and peppers are soft.

Guacamole is a great to serve on the side to top stuffed jalapenos.

Enjoy. Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Windsor's Pelican Fest Triathlon 2010

2010-05-26T09:20:00.001-06:00

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Starts 8 A.M.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful for the Pelican Fest Tri. It all starts with an 800 meters swim at Windsor Lake located downtown, followed by a 10 mile bike, and ends with a 5K run around Windsor Lake.

Best places to park near Main Street include: Loodles Coffee House, The Egg & I for breakfast or Windsor High School and then walk to Windsor Lake. Be sure to wear good walking shoes.

Have fun!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Blueberry Muffins

2010-05-25T17:49:00.000-06:00

I can always rely on an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe. I made these delicious blueberry muffins and love the crunchy crust, moistness and cake texture. Plus, they aren't too sweet so you can enjoy the flavor of the blueberries.

I used frozen blueberries and allowed them to thaw at room temperature for half an hour. Since I like a lot of blueberries in my muffins, I use an extra 1/4 of a cup of blueberries, or a total of 2 and 1/4 cup blueberries. Be sure to gently fold the batter after adding blueberries.

By the way, I was able to make 24 muffins by using a smaller ice cream scoop. I like the smaller scoop since the batter doesn't overflow and stick to the pan. I refrigerated the muffins and brought to room temperature before serving. You could use flag or star cupcake liners for Memorial Day.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time: 12 min

Inactive Prep Time--Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy

Serves: 16 muffins.

Ingredients
•12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
•1 1/2 cups sugar
•3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
•1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
•8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
•1/4 cup milk
•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 teaspoons baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Spring Snow in Colorado

2010-05-13T08:19:00.001-06:00

The Colorado Rocky Mountains

look beautiful this morning after a spring snow.

Margaret C. Blythe"Yes, I Can!"

Broker Associate

Keller Williams Realty

Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591

Email: mail@margaretblythe.com

Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/

Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

$149,900 Milliken, CO

2010-05-04T16:36:00.000-06:00

1150 Norma Court Milliken, CO

Well cared for 2-story home on quiet cul-de-sac. Beautiful large back yard with wooden fence, nice landscaping, great playground, garden area, matching shed and separate dog run. Enjoy the private front porch all summer. Central air conditioning. You will love the spacious kitchen. Basement is a great family room getaway.

Short sale and offer are subject to seller and lender approval. Only one seller accepted offer submitted to lender and other seller accepted offers in back-up position. Buyer to verify measurements.

USDA rural financing with little or no downpayment and other buyer financing and qualifying incentives! MLS # 627368

This is a great home buying oppportunity! For more information, please call Margaret C. Blythe at 970-412-7591.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Foreclosure and Man Bulldozes Home!

2010-04-18T14:57:00.000-06:00

According to RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, 1 in every 352 households in the United States had received a foreclosure notice in March 2010.

Here is a video of an Ohio man faced with a long-term battle of home and business foreclosure. He took desperate measures and bulldozed his beautiful home.

I know times are very tough when you are faced with loosing your home and/or business. In this rough economy, it may seem that there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel. Please know that there are viable options to keeping your home or selling it as a short sale with the possibility of less damage to your credit and may be able to minimize a potential deficiency damage.

So PLEASE let me help you explore your home options, including a short sale, before getting on a bulldozer!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Black-Eyed Pea Soup, Jalapeno Cheese Corn Bread & Music!

2010-04-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

We had a delicious Saturday dinner of black-eyed pea soup and jalapeno cheese corn bread (see recipes below). Listening to music you can't hear on the radio today. Here is a fun video of Tanya Tucker singing and dancing with her dog to a Wynn Stewart song: Big, Big Love.

Jalapeno Cheese Corn Bread

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup of buttermilk
2 eggs
8 1/2 ounce can of creamed corn
8 1/2 ounce can corn
1 tablespoon of jalapeno, diced
1 cup of cheese, grated
4 tablespoons honey
1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently mix all ingredients just until moist. Pour into greased cast iron skillet. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Black-Eyed Bean Soup

Bag of dried black-eyed peas, about 1 lb
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
Ham hock
Chopped ham
2 bay leaves
2 cups of chicken stock
Water
Green beans, frozen bag
5 carrots, sliced
Fresh ground pepper

Sort through beans and rinse. Soak beans in crock-pot over night in room temperature water. Rinse beans thoroughly. Saute onion for about 15 minutes until light golden brown and add garlic for a few minutes. Add onions, garlic, ham hock, chopped ham, bay leaves and chicken stock to crock-pot. Fill crock-pot with water about three inches from top. Cover and cook for about 8 hours. Add green beans, carrots and fresh ground pepper in last 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Corned Beef for Saint Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T10:04:00.001-06:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

The day is named after St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Across the U.S. we are celebrating Saint Patrick's Day with Chicago dyeing their river green, New York City is having the largest parade in the World and in Northern Colorado I am cooking a corned beef in the crock pot and wearing my green.

I am trying this corned beef crock pot recipe by Food Network and will post pic and review later.

Ingredients

4 pounds lean raw corned beef brisket
3 tablespoons pickling spice (often included with brisket)
1 medium rutabaga, halved and cut into wedges
1 pound large carrots, cut into 4-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds large fingerling potatoes
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cut into wedges
1/3 cup horseradish, drained
1/3 cup creme fraeche or sour cream

Directions

Place the corned beef in a large slow cooker and scatter the pickling spices on top. Layer the rutabaga, carrots, potatoes and leek in the cooker (in this order for even cooking). Add enough hot water (4 to 5 cups) to cover the meat by at least 1 inch, put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high, 7 to 8 hours.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker and keep warm. Put the cabbage in a microwave-safe dish with 2 cups cooking liquid from the slow cooker, cover and microwave until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil another cup of cooking liquid in a small skillet until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Mix with the horseradish and creme fraeche in a small bowl.

Slice the corned beef and serve with the slow-cooked vegetables, cabbage and sauce; reserve about a quarter each of the meat and vegetables and 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid for Corned Beef Hash.

May your pockets be heavy—
Your heart be light,
And may good luck pursue you
Each morning and night.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Beautiful Balloon In Windsor, CO

2010-03-17T09:19:00.000-06:00

I started my day watching this beautiful hot air balloon launch in Windsor over the Poudre River by Water Valley. What another beautiful day in Northern Colorado. Have a great day! Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Saturday Night Jukebox

2010-03-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the legendary Merle Haggard singing "Motorcycle Cowboy." This is a great dance tune!

This song is featured on one of my favorite Merle Haggard CDs "Live at Billy Bob's Texas - Motorcycle Cowboy." You can order this CD at Merle Haggard's website http://merlehaggard.com/shopping_cs_cart/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=29853

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Spring Forward!

2010-03-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder: Be sure to "Spring Forward" by moving your clocks one hour forward before you go to bed on Sunday evening. I love this time of year since we have another hour to enjoy the beautiful Northern Colorado outdoors later in the day. Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

CSU and UNC College Days

2010-03-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year for parents and students to check out universities in Colorado. CSU and UNC are providing nice campus tours and other resources.

University of Northern Colorado in Greeley is providing College Days for new and high school students on March 5, 2010. For more information go to UNC website at http://www.unco.edu/future/visit/index.asp

Colorado State University in Fort Collins is having High School Junior Visit Day on March 26, 2010. You may register to visit CSU at http://admissions.colostate.edu/more/Framed.aspx?src=visitcsu/eventscal/index.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3DViewEventDetails%26EventID%3D5058 src=visitcsu/eventscal/index.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3DViewEventDetails%26EventID%3D5058

I enjoy helping CSU students and their parents find a nice home close to CSU. Why pay high rent when you can own a home at a great price and have other students pay your mortgage?

For your convenience, I can easily set-up your own private site on the internet to include homes that match your criteria. Furthermore, I can take additional videos of homes for you to view. Should you be interested, I can also provide names of friendly and credible lenders to handle a free loan prequalification.

Have fun at College Days! Be sure to check out my website for some of my favorite restaurants in the area and other area resources http://margaretblythe.yourkwagent.com/atj/user/AdditionalGetAction.do?pageId=155175

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Home Default Factors

2010-03-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

The decline in home prices and mortgage affordability are two major factors that influence home mortgage defaults. When home prices stabilize and more people are able to afford mortgage payments, we will see less homes go into default. We won't get into how lenders can further help homeowners stay in their home with permanent loan modifications. We will save that for another day.

1. Declining Home Prices

It has been reported that there is a direct relationship between declining house prices - mortgage defaults - foreclosures.

