Chance Gates' Blog

Image via Wikipedia

RISMEDIA, August 25, 2010–Consumers with strong financial knowledge begin saving earlier and are more confident in their everyday financial tasks, according to the TD Bank Financial Literacy Poll released by TD Bank.

Education at an early age is key to achieving financial confidence. Many consumers doubt their financial skills and believe they were not taught enough at a young age and feel saving money is difficult. TD Bank surveyed 2,160 consumers to better understand the financial literacy and attitudes of consumers in the Northeast, Florida and Mid-Atlantic.

“The poll reveals that it is imperative for parents to act as the primary role model to their children if they want financially successful children,” says Suzanne Poole, executive vice president, retail sales strategy and distribution, TD Bank. “Starting financial literacy lessons early results in adults who are more confident in their money decisions, are more financially literate and are more skilled at saving money.”

Who is Your Financial Role Model?
Although this is not an easy question to answer, more than one-quarter of consumers struggled to identify any financial role models. The poll also revealed the primary sources for financial information and help in managing finances. Forty percent of consumers in the Northeast and 38% in the Washington, D.C. region turn to family members for financial advice; while Warren Buffet and famous financiers often edge ahead of financial advisors. In fact, only about one-quarter of the consumers surveyed have a financial advisor or financial planner.

Consumers with “good” financial literacy started learning about money slightly earlier than the average consumer, but only one-half of consumers started learning or having conversations about money under the age of 18. From those who did start learning about savings at a young age, 77% of New Englanders, 80% of Mid-Atlantic residents and 78% of Floridians say they learned from their parents.

Financial firsts are important to financial literacy confidence and education. Although most polled, about 70%, can remember opening their first bank account, only half can remember their first deposit or investment. However, those with “good” financial literacy, about 57%, could recall their first deposit amount.

“TD Bank believes it is important to not only start having financial conversations at a young age, but to also make those first financial experiences memorable,” said Poole. “More than 22 years ago, we created the WOW!Zone, a free, financial literacy program to help children ages 5-18 develop strong financial skills, in school and online. It is a great tool for parents to use to make learning about money fun!”

Responsibility and budgeting are taking a more prominent place at the dinner table today than when parents were younger. Sixty-two percent of parents versus 77% of children today learned about the importance of money. About 75% of parents are teaching their children about financial responsibility as well as saving, budgeting, the value of money, credit cards, etc., while only about 15% of parents were taught about investments and only about 20% learned how to use a credit card.

Poole added, “Today’s children are not learning about money that differently than their parents did. Parents today are taking primary responsibility in financial education. Parents should ask themselves if they are the financial role model they need to be. Starting young is not the only key to success. We found that the topics parents talk about and creating memorable financial moments matter, too.”

Other key findings from the survey include:

• About 94% of those polled with “poor” financial literacy skills wished saving money wasn’t so hard versus 65% with “good” skills.
• About 40% of consumers in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Florida with “poor” financial literacy skills are confident in making financial decisions versus 93% with “good” skills.
• About 81% of those surveyed wished they would have started saving earlier, and about 55% of them were definitely not taught when young.
• 71% of consumers in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Florida regions are confident in their understanding of everyday financial tasks such as paying bills on time, followed by balancing their checkbook.

The majority of consumers in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Florida regions are either extremely confident or very confident in financially preparing their children; consumers responded that responsibility, saving money and budgeting money are the most important topics to teach children today.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. I have free access to the MLS and you can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

RISMEDIA, August 2, 2010—The lending landscape has changed quite drastically over the past several years. Practices, approvals and standards that were once widely accepted have either vanished or transformed beyond the point of recognition. Many banks, which were once extremely careless with their loan underwriting techniques and approvals, have dug themselves into a significant hole that will take many years to climb out of. Promotions such as “100% Financing” and “No Doc Loans” were both major contributors to the financial crisis banks and consumers are facing today.

Today, banks are making sure they don’t make the same mistakes again, so loan underwriting standards have become more stringent than ever before.

According to a recent Federal Reserve survey, it was found that about 75% of the banks surveyed indicated they had tightened their lending standards for prime, subprime and commercial mortgages. That was up from about 60% in the previous survey. With this sharp increase in lending standards, borrowers are being turned down for real estate loans at an alarming rate.

