Time for Soup

Soup season warming up
By Carolyn O'Neil | Tuesday, October 10, 2006, 07:47 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

As the weather gets cooler and the night comes sooner and the leaves start to turn, it seems to signal a change in our appetite. Menus feature heartier soups and stews, and the chilled dishes of summer go out of style like white shoes after Labor Day.

Soups are a year-round thing, of course. But falling temperatures often mean a rise in soup pots on the stove to help warm us from the inside out. Soups have long been associated with stick-to-your-ribs, good-for-what-ails-you nourishment. But if your top health concern is weight control and keeping your cholesterol in check, there are a few guidelines to follow when choosing what to ladle into your bowl.

Did you know that eating more of the right kinds of soup can help you lose weight? Dr. Barbara Rolls, a weight control researcher at Pennsylvania State University and author of “The Volumetrics Eating Plan,” found that eating soup as a first course helped study participants lose weight because they consumed fewer calories in the rest of the meal.

That doesn’t mean you can gorge on New England clam chowder made with heavy cream. The broth-based soups study participants consumed, even though they were lower in fat and calories than other food choices, helped to increase feelings of satiety. Rolls’ theory is that the more water a food contains, the fuller we feel. “If you don’t like soup, start your meal with a salad, a piece of fruit or a glass of vegetable juice,” she says.

And the lower the energy density of a food (its concentration of fat and calories), the more we can eat. Two hundred calories will buy you just 1 cup of cream of broccoli soup with cheese. The same number of calories will get you 2 1/2 cups of vegetable soup with beef broth.

Do soups make you eat less? What are some of your favorite soups?

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Home Prices stabilizing

Daily Real Estate News October 10, 2006Prices Coming Back to Earth, Economists Say Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for Global Insight, an economic and financial information company, says home prices are coming back to earth, coming down of their own weight. In a recent teleconference hosted by the National Association of Home Builders, he predicted that home prices could drop 5 percent nationally over the next year to a more regular level and that the housing solution's's spill over to the economy would be modest. That's similar to the recent outlook from Daleeryreah, chief economist for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Unlike previous housing slowdowns, which have come on the heels of broader economic weakness accompanied by job losses and rising interest rates, today's slowdown comes amid an economy that continues to chug along at a respectable pace," he said in his October 2006 column in REALTOR® Magazine. "Continuing solid spending by consumers and businesses, steady government spending, a recovering stock market, and strong corporate profits are behind the steady growth.Orderly Retreat in Home Sales The key issue is whether the correction is orderly or disorderly. What I see is orderly,says Mike Moran, chief ecodayt for Daiwa Securities America Inc. The press tries to portray this as a catastrophe and I don't think that is the case. Certainly prices are high and need to be correted, but it isn't a desperate situation.Using a historic perspective, Moran says that prices actually are in line with the rate of appreciation in that we saw in 2003, which at the time was a record year for housing. The effect of flattening prices or declines in some markets has been to squeeze out the exuberance that was in place in 2004 and 2005, he notes.The rapid adjustment in prices and modifications that builders are making in production could be signs that the correction might proceed faster than expected and things could bottom out faster than you see in the numbers, suggests Jim Glassman, managing director for JP Morgan Chase.Still, all three back NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders assessment that the correction would continue through 2007, hitting bottom in mid-year. Hardest hit will be metros in the Northeast, Florida, and California, where home prices are overvalued by an average of 30 percent to 35 percent, Behravesh says, referring to a survey of housing prices in 300 metro areas that his company and National City Bank conduct quarterly.Safety NetsFor the economy overall, Behravesh anticipates the gross domestic product growing 3.4 percent for this year and 2.2 percent next year. Still, strong global economies, record corporate profits, a healthy stock market, falling interest rates, and strong exports were described as safety nets during the period of adjustment. By Camilla McLaughlin for REALTOR® Magazine Online

Interest Rates are Climbing or are they?

As the refinance boom has come and gone the battlefields of the lenders are starting to calm down. Buyers are getting used to the thought of 6-8% interest rates. What buyers today don't realize is that not too long ago buyers were getting 14-17% interest rates for their home finance rates. Just a word about those rates is that there was a tremendous impact on affordability of homes then. Builders were forced to make anything outside of a basic home an option. To clarify the point, with interest rates where they are and the inventory of homes active on the market today the buyers are able to still find the home they want and have a payment that is affordable.

All in all for all those buyers out there sitting on the fence and waiting for something to happen, don't. Make your decisions on what is real today and by the way what is real is still very very good.