Homes values may decline below what is owed on the property which can lead to negative equity. When a homeowner has negative home equity, they may be faced with a short sale since there may be an unaffordable or unobtainable permanent loan modification and the inability to refinance.

NEGATIVE EQUITY BY STATE
AS OF 12/31/2009

This data only includes properties with a mortgage. Non-mortgaged properties are by definition not included.
Defined as properties in negative equity or within 5% of being in a negative equity position. Table Courtesy CoreLogic

According to First American CoreLogic, "More than 11.3 million, or 24 percent, of all residential properties with mortgages, were in negative equity at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009, up from 10.7 million and 23 percent at the
end of the third quarter of 2009. An additional 2.3 million mortgages were approaching negative equity at the end of last year, meaning they had less than five percent equity."

2. Mortgage Affordability

Unfortunatley, a job loss is a major cause for a homeowner to not be able to make mortgage payments and face the possibility of foreclosure. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the national unemployment rate was 9.7 % in January 2010. Colorado fairs well below the national average with the state unemployment rate of 7.5%, Fort Collins/Loveland at 6.1 % and Greeley 8.6 %. However, Colorado has been impacted by the recession as well and there are too many people unemployed and having problems making their mortgage payments.

The important thing to remember is that there are options to foreclosure even if you have negative equity and can't afford your home mortgage payment. Please feel comfortable to contact me to explore your options and see if you qualify for a short sale. By the way, you can find out more about a short sale at my "Avoiding Foreclosure" page at http://margaretblythe.wordpress.com/northern-colorado-short-sales/

All my best,

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

IRS Tax Liens Removed for Short Sales!

2010-02-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

The IRS will temporarily remove a federal tax lien for you to short sale your home if you successfully complete the Certificate of Discharge of Property From Federal Tax Lien. The tax lien follows the person and not the property.

In order to request a tax lien removal, you should visit the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov and read the instructions in Publication 783 for a Certificate of Discharge of Property From Federal Tax Lien at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p783.pdf

This process will involve documents from many different sources. I will not provide tax advise but am able to help streamline the process for my clients with my home short sale experience and real estate contacts.

Please let me help you avoid foreclosure and sell your home.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Home Short Sales Require 2009 Tax Returns

2010-02-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

If you are currently unable or anticipate that you will not be able to make future mortgage payments, you may qualify for a short sale from your lender. A short sale occurs when a home is sold for less than the balance owed on a secured loan. In a short sale, the lender agrees to sale a home for lower than the amount owed by the home owner.

If you are considering a short sale, you should know that lenders want the last two years of tax returns. We are in 2010 now, so lenders want your 2009 and 2008 tax return. Don't let your tax return hold up your short sale process. Check out my IRS VITA free tax return preparation blog post at http://margaretblythe.blogspot.com/2010/02/irs-vita-program-provides-free-tax.html.

As a Certified Distressed Property Expert, I would love to help you avoid foreclosure by selling your home. Please feel comfortable to contact me by phone at 970-412-7591 or by email at www.mail@margaretblythe.com

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

IRS VITA Program Provides FREE Tax Preparation

2010-02-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

If you are needing help in preparing your taxes and qualify as a senior citizen (60 years of age and older)or making $49,000 or below, you may want to consider getting them done free by the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Plus, some of the VITA volunteers will come to an individual that is home bound.

Typically, VITA will only do individual tax returns and not business. VITA prepares the federal and state tax return. Should you need multiple years prepared, they are able to do this for free as well. VITA will prepare and file your taxes electronically which will typically process a refund in half the time as compared to mailing your return to the IRS.

Below are a some VITA sites in Fort Collins, Greeley and Windsor. To locate the nearest VITA site, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Fort Collins Senior Center
1200 Raintree Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80526
970-221-6644

First United Methodist Church
533 N Grant Ave
Loveland, CO 80537
970-227-0307

Windsor Recreation Center
250 11th Street
Windsor, CO 80550
970-674-3500
By Appointment Only

Greeley United Way
814 9th Street
Greeley, CO
970-353-9251
By Appointment Only

Providing this information is not intended to recommend the services provided by the IRS VITA program and I am not providing tax advice to anyone. You should contact the IRS or your tax professional for all tax advice.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Saturday Night Jukebox

2010-02-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Music always lifts my spirit and brings back happy memories of my Grandma May playing the piano, my dad playing the trumpet and everyone singing and dancing.

My Grandma May learned to play the piano by ear around five years of age and started playing dances at about nine years old, before she could reach the pedals. My grandma would listen to the Saturday Night Hit Parade and write music for the trumpet, drums, trombone and piano for the following week dance. When my dad was a kid, his family would play dance halls in the little towns of Wyoming (some included Hulett, Sundance and Gillette) and in South Dakota towns like Saint Orge and Beulah.

I hope you enjoy the music. To kick of the Saturday Night Jukebox, here is a fellow New Mexican, Ryan Bingham, singing "The Weary Kind." This song was featured in Crazy Heart for which Ryan received a Golden Globe and I hope he recieves an Oscar. I love Ryan's songwriting, guitar playing and singing. Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Home Buyers in Colorado

2010-02-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Who was buying homes in Colorado and what factors where most important to them in 2009? Based on research by The Colorado Association of Realtors, Colorado home buyers in 2009 consisted of the following:

a. Thirty-nine percent of recent home buyers were first-time buyers.
b. The typical first-time home buyer was 29 years old, while the typical repeat buyer was 47 years old.
c. The median income was $58,200 among first-time buyers and $83,900 among repeat buyers.
d. Twenty-one percent of recent home buyers were single females, and 9 percent were single males.
e. When considering the purchase of a home, commuting costs were considered very or somewhat important by 77 percent of buyers.

As the greater baby boomers population approaches retirement and with questionable gas prices, I believe there will be a higher demand to live within walking distance to amenities. It is no surprise that first time home buyers are taking advantage of the generous first time home buyer tax credit. Notice that over twice the number of single women are buying homes compared to single men in Colorado. This would also make sense given that a greater number of women are working and their earnings have increased as well. Women are estimated to make about 90 percent of home purchasing decisions.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Larimer and Weld County Home Short Sales in 2010

2010-02-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

It is interesting to see the volume of residential (including income properties) short sales in Larimer and Weld County from January 01, 2010 to February 15, 2010. Notice that residential short sales in Larimer County received an average 96 percent of their asking price while Weld County received an average of 92 percent of their asking price.

As a Certified Distress Property Expert (CDPE), I can represent the sale of your home or find you a great buy with a short sale home. I know how to navigate the short sale process and work with lenders through complicated transactions.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Fort Collins and Loveland Top Retirement City

2010-02-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Boomers are willing to move farther than previous generations when they retire, and they are choosing places unlike stereotypical retirement hot spots, says Tom Brokaw in his report on Boomer retirement, airing on CNBC, Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 9 p.m. ET.

The top places listed by AARP and explored on the show are:

1. Loveland/Fort Collins, Colo.
2. Las Cruces, N.M
3. Rehoboth Beach, Del.
4. Portland, Ore.
5. Greenville, S.C.
6. Sarasota, Fla.
7. Ann Arbor, Mich.
8. Tucson, Ariz.
9. Montpelier, Vt.
10. Honolulu
11. Santa Fe, N.M
12. Atlanta
13. Charleston, S.C
14. Northampton, Mass.
15. San Diego, Calif.

Source: CNBC, Paul Toscano (02/05/2010)

I have been to a number of the above cities and can understand their attraction to those retiring. I have enjoyed living in Northern Colorado for over 20 years. Please let me help you find a home in beautiful Fort Collins, Loveland and surrounding towns.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Valentine Swinney Strawberry Pie

2010-02-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Swinney Strawberry Pie

My cousin Laura makes a yummy Swinney Strawberry Pie. This is a scrumptious pie to serve your valentine with the pretty red strawberries.

Pie Filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 cup strawberries, whole (washed and stems removed)

Glaze:
1/2 cup strawberries, crushed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Whipped cream

Prepared pie crust: graham cracker, vanilla wafer or plain

With an electric mixer, cream together pie filling ingredients. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. In a small saucepan on low heat, cook glaze ingredients until thick, stirring constantly. Cool completely. Place whole strawberries on top of cream cheese filling. Pour glaze over strawberries and refrigerate. To serve, garnish with whipped cream.

Enjoy your strawberry pie and Valentine's Day. Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Exciting Superbowl!

2010-02-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

My family found the superbowl to be very exciting and entertaining. The food was delicious as well. My son's score prediction was pretty good at Saints 30 and Colts 27. Not sure what the odds were in Vegas but this would have been a decent bet.