Here are the top seven reasons banks are denying home loan requests:
1. Poor credit: The borrower may have a heavy down payment or excellent equity built-up in their house, but if their credit score is under a certain threshold, obtaining a new loan or refinance from a traditional bank is challenging. Even FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans, which have traditionally catered to borrowers with lower FICO scores, have an average borrower credit score of 693, according to CNN Money, which is above the national average.

2. Insufficient liquidity: If the borrower doesn’t have a heavy down payment (20%-30% for most banks) and strong excess liquidity, banks don’t want to take the risk on funding their loan.

3. Lack of income: The borrower doesn’t have consistent proof of income for the last two to five years. Regardless of how good their credit score is or how much equity they have in their home, if they can’t show the bank proof of income, loan approval will be tough. This can be a big hurdle in the loan process, particularly for retired borrowers.

4. Lying on the application: Banks have learned their lesson and are no longer putting up with borrowers stretching the truth on their applications.

5. Debt: Borrower has excessive debt and their debt-to-income ratio exceeds the bank’s guidelines.

6. Unemployment: Most lenders will like to see at least two years of stable work to issue loan approval.

7. Self employment: Lenders are looking at self-employed applicants with a lot more scrutiny these days, making it very tough for these borrowers to get approved.

Obviously some of these newly structured standards are for the betterment of the industry, and our overall economy, but at the same time, home buyers across the country are realizing quickly that reputable credit and stable income aren’t always enough in qualifying for a loan through a traditional bank.

This predicament is not only affecting potential home buyers, but also the real estate professionals who represent them. Real estate professionals nationwide have expressed that this has become a challenging part of the transaction.

According to Monique Bryher (http://www.californiarealestatefraudreport.com/), a broker associate at Keller Williams Realty, “Home buyers are definitely having a harder time in being qualified. Several of the loan officers with whom I work have complained that loans that would have been approved 6 months ago are being denied now. What’s interesting is that loan applications in terms of volume are up, lenders are busy processing them, but it’s harder to get them approved and it’s taking longer to close even simple, straight-forward transactions.”

Once the traditional lending route has been exhausted, both Realtors and potential buyers are often times at a loss of what to do as a backup plan. Private lending has been around for many years, but most borrowers and brokers have no idea that it’s even an option.

“With the strict underwriting guidelines banks are governed by these days, private lending is the wave of the future for getting real estate loans funded,” explains Eric Wohl, president of NoteFlo, an online private lending marketplace launching today. NoteFlo’s unique service allows borrowers to post loan funding requests for free, which will be broadcast out to thousands of private lenders that will bid for the opportunity to fund their loan. “Our goal is to make sure borrowers know that they have plenty of other options if their loan application is denied by a traditional bank,” says Wohl.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  You can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

For more information, visit www.noteflo.com.

By Nirvi Shah

RISMEDIA, June 28, 2010–(MCT)–Jenny Camacho moved to South Florida in December, hoping the weather would be easier on her health than the frigid, snowy winters of New York and looking forward to living closer to two of her children.

She had spent four years working as a cook at a senior center in Brooklyn, fine-tuning her skills at preparing meals for people with special dietary needs. Despite the recession, she thought she would find a job in a region known as a snowbird and senior roost.

Jobless six months later, she had run up debt on her credit cards, trying to preserve some of her savings and still make ends meet. Camacho rents an apartment in Sunrise, Fla., with her youngest daughter, Priscilla.

But Camacho, 51, recently met with counselors from Sunrise-based American Debt Counseling after hearing them speak at Workforce One, a Broward County employment office. Ever since, she has stretched her budget enough that she hasn’t used her credit cards since April.

“Right now there is no income. They teach you how to control your spending,” Camacho said.

In this economy, it’s difficult to think about boosting credit scores, building savings or erasing debt. But it’s not impossible — and the recession may be just the right boost someone at any income level needs to brighten their financial picture, said Barbara Stark, director of community development and education for American Debt Counseling.

Her nonprofit company and several others in South Florida offer free advice and help to people in need of credit counseling and money management.

“There’s always hope,” Stark said. “It’s not a question of how much money you have. It’s how you manage it.”

