Sandra Bolcar

MY HUSBAND, BOBBY, BOUGHT THIS HUGE 34LB TURKEY AND I MUST ADMIT MY FIRST INCLINATION WAS TO REMARK IT MIGHT BE A TOUGH OLD BIRD! WELL BOBBY ESTIMATED IT MIGHT TAKE ABOUT 8 HOURS TO COOK IN OUR CONVECTION OVEN SO HE CAREFULLY PREPARED THE MONSTER AND PUT IT IN THE OVEN AT 12:30 A.M. ON THANKSGIVING MORNING AT OUR HOME IN WEST CALDWELL . HE EAGERLY CHECKED ON THE CROONER AT 6:30 A.M. AND EXCLAIMED "THIS THING IS OVER DONE!" AND "THERE'S NO MEAT ON IT'S BREAST" AND "HELL, IM RUNNING UP TO STOP AND SHOP TO GET A BUTTER BALL". BLEARY-EYED AS I WAS, I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY NOTICE THAT DARN THING WAS UPSIDE DOWN IN THE PAN AND HERE'S THE PROOF BEFORE IT WENT INTO THE OVEN. TURNS OUT THE IMMENSE BREAST MEAT UNDERNEATH WAS THE SIZE OF A MELON AND TOTALLY AMAZING AND THE JUCIEST AND MOST TENDER EVER SERVED. NEXT TIME WE'LL REMEMBER TO TURN OUR BIRD UPSIDE DOWN AGAIN AND LET IT SIMMER IN IT'S OWN JUICES.

DO YOU NOTICE ANYTHING STRANGE ABOUT THOSE WINGS? COULD IT POSSIBLY BE WRONG-SIDE UP?

NOW THIS BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER UPSIDE SITUATION, IF YOU ARE AN UPSIDE SELLER, EXPERIENCING AN UPSIDE MORTGAGE POSSIBLY FACING FORECLOSURE, DO CONTACT ME. I CAN BE OF HELP. WE ARE SHORT SALE CERTIFIED AGENTS ON THE CROSS KEYS TEAM AT RE/MAX VILLAGE SQUARE AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN SUCCESSFULLY LISTING AND CLOSING ALL OF THE MANY WE HAVE DONE. START BY FINDING OUT WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH IN TODAY'S MARKET.

Okay, not thinking real estate right now . . . but getting in the holiday spirit. Coming from England, I just loved Cheese Straws when I was younger. I used to make them every Christmas. Here's a recipe with a tangy twist Red-Pepper Cheese Straws to just give an extra zinger. I'm going to think of some more recipes that I brought from England to my home in West Caldwell and keep posting them through the holidays.

Red-Pepper Straws

Ingredients 1 shallot, finely chopped 2/3 cup(s) chopped marinated roasted red pepper 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil 1 1/3 cup(s) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling 2 sheets thawed frozen puff pastry

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sauté shallot and roasted red pepper in olive oil, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool. Stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
2. Roll 1 sheet puff pastry to 1/16-inch thickness. Trim to about a 16- by 8-inch rectangle. Spread red-pepper mixture over dough. Roll out the other sheet to same dimensions and place over first sheet. Press slightly to seal. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle with more grated cheese.
3. Cut dough into 24 eight-inch-long strips. Twist each strip and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking pans. Chill for 20 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes.

Most sellers think the dead of winter is the worst time to sell a home. This isn't always the case. I've been sitting in a seller's kitchen on Christmas Eve, signing a purchase contract as sheets of snow were falling off the roof top. Most people hold off putting their homes on during the winter for fear of a reduced buyer pool or their home just doesn't look saleable. Serious buyers are always around for one reason or another. Lease terms are up. Relocation. Since inventory is low, buyers will take a second look at what is actually on the market rather than skimming over just the top of the inventory pool. There are many homes just sitting on the market right now; however, many of them are left over from the summer and fall months and are probably overpriced. Buyers are just waiting for homes to arrive on the market . A well-priced, staged-for-the-market home will always be in demand. Let me show you how.

Late last year I listed a home in Clifton that had been previously listed by another agent. I would like you to take a look at the photos the other agent took:

Now these are the photos that we took of the same room:

SO HOW YOU APPEAR ON THE INTERNET, CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO ATTRACT THE RIGHT BUYERS. THE RIGHT PRICE ATTRACTS THE BUYERS BUT THE RIGHT LOOK WILL ATTRACT THE OFFERS.

It's been a bit confusing as to what the stimulus package means to homebuyers--especially first time homebuyers who qualify for the $8,000 tax credit.

So here is a little help in understanding all of it, courtesy of David Rubenstein at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

Let's talk a little about the Tax Credit announced in the latest Economic Recovery Act:

First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from now until the end of November 2009 may be eligible $8,000 or 10% (whichever is lower) of the value of the home tax credit. (A tax credit is very different than a tax deduction - a tax credit is equivalent to money in your hand, as opposed to a tax deduction which only reduces your taxable income.) The tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years, but not if they stay past the 3 years.

Tax Credit Versus Tax Deduction:

It's important to remember that the $8,000 tax credit is just that... a tax credit. The benefit of a tax credit is that it's a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction, so, if a homebuyer were to owe $8,000 in income taxes and would qualify for the $8,000 tax credit, they would owe nothing.

Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the homebuyer can receive a check for the credit if he or she has little income tax liability. For example, if a homebuyer is liable for $4,000 in income tax, he can offset that $4,000 with half of the tax credit... and still receive a check for the remaining $4,000!

Let's talk about how the Phase Out works:

According to the plan, the tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000.

To break down what this phase-out means to homebuyers who are over those amounts, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) offers the following examples:

Example 1: Assume that a married couple has a modified adjusted gross income of $160,000. The applicable phase-out to qualify for the tax credit is $150,000, and the couple is $10,000 over this amount. Dividing $10,000 by $20,000 yields 0.5. When you subtract 0.5 from 1.0, the result is 0.5. To determine the amount of the partial first-time homebuyer tax credit that is available to this couple, multiply $8,000 by 0.5. The result is $4,000.

Example 2: Assume that an individual homebuyer has a modified adjusted gross income of $88,000. The buyer's income exceeds $75,000 by $13,000. Dividing $13,000 by $20,000 yields 0.65. When you subtract 0.65 from 1.0, the result is 0.35. Multiplying $8,000 by 0.35 shows that the buyer is eligible for a partial tax credit of $2,800.

Remember, these are general examples. You should always consult your tax advisor for information relating to your specific circumstances.

Let's talk about Homes that Qualify

The tax credit is applicable to any home that will be used as a principle residence. Based on that guideline, qualifying homes include single-family detached homes, as well as attached homes such as townhouses and condominiums. In addition, manufactured or homes and houseboats used for principle residence also qualify.

I hope this helps in understanding the tax credit; however, it still can be confusing since the terms of the agreement can some times change as time elapses. Please contact me if you would like further information regarding the tax credit and/or buying a home in Essex County.

I went to visit a customer in Montclair, NJ, to whom I sold a home 8 years ago. The home had a lot of potential back then but money has been tight and her dreams were not realized and now she wants to sell. I gave her a price to really get some interest in the home. She felt the home was worth $75,000 more than I was telling her. She wanted buyers to see the potential that her home has and be willing to pay for it. I had the hard task of telling her that buyers are not looking to pay for potential right now--they are looking for a bargain. Sellers, unfortunately, are about one year behind in the prices they can actually get for their home. Even though Montclair is fairing quite well, only homes that are priced well are selling. If a seller's home is worth more than market value then buyers will pay it. Sellers must think like buyers right now. What would you be willing to pay for your home in today's market??