Watching the Saints franchise owner accept the Lombardi Trophy and shout, "Louisiana and New Orleans are Back!" was touching. Our favorite commercials were the Budweiser calf and colt friendship and so funny Betty White playing football.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Northern Colorado Median Home Prices

2010-02-08T13:18:00.001-07:00

Source: Data from IRES and Table Prepared by Margaret C. Blythe

Above are 2008 and 2009 median residential detached home prices for Fort Collins, Loveland/Berthoud and Greeley/Weld County Colorado.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Chopped Salad

2010-02-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

I love making a big batch of chopped salad and it holds well for a couple of days. You can always prepare and add the avocado when serving since they don't hold very well.

1 bunch red leaf lettuce
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 green apples
3 large carrots
2 tomatoes
2 avocados
Blue Cheese wedge, broken in crumbles
Garlic croutons

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pecans, broken in half

Newman's Own Parmesan & Roasted Garlic Dressing

Pecans
In a heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Saute pecans for a couple of minutes, or until crispy. Be careful not to burn.

Salad
Chop lettuce and apples into bite size pieces. Grate carrots and chop into bite size pieces. Finely dice tomatoes and avocado. Add blue cheese, croutons, pecans and dressing. Toss and serve!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Carrot Cake

2010-02-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

This is the best carrot cake I have eaten and very moist. I like it so much that I made two carrot cakes a year ago for my Dad's and my husband's birthday - all in one day. My Aunt was given this recipe from a friend years ago and not sure of its origin.

I hope you enjoy this carrot cake as much as my family. I will post a picture of my carrot cake served for the Superbowl.

Carrot Cake

2 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
3 cups coarsely shredded carrots
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

9 x 13 baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare Cake:
Mix first six ingredients and add next five ingredients. Stir in pineapple with juice, carrots and nuts. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake.

Frosting:
Mix butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla. Frost cake with as much of the frosting that you prefer.

Enjoy!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Superbowl Game and Food

2010-02-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

Saints 30
Colts 27

Superbowl Homemade Food:
Chopped Salad
Smoked Gouda Macaroni & Cheese
Texas Chili: Frito Pies and Chili Dogs
Carrot Cake

I will post some pics and recipes later.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

China Housing Bubble

2010-02-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

China is experiencing a housing bubble too. Which is not surprising given that we are pretty much a world wide market now. China showed signs of entering a bear market before the United States. China has tightened credit with the hope to curtail bad loans. Check out the unbelievable video below "China's Empty City." Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

2010-02-02T10:39:00.001-07:00

I make a personal pledge to donate $50 dollars to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund at the closing table for every home that I represent the sell or purchase of in 2010.

Margaret

Huevos Rancheros

2010-01-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

My husband, J.B., created this version of huevos rancheros by using leftover Green Chile Pinto Bean Soup (see recipe posted below). My family loves eating huevos rancheros for breakfast.

Green Chile Pinto Bean Soup (see post below)
Hatch Select Huevos Rancheros Sauce®
Green Chile, diced
Corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
Egg
Cheese
Tomatoes, diced

With a slotted spoon, place green chile pinto beans into a sauce pan. Heat huevos rancheros sauce and green chile in a separate sauce pan. Heat beans and sauce on low. Line a plate with a couple of layers of paper towels. Pour half an inch of vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until sizzling. Using tongs, carefully place corn tortillas in oil for about one minute per side. Place cooked corn tortillas on paper towels. Cook egg. Overlap three corn tortillas on a plate. Layer the following ingredients in order: beans, green chile sauce, fried egg, cheese, and top with chopped tomatoes and sour cream.

Enjoy! Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Green Chile Pinto Bean Soup

2010-01-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is a comforting, spicy and healthy soup. This soup is especially welcome with the chilly weather we are having in Northern Colorado. It is very easy to prepare and convenient at the end of the day. You can use this dish for soup, burritos and huevos rancheros. I will post my easy to prepare and delicious huevos rancheros recipe next.

2 cups dried pinto beans
1 pound of either smoked ham, pork cubes or ground beef
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup of a 13-ounce container of Bueno chopped green chilies, frozen
1 can El Pato jalapeno salsa
1 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon bay leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Sort and rinse the beans. Cover beans with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse beans three times and place in a large crock pot. Cover with water, add all ingredients and cook on high for 9 hours. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro. Serve with warm flour tortillas. For a wonderful southwestern breakfast, use beans to make huevos rancheros. You can also strain beans and wrap in a flour tortilla with cheese.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Northern Colorado Home Buyer Tax Credit Deadline!

2010-01-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about selling or buying a home in Northern Colorado, you should know that the first time home buyer and repeat home buyer tax credit ends on April 30, 2010. However, if you have a signed binding sales contract by April 30, 2010 and the home purchase is completed by June 30, 2010 you will still receive the qualifying tax credit.

Obviously, this substantial tax credit is a great incentive for home buyers to purchase a home. In order to attract buyers to your home, please don't wait to list your home in the spring since there may not be enough time for me to get a buyer to sign a binding sales contract by April 30 and complete the purchase by June 30, 2010.

I would love to help you find your home or sell your home.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado

Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

"I Have A Dream"

2010-01-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historical and moving "I Have A Dream" speech in 1963to an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people participating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. This march placed pressure on the U.S. Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Martin Luther King Jr., was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to a mom that was a schoolteacher and a dad that was a Baptist minister. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a national holiday in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebrations in Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland Colorado:

CSU, Fort Collins and Loveland have many activities planned to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, 2010 http://www.mlk.colostate.edu/

Greeley has a march and ceremony planned to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day http://www.greeleydowntown.com/

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. [Applause]

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

"I Want to Sell My House" Ranks 3rd in Google

2010-01-16T08:38:00.001-07:00

The CNBC Road to Recovery program featured a study by Convergex for the top google search results when you type in "I Want to Sell."

I am happy to see that "I Want to Sell My House" is number 3 but wish it was well ahead of "I Want to Sell My Kidney." What is a wow account?

Actually, this is the time to sell a home in Northern Colorado since buyers are able to afford homes with the government home tax credit, low interest rates and fantastic home values.

Be sure to look for my upcoming post on what interest rates are likely to do in 2010.

I Want to Sell My...

1. Car
2. Kidney
3. My House
4. Hair
5. Eggs
6. Wow Account
7. Timeshare
8. Baseball Cards
9. Business

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Northern Colorado Home Sales in 2009

2010-01-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Table Created by Margaret C. Blythe

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Should I Consider a Short Sale?

2010-01-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

If a Northern Colorado homeowner owes more on their property than it is currently worth, then they can hire me as their real estate agent to market and sell their property through the negotiation of a short sale with their lender. This typically requires the property to be on the market and the homeowner must have a financial hardship to qualify. Hardship can be simply defined as a material change in the financial stability of the homeowner between the date of the home purchase and the date of the short sale negotiation. Acceptable hardships include but are not limited to: mortgage payment increase, job loss, divorce, excessive debt, forced or unplanned relocation, and more.

Benefit to Seller: A short sale allows the homeowner to move on with their life, avoid foreclosure and salvage some of their credit rating. This also keeps foreclosure off the individual’s public record, and in many cases will allow the homeowner to avoid a deficiency judgment. Borrower may qualify for another mortgage in as little as 24 months (as opposed to five years for a foreclosure).

Benefit to Buyer: Opportunity to purchase a home at a great value and help someone move on with their life and salvage their credit.

Drawback to Seller: Short sales can be a trying process for a homeowner. It is imperative for a homeowner to work with a real estate agent that is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), like myself, that knows how to navigate distressed waters.

Drawback to Buyer: Buyers have to be patient while waiting to hear if their offer on a short sale home has been accepted. Most buyers find this wait worthwhile with the home value they receive. Our government is working with lenders to streamline the short sale process and we should see big improvements in 2010.

Chances are, you or someone you know in the Northern Colorado area is facing the possibility of foreclosure. Please help your friend or yourself by contacting me to discuss options to foreclosure and short sale qualifications. You may reach me by phone at 970-412-7591 or by email at mail@margaretblythe.com.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

What is a CDPE?

2010-01-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

A Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) is a real estate professional with specific understanding of the complex issues confronting the real estate industry, and the foreclosure avoidance options available to homeowners. Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPEs are able to provide solutions for homeowners facing hardships in today’s market, specifically short sales. Often, when other options have been exhausted, CDPEs can help homeowners avoid foreclosure through the efficient execution of a short sale.

I am proud to have earned the prestigious CDPE designation and it is invaluable as I work with homeowners and lenders on complicated short sales. It is so rewarding to be able to help families save their homes from foreclosure that can be devastating to credit ratings.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Increasing Rate of HUD Homes on the Market!