For example, she said, the true cost of using a credit card can be really scary — if you know what that true cost is. A $50 dinner charged on a card with an interest rate of 22 percent can cost $2,500 paid over 20 years, she said.

“Once they begin to see they’re not earning any more money, yet they’re living a better life, it makes sense,” she said. “You should get help before you really need it, so you don’t get into a dire situation.”

In Camacho’s case, things were pretty dire by the time she requested help, said Andrea Mitchell, a certified credit counselor.

Mitchell talked to Camacho’s creditors, who agreed to lower the interest rates on her debt — a service that Camacho is paying for. Mitchell has helped Camacho find occasional work, including baby-sitting. And she counseled Camacho to rely on her family.

“She helped them and now they’re reciprocating,” Mitchell said. Camacho’s son also lives in Broward. “Jenny is very much a survivor. She came to me wanting to survive. There’s no other word to describe her.”

In addition, Mitchell came up with a spending plan for Camacho — who was already spending little more than for basic necessities.

MAKE A SPENDING PLAN: Knowing what your monthly expenses are is key, said Ellen Siegel, a certified financial planner in Miami.

Figure out how much money is coming in from every source: a paycheck, child support, alimony, social service agencies.

Then figure out what’s going out — fixed expenses, such as rent and a car payment; variable expenses, necessary items that aren’t a set amount each month, such as food and medical bills; and discretionary spending, things you don’t need, but want, such as a vacation, movie tickets, birthday presents.

“Too many people have no idea whatsoever where their money is going every month,” Stark said.

Siegel, a member of the Financial Planning Association of Miami-Dade, is a volunteer with the group’s new Money 101 program, which offers services at the United Way of Miami-Dade’s new Center for Financial Stability in Hialeah.

She takes the idea of building a spending plan one step further.

“How do we get into trouble? Money’s not real,” Siegel said. It’s in the form of a credit card, debit card, check or bank balance.

Once a month, she cashes a check and puts the cash into different envelopes for the month’s expenses — gas, groceries, clothing, rent or mortgage payment, utilities and an emergency fund, a must for everyone, no matter their net worth.

“That’s a very, very powerful strategy,” Siegel said. It shows how far your money goes — or doesn’t.

KEEP YOUR CREDIT CARDS: When someone is in debt, it may be tempting to cut up credit cards so they can’t be used to accumulate more debt, Siegel said.

While that sounds like a good idea, those credit cards may be needed at some point.

Her suggestion: Put them in a plastic bag and put the bag in a cup of water. Put the whole thing in the freezer.

“If the car blows up and you have to use your credit card, you can,” she said. Any time the cards are needed, it will take patience to use them. They’ll have to be thawed — and slowly, since microwaving the frozen cards would melt them.

“You can’t just be hungry, angry, lonely or tired and go shopping.”

Building a good credit history and improving a credit score actually requires having some debt, or a history of paying off debt regularly, Stark said. And credit cards held for a long time are good for a credit score.

Although Camacho isn’t using her credit cards anymore, she’s still making payments each month.

“We got them to lower the interest rate so much so that she was able to make a minimum payment,” Mitchell said. It’s low, but not so low that Camacho will be paying off her debt forever. She should be able to pay off the debt she has now in five years or less.

One financial guru’s philosophy is to line up every bill in size order. Pay the minimum on every bill. Whatever money is left over should be used to pay off the smallest bill.

The advice isn’t typical — many financial planners would suggest putting more toward the bill with the highest interest rate, Siegel said, but faith-based financial expert Dave Ramsey’s method offers a sense of accomplishment.

LOOK AT CREDIT REPORT: Credit reports are free. But that doesn’t mean people are looking at them, said Angelo Gonzalez of Miami Saves, who is director of the Economic Independence Program at the nonprofit Cuban American National Council.

“We encourage people to look twice a year,” he said. “We’re lucky if they pull it once every five years.”

The only truly free reports — that don’t require signing up for any additional services — are at annualcreditreport.com. Beware of impostor sites that prey on people who misspell the website.

The reports don’t include scores, however. Those must be purchased.

The reason to look at the reports: Find errors, forgotten debts and fraud — and start fixing the problems, Gonzalez said.

