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Bob & Betty Serena
Keller Williams Realty
4520 State Road 64 East
Bradenton FL 345208
Direct: 941.928.1248
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Recipe: Singapore Noodles
Serves 6
- 400 grams rice noodles
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into bite-size strips
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- 3 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Bring two quarts of salted water to a boil, remove from heat and add noodles. Soak for two minutes or until tender. Drain noodles and set aside.
Combine curry, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt and set aside.
Season pork strips with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet, then add pork and cook for three minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
Heat remaining three tablespoons of oil in the same skillet and add scallions and ginger. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add celery, carrots and curry mixture. Add noodles, pork, broth and soy sauce and simmer until combined and slightly thickened.
Ask the Agent
How can I make moving day go smoothly?
• Have plenty of boxes, paper for wrapping, tape and "fragile" stickers.
• Color-code your boxes. Do the same for the rooms in your new home. Then the movers can match them up.
• Be a smart packer. Pack things together that go together.
• Pack one box for each family member and name or number it. Include toys, bedding, clothes for the next day and anything else they'll need to feel at home in the new house.
• Farm out the kids and pets so they're not underfoot.
• Put together a cleaning kit for a quick cleanup of the old house. If you have a helper, ask him or her to vacuum each room as the movers clear it.
Heritage Harbour Market Snapshot!
Thanks for stopping by...
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Should You Make Those Repairs Before Selling Your Home?
Just how much should you invest in repairs to sell your home?
It comes down to how desperate you are to sell and what changes are needed.
Significant structural problems or major electrical or plumbing repairs must be disclosed to potential buyers. If you are unaware of these problems and they are discovered during the home inspection, they will have to be fixed at your expense or you'll have to hand over an equivalent amount to allow the buyers to fix them themselves.
So if you are aware of significant repairs that need to be made, why not avoid the hassles and fix them before the "for sale" sign goes up?
For less significant changes, you can make repairs. But be aware you won't necessarily recoup your investment. Don't overspend. Many an unwary homeowner has made changes that effectively price him or her out of the neighborhood, meaning it's become a good house in a poor neighborhood.
Buyers looking in the area may not be prepared to pay for state-of-the art windows or a slate roof. They may be impressed, however, by an uncluttered home with a fresh coat of paint.
Alternatively, you can decide not to make changes, betting that your proximity to transit or a deck with a hot tub will sell your house despite its flaws.
If this sounds good, be prepared to wait for a buyer who wants a fixer-upper.
And be aware that in its current condition, your house won't go for top dollar - even to do-it-yourselfers.
Serve Up Some Gratitude This Thanksgiving
 Former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
As we approach Thanksgiving, we may want to remember those words. As Kennedy implies, it's living in a grateful way that has meaning. Not in speaking the words of gratitude. Too many of us wait until Thanksgiving to remember the good things in our lives. But it needn't be a one-day wonder. The power that gratitude engenders can be a great force for good in this world. As such, it should become part of our daily lives in the same way as shaking hands with friends or hugging our kids.
Gratitude, according to the Tiny Buddha website at www.tinybuddha.com, is amazingly useful. It gives us a sense of satisfaction and completion, reminding us that we do have enough. But more important, it provides us with the building blocks to experience today and build tomorrow in a state of acceptance and harmony.
The idea that our thoughts and emotions create our life circumstances is enjoying a popular revival these days. It was perhaps best expressed in 1889 by Prentice Mulford in his book Thoughts Are Things. His philosophy is that positive thoughts, including gratitude, create positive events and circumstances.
This Thanksgiving, consider President Kennedy's words and act with gratitude all year long. Your life circumstances can only benefit.
Trying Turducken This Holiday?
 If you're looking for something different to serve this Thanksgiving, perhaps a little turducken may be in order.
Turducken was popularized by NFL analyst and announcer John Madden during a nationally televised football game. It is a variation of a dish that was served by wenches in 18th-century England.
But now, the deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck stuffed into a deboned turkey with bread stuffing in between has achieved fame. It generated more than 700,000 results in a search on Google in September.
With plans for Thanksgiving celebrations now under way, it might soon double that.
For all the information flying around about turducken, not many people admit to liking it. But it is, many agree, a showy way to celebrate the holiday.
Perhaps turducken should enjoy fame while it can. A goose-based variation, called gooducken, may not be far behind. Gooducken, of course, is a goose stuffed with a duck, which, in turn, is stuffed with a chicken.
Wondering How Much Your Home is Worth?
How has the price of your Heritage Harbour home changed in today's market? How much are other homes in our neighborhood selling for?
If you're wondering what's happening to prices in our community, or you're thinking about selling your house,
The Serena Group will be able to help.
Just give Bob Serena a call at: 941.928.1248 for a no-fuss, professional evaluation.
We won't try to push you into listing with our team or waste your time.
We'll just give you the honest facts about your home and its value.
And maybe we'll also give you the "inside scoop" on what's happening in the housing market for our county!
Just call or email us to arrange an appointment. Alternatively, stop by at our office.
How to Bargain for a Lender-Owned Property
There are bargains to be had in today's depressed housing market. When buying a lender-owned property, though, you need to be especially savvy to come up with an offer that will satisfy the beneficiary bank or agency.
First, be aware that lenders are anxious to sell what is now a nonperforming asset. They also don't want to lose much on the deal. That means you'll have to submit a particularly well-thought-out offer on a real-estate-owned home. Following are strategies to consider:
- Ask your buyers' agent to find out the bank's purchase price for the property. Offer an amount that is between the balance owed on the mortgage and the sale price.
- A little research goes a long way. Your agent can look at sales of similar properties in the neighborhood over the past few months as a way of assessing the value of the property.
- Consider the competition. Other potential buyers of your property will likely base their offers on active listings. Stay current with prices of advertised homes in the same neighborhood, add a few extra dollars and beat out your competitors.
- Get preapproved by your lender of choice, but also get a preapproval letter from the lender's own company. This is a simple way to establish your credentials. A bank will be less inclined to trust a competitor’s approval than one from its own mortgage department.
- Be prepared to do fix-ups yourself. Even if a real-estate-owned home is not sold "as is," don't ask the lender to make repairs in the initial offer. It likely will send your offer to the bottom of the pile.
Even if it is your dream home, don't get emotional. View your offer on a "bargain" home as a transaction. Save the self-congratulations for closing.
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Bennett Park?
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