About Frontenac County, ON

I found a full leg of pork the other day and decided I just had to have it. Didn't have a clue what I was going to do with it but I had to have it. So I researched online and found this fabulous Cuban recipe by Martha Stewart. With that settled, what to have on the side? Well Cuba Libres and Mojito as cocktails for sure :0) That was easy!!
How about Black Beans and Rice! What else would go with it? . . . Twice fried Plantains!

OMG was that a great meal if I do say so myself :0) The flavours with fabulous and everyone left happy.

To quote Martha: "Not to be confused with ham, a fresh leg of pork is relatively uncommon today, despite its sumptuous layer of excess fat and accompanying flavor. This natural cushioning is rendered during roasting, enveloping the meat in goodness and allowing the skin above to crisp into the best cracklings you'll ever encounter. The traditional Cuban way with pork is to dress it with oregano and lemon, an apprach that couldn't be easier -- or better!"

Not one word of a lie nor exageration!!!

Roasted Leg of Pork with Cracklings - Serves 10

3 heads garlic, minced, plus 5 cloves halved

1/4 cup grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 bunches fresh oregano, chopped

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

11/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1 leg of pork (20 pounds), bone-in, skin-on

2 cups dry white wine

1. Mix minced garlic, lemon zest and juice, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and the oil in a medium bowl.
2. Using a sharp knife, make parallel cuts all over pork leg, cutting through skin and fat (but not meat), spacing cuts 1/2 inch apart. Using a paring knife, cut ten 1/2-inch slits into meat (between parallel cuts). Stuff each slit with a halved garlic clove.
3. Pat garlic mixture all over pork, pushing paste between each parallel line and covering pork. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large plastic bag set in a pan (such as a turkey roasting bag), leaving top open to let skin dry. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days).
4. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Position rack in lower third of oven. Remove pork from bag, and place in a large roasting pan, skin side up. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Season again with salt and pepper, and pour wine in pan. Roast for 45 minutes, reduce heat to 350, and continue roasting until thickest part of pork registers 145 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 3 hours. (Check temperature every 15 minutes during final hour of roasting.) Let rest at least 1 hour before serving. Being so large it will remain warm for serving.

Then was the side dish of Black Beans and Rice. You can make it the long way or the quick way. I chose quick!

Black Beans with Rice - serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper

3 cloves garlic, peeled, and mashed with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Olive oil for sautéing

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons vinegar

3/4 cup dry Spanish wine

1 can of cooked Black Beans

Cilantro for garnish

4 cups cooked white rice (I use Basmati)

1. Chop onion and green pepper. Mash the garlic with salt and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle.
2. Sauté the onions and green pepper in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add mashed garlic and sauté another minute or so.
3. Add the cooked beans, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, vinegar, and wine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.
4. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir in the sugar; then drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over the beans. Immediately cover the pot, remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Serve the by now fantastically prepared black beans over white rice. You may garnish the beans with cilantro and chopped white onions. Not only do they look good presented this way, they taste even better than they look.

Twice Fried Plantains

Peanut oil for frying

2 Green plantains peeled and cut into 2" slices

Salt

1. Peel the plantain: Cut the ends of each plantain off with a sharp knife. Use the knife to cut through the peel only the entire lenth of the plantain. Loosen the peel along the cut and remove peel by hand.
2. Cut the plantain into slices, about 2" to 2 1/2" wide.
3. Fill a large skillet a third full with oil and heat over medium-high heat to a temperature of about 300 degrees F. Once the oil is hot, fry the plantain slices for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, just long enough to make them soft.
4. Remove the plantains and drain on paper towels. Use a plantain press or a brown paper bag folded over (or wax paper) to smash the plantains to about half their thickness.
5. Let the oil come back to a higher temperature -- this time about 375 degrees F. Fry once again, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides.
6. Remove and use paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and serve.

I hope you enjoy this Cuban meal as much as we did. If you try it, please come back and share the experience.

Queens University, Kingston, Ontario

This is the time of year where students and parents alike are awaiting news of acceptance into the university of their choice. For many that choice is Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Queen's is one of Canada's leading universities with an international reputation for scholarship, social purpose, and spirit. With great teaching, people, spirit, tradition and a strong sense of community, the Queen's learning environment is unique in Canada and the world.

The autumn semester will be upon us before we know it so now is the time to begin your search for that perfect place to purchase - a safe and secure home for your child to spend the next 3 - 4 years.

Residence is a great place for some first year students but it is not for everyone. Each year we work with parents who want to have their child secure in their own home perhaps with a few rooms rented out to other students. It is a great opportunity to buy a income property that will always have another interested parent to purchase it in 3 or 4 years time.

You might not want your 18 year old living right in the midst of campus. You might want them away from all the action but still close enough to be involved in the campus experience. Maybe a 1 or 2 bedroom condo or townhouse would better suit you and your student? No matter what you're searching for, let me assist you in finding the property that will put your mind at rest and allow you both to enjoy all that Queen's University has to offer you!

Avoid the rush at the end of March . . . get an informed idea of what is available, both in and outside of Kingston. Let's get acquainted and discuss what the next 3 or 4 years has in store for you!

Heather has written a timely post with regard to what Sellers need to know about Open Houses. I love when she asks the question "Would a Realtor Hold an Open House on Their Own Home?"

Via Heather Littrell & Associates, ABR, CRS, GRI (Keller Williams Realty):

Do open houses help sell your home? They could, but don't count on them as the be-all and end-all of your property listing. Open houses tend to interest the tire kickers, and people who just want to entertain themselves for the day by roaming through someone else's home as if it were a museum. Often, they are not qualified, don't even know what the house is worth, or still have something to sell and are just trying to get an idea of what kind of house they can get in the area. But that won't help you.