That is, if you can tell what they are. “The other challenge is, have you ever looked at your credit report? It’s like reading Greek. A credit report is useless unless you know how to read it,” he said. “We’ll hold a workshop and go item by item.”

While all of his organization’s services are free, they can also pull credit reports — one from each bureau — for about $13.

SEARCH FOR SAVINGS: They also teach a variety of courses and offer suggestions on how to stretch a limited budget.

Some ideas are more obvious than others, he said, such as buying more fruits and vegetables and less meat and seafood to lower food bills.

Partnering with another family while shopping may also cut costs: Buy in volume at a wholesale store and divvy up the items.

“You end up saving a lot of money. People get that. That resonates more than putting $10 in a savings account,” he said.

Negotiate with everyone, Siegel said, even if you think someone won’t budge on the price.

“If there’s a doctor bill, if there’s a car bill, just ask. Say, ‘I need some consideration. What can you do for me?’ ” Siegel said. “The world is sympathetic now. Everybody is feeling it.”

FIND MORE INCOME: Consider renting out a room in your home — to someone you trust — to bring in more income, Gonzalez said, and be sure to have the renter sign a lease agreement.

And don’t think collecting unemployment means you can’t work, he said. The income must be declared, but if you can find suitable part-time work, take it. Camacho’s youngest daughter, Priscilla, 19, is working part-time and Camacho is willing to take any job, even if it doesn’t involve working in a kitchen.

Whatever someone’s situation, there’s a way out.

Linda Eads, founding principal of MAST Academy, recently created the Youth and Family Financial Literacy Institute in Miami-Dade. The nonprofit’s aim is to teach financial literacy in schools and families — and, she hopes, prevent some of the situations people have found themselves in during this recession.

“As I matured, I realized, ‘Wow, I can do so much more with this if I would budget even better,’ ” Eads said. “No matter how old you are, you can change your ways.”

Jenny Camacho agrees — although she said she doesn’t have the money to pay her bills beyond the end of June.

“Everything is going to come out OK. We’re going to survive with whatever we have,” she said. “Sometimes you struggle but something better comes out on the other side.”

(c) 2010, The Miami Herald.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  You can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

RISMEDIA, June 17, 2010–June is National Homeownership Month. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognizes this month as a time to celebrate the American dream of owning a home. While record low interest rates and recent tax credits for first-time homebuyers have enticed many families to turn their dream of homeownership into a reality, the hidden costs of homeownership can sometimes catch families off guard. Preparing for the hidden costs of homeownership, especially for first-time homebuyers, is a wise financial move.

The financial experts at Money Management International (MMI) understand that knowledge is the key when investing in a home. It’s more than a place to live; it’s a financial asset, a place to raise a family, and an investment in the community. Below are tips for buying, maintaining, and protecting your largest asset.

Home insurance - Homeowner’s insurance often costs quite a bit more than renter’s insurance, because it covers the home, in addition to your personal property. Depending upon where you live, you may also need to purchase supplemental insurance for hurricanes, floors, tornados, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that are not covered under your standard policy.

Maintenance and repairs - Owning a home means that you are responsible for the upkeep. These costs can add up quickly, especially in an older home with older systems and appliances. Expect to spend some money on routine maintenance every year. Keeping an emergency fund for unanticipated repairs is also a smart idea. Keeping up with routine maintenance will help your home maintain its value.

Utilities - Prepare to spend some additional money on utilities, including water, garbage collection, heat, and electricity. With more space, it’s likely that even the bills you paid when you rented will be higher in your new home.

Homeowners’ association fees - Find out if you will have to pay homeowners’ association fees. Many communities have a homeowners’ association, commonly called an HOA. An HOA is typically tasked with maintaining common areas and enforcing deed restrictions. Membership in a community HOA is often mandatory and members are charged a monthly or annual fee.

Home furnishings - You’ll probably need, or at least want, to purchase furniture and decor items for your new home. Most people, when purchasing a new home, decide to paint, upgrade the decor, purchase new furniture, and buy new linens.

“When purchasing a new home, factor in these items to your total budget to make sure that you are completely financially prepared for homeownership, ” said Cate Williams, vice president of financial literacy for MMI. “By doing this, you’ll rest assured knowing that you are purchasing a home that you can comfortably afford.”

