Advice For First Time Home Buyers

At Fafard Real Estate we work closely with several Mortgage Lenders. Being in the housing market myself as a potential first time home buyer, I have concerns about being strapped down by student debt and if it will prohibit me from buying my own home. As a result, in an effort to educate myself and others, I asked for some advice on the do's and don'ts of being a first time buyer.

In regards to potential home buyers with student loan debt:

1. Always make your payments on time - This is true for every payment you have: student loans or other, credit cards, personal loans, utilities, car, etc. Making your payments on time increases your credit and you are going to need a good credit history to get an affordable mortgage loan.
2. Refinance the terms of your student loan payment options (prior to applying for a mortgage) to achieve the lowest monthly payment. This allows you to keep making your payments on time while saving money to put toward your new home. Higher payments mean that you might not always be able to pay them, it will take longer to pay them off but it will ensure you are always on time. Higher payments also could be interpreted as you having less cash flow meaning that you cannot afford more payments and therefore, you will not be granted the mortgage that you are seeking.
3. Defer the repayment period for as long as possible. This allows you to have time post-graduation to find a steady job and get your feet under you before it's time to start making payments, plus it hopefully allow you to save a little.
4. Do not establish any new debt prior to applying for a mortgage. Debt is a liability to the bank. The more debt you have, the less money you have to go around and the bank will be concerned that you will not be able to make your payments.

For more advice and tips, reach out to me at bbancroft@fafard.org! I can refer you to our network of Mortgage Lenders.

Coloring Isn't Just For Kids

"It has been found that coloring can comfort us and help us to reduce our stress." I've always enjoyed expressing myself through different forms of art but who knew it can also be good for your health. 

We all know that it can be hard to concentrate on a task when you are stressed. You find your mind wandering right back to what you are most stressed about every time you try to focus on the chore at hand. I have found that coloring for short periods of time can be a mindless distraction. Better yet, it doesn't have to be one of those cartoon characters that your kids color either. Find an adult coloring book or app that is a bit more complex with various designs and graphics. 

Take a few minutes during lunch or at night when you're watching TV. It won't work for everyone but I certainly think it is worth a shot.

 

Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Whipped Ganache Frosting

I'm going to have to try this one. I am absolutely a chocoholic but also one of the many that struggle with digestive problems. After struggling with stomach and digestive issues for years with no solution, I was ultimately diagnosed with IBS. Since then, I have wrestled with finding a balance that allows me to eat the foods I love without the excruciating side effects.

Eating gluten-free has been highly publicized for years now and although I was curious about the advantages, I wasn't sure how to incorporate gluten free foods that I would still enjoy. Recently, I finally put it to the test and what a difference it made! I have been doing non-stop research on gluten-free alternatives and will have to try this next. It's a cake made out of quinoa, who knew.

Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Whipped Ganache Frosting

*gluten free *soy free *oat free *nut free *flour-less 

Notes: 

• To cook quinoa, purchase some that says it is pre-rinsed on the packaging, or rinse under running water in a strainer before cooking. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan, add 1 cup quinoa, cover, and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Let cool before using in the cake. This recipe will yield a little more than you will need for the cake, just refrigerate the leftovers. 
• The ganache frosting is very easy but takes several hours to complete, so plan accordingly. I did the first step of the ganache 3 hours before making the cake, set it in the fridge, and then finished it after the cake cooled. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cooked, cooled quinoa (see notes) 
• 1/3 cup milk 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 3/4 cup butter (salted), melted and cooled 
• 1 1/4 cups sugar 
• 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp sea salt 
• Grated white chocolate, for garnish optional 

Whipped Ganache Frosting Ingredients: 

• 1 3/4 cup whipping cream 
• 1 cup chopped Hershey’s bars (about 3 of the regular size bars), OR milk chocolate OR semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions: 

1. Lightly grease bottoms of two 8″ round or square baking pans with oil or cooking spray. Trace bottoms of pans on parchment paper, cut out circles and place inside greased pans. 
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
3. Combine milk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender or food processor and pulse until combined. Add cooked/cooled quinoa and butter and blend until completely smooth. 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add liquid mixture from blender and stir or whisk to combine. 
5. Evenly divide batter between two pans and bake on middle rack for 20-25 minutes just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
6. Remove and cool in the pans (on racks) for 10 minutes before inverting cakes onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. 
7. Make the Whipped Ganache Frosting: 
1. Measure chocolate into a medium bowl. 
2. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat (stirring occasionally) just until it comes to a gentle simmer. Pour over chocolate and let sit for exactly 5 minutes without stirring. 
3. Whisk until smooth and glossy and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours until completely cooled. 
4. When it’s cooled completely, whip with the whisk attachment of your KitchenAid or use a handmixer to mix as you would to make whipped cream. When stiff peaks form, turn the mixer off. 
8. This is a tender cake, so gently transfer one of your cooled cakes to a serving plate. 
9. Spread half the whipped ganache 1/4″ away from the edges. 
10. Gently transfer the other cake on top and lightly press down until ganache reaches the edges. Spread remaining ganache on top all the way to the edges and sprinkle with white chocolate if you want. 

*Please be sure all ingredients you use are gluten free.

#WomenWhoWork

Great minds think alike! Ivanka Trump is writing her own book about women in the workforce. She talks of how she started her initiative a few years ago: "When I launched my website IvankaTrump.com two years ago I was really convinced that we needed to change the dialogue around women and work." This project is aiming to gain respect for and inspire the women in the workforce. Ivanka states, "If you ask me, there’s nothing more incredible than a woman who’s in charge of her own destiny—and working daily to make her dreams a reality."

