Steve Quaife,

Glenda Beam,

Amy Hoyer,

Jason Hanson,

Darren Plank,

Leah Stanley,

Breshae Brunette,

Pam McCormick,

To view the most recent Mortgage Barometer report, click here.

1 cup butter

1.5 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2.5 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

 

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. 

Chill minimum of one hour to overnight. 

Roll out 1/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with Christmas holiday cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. When done cookies are light brown only around the edges.

Frost with your favorite holiday colors and sprinkles.

Enjoy.

As you begin to strategize and put together your business plan for 2023, it's helpful to take a look at real estate predictions for the coming year. A variety of factors are influencing the trends we are now seeing. Most notably, as mortgage rates have surged, we are seeing a slowdown in home sales transactions and a slight tipping away from a sellers' market. What we can expect is a growing number of homes for sale, with prices still being high, challenging affordability at a time when overall budgets continue to be constrained. To learn more about current trends and upcoming predictions in the housing market, click here.

Most homes today have an abundance of appliances and electrical gadgets, all needing an outlet in order to function. That means that power strips and extension cords are essential...especially power strips which allow you to plug in multiple electrical devices in one place, tucking the cords out of sight. What many people don't realize is that power strips can only hold so much, and if you overload them, you run the risk of them overheating or even catching fire. Click here for a list of a few high-capacity appliances that should not be used with a power strip or extension cord.

Many homeowners think that wintertime is the time to stay indoors and let the landscaping fend for itself, but the reality is that winterizing your landscape is preparation for spring. A moderate investment of time and effort in the winter can pay off in big dividends in the spring when it comes to the health of your plants and trees. Click here for a look at how you should tend to the trees on your property over the winter in order to keep them healthy and ready for spring.

With mortgage rates and interest rates on the rise, many homeowners are choosing to stay in their current homes and take on renovation projects in order to modify their home to suit their needs Others may move to fixer-uppers, which typically have a lower cost threshold for entering homeownership. The age of a home will often influence which renovation projects a homeowner prioritizes. For a breakdown of the most common renovation projects by the home's age, click here.

In a post-pandemic world, the word "crisis" brings about a variety of mental images that many of us would just as soon put behind us. We often think of a crisis as a cataclysm, owing in part to our desire to live in a predictable world, but a crisis is really just a disruption in our lives. The reality is that sometimes a disruption can push us in a more positive direction. A crisis can be the necessary impetus to drive us forward in a new and better way. Click here to learn more about how you can turn a crisis into an opportunity.