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  You can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

By Gregory Karp

RISMEDIA, June 7, 2010–(MCT)–What if you could travel the country and pick the brains of cheapskates far and wide?

That’s what Jeff Yeager did — on a bicycle, no less. He not only went searching for tips on frugality but also set out to discover what cheapskates had in common. He details the findings in his new book, “The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living Happily Below their Means.”

Yeager, 52, is hard to impress. In his first book, he calls himself the “Ultimate Cheapskate.” He has soft-boiled eggs alongside the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and has “re-canted” box wine into bottles with premium labels.

In his journeys, he was most struck by the wide variety of people and lifestyles among those who consider themselves cheap. He also noticed that most cheapskates, because they limit spending, are weathering the economic recession fairly well.

“They’re not unconcerned about it,” he said. “They might have had a spouse who lost a job. That’s not good news, but, unlike their neighbors, it’s more of an inconvenience than a catastrophe.”

Yeager highlights some general philosophies of the American cheapskate, but the biggest part of being frugal is attitude, he said. Cheapskates don’t care about keeping up with the Joneses. In fact, Yeager describes their attitude as, “The Joneses can kiss our assets.”
Below, Yeager shares specific and unusual cheapskate advice:

—Weekly brown-bag lunch. Taking lunch to work daily instead of buying it is typical advice for spending less. But it takes effort to pack a lunch each day. Yeager coped with his own lunch-packing laziness by taking a sack of groceries into the office once a week and making his lunches there. He stored a loaf of pumpernickel in the file cabinet. Cold cuts, fruits and vegetables went in the office fridge. The method even saves a few bucks on brown paper bags and plastic sandwich bags.

—Stick-shift savings. Buy vehicles with manual transmissions. They cost less, use less gasoline and are less expensive to repair and replace. And because you can shift gears to slow the vehicle, your brakes will last longer. (And many people consider driving a stick more fun.) Yeager figures you could save $30,000 over a lifetime by driving a stick shift. Of course, with the ubiquity of automatics these days, you might have trouble finding a manual-transmission car or someone to teach you how to drive one.

—Toy libraries. It’s just like it sounds: You borrow toys for your children like you would books at a library. It’s a popular concept in other countries and is catching on in the United States. Any parent knows it’s brilliant, because a child often gets bored of a $50 toy in less time than it takes “Dora the Explorer” to return from TV commercial break. Toy libraries are often run in conjunction with book libraries. To find one near you, visit the USA Toy Library Association at usatla.org/Locations.html.

—Free-stuff Web sites. You might know about the free software suite similar to Microsoft Office at OpenOffice.org. Or you might use free calling with Skype. But there also are free audio books at LibriVox.org, free language lessons at bbc.co.uk/languages and even free booze in New York and Chicago at MyOpenBar.com. Also, try Accidentalwine.com for deep discounts due to marred labels or other problems that don’t affect the wine itself.

—Dehydrate for dollars. Grocery stockpilers are often confounded by great deals on fresh produce. They can’t stockpile because the food will go bad: That is, unless they dehydrate it. You can dehydrate fruits, vegetables and meats for use up to two years out or more with airtight storage. A good dehydrator will cost $100 or more, though.

—Frugal cleaners. Skip pricey household cleaning products and instead polish furniture with a cloth dipped in black tea, clean wood floors with a solution of one part lemon juice and two parts vegetable oil, and shine your silver with toothpaste and your copper with ketchup.

Chance Gates does welcome any questions or comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or on any articles that may be posted.  Send your  emails  to  chance at ballard-company.com

By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, May 28, 2010—Within the next month, the kids will be out of school and for a lot of families, it might just be time to move. Moving brings an entire new set of stresses and tasks.

Check out these tips for moving, courtesy of Move.com. It might just help save your clients a bit of time, stress and heartache.

4 weeks from move date: Get organized and start notifying the right people and companies that you’ll be moving soon and give them a date to forward or terminate service. Start looking for licensed and professional moving companies, moving guides and relevant coupons.

Tip: If using a professional mover, get quotes from multiple moving companies to get the best deal that is right for you and your needs. Ask plenty of questions like whether or not they give binding quotes and what kind of insurance is included. Be sure to talk with them about the different options available with full-service moves such as packing and unpacking services and providing boxes and packing supplies.