House$mart program

Colorado has consistently ranked number one in foreclosures in the nation. Last week alone we had almost 700 foreclosures in the Denver metro area. The first quarter of this year we experienced a 34% increase in foreclosures when comparing the final quarter of 2005. Your employees are being impacted by this situation. A financial hardship is ranked as one or of the most distracting events for an employee. Your employees are either participating in the foreclosure of their own property or their property is deprecating in value due to foreclosures in their neighborhood. The average foreclosure will reduce the value of the rest of the homes in the area by $10,000. Existing homeowners don’t realize they have options other than foreclosure. First time home buyers don’t realize that their county and state programs can provide them up to $25,000 in down payment assistance when buying their first home, reducing the risk of foreclosure

To combat this crisis we have teamed with the housing authorities to create an easy to administer, educational benefit that employers can host at not cost to the employer. We will bring a highly ranked realtor, a preferred county lender and a subject expert to your facility during your employees lunch hour. In return for the opportunity to present at your organization we will provide your employees with a box lunch during the presentation and the opportunity to receive a 20% cash rebate at closing when they use our real estate and/or lending services. On a $200,000 purchase and sale your employees can receive up to $2800 in cash back at closing. When an employee uses the House$mart program to purchase, sell or refinance their home we can be assured that they have been educated on the process.
Many companies in Colorado are already making a difference by participating in the House$mart program. They have found it to be the most rewarding no cost benefit they can offer their employees. Please call Cheri Kalenian at (303) 241-2888 to schedule a House$mart lunch and learn presentation at your place of business. House$mart presentation reservations are taken in the order they are received. Due to the high demand for House$mart lunch and learn seminars we are currently limited to four presentations at year at each location.

Consumers say "No" to the Housing Bubble Theory!

Most consumers are confident about real estate prices, not concerned about mortgage rate increases RISMEDIA, June 6, 2006—While talk of a housing bubble triggered by higher interest rates is a topic of discussion and much news coverage, most consumer are confident about real estate prices and don't seem concerned by some increases in mortgage rates. Three quarters of the respondents said that they had very little concern about the prospective value of their homes. Respondents to ING DIRECT's fourth annual homeowners' study foresee continued increases in home mortgage rates in the year ahead but are not overly concerned. Seventy-one percent of those polled expect rates to increase, while 21 percent think they will remain the same, according to the national study conducted by Synovate, the global research firm. On average, homeowners who have owned a home for at least three years feel that new mortgage interest rates will increase 1.6 percentage points over the next 12 months, with 50 percent expecting an increase between one and two percentage points. Sixteen percent anticipate a jump between three and four percentage points. ING DIRECT found that the majority (85 percent) of those who own a home believe that their home increased in value during the last three years. While homeowners felt their home has increased in value by approximately 6% over the past 12 months, they only expect their home's value to increase by about 4% in the next 12 months. Homeowners in New England and Pacific states are the most likely to cite increases, while those in South Central states are the most likely to say their home's value did not change. And of those who have owned a home for at least three years, 74 percent said they were not very concerned that there might be a downturn in the housing market in the next year, which would lower the value of their home. Only 9 percent of those who experienced an increase in their home's value during the past three years say that the increase has allowed them to spend more than they earn annually. On the other hand, nearly two-thirds believe a 10% decrease in home value would have no impact on day-to-day spending. Homeowners are most likely to consider their home to be an investment or a place to live when they retire. One in four think of their home as a source of extra income to draw from when cash is needed. This is reinforced by the ING DIRECT finding that only 8 percent of homeowners say they refinanced in the past three years and received cash back. "We've long viewed buying a home as the most important long-term investment a person can make and that a home is the largest savings account one will ever have," says Arkadi Kuhlmann, president and CEO of ING DIRECT. "It is encouraging that most people do not consider the equity in their residences as piggy banks to be tapped for spending on vacations or furniture." The survey also looked at the borrowing experience and reinforces the need for lenders to be transparent in the total cost of a mortgage. Respondents who report that closing costs were higher than they originally expected say the closing costs they paid on their current mortgage were almost $600 more than anticipated. "It is important for borrowers to be educated and know the total cost of their mortgage, including any fees or closing costs," Kuhlmann added. "But it's really up to the industry to improve the mortgage experience by offering simple, straightforward products." In order to make its mortgage offer more transparent, ING DIRECT's Orange Mortgage offers zero closing costs, including standard title insurance, for mortgages up to $500,000. ING DIRECT does not charge points for a better rate, nor does it charge a different rate in order to quality for zero closing costs.