A quality virtual tour that is going to give the buyer an accurate representation of what the house looks like on the inside is better. Yes, they do significantly cut down on foot traffic for a listing, but the ones that have gone through the virtual tour and are still interested in it, are far more likely to be ready to make an offer.

Strangers in the House

No one likes strangers walking through their houses and besides that, it is becoming more and more dangerous for both agents and owners. There have been several cases of realtors killed while they were sitting at open houses. And robbers are free to case the place. Realtors develop a good sense of the people walking around the home but they can't know for sure. However, when they schedule an appointment to show a property, they've already collected the person's contact information and mortgage information.

Would a Realtor Hold an Open House on Their Own Home?

It should be something you ask your own realtor. As the creator of this article, I would never allow someone to do an open house in my home. I would use a virtual tour and only allow qualified buyers through the door.

Tell-Tale Signs of a Property with No Offers

A sure sign that a house is not getting much movement is an open house. Usually when all else fails, Realtors will hold an open house to appease the seller and make them feel that something is being done. But the truth is, when a listing has sat for a bit and an open house is done, it's a clue that the property is not getting any action. For buyer's Realtors, this is an edge in the negotiations and just something else to think about.

Kingston, ON

Renting vs buying in Kingston Ontario

This is a decision which many people face, and the decision is not as easy to make as it may sound. As a homeowner, you can reasonably expect the equity in your home to increase over time as your mortgage is paid down. That, combined with regular appreciation in property values, can be a rapid and rewarding way to increase your net worth. In contrast, the person renting over the same amount of time is left with no property investment but may have enjoyed lower living expenses and the opportunity to invest in other opportunities. When comparing owning to renting, you have to add up all of the figures, including the cost of your home, the size of your down payment, utilities, immediate repairs, interest rates and insurance, and compare them with how much you are currently spending on rent. Of course, you also have to place a value on the enjoyment and satisfaction that you will derive from owning your own home. Tired of Renting? Contact me soon because the downpayment rules may be changing soon which might make it more difficult to get into the market.

Susan Emo
Sales Representative,
RE/MAX Riverview Realty Ltd. Brokerage*
Gananoque, Ontario
613-382-2211

www.SusanEmoSellsHomes.com

Serving the Gananoque, Kingston, 1000 Islands Region
- come for a visit and stay for a lifetime!

*Each office independently owned and operated

Kingston, ON

Even though household debt relative to income has risen sharply in Canada, it is well below U.S. and British levels. In a reactive rather than proactive response, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in a recent interview;

"Canada may require people taking out mortgages to come up with a larger down-payment if it looks like indebtedness is getting too high. The likely action we will take is to increase the size of the down-payment from 5 per cent to a higher number and reduce the amortization -- bring it down from 35 years to something less."

What this means to the hopeful future homeowner is that you'd better JUMP into the housing market pretty darn quick! No more sitting on the fence. No more waiting for the stars to be aligned and the moon to be in the right quarter. JUMP and JUMP FAST!

TICK TOCK KINGTON

It also means the same to the existing homeowner who has outgrown their home and is hoping to move up.

TICK TOCK KINGSTON

Right now, first time buyers have a few options to them such as buying a home with 0 - 5% as a down-payment. Some institutions are providing Cash-Back options. What the numbers show are:

Purchase price $100,000 = a downpayment requirement of zero dollars up to $5000
(plus closing costs - Right now a first time buyer is rebated their Land Transfer Tax too - more to follow on that subject!)

[not that there are many homes available for $100K but I made it simple math!]

Calculating on a current 5 year term @ 3.89% over a 35 year amortization, the monthly P & I payment would be $434.35

If the 35 year amortization is reduced to a maximum 25 year amortization the monthly payment increases to $520.07

That in itself, will reduce the amount of mortgage you will qualify for because your Debt Ratio will be higher.

TICK TOCK KINGSTON

Add to that the increased down-payment amount that might become a requirement . . .

Popular thinking is that the downpayment requirement might jump from 5% to 10%

How long has it taken you to save $5000 to allow you to buy a $100,000 home? (Most likely it will be a $150K plus home)

Will you be able to save $15000 for the down-payment anytime soon? (plus your closing costs??)

TICK TOCK KINGSTON

If you are already fortunate enough to be in your first home - congratulations to you!!! But these potential new rules apply to you too I'm sorry to say. If you are a typical first time home owner, you most likely purchased your home with zero money down, in the past 2 - 3 years, correct?

You've made some improvements to the home, yes? You've increased your family size and have outgrown the home or you feel your position has improved somewhat? You're ready to take a step up but again, I say to you:

TICK TOCK KINGSTON

This change is going to affect your new purchase, with you too needing more of a down-payment. But more importantly, it is also going to affect the sale of your existing home because there will be fewer people in a position to buy because they haven't been able to save the new required down-payment.

I say to you; get your home listed for sale quickly and begin your search for your new place just as quickly :0)

TICK TOCK KINGSTON

And while you're at it, write a letter to your MP stating how this will only become a horrible downward spiral!

I can help you find that perfect place so give me a call to get you the best deal - I love to negotiate! I also use innovative selling techniques to get your home sold fast! BUYING or SELLING - I'M YOUR REPRESENTATIVE in Gananoque, Kingston and the 1000 Islands!

Susan Emo
Sales Representative,
RE/MAX Riverview Realty Ltd. Brokerage*
Gananoque, Ontario
613-382-2211

www.SusanEmoSellsHomes.com

Serving the Gananoque, Kingston, 1000 Islands Region
- come for a visit and stay for a lifetime!

*Each office independently owned and operated