Tip: Important documents such as your child’s school records may need to be accessible during your transition. Make sure to put these items aside and make copies of any records for yourself, in case you forget what box they’re packed in.

3 weeks from move date: Once you’ve selected a mover, begin by taking inventory of your belongings and their worth and decide what will be coming with you to your next home.

Tip: Start cleaning out closets, drawers and storage areas of your home and divide things into categories: “pack,” “recycle” and “give to friend.” You can always have a garage sale or donate old items to charity. This will make packing day a lot easier and you may reduce the total weight you’ll be paying for to move.

Tip: If you’re moving yourself or contracting for a self-service move, pack the items you know you won’t need until 30 days after the move. It will feel great to get started early.

Tip: If possible, take pictures of rooms and areas inside the home or apartment you’ll be moving into so you can start thinking about placement of furniture, artwork and other items. This will help save time, headaches…and money…on moving day.

2 weeks from move date: If you choose not to take advantage of full service mover packing services, or are planning to do it yourself and rent a truck, start packing things into boxes. Figure out the logistics of the move, travel plans and if other specialized plans need to be made.

Tip: If you are using a professional mover find out what items are on their “non-allowables” list and discard those items or find a way to transport them separately.

Tip: Instead of stacking plates, pack them vertically; they will travel safer this way.

Tip: If you are moving long distance, remember travel arrangements for your pets. There are pet-exclusive airlines available such as Pet Airways but regular airlines have travel options for pets as well.

Tip: If you have young children, you may want to make childcare arrangements so you can be 100% focused on moving day and your little ones remain safe and busy with fun activities.

Tip: Schedule “move out” cleaning service, carpet cleaners and heavy appliance disposal if necessary for once you’ll be out of the home you’re vacating. Even if you’re selling your current home, it’s a nice welcome for the buyers to move into a clean and tidy home.

1 week from move date: Set aside valuable items and keep those with you. Clean before moving and leave your house or apartment as clean as it was when you moved in.

Tip: Make sure the details for paying the moving company are taken care of. Some will require money orders or cashier’s checks upon delivery; know their policy in advance to avoid stress on moving day.

Tip: Start eating all the frozen foods you have, or give them to a neighbor or friend. This way you won’t have to throw them away on moving day, or worry about packing an ice chest.

Tip: Also think about necessities for managing moving day like confining your pets and anticipating the amount of time you will need.

Tip: Place necessities such as toiletries, toilet paper, rags, “must-have” cooking supplies and organize them in boxes marked “open first” so it’s easy to find the initial items you’ll want handy on those first few days of being in your next home. Don’t forget the flashlight!

Tip: If possible, take one last tour of the new location and identify water and gas shut off locations, as well as the electrical breaker box just in case something happens in the first few days so you’re prepared. Might be smart to drop off a fresh box of light bulbs too!

Moving day and beyond: Take one last walk through and make sure nothing has been forgotten or overlooked. Also, make sure all doors and windows are locked and switches turned off, then you are on your way to your new house or apartment.

Tip: Go back to the photos you took when you began to pack up. Now you can show the movers or those helping you unpack exactly where everything goes with photos.

Tip: Unpack one room at a time according to basic needs starting with the kitchen and at least one bathroom…and don’t forget to make a bed as early in the day as possible if you’ll be sleeping in your home that evening! Remember, you don’t have to unpack everything in one day, or even in one week.

Tip: After you’ve settled in a bit, introduce yourself to some neighbors, ask for advice on the best places to eat, grocery shop, etc. This way you will feel like part of the community and can get some great local tips.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional; I encourage all questions and comments, on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.

http://chancegates.com/2009/12/21/time-to-relocate-here-are-some-helpful-hints/

http://chancegates.com/2010/03/04/getting-ready-to-apply-for-your-mortgage-checklist/

http://chancegates.com/2010/01/12/non-traditional-credit/

All I do, really, is go to work and try to be professional, be on time and be prepared.
Ben Affleck

Everyone’s entitled to express their political beliefs. I don’t presume to tell anybody who to vote for. I am comfortable telling people what my opinions are.
Ben Affleck