TICs Can Be Shaky Deals for Investors(May 24, 2006) -- Investing in tenancy-in-common deals, or TICS, has become a popular way to avoid paying capital gains taxes. But experts say you should do your homework before putting up money.A TIC deal allows people to buy a fractional interest in properties. It also benefits sellers of greatly appreciated real estate who want to avoid paying hefty capital gains. By rolling their profits into a TIC, the deal qualifies as a 1031 tax deferred exchange.The sponsor assembling the TIC deal typically promises participants yearly payouts of around 6 percent of their capital, on par with a REIT's yield. But participants get more control over where they put their money.The riskiest thing about a TIC is its illiquidity – no established secondary market exists so selling your stake in the property can be a hassle. Also, there are big fees to get involved; TIC sponsors charge an acquisition fee, and broker-dealers collect a percentage of the amount invested. Combined state and federal capital gains taxes can be as high as 25 percent, which is a factor because taxes are merely deferred, not eliminated.Sources: Forbes, Matthew Swibel (06/05/2006)

First Lady to Visit Colorado

Laura Bush to visit Mesa Verde
By Mike SoraghanDenver Post Staff Writer
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First lady Laura Bush applauds during graduation ceremonies at Roger Williams University, on Saturday, May 20, 2006, in Bristol, R.I. She is coming to Colorado on Tuesday. (AP / Stew Milne)
Washington - First Lady Laura Bush will come to Colorado Tuesday to help Mesa Verde National Park celebrate its centennial.
The White House announced this morning that she will be delivering remarks at an event for the 100th anniversary of the park renowned for its ruins and cliff dwellings.
She is to make remarks at Long House, the park's second-largest ruin.
The official anniversary will be June 29, when according to the official anniversary web site Mesa Verde "will celebrate 100 years as the first national

Invest in Denver Real Estate

Advice to Investors: Look to Affordable "Linear" Real Estate Markets
A new statistical study classifies major U.S. MAY 22, 2006 Realty Times
A new statistical study on real estate cycles suggests that smart investors in 2006 should consider markets that were bypassed by the housing price boom of 2000-2005, and that have affordable home costs but are experiencing solid employment growth.
The study, conducted by Dr. Christopher Cagan, research and analytics director for First American Real Estate Solutions, an affiliate of giant First American Corp., classifies metropolitan housing markets into several types:
"Linear" markets, where prices over time tend to move up slowly -- a few percentage points a year -- and have slow, steady economic growth. Examples include Atlanta, Nashville, Wichita, St. Louis and Indianapolis.
"Cyclic" markets that run through boom and correction cycles of 10 to 15 year durations, where prices rise rapidly, and then cool or even retreat. Most of these are located along the coasts and have little land available for new construction. Examples include San Francisco Bay, southern California in general, Miami, Houston and New York City.
"Hybrid" markets that sometimes behave in a slow-but-steady growth "linear" pattern, but occasionally go into faster growth cyclical behavior. Cagan considers Chicago, Seattle and Dallas to be in this category.
"Catch on" markets that traditionally behaved in a slow-growth linear manner, but that more recently have "experienced a strong move in prices up or down, in a departure from their long-term character." Cagan includes Las Vegas, Phoenix and Detroit in this category.
The study used publicly-available housing price data from 1988 to 2005, and applied proprietary analytical modeling techniques to classify metropolitan areas. The study offers no specific investment advice, but in an executive summary, Cagan comments that "markets in areas where prices have not yet risen rapidly," and where "affordability and job availability are high and economic conditions are strong may offer the best opportunities for investment during 2006."
By implication, "cyclic" markets that have peaked out may offer few opportunities -- at least for the short term. Those markets are easy to spot, even from daily headlines: Most of the coastal California areas, along with Washington D.C., Florida, New York and New England are in slowdown mode at the moment. And according to Dr. Cagan's analysis, are poised for further slowdowns.
Cagan focuses on Texas metro areas -- Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio -- as "linear" markets that may well be poised for growth in real estate values. Texas is benefiting economically from high energy costs, and with its moderate house prices and generally attractive business climate, could well attract investors who see their opportunities restricted in some of the high-cost, highly-cyclical East and West coast markets.
Cagan lists "linear" markets beyond Texas and notes that they have not yet "tested their affordability limits" -- that is, home prices still have plenty of room to grow if local economies expand -- and are "not likely to be vulnerable to a downturn of magnitude."
Besides the major moderate-cost, moderate-risk areas mentioned above, Cagan also lists following among linear markets where investors might take a look this year: Denver, Davenport, DesMoines, Baton Rouge, Kansas City, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, Memphis and Milwaukee.