2010-01-06T08:21:00.001-07:00

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is a part of the United States Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA provides insurance to lenders on FHA approved loans. Should an individual or investor default on a FHA-insured loan, FHA pays off the lender and assumes the foreclosed loan on their books as a HUD home.

With the state of our economy, an increasing number of homeowners are defaulting on FHA-insured loans making available a great number of HUD homes on the market. Some of the great incentives to purchasing a HUD home are the qualifying $100 down payment, the substantial sales allowances that can be used to pay closing costs, repairs or pay down the mortgage and the fact that HUD pays my real estate commission.

The $100 down payment requires that an individual qualify for FHA-insured financing, the new owner occupies the home and pays full list price.

HUD homes are sold "As-Is" and interested individuals are encouraged to get the home professionally inspected.

Many individuals and investors are quickly and aggressively bidding on HUD homes in Colorado. I am seeing many HUD homes in the Denver area being purchased at a price much greater than the minimum bid set by HUD. Of course, HUD will accept the highest "net bid" on the table.

If you are a firefighter/emergency medical technician, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or law enforcement officer, you may be able to qualify for the HUD Good Neighbor Next Door Program which allows you to purchase certain HUD homes in revitalization areas for 50 percent of list price! If you buy a HUD home as part of the Good Neighbor Next Door Program, you must live in the home for 36 months.

It is required by HUD that those wanting to purchase a HUD home must do so through a HUD registered and approved real estate agent, like myself. Of course, HUD has a defined and exact process that an agent must follow. It is critical that you work with an agent that is thorough and familiar with the process. If the paperwork submitted by a real estate agent isn’t in accordance to HUD rules, an accepted offer could be lost. By having me as the agent to represent your HUD purchase, you gain the advantage of my thorough knowledge of the HUD process and extensive accounting experience with an eye for detail.

I would love to help you find, bid and purchase a HUD home. You may start your Northern Colorado HUD home search by calling me at 970-412-7591 or click on this link to search and then call me for more information and to show you the home http://hud2.towerauction.net/e7/gen_list/CO.htm.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T09:14:00.001-07:00

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

BBQ & New Years Day Tamales

2009-12-28T15:47:00.001-07:00

It was a very cold Christmas in Northern Colorado to smoke baby back ribs and pork butts! My insulated smoker took over an hour to get to temperature.

As usual, we loved my husband's delicious ribs. The pork butts will go in the tamales for New Years Day.

Once the pork cooled, I was able to shred it and get rid of the fat. Next, I marinated the pork for two days in our homemade red chile. Yesterday, I soaked corn husks in hot water for about 3 hours, made masa, assembled tamales and steamed them for about 2 hours. By the way, we couldn't wait for New Years Day and enjoyed some tamales.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Never-Ever-Fail Chocolate Fudge

2009-12-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem like the Christmas time without homemade fudge. My father-in-law use to make the best fudge and this recipe is a close second. Just a note: I use Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Bittersweet Chips (Sam's Club) and pecans in my fudge. I store my fudge in tins at room temperature.

Never-Ever-Fail Chocolate Fudge by Judith Choate

Ingredients

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups toasted walnut, pecan, macadamia, or other nuts, chopped, optional

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

20 large marshmallows

4 cups of sugar

(2) 5 ounce cans evaporated milk

Combine the chocolate pieces, nuts (if using), butter, and vanilla in a large heat proof bowl. Set aside.

Place the marshmallows, sugars, and evaporated milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Continuing to stir, boil for exactly 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat and immediately pour the marshmallow mixture into the chocolate mixture; heat constantly until creamy. Quickly pour into the buttered pan or platter, pushing slightly with the back of a wooden spoon to spread the fudge evenly.

Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into pieces. Serve at room temperature.

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Golden Nugget Bread Pudding

2009-12-26T15:58:00.001-07:00

I have made a lot of different bread puddings and the Golden Nugget Bread Pudding is one of my favorites. Other favorites of mine are Barefoot Contessa's Croissant Bread Pudding http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/croissant-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html and Famous Dave's Bread Pudding http://www.canigetsome.com/breadpudding.htm with a heavier bread consistency. The Golden Nugget Bread Pudding is traditional with a layer of custard on the bottom and topped with a thin layer of bread.

Some changes to this bread pudding could be to make a rum or bourbon sauce to serve on the side, use cinnamon bread or cut back on the sugar. However, I feel like the bread pudding is great and rich enough so I follow the Golden Nugget recipe.

Golden Nugget Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:
16 oz half and half
8 oz whipping cream
8 eggs
1 1/4 c sugar
1/4 ts vanilla
4 1/2 white bread slices, or more to cover pan
1/2 ts cinnamon
1 ts sugar
2 tb raisins ( I use Golden raisins)

Instructions:

Mix well: Half and half, whipping cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

Arrange bread on bottom of 10x12 pan ( I use a 9 x 13 pan).

Pour mix over bread and soak until all the bread is wet.

Mix 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with 1 teaspoon sugar and sprinkle over bread. Spread raisins over top.

Cover with foil and bake in water bath at 400 degrees for 75 - 90 minutes.

Makes 12 Servings

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Holiday Menu

2009-12-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

I am happy that we are having a beautiful white Christmas in northern Colorado. However, the snow storm may have made it difficult to find tamale ingredients and certain other food items this year.

It is interesting to learn about traditional holiday meals from around the country. I am sharing my holiday family menu with you. My Grandma May liked to make oyster chowder for Christmas Eve and I now make clam chowder. My son is a picky eater and loves ribs so bbq is for Christmas day. Mimosas and tamales are a nice holiday tradition that we brought from New Mexico to our Colorado home for New Years day. Of course, the holidays are not the same in my home without fudge (my father-in-law used to make the best) and my Grandma May's birthday coconut sheet cake. By the way, I will share my favorite bread pudding recipe from the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas soon. We have enjoyed this delicious bread pudding at the Golden Nugget Sunday buffet for many years.

Later, I will post some of my holiday recipes. Be sure to email me if you would like a recipe from my menu in time for the holidays. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I will spend time with my family and enjoy baking, making clam chowder and shrimp and marinating bbq meats. I hope you have a special time with your family and enjoy cooking/baking for the holidays.

Margaret

Christmas Eve
Clam Chowder
Raw Shrimp Boiled in Lager Beer and Old Bay Seasoning

Baking:
Macaroons
Fudge

Christmas
On the Smoker: Baby Back Ribs, Pork Butts for New Years Day Tamales and Stuffed Jalapenos for an appetizer

Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus
Pecan Pie and My Favorite Bread Pudding
Cherry Cider
Pomegranate Margaritas

New Years Eve
Caesars Salad
Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce
Ribs for my son
Baked potatoes
French Onion Soup
Coconut Sheet Cake or Cupcakes
Paul Newman's Cabernet Sauvignon

New Years Day
Mimosas
Homemade Smoked Pork Tamales and Red Chile
Homemade Sweet Tamales

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Foodie Holiday Gifts

2009-12-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

With this being the holiday season, I will surely post more about food than real estate. In this post I want to share some food and kitchen gift ideas. If you are buying local, The Cupboard in Fort Collins is a great source for many of these gifts.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home (4-Disc Series) (2003)

I rented this wonderful series by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin from Netflix and highly recommend it to you. The series is packed with so many delicious recipes.

I especially loved the salad, seafood, crepe, scallops and artichoke recipes. What I loved so much when watching this series is the respect Julia and Jacques shared for each other and they included recipes that families appreciate. When watching Julia and Jacques, it is obvious that they thought a lot of each other. What I would have given to be able to cook with one of these great culinary talents or been in the room when they were cooking.

These recipes inspired me so much that I will recommend a crepe pan below. A fantastic gift for a foodie would be to buy this video series, the movie Julie & Julia, a crepe pan and ingredients to make a crepe (butter, block of quality chocolate, finely chopped nuts and raspberry jam).

Cookbook

Colorado Classique: A Collection of Fresh Recipes from the Rockies

The Denver Junior League is celebrating is 90th anniversary with this beautiful cookbook. I love recipes in the Junior League Colorado Cache cookbook and look forward to adding Colorado Classique to my collection.

Gardening

Gift certificate to Burpee http://www.burpee.com/home.do

All Clad Crepe Pan

I have owned different pan sets since I have been married. I currently own All Clad and cast iron cooking sets. If you are looking at buying a cookware set, I will save you a lot of money in the long run by recommending that you buy All Clad and Lodge cast iron pans since they will last for a lifetime.

I have not tried the All Clad crepe pan http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku7586928/?pkey=x%7C4%7C1%7C%7C4%7Ccrepe%20pan%7C%7C0&cm_src=SCH 86928/?pkey=x%7C4%7C1%7C%7C4%7Ccrepe%20pan%7C%7C0&cm_src=SCH but I can vouch for many of their other pans. Just know that the All Clad pans tend to be heavy.

