Georg Thoma

RB Black Angus Steakhouse, the newest restaurant from award-winning Maui chef Raul Bermudez, opened in mid-July at Kahana Gateway Shopping Center.The only Certified Angus Beef steakhouse in Hawaii, the establishment has an extensive menu featuring premium New York strip, filet mignon, top sirloin, slow-roasted prime rib and bone-in rib eye steaks.

When I was eating there , I have enjoyed the Slow Braised Short-Rib , A master pice of tender CAB meat , braised in Star-Anis, Bay-Leave and light teriyaki served with fluffy Mashed potato , and Broccoli . Mouthwatering tender, " just simply the best meal i had on Maui" !

Beyond Certified Angus Beef, dinner choices include Colorado lamb chops, stuffed pork chops and broiled salmon, as well as a variety of soups, salads and appetizers.

Lunch options include sandwiches, burgers, St. Louis BBQ ribs, kabobs and fajitas.

The steakhouse opens for lunch at 11 a.m. Mondays through Fridays and serves dinner until 10 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, a unique brunch menu is offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by lunch and dinner until 10 p.m.

Brunch items include classics such as omelets and Eggs Benedict, island-inspired pancakes and Certified Angus Beef New York steak and eggs.

Georg Thoma joined Central Pacific HomeLoans in October 2008 as a HomeLoan Consultant. He has been in the mortgage industry since 2004, most recently for International Mortgage LLC in Paia, Maui. Georg is a HomeLoan Consultant who truly cares about his clients. He believes that by educating his clients on the financial impact of their mortgage decisions, he can help them prepare for their financial futures. He sees working with first time homebuyers as a great opportunity to help get people started right. Born in Bamberg, Germany, Georg has been a Maui resident since 1994. He is Director of Communications for the Masters Businessmen Association of Maui and a member of the Kihei and Kahului Kiwanis Clubs. Georg is also a member of the Hawaii Association of Mortgage Brokers (HAMB) and an active participant in the Realtor Association of Maui (RAM). When not working, Georg enjoys kite surfing with his children and cooking as a certified Master Chef! Er spricht Deutsch.

Aloha and Good Morning:

Don't forget, the mainland 'turned back' their clocks and are back on Standard Time - only two hours difference between here and the west coast; five to the east coast. In the islands, we should experience a warm day, highs in the low 80's; with mostly sunny skies, with a possibility of windward and mauka rains. On the mainland, it is decidedly cooler, highs in the 50's in Seattle, Portland, and Reno. The high temperatures in California range from 61 in the Bay Area, 63 in Sacramento; to 68 in Los Angeles and San Diego. Las Vegas, a not too balmy 77, leads the way!

Economic Report:

Unfortunately, there is no new month, new direction on Wall Street. With the presidential election tomorrow, many investors are sitting on the sidelines today - awaiting the results. No matter which candidate wins, there will not be an immediate turn-around in the economy - any real fix will take months to begin implementation and longer for results to begin to creep in to the marketplace. The signs are not good in the economy, although some were not as bad as others -- construction spending fell by only 0.3%. The decrease was less than the 0.8% drop expected. On the down side -- vehicle sales in October will prove to be worse than September and under 1 million units sold, the lowest in 15 years. The Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Index was at a 26 year low in October, 38.9; well below the 43.5 reading in September and making October the worst month since September, 1982.

Georg Thoma , CPHL , Maui , Hawaii

Aloha and Good morning!

The weekend should be 'normal fall weather' for the islands. Isolated, occasional rain, but mostly sunny and warm. The keiki should have a good evening for "Trick-or-Treat".
On the mainland - it's cooler, with highs in most west coast areas only in the 60's. Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego may reach the low 70's; and Las Vegas 84.
Economic Update:
Stocks are up a little on the day -- if they remain their this will end as the worst month in 21 years. The DOW has dropped 18.2% in October, the worst month since October 1987, when there was a 21.8% decline.
The Commerce Department's Personal Spending index showed a 0.3% decline the previous three months are the lowest since June, 2004. The Purchase Managers Index (PMI) was 37.8 well below expectations of 48.0; however, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey showed a 57.6 reading, above expectations.
Currently the DOW is up about 190 points at 9370.98; the NASDAQ is up 31.31 to 1729.83 and the S & P 500 is up 22.57 to 976.66. The 10 Year Treasury yield is at 3.91%
Greystone Finance and Mortgage Industry Update:
The end of one month means the beginning of another -- get your loans in early for November as the holiday at the end always shortens the work month. If you fund four or more first mortgages (non-govie) you'll receive an additional .25 points retroactive! Get the loans in early and earn an extra Christmas bonus!
The term is TARP - Troubled Asset Relief Program -- we'll have to see just how many people get relief and how much it helps- details are sketchy so far.