Real Estate Information

by Susanne Myers

A Halloween cake is not only the perfect dessert for any Halloween party, but it can also make a great centerpiece. Here are two simple, yet impressive Halloween cakes that you can try this year.

Pumpkin Cake

You will need three boxes of white or yellow cake mix, along with the additional ingredients like oil and eggs the box calls for. Prepare the batter as directed. Pour it into two bunt pans and bake according to the package directions. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine two to three cans of vanilla frosting in a bowl. You can probably make do with two cans, but if you prefer being able to work out any unevenness, or fix fingerprints made by little hands, go with three cans.

Add enough red and yellow food coloring to the frosting to turn it bright orange. Spread some of the frosting only on the flat side one of the cooled bunt cakes. Set the other one on top of it flat side down and you have a pumpkin shape. Use the rest of the frosting mixture to frost the entire cake.

Use black icing to draw a carved pumpkin design on the cake. Some triangular shapes for the eyes and nose, as well as a large half moon shape will do the trick.

Spider Cake

Start with a boxed mix of devil’s food cake (or your favorite chocolate cake mix). Prepare the batter and bake it in two round pans according to the package instructions. Let it cool on a rack.

Scoop two cans of vanilla frosting into a large bowl and add enough green and yellow food coloring to turn it into a spooky green color. Spread a layer of frosting between the two cake rounds and put them together. Use the rest to frost the entire outside of the cake.

Use black icing to draw a spider web on the top of the cake. Start by drawing lines across the top. Imagine the top of the cake is a clock. Draw a line from 12 to six, then another from nine to three. Fill in the spaces with two more lines. Then, start working on the circles starting in the center of the cake and working your way out toward the edge.

Take a chocolate muffin, cut off the bottom and frost the top of it with chocolate frosting. Roll the frosted side in chocolate sprinkles and place it in the center of the spider web on the cake. Add four pieces of black licorice to each side as legs. Draw eyes with two white icing dots.

Now all you’ll need is a spooky costume and you will be ready for an impressive Halloween party.

Whether it’s a dream home, vacation property or retirement condo, consumers face a housing market this year in which climbing interest rates are driving up the costs of buying a home.

Shopping for—and financing—an affordable home has become an increasingly daunting process in many frenzied markets. The median national home price now hovers around $224,000, but prices in hot areas often soar well above.

To address this dilemma, mortgage lenders have introduced a new crop of “affordability” loans, and homebuyers are turning to them as a means to comfortably manage their home financing over the long run. These nontraditional loan products are designed to create a reasonable monthly payment and eliminate dreaded rate increases and “pocketbook shock” from payment resets.

In fact, according to one of the nation’s fastest-growing residential lenders, “affordability” mortgages—such as fixed-rate interest-only products, longer-term (40-year) fixed-rate mortgages and 80-20 loans—are exploding in demand. A few years ago, fixed-rate interest-only mortgages barely existed. According to a financial services firm, these loans now account for around 8 percent of all new residential mortgages taken out in the United States, and they’re growing each month.

Here are some major trends to watch:

Interest-only (IO) loans have received the most headlines in recent years, but as interest rates creep upward, many consumers, including first-time homebuyers, are shying away from short-term IO loans in favor of longer-term fixed-rate IOs to avoid upward payment adjustments.

John Palmiotto, senior vice president for Opteum, says, “Since the average American keeps a mortgage for less than 10 years, fixed-rate IO loans can often help homeowners leverage their buying power in the beginning. After 10 years, when the loan fully amortizes, the assumption is that the borrower’s income will also have grown and thus can comfortably absorb the remaining principal portion of the payment.”

While 30-year fixed mortgages have been the “blue-chip” standard, 40-year fixed-rate balloon loans are now gaining major popularity. The appeal is that these loans offer a “happy medium” payment nearly halfway between an interest-only loan and a 30-year fixed. The drawback is its long payback term of 40 years.

The best approach for buyers is to work with their loan officer to educate themselves about the variety of product offerings out there that not only manage their cash flow but that will also be the best choice for their personal financial situation.

The Chantel Ray Real Estate Team is your Hampton Roads Real Estate Resource. We can serve all of your residential real estate needs in the Hampton Roads community. Hampton Roads includes specifically Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk.

If you are a seller, I can provide you with a free Comparative Market Analysis, or CMA, that will help you determine the market value and selling price of your home. I can advertise and provide marketing to target the type of buyer for whom you are looking. I provide informative and eye-catching brochures that portray with photographs, diagrams, and descriptions the beauty of your house, town home, or condominium. My goal is to market your home to widest possible audience of potential purchasers.

If you are a buyer, I can help you find a home or investment property, be it a detached single family home or an attached property (town home or condominium). I can help you with your real estate needs including relocation, or mortgage pre-qualification. I can provide information about where to find certain types of properties, such as one or two-story homes, waterfront homes with deep water access or water views, homes with quick access to the many bodies of water in Hampton Roads, such as the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Elizabeth River, Lynnhaven Bay, Linkhorn Bay and the Intra-coastal Waterway. I can also point you to homes or properties that are near particular schools, golf courses, shopping centers, various neighborhoods, community pools, or to properties that have their own pools.

If you are looking for land or acreage, Hampton Roads has that, too, particularly in Suffolk, southern Virginia Beach (Pungo, Creeds, Back Bay), and parts of Chesapeake. For those of you who prefer a more country setting, some of these areas may fit the bill.

Regardless of your budget, I can find the right home for you, from less expensive single family homes, condominiums, town homes, or fixer-uppers, to million- and multi-million dollar homes. I specialize in finding the right property for you!

Because my team is knowledgeable and experienced in both buying and selling, we can provide extraordinary representation to you as a buyer´s agent, or listing agent. I have a large network of experienced professionals to provide you with loan pre-qualification and qualification, home repair, legal and attorney services, closing assistance, home inspection, home warranty, pest and termite control or services, home owners insurance, and general information about Hampton Roads or real estate, including the current real estate market. I can provide information about all of these, but if you need more specialized assistance, feel free to email me or call me directly at (757) 717-1003. We look forward to the opportunity to be of service!

Meet The Chantel Ray team! The Chantel Ray Team is a member of the Winner’s Circle every month.

Chantel Ray our team leader, is a mathematics graduate of Virginia Weslyan College, Chantel taught at Cox high school for several years. She has served as a children’s minister and Youth minister. The Chantel Ray Real Estate Team has sold on average 6 million dollars in real estate every month! Chantel resides in Virginia Beach with her dog Mango. You can contact Chantel Ray  at mailto:chantel@chantelray.com.

Anita Spangler is a business graduate from East Carolina University, Anita was a controller for 6 years before becoming a Realtor. She is liscensed in North Carolina and Virginia. Currently, Anita lives with her husband in North Carolina and looks forward to adding her expertise to the team. You can contact Anita Spangler (757) 777-8071 at anita@chantelray.com

The CRT also has a very dedicated adminstrative staff to help you during your buying or selling process.  We look forward to bringing you up to date information on the market and tips on buying and selling. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about real estate.

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Thinking of buying or selling a home in Hampton Roads? Visit our website to view all listings in Hampton Roads and to get a Free home evaluation.