I kinda see my current position like this: Here’s your five minutes in the toy store, so you gotta do all the good movies you can before ‘Chuck Woolery’ rings the bell.
Ben Affleck

My mother gets all mad at me if I stay in a hotel. I’m 31-years-old, and I don’t want to sleep on a sleeping bag down in the basement. It’s humiliating.
Ben Affleck

There is nothing worse that a thirteen-year-old boy. You’re embarrassed by your parents, and you’re trying to find your independance because, deep inside, you are so dependent on your mom.
Ben Affleck

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted on this blog.  You can email at chance@ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

I usually would not do this but my family has started a biggest loser contest, with weekly weigh ins and all.  It is kind of fun heckling those who are behind (my family way).  Have you ever noticed when your on a diet all the good food you see.

I guess it like when your buying a house, in the Reno/sparks area,  you start to see all the for real estate signs.

So I came across this recipe today and it sure does look good tell me what you think.

White Peach Pie

8-12 ripe white peaches, washed, split, pits removed and wedged into 8ths (leave peels on!)

1 cup vanilla sugar (I use two or three vanilla beans, split and scraped, submerged in 5 lbs. sugar)

1 lemon, cut in half

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca flour

pinch of kosher salt

Grab a big bowl and go to town on the peaches. Wash them gently, cut in half and take out the pits. Use a paring knife. Then cut each half into eight wedges. Use a big spoon to gently mix with remaining ingredients and squeeze lemon juice over everything. Set aside while you make the dough.

Here’s what you need to know about pie dough. There are those who use shortening, and those who use butter. By now you should now I am the butter kind. So. Just use it.  At the restaurant, we make about 20 balls of pie dough at a time. This is the scaled back version.

2 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour

2 sticks COLD sweet salted butter, chopped up into little bits

ice water

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or just a mixing bowl if you’re working by hand) add the flour. Add the chopped up COLD butter. Quickly mix on medium low speed so the butter is in little bits. With the motor running on low dribble in a bit of ice water. Keep dribbling until the mixture comes together, but isn’t too dry or too wet. Just watch. It will happen. Stop the motor…..if you are working by hand, dribble the water and work the dough until it comes together. At this point, you can make two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. If you want to make this for the freezer, wrap in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag. Defrost on the counter or in the fridge.

To roll out: flour a board or counter with a little flour, and start rolling with a pin from the middle out.  Roll north, south, east, west. Then flip the dough, adding more flour if you need to. Roll again, north, south, east, west, until it’s bigger than a pie plate, about 12 inches across. Spray a glass deep dish pie plate with cooking spray. Lay the crust inside, giving a little room for shrinkage. Roll out the second crust. Fill the first crush with fruit and dot with butter. Lay the top crust over the fruit, sealing and crimping the edges. Score the top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake on a sheet pan lined with parchment or foil for 1 1/2 hours at 375 degrees until the center filling reads 180 on an instant read thermometer and is bubbling.  Cool on a rack and eat warm or room temperature. Enjoy!

This happens to be one of the recipes from Dish Cafe and Catering Co.  You can see more of her recipes  at http://dishingup.wordpress.com/

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions or comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted.  I can be reached by email at  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

My wife and I were talking about where to go for breakfast, somehow  we decided it would be nice to try the Gold Dust West.  Like any casino it has changed drastically since my drinking days.  The coffee shop seemed to be in the same spot although it has gone through some major upgrades.  The staff was friendly, the service was good and the prices were reasonable.  The patty links were a little over cooked but the food was still really good.  My biggest complaint would have to be the food arrived before I even had time to finish my first cup of coffee,  something my wife really enjoyed.   I will go to the Gold Dust West again, it was an enjoyable experience.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions or comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted on this blog.  I can be reached by email at:   chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

As a full time Reno/Sparks Realtor, I learned that I need to spoil my wife on occasion.  So I took her to the Siena  Hotel for breakfast the other morning and was not impressed to say the least.  Service was a little slow, and the food  was a little undercooked.  However, being a positive person I try and look for the good in most things.  So on the bright side, the coffee was pretty good and one of the bus boys was pretty quick.  Which at least aloud me to have some quality time with the wife and some good coffee at the same time.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions or comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted on this blog.  I can be reached by email at:   chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates