Articles

Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining

Spring has finally arrived. Today's tips include creative ideas for outdoor entertaining and a great barbecue recipe. Enjoy our beautiful Spring weather, budding trees and the early Spring flowers.

Creative Ideas For Outdoor Entertaining

As the weather gets warmer, there's nothing more fun than taking the party outdoors. Whether you're having a backyard bash or an intimate gathering on your condo balcony or rooftop, here are some tips for a simple, sophisticated summer 'do.

Be deliciously different. Think outside the burger, and try something like marinated vegetable skewers or grilled pizza. If you plan to barbecue something that falls apart easily, like fish or veggies, use a grill rack. Put a sprig or two of fresh rosemary on the coals while you're grilling. Not only will the food taste great, but your party will smell wonderful.

Serve a signature cocktail. Set up a margarita or non-alcoholic punch station. Set out rimmed glasses, slice some limes, then serve the drink in pitchers with lots of ice and let guests help themselves.

Let your guests help themselves. Spend time enjoying your guests instead of serving them. Set up an elegant outdoor buffet by covering a side table with a crisp white tablecloth. Create "bouquets" of cutlery in vases, or make a neat pile of restaurant-style "roll-ups" with paper napkins. Decorate with candles, flowers and fresh herbs.

Light up the night. String holiday lights along railings and in trees. Go with white for an elegant look, or coloured lights for a more whimsical mood. Inexpensive citronella torches add a great ambience and get rid of bugs. Set out lots of candles in open mason jars. Group them in big multilevel bunches for an intimate feel, or space them in equal increments along a fence or railing for a modern touch.

Break out the marshmallows. Pick up a portable patio campfire for unbeatable ambience at your evening soiree. The campfire looks like a stone-ringed pit, but is gas-fueled and easy to move around. Be sure to check fire codes in your area, and if you're entertaining on a balcony or a rooftop, check with your building to what the rules are.

Be on bug patrol. Use citronella lamps and candles to keep mosquitoes away, and put a bottle of insect repellent in plain sight so guests don't have to ask.

Always remember the first rule of summer entertaining: keep it simple and enjoy yourself. Plan ahead, get everything ready well ahead of time, then sit down and enjoy the sunshine or starlight - and the warm company of friends and family.

The Homeowner, Summer 2007

Carol's Kitchen
Amazing Grilled Shrimp

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached
Skewer

Mix together all ingredients except Shrimp. Reserve a small amount for basting later. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag with shrimp. Seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat grill for medium-low heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 5 minutes per side, or until opaque, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Remove from skewers and serve on a bed of pasta with sauce for a great meal.

Need more ideas on purchasing a new home, budgeting, consolidating debt, or saving money on your mortgage interest? Call me today.

Remember, my services are free. I provide the knowledge needed to make wise financial decisions.

Sincerely,

Carol Dorn, AMP
The Mortgage Mama

Don't Keep Me A Secret - I Love Referrals!

250-808-5521 Toll Free: 1-877-808-5521

#103-1553 Harvey Ave., Kelowna, BC V1Y 6G

$10,000 First Time Homebuyer Bonus

In This Issue

The difference between the BC and Federal grants

Zero Down Payment Plan

Visit Mortgage Mama at the Spring Fling Fair

Quick Links

Find Mortgage Mama on Facebook

About Mortgage Mama

Pay off your Mortgage Early

Pay Off Your Mortgage Early!

What can you do to pay off your mortgage early and spend less on interest?

Take advantage of lump sum payments
Instead of paying monthly, switch to accelerated bi-weekly or weekly payments
Consider increasing your payment
Use RRSP refunds to reduce your mortgage balance

Making a few small changes can make a significant difference in the cost of your mortgage. Save thousands of dollars in interest by making one or more of the above suggestions. Call me today for more inforation.

First-time Homebuyers Plan

Now is the time to purchase your first home. Rates are low and house prices are expected to rise soon. Use your RRSP savings for a down payment on your first home.

Don't have a RRSP yet? Take out a RRSP loan and in three months, you can use those funds for your down payment.

Your monthly mortgage payment could be less than you are paying for rent. Own your home and pay off your mortgage instead of your landlords.

If you are unsure whether or not you could obtain a mortgage, I can give you the keys to make an informed decision about your future.

Grab & Go Granola Bars

Makes 16 bars

1 cup oats, quick cooking or old fashioned

1 cup shredded wheat cereal

1 cup walnuts

1 1/2 cups dried fruit (combination of your choice of dried apricots, dried plums, dried cherries, and dried cranberries)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Place the oats, cereal, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped (the dried fruit should be the size of a dried pea or lentil).

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla. Add the oatmeal mixture and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Transfer to the baking pan and flatten down gently with the back of a spoon or spatula to spread evenly.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and the bars are done. Let bars cool completely in pan before slicing and serving.

Sincerely,

Carol Dorn, AMP
The Mortgage Mama

Don't Keep Me A Secret - I Love Referrals!

250-808-5521 Toll Free: 1-877-808-5521

#103-1553 Harvey Ave., Kelowna, BC V1Y 6G1

Credit Card Misery

Do You Suffer From Charge Card Misery?

The following is based on a $10,000 credit card debt and what the payments and end costs really are.

$10,000 at 18%, a typical card rate, when you make a minimum monthly payment of $145 and DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING MORE to the card. After 5 years you would have paid approximately $8600 in interest and $32.55 off your balance. Continuing at $145 per month you would take about 35 years to pay that card off in full. You don't want to know what interest you paid during that period!
If you did the same thing - no more charging - and paid $250 per month you would be paid off in 5 years and the interest cost would be about $5,000.
If you rolled your $10,000 credit card debt in with your mortgage at 4% and increased your existing mortgage payment by $185, the debt would be fully paid in 5 years but the interest cost would be just over $1,000 resulting in a saving of about $4000. The cost to re-mortgage would be new legal fees of about $700-800 resulting in savings of several thousand dollars. After the 5 years if you continued with the higher payment you would also end up paying your existing mortgage off long before the original amortization.

If you have more charge card debt, the savings are even greater by converting the debt to your mortgage. If you would like me to review your personal situation feel free to email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at 250-808-5521/1-877-808-5521 toll free and I would be pleased to analyze your affairs. An added benefit might be that a re-write of your mortgage to a lower rate could also be possible. This could be true even if you have no outside debt to look at. My service for this analysis is FREE!

CAROL DORN, AMP
Your Mortgage Consultant For Life
250-808-5521
Toll Free: 1-877-808-5521
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.mortgagemama.ca

Carol’s Kitchen

Creamy Chocolate Pudding

6 Tbsp Sugar
¼-1/3 Cup Cocoa
¼ Cup Cornstarch
Pinch Salt
1 Can Evaporated Milk
(370 ml)
½ Cup Water
1 Tbsp Butter
½ tsp Vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch
and salt in medium saucepan.
Add evaporated milk and water;
whisk to blend.

Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly for about 7 minutes or
until pudding thickens, DO NOT
BOIL. Remove from heat and stir in
butter and vanilla.

Once cooled, layer with Whipped
Cream and Strawberries for a
decadent Valentine’s Day dessert.

October Newsletter

With the change in weather, it is time for Fall Maintenance. You will find helpful hints on saving money on your lighting costs as well as a few reminders for home maintenance.

Bright Ideas for Lighting

A home that is warm and bright can feel a lot cozier on a winter night. But much of the energy we use to light our homes is wasted. Try these easy ways to save energy - and cut your electricity bills.

* If you still have incandescent light bulbs, change them to fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

* Motion detectors can provide convenient and safe lighting only when it's needed in your parking area, laneway, or porch.

* Consider adding motion sensing lighting on the inside of your home as well. It can be convenient on landings and in hallways, closets and bathrooms, eliminating the need to fumble for light switches in the dark, and also ensuring you're not lighting up rooms that no one is using.

* If you decorate your home with strings of lights during the holidays, consider using energy-efficient LED lights.

* Replace your wall-mounted light switches with dimmer switches for increased energy savings, longer bulb life, and more relaxing lighting. Upgrade older dimmers that are warm to the touch, since these switches don't save energy.

Fall Home Maintenance

Wrap up your air conditioner

The warm days have faded and the heating hasn't yet been switched on. This is the perfect time to prepare your air conditioning unit for the winter. You'll save money on energy bills and keep it in good shape for next year.

If you have a window unit, remove it if you can. If you can't, be sure to seal around the edges with caulk, and cover it with an airtight, insulated jacket.

If you have central air, cover the outdoor unit with a specially designed jacket to keep debris from accumulating during the inclement weather. Remember to flip the dedicated breaker switch.

Also, it is time to turn off your underground sprinklers and blow out the lines. Doing this before it gets too cold will help to save unnecessary repairs in the spring.

Mortgage ABC's

Equity: The portion of a property's value that the homeowner owns outright. This is equal to the value of the property, less the amount owed on its mortgage.

Conventional Mortgage: A mortgage loan of up to 80% of the property's lending value. These mortgages usually do not require mortgage loan insurance.

Home Equity Line of Credit: A flexible borrowing option backed by the borrower's home, giving access (at the borrower's discretion) to a predetermined percentage of the home's equity.

If you or someone you know has been declined by their bank, Mortgage Mama may be able find a solution. With over 40 lenders to choose from, there are options you may not know about.

At no cost to you, Mortgage Mama will find you the best mortgage to meet your needs.

Sincerely,

Carol Dorn, AMP
The Mortgage Mama

Don't Keep Me A Secret - I Love Referrals!

250-808-5521 Toll Free: 1-877-808-5521

#103-1553 Harvey Ave., Kelowna, BC V1Y 6G1

March Newsletter

Spring has finally arrived!! In this issue you will find some great tips for Greening your Home and Increasing Value with Good Landscaping. For those of you with a sweet tooth, I have included a great Fruit dip recipe.

Greening Your Home -

Making your home more environmentally friendly

is easier than you think.

While your heart might be in the right place, admit it: There's something intimidating about making the change to a greener lifestyle. What's a socially conscious person to do, and where should they start? With a few simple changes from room to room, you, too, can help make the world a healthier place to live.

BATHROOMS - Two simple fixes can make a world of difference: First, ditch that old, leaky showerhead for a new low-flow style; and second, fix your leaky toilet. Think you don't have a leak? Think again. A lot of toilets have clear water from the well going into the base, but, because it's clear, you can't tell. To test, put food dye in the toilet for 20 minutes. If there's no colour when you return, you're wasting thousands of gallons of water every year - not to mention what it's costing your pocketbook.

KITCHEN - The most efficient change can be the most expensive one, depending on how far you want to go. But your best bet for greening this room is to choose appliances that bear the Energy Star label. When you're deciding on a fridge and torn between two energy hogs, go for the one with the label - it will pay off in the long run.

LIVING ROOM - It all boils down to one word: paint. To ensure that you're not going to waste any - and how many of us haven't? - make sure that you measure the room and use a paint calculator to determine exactly what you need. Check the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the paint, which is what gives it its smell. The major companies are making low - VOC paints that cost more but can be tinted every colour and don't have any odour.

OFFICE - With more and more couples working from home these days, the home office has become a staple - and a black hole for greening. The best place to start? Ditch your fax machine and go paperless. Get an efax number - if you have paper that you need to file, fax it to yourself and store it digitally. Another suggestion? Opt for a more energy-efficient laptop instead of a desktop.

With Good Landscaping, Money Can Grow on Trees

With most things in life, first impressions are crucial, and the garden is the first impression of a home that a potential purchaser sees when they get out of the car. Cosmetic changes can be made for minimal dollars, yet these changes can help to generate a sale or can add dollars to the sale price.

If you've already purchased a home with a well-maintained garden, don't stop there! Planting trees not only adds value, it can also save energy. It can lead to lower monthly heating and air conditioning bills, while giving you pleasure for years to come.

Deciduous trees (i.e. trees that lose their leaves in the fall) when planted on the south and west sides of your homes will grow to be an energy-reducing feature - and therefore, it's a cost saving feature too. The shade produced by deciduous trees during hot summer months reduces the burden placed on cooling equipment such as fans, heat pumps and air conditioners.

Tall evergreens planted on the north side of your home will perform the same energy-saving function in the winter. They can block those northerly winter winds. This in turn reduces the work your furnace will have to do to maintain a reasonable level of warmth in your home.

Remember, energy - like money - doesn't grow on trees. But trees can be an energy and money saving device for your home both now and when you come to resell. Homebuyers frequently ask about a home's monthly heating and utility expenses before they make an offer to purchase.

So whether you're planning to sell your home in the near future, or not for some time, keep the money saving features of landscaping in mind, and go green!

Carol's Kitchen

Double Chocolate Dip

3 oz. White or Dark Chocolate, melted

8 oz. Cool Whip-1 sm. Container

8 oz. Softened Cream Cheese

¼ Cup Thick Chocolate Syrup

Microwave chocolate and ½ of the Cool Whip, uncovered, on High for 1 minute. Stir after each 20 second interval until melted and smooth.

Whip cream cheese with chocolate mixture, mixing until smooth. Fold in remaining whipped topping.

Place half the dip into a small serving dish; drizzle with chocolate syrup forming an even layer. Cover syrup with remaining dip. Decorate with additional syrup drizzled on top.

Serve at room temperature with fresh seasonal fruit.

For more information please contact

Carol Dorn - The Mortgage Mama

February Newsletter

Your inside advantage for Minimizing costs and Maximizing value in your home.

Minimizing Strategies:

Minimizing your personal debt

Determine if you're in the red or black

Minimizing debt means getting to know yourself better, financially. The first thing you want to do is find your net worth. Knowing your net worth is a valuable tool for monitoring your financial progress from year to year, and ensures you're headed in the right direction. Calculating net worth is simple:

1) In one column list your assets including home equity, cars, valuables, bank accounts and retirement savings.

2) In another column list all of your liabilities including mortgage, car loans, credit card and all other debt.

3) Next, total the two columns and subtract your liabilities from your assets.

You now know your net worth. Regardless of the amount, or even it it's a negative number, you have a starting point. This process can be a powerful motivator for reducing debt - a personal budget is a great way to help you achieve your goals.

Know where your money goes

Surprisingly, many people never develop a budget. A budget is an essential part of managing your finances.

To see how important it is, take the first step. Carry a journal and pen with you at all times for one month to record your expenses. Methodically track everything, no cheating.

Seeing your expenses laid out before you provides you with a thorough understanding of how your cash flows in and out of your pocket. You'll also discover some bad habits you didn't know you had - and get on the road to changing them for the better.

Maximizing Strategies

Maximizing the benefits of credit

Credit Cards Used Wisely

A credit card can by your ally when it's managed correctly. It can help build a positive credit score, get you out of a pinch, and even earn you rewards. On the other hand, poorly managed credit can be detrimental to your credit score, and cost you more than you imagined. Keep these tips in mind:

Limit your number of cards. It is easier to keep track of expenses, and reduces the chance of a missed payment.

Transfer credit card debt. It's a good idea to always pay your credit cards in full each month. If you are carrying a balance, a personal line of credit offers a much better rate.

Don't spend what you don't have. Use the convenience of a credit card only knowing the money is in the bank.

Be diligent with payments. Never pay the minimum only. Your original purchase could end up costing you twice as much.

Paying the minimum payment on a $1,800 balance can take 31 years to pay off!

Avoid missed or late payments. You could incur additional fees and a black mark on your credit rating.

SMART CREDIT MANAGEMENT

ENSURES YOUR CASH REMAINS YOUR OWN.

Understand your credit score

You know from first hand experience that your credit score plays an important role when purchasing a home. But for many, its contents are not entirely understood.

Canada's two major credit-reporting agencies, Equifax and TransUnion, gather a financial history about you that includes information about your credit and bank accounts, public records that reveal bankruptcies or credit-related court judgments, and any debt that went to a collection agency. It may also include a personal statement from you regarding information in your history.

This information is used to generate a score between 300 and 900 which lenders then use to determine whether or not to extend credit to you. The higher your score, the lower your risk.

You should request a credit report from both credit agencies at least once a year to ensure your information is correct. Visit Equifax.ca and TransUnion.ca to learn more.

Today's Recipe:

Creamy Chocolate Pudding

6 Tbsp Sugar

¼-1/3 Cup Cocoa

¼ Cup Cornstarch

Pinch Salt

1 Can Evaporated Milk (370 ml)

½ Cup Water

1 Tbsp Butter

½ tsp Vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan.

Add evaporated milk and water; whisk to blend.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 7 minutes or until pudding thickens, DO NOT BOIL.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Need more ideas on budgeting, consolidating debt, or saving money on your mortgage interest? Call me today.

Remember, my services are free. I provide the knowledge needed to make wise financial decisions.

Sincerely,

Carol Dorn, AMP
The Mortgage Mama

Don't Keep Me A Secret - I Love Referrals!

250-808-5521 Toll Free: 1-877-808-5521

#103-1553 Harvey Ave., Kelowna, BC V1Y 6G1

Regulatory Changes to Mortgages are coming soon!

Articles | Kelowna Mortgages

In This Issue

Amortization Changes

Refinancing Changes

Line of Credit Changes

Quick Links

Find Mortgage Mama on Facebook

About Mortgage Mama

Mortgage Rates

Term	Posted Rate	Best Rate
1 yr	3.30%	2.80%
2 yr	3.29%	3.00%
3 yr	3.95%	3.19%
4 yr	4.39%	3.25%
5 yr	5.44%	3.24%
7 yr	6.35%	3.99%
10 yr	6.75%	3.89%
Adjustable	3.00%	3.10%