Whipped Cream Dispenser

My whipped cream dispenser is one my favorite kitchen gadgets. It is so easy to whip cream with this dispenser! This dispenser makes it so convenient to top coffee, pie, cupcakes and frost a cake. Don't forget to buy N2O chargers. Here are some whip cream dispensers and chargers on Amazon
http://http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=whip+cream+dispenser 3Dgarden&field-keywords=whip+cream+dispenser +dispenser

I enjoy making stuffed chile peppers as an appetizer when smoking bbq. You will want to buy a jalapeno corer from this company too. Just a tip, be sure to scoop out all the seeds and veins before stuffing the peppers or they will be too hot to eat.

Chile Grill by Iron Desert http://www.irondesert.com/Chile-Grill-3-Dozen-Pepper-Shaped-p-16143.html

Have fun shopping for your favorite foodie!

Happy Holidays,

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Happy Turducken!!

2009-11-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Do you remember John Madden's diagram of a turducken on a Thanksgiving football game? I don't have Madden's diagram but check out this hilarious video of Frank Caliendo as John Madden with his turducken.

We can thank Chef Paul Prudhomme for creating the delicious and unique turducken. A turducken is de-boned with a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey with three different stuffing mixes.

My husband and I were so proud to have made our first turducken over 10 years ago. It is time consuming if you aren't used to removing bones from fowl. Unless you are handy with a knife, you should ask your butcher to de-bone the turkey, duck and chicken! If you are short on time (aren't we all) you could buy a turducken at Walmart or Sam's Club.

For my next turducken, I wanted to smoke it and was concerned with food safety since I smoke at a low temperature. So, I emailed Chef Paul Prudhomme and asked his thoughts on smoking a turducken. Much to my surprise, Chef Paul called me and we had a great conversation about smoking a turducken! I was so embarrassed that I had to repeatedly ask his name with his wonderful Louisiana accent. Anyway, Chef Paul was so nice and we chatted for a while about smoking a turducken. By the way, Chef Paul doesn't advise smoking a turducken at low temps due to food safety.

Here is the original turducken recipe from Chef Paul http://www.chefpaul.com/site.php?pageID=300&view=186 Be sure to check out the assembling pics.

Also, here is a video of Paula Deen preparing a turducken. You will notice that Paula keeps the leg and wing bones to maintain the turkey shape http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/incredible-turducken/860.html.

I hope you decide to do something different and delicious for Thanksgiving and try a turducken. Have a very special Thanksgiving.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended and Better!

2009-11-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

It was very questionable if the U.S. Government would extend the first time home buyer credit. Not only was it extended but a qualifying repeat home buyer will also receive a tax credit. If you would like to take advantage of this tax credit, you must buy a home on or before April 30, 2010.

To help clarify home tax credits, I am including more information from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

$8,000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

*The $8,000 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
*The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
*The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
*The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
*The tax credit now applies to sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
*For homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009, the income limits are $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
*For homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

*To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.
*The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
*The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.
*The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
*The credit is available for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the home purchase qualifies provided it is completed by June 30, 2010.
*Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

This is a great time to buy a home in Northern Colorado with it being a buyer's market and this very generous tax credit. Perhaps, you would like to sell your home and make a life change to a smaller or larger home and take advantage of this tax credit by April 30, 2010. Keep in mind that tax credits are "dollar for dollar" reductions on your tax return! Of course, your tax accountant can sit down with you and show you the benefits of the tax credit on your tax return bottom line. You and I will need to allow enough time to find the home you love, negotiations, inspections and closing so call me soon at 970-412-7591.

Thanks,

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Increasing Your Home Value

2009-11-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

I found the below article to be very helpful when evaluating home improvements before placing it for sell. Be sure to call me for my confidential and free market analysis on your Northern Colorado home.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

10 Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

Katie Adams
Friday, October 30, 2009

This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit

In a dour housing market, wouldn't it be nice to know that your remodeling project would pay off when you went to sell the property? Remodeling Magazine evaluated the top remodeling projects, how the cost-to-value has changed since the housing market implosion, and which projects are still worth the investment. Using the magazine's "Cost Vs. Value Report for 2008-2009," let's look at some of the best projects you can undertake and recoup the majority of your cost.

Upscale Projects

Siding Replacement (fiber-cement or foam-backed vinyl). With the economic slump, home buyers aren't being dazzled by bells and whistles as much as they are improvements that will ensure lower repair and utility bills. Although replacing current siding with fiber-cement has lost value from 2007, it still nets an astonishing 87% ROI. If you prefer a foam-backed vinyl product replacement instead, you can still look to recoup 80% of your cost.

Window Replacement (vinyl or wood). Windows are not only an aesthetic feature. For most homeowners, they represent one of the easiest ways to lower home heating and cooling bills. By replacing your current windows with more efficient vinyl or wood ones, you can save on your utility bills, attract future home buyers and net a nearly 80% (vinyl) or 77% (wood) return on your investment.

Bathroom Remodel. Depending on the size and amenities of your desired bathroom, you could expect to pay over $50,000 to tear out walls, repair joists and wall studs, change structural elements and make major layout changes, such as switching a toilet and shower. However big the price tag, you can still expect to recoup nearly 71% of the cost (which would be $36,400 if you have a $50K bill) when you go to sell. This project increased its value since 2007, while its sister project – adding a complete bathroom – fell in value.

Major Kitchen Remodel. Kitchens are typically the most frequently used room in a home, so it makes sense that investing money here is going to pay off when it comes time to sell. While a major kitchen renovation is usually the most time-consuming and expensive home improvement job (averaging more than $110,000), it's also one of the most profitable. Regardless of the size of your financial layout, you can expect to get a nearly 71% ROI.

Deck Addition (composite product). With families cutting their entertainment budgets, they're spending more time at home, so it makes sense that adding a deck (composite, not wood) is a good investment. You can plan on recouping 63% of your total job cost to boost your home's value by nearly $24,000 if you paid the average job cost of $37,000.

Mid-Range Projects

While all of the mid-range projects dropped in value versus cost since 2007, there are still numerous projects that will net you a significant ROI. Here are a few of the best bets for your money:

Deck Addition (wood). If your bank balance can't swing the higher price tag that comes with composite decking, you may still be able to afford a wood addition on to your home. While a wood deck would cost you, on average, in the neighborhood of $10,000, the resale value it will add to your home is more than $8,600 – an 81.8% return on your investment.

Siding Replacement (vinyl). Fiber-cement or foam-banked vinyl are often more preferable siding upgrades, but getting vinyl siding replacements instead is still a good choice. You can recoup nearly 81% of your cost which, if the job cost you more than $10,000, means you could add more than $8,200 to your home's value.

Minor Kitchen Remodel. With belt-tightening in style, people are turning to minor kitchen improvement projects instead of major overhauls. It turns out that that choice is not only frugal, but financially wise. While major kitchen remodeling jobs can still, on average, return a nice 70% ROI for homeowners, minor kitchen remodeling jobs net an even higher 79.5% return.

Attic Bedroom. Anytime you can add bedrooms, you're going to add to the overall value – and listed purchase price – to your home. If your attic's dimensions allow you to convert it to a bedroom, you may want to consider investing the money to do so. You'll add some sleeping space and net a nice 74% return when a new buyer puts your home under contract.

Basement Remodel. If you're fortunate enough to live in an area with a water table high enough to permit basements, you should think about squeezing all the value you can out of it. By remodeling and finishing a previously-unfinished basement you can expect to get nearly 73% of your investment returned with a higher list price, come time to sell.

Conclusion

If you have savings or access to reasonably-priced credit, it's worth it to consider home improvement projects that will produce the best return for your time and money. Make sure you work with a reputable, licensed contractor (to avoid costly errors or budget overruns), and before you undertake any project it's a good idea to check and see if it could significantly increase your property tax bill.

While it may still make sense in the long-run to undertake the project and add overall value to your home, you may need to make a few budgetary changes so that you don't get caught off-guard when the tax bill comes.

Posole

2009-10-30T20:10:00.000-06:00

Posole

In New Mexico, posole is served to celebrate the new year or during the holidays. However, you will find posole year round in New Mexico and at my home. It is served as a side dish or as a main dish.

I have used frozen and dried posole corn and canned Mexican hominy. It really doesn't give a different flavor since they all use lime and salt. So, I have decided it is much easier and saves a lot of time to use canned Mexican hominy. Plus, I like Juanita's since they don't use sulfites in their hominy.

I hear there are areas of Northern New Mexico that use green chile in their posole. However, I love red chile prepared on the side and ladle over my posole before serving. I make my own red chile or use frozen Bueno Red Chile (recipe on back of container) from the grocery store. By the way, posole freezes well.

My Posole Recipe

2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
2 medium onions, diced
9 cloves of garlic, minced
Juanita's Mexican Style Hominy, (1) 6 lbs, 9 0z. can + (2) 29 oz cans
4 lbs of lean pork, cubed
6 cups of chicken stock
2 tablespoons chile caribe
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Lime, slice
Cheddar Cheese
Cilantro
Frozen Bueno Red Chile

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute' until light golden brown. Add garlic and saute' on low for a few minutes.

Add hominy with liquid in cans, pork, chicken stock, chile caribe and Mexican oregano.

Simmer posole for three hours, or until pork is tender. Add water if posole needs more liquid. Add salt to taste.

Make your favorite red chile recipe or use frozen Bueno Red Chile.

Place posole in a bowl, top with red chile, lime juice, cheese and cilantro. Serve with a tortilla on the side.

Enjoy!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

J.B.'s Margarita

2009-10-30T18:09:00.000-06:00

J.B.'s Margarita

My husband, J.B., makes the best margarita.

3 1/2 ounces Tavern Sweet’n Sour Lemon Bar-Mix
3/4 ounce Juarez Triple Sec
1 1/2 ounces Cazadores Tequila Reposado
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Kosher salt
Ice, crushed
Lime, sliced

Place kosher salt, about 1/4 of inch deep, on a small plate. Run a lime around the rim of a margarita glass. Dip and rotate glass rim in salt. Fill glass with crushed ice. Mix sweet and sour, triple sec, tequila and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour into a margarita or pint glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Salud!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Making Posole Today!

2009-10-30T10:21:00.000-06:00

It is a snow day and we are at home in Northern Colorado. On this cold day, I am making posole (po-SO-lay) which is a comforting New Mexico stew with posole corn, pork, red chile and such. If I have time, I will make flour tortillas too. Come back to see my recipe and pics. Stay warm.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

What are Residential Sales in Northern Colorado?

2009-10-19T14:23:00.001-06:00

City	Regular Sales	% of Total Sales	REO, HUD, Lender Owner	% of Total Sales	Short Sales	% of Total Sales	Total Sales
Ft Collins	1790	87%	178	9%	99	5%	2067
Greeley	562	51%	442	40%	92	8%	1096
Loveland	709	73%	176	18%	92	9%	977
Windsor	240	75%	56	17%	26	8%	322

From 01/01/2009 to 10/15/2009 Source: IRES

What are residential sales in Northern Colorado? You can see that homes are selling in Northern Colorado in the above table and graph. Fort Collins out sells Greeley, Loveland and Windsor with total residential sales of 2,067! Just a note, sales only include those properties that were sold and listed in IRES from 01/01/2009 to 10/15/2009.

I have included the following three categories of residential sales: Regular Sales, REO, HUD, Lender Owner and Short Sales. Regular Sales include properties that are not listed as a distressed sale. Real Estate Owned (REO) is a property that is owned by a lender, usually a bank, that didn’t sale at auction and reverts back to the bank. When an individual defaults on a FHA insured mortgage, HUD pays off the lender and assumes the loan. A Short Sale occurs when the lender agrees to accept less than the outstanding mortgage balance on the property (amount acceptable is subject to lender approval) in an effort to avoid a foreclosure.

Given that Northern Colorado is doing better than most areas of the U.S., it is no surprise that the majority of sales are regular transactions and not distressed. However, you can see that residential sales in Greeley are split about 50-50 between regular and distressed sales. You will notice that the second highest type of residential sales are REO, HUD and Lender Owned. It has been reported that short sales may become a lot higher percentage with REO’s decreasing since lenders may be working with homeowners to avoid foreclosure and lower bank costs. Also, remember that a properties that sell at auction would not be included in the above sales data.

We all know that there are some fantastic home buys in Northern Colorado and it gives sellers the opportunity to move on with their life. Should you anticipate not being able to make future home payments, contact me so that we can process the hardship paperwork to your lender and get approval to sell your home as a short sale with the intent to avoid foreclosure.

In this buyer's market, it is imperative that your home is priced competitively and reflects market price so that it sells. You don’t want to waste time chasing the market and continually relist your home. As such, I will do a free comparative market analysis to help determine an estimated market price for your home before you place it on the market.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Halloween Treats

2009-10-11T13:37:00.000-06:00

Halloween Treats

I love making homemade Halloween treats. You can see some of my favorite Halloween treats in the above pics: caramel apples, candy apples and dipped pretzel sticks from my kitchen.

Pretzel Sticks

Melt white, dark and milk chocolate in their own glass bowl in the microwave on low for a minute at a time and stir, until melted. You can also use caramel from caramel apples. Dip pretzel sticks in chocolate or caramel and drizzle with another color of chocolate or caramel.

Caramel Apples

This is a buttery and flavorful caramel recipe that I really like from Bon Appetit http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/1999/10/caramel_dipped_apples

I am providing a link since they have a great step by step slide show shown under "PREPARATION" for you to view.

Tips:
If you don't remove the wax from apples the caramel will not stay on the apple. Remove wax from store bought apples by scrubbing apples in warm water, dip in boiling water for a few seconds and drying with towel

This recipe says to let the caramel cool to 200 degrees. However, I let it cool for a few minutes only and then start dipping immediately

Cover apples with caramel all the way to the stick

If using toppings, roll a few minutes after dipping or they won't stick to caramel

Store caramel apples in refrigerator and set out on counter until soft enough to eat

Candy Apples

Here is the best candy apple recipe with a great video by Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/candy-apples

In the picture above, I didn't use the red food coloring at the request of a friend. However, the red color makes the candy apples a lot prettier.

Tips:
I would add red food color

Add 1/4 cup of cinnamon red hot candy to mixture

Use Cello to wrap candy apples before candy apples start getting sticky

Have fun making Halloween treats!

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Mortgage Rates Avg Below 5% for 2 Weeks!!

2009-10-08T10:32:00.000-06:00

With mortgage interest rates averaging below 5% for 2 weeks, this is an opportune time to buy or refinance a home in Northern Colorado.

According to this article "Mortgage rates remain below 5 percent," Denver Post, October 8, 2009, interest rates haven't been this low in four months.

You can read more of this article at http://www.denverpost.com/rawnews/ci_13514337

A lender must provide you a good faith estimate (GFE) within three days of receiving your mortgage loan application. Work with your lender to make sure you thoroughly understand the type of mortgage, loan terms and costs as described in your GFE.

As your realtor, I will always request a settlement statement prior to the day of closing for my client and I to review for accuracy.

Be sure to contact me so that I can help you find your home and take advantage of these low interest rates.

Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: www.margaretblythe.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com
Blog: www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Margaret's Meatball Recipe

2009-10-05T10:09:00.000-06:00

Margaret's Meatball Recipe

This weekend, I made a big batch of meatballs. The meatballs freeze well and are great for spaghetti, submarine sandwiches or place in a crock-pot with bbq sauce for football game.

The prep work doesn't take much time but forming the meatballs is time consuming. I like to use a two inch scoop and then finish forming the meatballs by hand.

Line sheet pans with foil or parchment paper for easy cleaning.

You will bake two sheet pans at a time so place racks in upper and lower third of the oven.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line sheet pans with foil or parchment paper.

Ingredients:

5 lbs ground beef

2 lbs Jimmy Dean Sausage

1 1/2 lbs. ground elk (I have elk but you could use veal, turkey and such)

2 medium onions, finely diced

15 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon chile caribe or taco spice mix (see Mexican spice isle at grocery store)

4 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix (crush bag a little with a rolling pin)

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

5 eggs

2 1/2 cups of half & half

Sandwich baggies

Makes about 108 meatballs

Use food gloves (buy mine at Sam's Club) to mix meatball ingredients. In order to get somewhat uniform size meatballs, use a 2 inch scoop and then finish off rounding meatballs with hands. If you are using a full sheet pan, you should be able to get 4 rows with 5 meatballs per row.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, or until largest meatball is not pink in center. Rotate pans after 15 minutes to get even browning.

Remove from oven, cool in refrigerator and place serving size in baggies for freezing.

Enjoy! Margaret

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Pumpkin Carving Contest

2009-10-02T18:10:00.000-06:00

Have some fun carving a pumpkin!

You may win a $30 Gift Card to Centerra Shops and Restaurants!

Get contest information at my wordpress blog http://margaretblythe.wordpress.com

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Ends 12/01/2009!

2009-09-24T09:33:00.000-06:00

The first time home buyer tax credit ends on December 1, 2009!

You don't want to miss out on this generous first time home buyer tax credit and fantastic home buys in northern Colorado. Time is of the essence since we need to find and close your home by December 1, 2009 for you to take advantage of the first time home buyer tax credit.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will allow qualifying first time home buyers a tax credit of up to $8,000

A first time home buyer is an individual that hasn't owned a principal residence for the last 3 years

Home buyers can use their tax credit at the closing table without having to wait for the tax credit after filing 2009 taxes

Home buyers can immediately apply the tax credit toward closing costs

Home buyers can use the tax credit to make an additional down payment above the minimum 3.5 % of appraised value of a FHA-insured home
I work well under tight deadlines so contact me soon at 970-412-7591 or email me at mail@margaretblythe.com and let me help you take advantage of the first time home buyer credit by December 01, 2009.
Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Palisade Peach Cobbler Recipe

2009-09-21T17:48:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite time of year with fall in the air and the harvesting of delicious Palisade Peaches.

While I like peach cobbler with batter, this is one of my recipes using double pie crust.

I use half sheet foil pans from Sam’s Club and freeze unbaked cobblers.

Ingredients:
5 pounds Palisade Peaches, blanch, peel and sliced
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup of cornstarch
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, cold and small pieces
Pastry for double-crust pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter pan. Mix peaches, sugars, cinnamon, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice. Fold in butter.

Place half of the peach mixture into buttered pan and cover with pie dough. Bake until crust is golden.

Top with the remaining peaches. Roll out second dough, cover cobbler and seal edges. Cut slits in crust. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the crust with cinnamon. Enjoy ♥

Margaret C. Blythe
"Yes, I Can!"
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.wordpress.com/

Median Home Sales Price as of June 2009

2009-08-20T15:56:00.000-06:00
Should you be in the market to buy and/or sell a home in Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland Colorado (tri-city area), you will find it helpful to know the median home sales price as of June 2009.

Per IRES statistics, the median home sales price as of June 2009 is as follows:

Fort Collins was $220,000, down 7% from a year ago
Loveland/Berthoud $205,000, down 10% from a year ago
Greeley/Evans $135,000, down 6% from a year ago
Feel welcome to call me at 970-412-7591 or email me at mail@margaretblythe.com to discuss your real estate needs.
Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Website: http://www.mail@margaretblythe.com/
Email: mail@margaretblythe.com
Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Loveland, CO Rated As Top 10 Best Place To Live!

2009-08-15T23:13:00.000-06:00
U.S. News rated the top 10 best places to live in 2009 based on affordability, strong economy and a community with a lot to do. It is no surprise that U.S. News chose Loveland, CO as one of the top ten best places to live!

Loveland is a very friendly, beautiful and fun community. Boyd Lake in Loveland is a great place to spend a day boating and fishing. Here is what U.S. News had to say about Loveland, CO the "Sweetheart City."

"Located just outside the breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park, Loveland, Colo., is considered the "Gateway to the Rockies." But while it has 27 public parks and nearly 16 miles of recreation trails, it's Loveland's affection for man-made beauty that sets this community of 56,000 residents apart. Thanks to its Art in Public Places program, more than 300 pieces of sculpture and two-dimensional works are on display throughout the community. And with a 2008 median home sale price of $186,000, the area's real estate market is relatively affordable."

"Loveland has also achieved acclaim for its Valentine remailing program, in which 200,000 cards are sent to the city to receive a special cachet stamp. "We've got a waiting list of over 50 people that are waiting to be stampers," says Kathryn Roth of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce."

Feel welcome to contact me at mail@margaretblythe.com to find out more about beautiful Loveland, CO.

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
Phone: 970-412-7591
Website: http://www.mail@margaretblythe.com/

***Happy 4th of July***

2009-07-03T11:35:00.000-06:00

My 1st Flag Cake
Here is an over the top Flag Cake recipe by Barefoot Contessa. Your 4th of July crowd will love the flavor of this cake and it is so festive. Have a fun and safe **4th of July**

Are you considering selling or buying a home in the Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley or Windsor Colorado areas? Please feel welcome to search for homes at my website http://www.margaretblythe.com/ and call me at 970-412-7591.
Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Offices In: Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland
Serving Northern Colorado
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Full Blog Site: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Prep Time:
45 min
Inactive Prep Time:
hr min
Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
20 to 24 servings

Ingredients
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

I serve this cake right in the pan. If you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Act

2009-07-03T11:27:00.000-06:00
Governor Ritter signed the Lofgren and Johnson Families Carbon Monoxide Safety Act earlier this year.

Among other things, this new Act requires the seller of any single family dwelling or dwelling unit in a multi-family dwelling that is offered for sale on or after July 1, 2009 and has a fuel-fired heater or appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage, to assure that an operational carbon monoxide alarm is installed within 15 feet of the entrance to each room lawfully used for sleeping purposes or in a location as specified in any building code adopted by the state or any local government entity.

You may already have alarms in the Property that comply with this Act, but if not, you should be prepared to install carbon monoxide alarms as contemplated by this Act in connection with the sale of the Property.

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Offices In: Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland
Serving Northern Colorado
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Full Blog Site: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Fort Collins and Loveland, CO Rated as # 3 Housing Market for Next 10 Years

2009-06-24T10:01:00.000-06:00
Great news for those in the market to buy a home in Fort Collins and Loveland, CO! Based on data from Moody's Economy.com, USA News & World Report states that Fort Collins and Loveland are ranked as number 3 of the top 10 housing markets for the next 10 years.

As shown in USA News & World Report, "Here's the projected average annual percent change in home prices from the fourth quarter of 2008 to the fourth quarter of 2018:"

Bremerton-Silverdale, Wash.: 5.22 percent
Glens Falls, N.Y: 4.71 percent
Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.: 4.06 percent
Corvallis, Ore.: 3.95 percent
Anchorage, Alaska: 3.8 percent
Duluth, Minn.: 3.74 percent
Sandusky, Ohio: 3.66 percent
Santa Fe, N.M: 3.57 percent
Pittsfield, Mass.: 3.51 percent
Decatur, Ill.: 3.44 percent
Given the 4.01 percent annual appreciation for Fort Collins and Loveland, a $200,000 purchased in the fourth quarter of 2008 would be worth $298,908 in the fourth quarter in 2018. Plus, remember that many homes buyers are purchasing homes at lower prices in northern Colorado as well. Based on Moody's Economy.com data, real estate would be a wise long-term investment and we know that this is a great time to buy a home in Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado!
You can read more about why Moody's Economy.com ranked Fort Collins and Loveland, CO as number 3 housing market in the next 10 years at the USA News and World Report website http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/real-estate/2009/06/04/the-top-10-housing-markets-for-the-next-10-years.html?PageNr=1
Please feel welcome to give me a call at 970-412-7591 and let me find your home in northern Colorado.
Margaret C. Blythe Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northern Colorado
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog Site: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Before You List Your Home With A Septic System

2009-06-14T12:48:00.001-06:00
If you are getting ready to list your home that has a septic system, contact your county health department and get the septic system and leech field inspected. Typically, the county will charge around $250-$300 for the inspection. Plus, the county may inspect the water quality for a very small charge.

If you don't get an inspection prior to vacating the home for at least 14 days, the county will not inspect until the home is occupied for 60 days. The inability to have the septic/leech field inspected, could cause some transactional issues.

Should you have a home in Colorado or Wyoming with a well and/or a septic system, please contact me to ensure the smoothest transaction possible. You may call me in Fort Collins, Colorado at 970-412-7591.

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Serving Northeastern Colorado
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Full Blog Site: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

First Time Home Buyer Credit Gets Better!!

2009-06-07T13:55:00.000-06:00
On May 29, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will allow home buyers that qualify for the first-time home buyer (an individual that hasn't owned a principle residence for the last 3 years) tax credit of up to $8,000 the following:

Home buyers can use their tax credit at the closing table without having to wait for their tax credit after filing their 2009 taxes
Home buyers can immediately apply the tax credit toward closing costs
Home buyers can use the tax credit to make an additional down payment above the minimum 3.5 % of appraised value of a FHA-insured home
These are huge incentives to buy a home and there are some fantastic home buys in the Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Windsor Colorado areas.
The first time home buyer tax credit ends on December 1, 2009! You can read more about these enhancements to the first time home buyer credit at http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-072.cfm
Be sure to call me at 970-412-7591 and let me help you take advantage of the first time home buyer credit in northern Colorado.
Margaret C. Blythe Broker Associate Keller Williams Realty Fort Collins, CO 970-412-7591 Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/ Full Blog: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Best Places for Business and Careers

2009-06-04T08:57:00.000-06:00
Forbes.com rated Fort Collins, CO as the #2 best city in the United States for business and careers in 2009!

