About Barrow County, GA

Foreclosures in Barrow & Jackson Counties rose in September. Barrow County topped 205 for the month of September making it the third highest month ever. Year to date in Barrow County, there's been 1,595 foreclosure actions. Cities like Winder are noticing the inventory increase.

In Jackson County, the new monthly record is now set at 150 for September. Total foreclosures for the year in Jackson is up to 1,053, already more than all of last year.

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today! 404.357.2231

The FDIC appointed a receiver of the First Piedmont Bank in Winder Georgia today. This makes the 15 banks failure in Georgia since 2008. We also had major bank failures here in GA in 2007 with the failure of NetBank in September 28, 2007 that makes 16 bank failures here in less that two years. At the time NetBank failed, it was considered the 4th largest bank failure in US history. Georgia has the highest bank failure rate in the nation to date in this economic crisis that seems far from over. According to FDIC announcement, First Piedmont Bank of Winder, GA will have its assets assumed by First American Bank and Trust of Athens GA.

FDIC BANK FAILURE LIST

Gooey. Creamy. Tasty. Easy. Those are the words I would use to describe this banana pudding recipe! It's so simple to make yet so delicious that you better watch out or you may eat the whole thing! The great thing about this recipe is that it makes a huge amount. It serves at least 12 people so it's great to take to the next family gathering or the potluck supper at church on Sunday.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag of vanilla wafers or 2 bags Peperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with cookies and put bananas on top.
2. Blend milk with pudding mix well with a handheld electric mixer.
3. Beat cream cheese and condensed milk together in a bowl until smooth; fold in whipped topping.
4. Add to pudding mixture, stirring until well blended.
5. Pour mixture over cookies and bananas; cover with remaining cookies.
6. Refrigerate.
7. Eat, eat, eat!

Okay, a few quick notes about this recipe: if you want to make a lighter version of this (so you can eat more *smile*) then use skim milk, neufchatel cheese (it's the low-fat version of cream cheese--tastes the same) and light whipped topping. It still tastes the same I promise!

Also, I think that crushing the cookies for the top layer makes the presentation prettier. And I think this recipe is better if it's made a day in advance and has time to chill in the refrigerator for several hours--I believe it makes the texture better because the cookies get soft and gooey.

ENJOY!

You know, I would really enjoy any wonderful dessert recipes you have...leave your best recipe in the comment section please :-)

(This recipe is found in Paula Deen's cookbook: The Lady & Sons: Just Desserts)

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It's a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you're a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Georgia buyers can now receive an $1,800 tax credit in addition to the $8,000 federal tax credit. Governor, Sonny Perdue, signed House Bill 261 on May 11, 2009.

The $1,800 tax credit is only available for six months; you must close on a home between June 1 and November 30, 2009 to receive this credit. Here are the other important details:

• AMOUNT: the credit is equal to either 1.2% of the purchase price or $1,800, whichever is lesser
• WHO QUALIFIES: this credit is for ANYONE purchasing a home between the deadline--NOT just first-time home buyers!
• HOW DO YOU RECEIVE IT?: You may claim one-third of the credit available in each taxable year, and may carry forward unclaimed amounts--essentially, you'll receive this credit over the course of the next 3 years

Also, there aren't any income restraints to this credit and as I mentioned before, this is not limited to just first-time home buyers. You just have to buy a single-family property within the time period.

Representative Ron Stephens said this about the bill: "I'm proud of Governor Purdue for signing this legislation, and I'm proud to have brought it before the state legislature. This bill will put people to work, reduce the inventory of unsold homes, and kick start Georgia's economy."

To determine the specific forms you need to use to obtain this credit, please contact your tax professional.

If you are a first-time home buyer and would like to learn more about the $8,000 federal tax credit, please read this article:

Understanding the New $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

It's a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you're a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

(The information from this post was obtained from this article)