This honor is no surprise to those that live and work in Fort Collins. We are all proud that Fort Collins continues to be ranked as the number one and two best place to live by Money Magazine for many years. Perhaps it is the quality schools, supportive business environment, highly educated work force, friendly and cultural community, low crime rate, beautiful outdoors, progressive renewable energy movement and education opportunities that makes Fort Collins and neighboring cities so desirable. The median home sales price from February to April 2009 in Fort Collins was about $210,000 with a population of about 137,000.

A hidden little town, located about ten miles southeast of Fort Collins, that is a favorite of mine is Windsor, Colorado. Windsor, population about 19,000, is a wonderful place to raise a family, run a business and retire. There are amazing biking/walking trails and beautiful golf courses in the Windsor area. The Windsor median home sales price from February to April 2009 was about $222,000 with tremendous buys. There are a number of employers in Windsor, including Vestas http://www.vestas.com/, the largest wind turbine producer and the world's leading supplier of wind power solutions.

I have lived in the northeastern Colorado area for twenty years and know the best housing opportunities and great neighborhoods to live. This is a fantastic time to buy a home in the northeastern Colorado area and the first time home buyer credit (see my blog post) is a huge incentive as well. Let me find "your home" by calling me at 970-412-7591.

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Fort Collins, CO
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Full Blog Page: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Colorado Free Fishing Day!

2009-06-01T12:51:00.000-06:00

Go fish without a license on Saturday June 6th, and Sunday June 7th as part of the annual “Colorado Free Fishing Days!”

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Fort Collins, CO
http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Full Blog Page: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/
970-412-7591

Dr Pepper Ribs

2009-05-26T11:57:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

Summer time is here and I love the smell of delicious bbq smoking. One of my passions in life is cooking so it is appropriate that I include recipes on my blog. Below is one of my favorite recipe combinations, ribs and Dr. Pepper. Enjoy! Margaret

Dr. Pepper Ribs

My family bbq team, Whole Lotta Smokin', has successfully used these ribs in bbq competition. Dr. Pepper is an original Texas product. Surely, Coloradoans won’t mind me bringing a little bit of Texas to the Rocky Mountains. Dr. Pepper adds a touch of unique caramel flavor to ribs. Also, I really enjoy the combination of sweetness from Dr. Pepper and spicy Chimayo Chile powder.

2 slabs of baby back ribs
2.5 gallon sealable bag
2 (2-liter) of Dr. Pepper, reduced down to a quart of syrup over low heat
1 cup apple juice

Rub:
My yummy bbq rub is only shown on my business card. You may email me should you like my rub recipe.

Fire:
6 pounds of charcoal (no lighter fuel on charcoal)
Wood:
One chunk of apple
4 chunks of pecan wood, each about the size of your fist
Chimney starter
Newspapers
Butane lighter
Water pan

Remove the membrane from bone side of ribs. With a paper towel grab the membrane and pull across the slab. Place ribs in a 2.5 gallon bag. Pour Dr. Pepper over ribs, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Next day, remove the ribs from marinade. Discard the marinade. Season both sides of ribs generously with rub. Let ribs sit in refrigerator for 3 hours.

Place the chimney starter on grill grate. Stack paper rings in chimney and fill with charcoal. Light newspapers and burn for 10-15 minutes. Wearing heat proof gloves dump chimney coals on the bottom rack of the smoker. Spread charcoals in an even layer and cover with a layer of charcoals. Wait about 25 minutes until charcoals are white hot. Add apple and pecan wood chunks on top of white charcoal and burn for 10 minutes. Place top rack on smoker. Fill water pan with cool water. Leave top vents 3/4 open and bottom vents 1/2 inch open. Use bottom vents to control the internal temperature of smoker.

Place ribs bone side down on top rack. Smoke for 3 hours at 225 degrees. Remove ribs and place on double layer of foil. Pour 1/2 cup of apple juice on bone side of rib and wrap tightly. Smoke for 30 minutes. Remove ribs from foil, place bone side down, sprinkle with rub, open all vents on the smoker and smoke for about one hour. Ribs are done when the meat pulls back about 3/4 of an inch from the bone.

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Fort Collins, Colorado
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
My Full Blog is at http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Check Out PelicanFest in Windsor, CO!

2009-05-15T17:24:00.000-06:00
If you are looking for something fun to do for Memorial Day Weekend, check out PelicanFest in Windsor, Colorado. My family has especially enjoyed watching the triathlon, listening to live music and the spectacular firework show. I hope to play in the Pelican Lakes Golf Course tournament on Friday, May 22.

If you would like to see a home or list your home in northern Colorado, please feel welcome to give me a call at 970-412-7591.

Margaret Blythe
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Blog Site: http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Home Sales in Northern Colorado: Larimer and Weld County

2009-05-06T11:04:00.000-06:00

Home Sales Statistics for WELD County CO
Source: Realist's
Realist'sRealist's most recent recording date for this county is 04/23/2009
Single Family Residence
Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price
Mar 2009 264 $177,775
Mar 2008 371 $189,830
Feb 2009 192 $176,500
Feb 2008 249 $182,900
2009 YTD 798 $179,300
2008 4,053 $183,000
Condominium
Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price
Mar 2009 15 $110,000
Mar 2008 22 $149,000
Feb 2009 9 $110,000
Feb 2008 10 $164,450
2009 YTD 40 $110,000
2008 200 $145,000

Home Sales Statistics for LARIMER County CO
Source: Realist's
Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 04/27/2009
Single Family Residence
Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price
Mar 2009 291 $215,000
Mar 2008 383 $225,011
Feb 2009 197 $205,000
Feb 2008 272 $218,460
2009 YTD 900 $215,000
2008 4,872 $223,000
Condominium
Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price
Mar 2009 40 $150,750
Mar 2008 61 $150,000
Feb 2009 33 $164,000
Feb 2008 32 $167,500
2009 YTD 117 $150,000
2008 741 $150,800
Margaret C. Blythe Broker Associate Keller Williams Realty Fort Collins, CO 970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Check Out My Full Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

What Is A Short Sale?

2009-04-03T16:45:00.000-06:00
A short sale occurs when a home is sold for less than the balance owed on a secured loan. In a short sale, the lender agrees to sale a home for lower than the amount owed by the home owner. The lender has the right to approve or disapprove a home offer. In most cases the home seller is in foreclosure and may still owe a certain amount to the lender.

Once and offer is made by a buyer, it can take the lender months to reply to an offer. Given the high demand for short sales and the needs of those involved, it is imperative that a buyer work with a real estate agent that understands the process, is able to oversee negotiations with the lender and performs a thorough comparative market analysis prior to making an offer.

There are a lot of fantastic short sale properties in northern Colorado! Short sales are a great opportunity for buyers to gain equity and for sellers to move on with their life. Of course, short sales are very emotional and stressful for the home owner. I will help make the transition be as smooth as possible for everyone. Be sure to contact me with any questions regarding a short sale.

Margaret C. Blythe
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty
Fort Collins, CO
970-412-7591
Website: http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Check Out My Full Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

First Time Home Buyer Credit

2009-03-17T09:34:00.000-06:00
This is a great time to take advantage of the first-time home buyer credit! This credit applies to a home purchased from January 1, 2009 to November 30, 2009.

According to the IRS, a "first-time home buyer is any individual (and spouse if married) who had no present ownership interest in a qualifying principal residence during the 3-year period ending on the date of purchase of the principal residence for which a first-time home buyer credit is being claimed."

The first-time home buyer is eligible for a tax credit of the lessor of 10 percent of home's price or $8,000! The credit starts phasing out for married filing joint filers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) greater than $150,000 and singles with an AGI of greater than $75,000.

To find out more about the first time home buyer credit, click on this IRS link http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc611.html. Give me a call to take advantage of the first time home buyer credit.

Margaret C. Blythe
Fort Collins, CO
Phone: 970-412-7591
Website:http://www.margaretblythe.com/
Check Out My Full Blog at http://www.margaretblythe.blogspot.com/

Single Family Residence
Time Period	Number of Sales	Median Sale Price
Mar 2009	264	$177,775
Mar 2008	371	$189,830
Feb 2009	192	$176,500
Feb 2008	249	$182,900
2009 YTD	798	$179,300
2008	4,053	$183,000

Condominium
Time Period	Number of Sales	Median Sale Price
Mar 2009	15	$110,000
Mar 2008	22	$149,000
Feb 2009	9	$110,000
Feb 2008	10	$164,450
2009 YTD	40	$110,000
2008	200	$145,000