Society's standards have progressed beyond belief, but there is still a stigma surrounding women in the business world and those that move up within a company. The #WomenWhoWork movement is about inspiring and empowering women to create the lives they want to live, to not be afraid to aim for the sky and achieve growth.

I wholeheartedly back this movement and what Ivanka Trump is striving to accomplish, afterall I am a woman who works!

Women Who Work: Redefining the Rules for Success is coming out in Spring 2017. 

Visit her website for more information.

YUM! Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

What could be better than chicken stuffed with ham and melted cheese?!

Chicken Cordon Bleu is elegant enough to serve for for company yet simple enough to please any palate, especially picky family members. I usually serve myself two pieces and make a big salad and dinner’s done!

Traditionally when ordered in a restaurant, this dish is fried. Baking them works just fine and no one will noticed you used reduced fat Swiss. Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 2 pieces • Points +: 8 pts • Smart Points: 6
Calories: 378 • Fat: 10 g • Protein: 55 g • Carbs: 8 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 813 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 12 thin sliced (36 oz total) skinless boneless chicken breasts, 3 oz each
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 5 oz (6 slices) thinly sliced lean deli ham, sliced in half
• 6 slices (4.4 oz) reduced fat Swiss cheese, cut in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Wash and dry the chicken cutlets; lightly pound the chicken to make thinner and lightly season with salt and black pepper.

Lay the chicken on a working surface and place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, then the cheese and roll, setting them aside seam side down.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites along with water to make an egg wash.

In another medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Dip the chicken into the egg wash, then into the breadcrumbs.

Place chicken onto the baking sheet seem side down. Spray the top of the chicken with more cooking spray and bake about 25 minutes, or until until cooked.

How To Be The Happiest Person In The Office

Intuition and idealism might just be two of the most important (if way undervalued) career skills of all—for proof, just look at Nicole Bernard Dawes, the kind of mentor we’d all like to have in our corner.

1. Schedule some breathing room into each day  

Dawes’ number-one strategy for remaining calm and creative in the midst of small business mayhem: taking periodic breaks to clear her mind, starting with a mini-meditation with her kids in the a.m. She also builds 15–20 minute chunks of “free thought” time into her daily calendar and stresses it’s important to leave your desk for this—get outside, if possible. I do this is smaller 5 minutes segments during the day when I get up from my desk.

2. Exercise your optimism muscle 

If you find it hard to love your job when everything’s falling apart, Dawes recommends shifting your perspective. “Every single day there are gonna be a million things that will go wrong, and each one of those is an opportunity to do something better,” she says. There are a lot of people that would love to have your job, try to see the best in it.

3. To stay happy on the job, invest in some good headphones and go beyond the gym membership 

“If I need to change my frame of mind, turning on music always does that for me,” says Dawes, who is a fan of iTunes’ themed playlists because “sometimes it’s fun to just be surprised and discover new music.” She says, “Working out is so important to my psyche, my health, and my business,” she says. Sweat out your stress and use it to your advantage.

4. Create your tribe 

In work, as in fitness, it’s important to surround yourself with people who are going to inspire you and help you along the way. Says Dawes: “Networking with the right people and finding the right mentors can make or break your early career decisions.” She suggests reaching out via LinkedIn to those who have what you want with an easy-to-answer question. “Instead of saying, ‘How do I begin my career?’ ask, ‘What’s one great networking organization you’ve used?’” she says. And make sure your higher-ups at the office also know where you want to go. “Your bosses can’t help you if they don’t know what you’re passionate about,” she says. “Be vocal about your own goals and don’t be afraid to speak up.” 

5. Ignore the haters 

“If you’re passionate about something, don’t let anybody tell you no,” says Dawes. “Maybe you haven’t fully formed your idea, but you’ll get there if you really believe in it.” Instead, she says, use criticism to strengthen whatever proposition it is you’re fighting for, whether it’s weekly yoga classes in the office or that wellness center you’ve always wanted to open. And whatever you do, don’t let fear run the show. “If you’re asking for people’s opinion, it’s because you’re insecure that your idea is not good enough,” she says. 

Butter In Your Coffee? Sounds Gross, Right?

Have you heard? People are putting BUTTER in their coffee as a substitution for cream and sugar. The best part? It can help you lose weight.

Turns out, when you blend it with coffee, what you get is the most pleasantly creamy drink that you can actually feel energizing your body. Here are 5 reasons to use grass-fed, unsalted butter in your coffee:

1. Only grass-fed butter has the right fats that regulate cholesterol, not add to it. Grass-fed butter has the best ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (which reduces body fat) and is a good source of vitamin K, both of which according to studies reduce the risk of heart disease.

2. It provides healthy fats for your brain and body to create cell walls (membranes) and hormones. The short-chain fatty acid Butyrate, once thought to be bad for you, has been linked to preventing neurodegenerative diseases, increased energy expenditure, and is also anti-inflammatory, further preventing heart disease.

3. Drinking it each morning puts your body in the routine to burn fat all day, helping you trim down overall. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), found in grass-fed butter, has been shown to reduce body fat mass especially in overweight individuals.

4. This coffee will give you energy as well as increase cognitive function that you can literally feel when it kicks in for about six hours- and without the crash. Mixed with more healthy fats from coconut oil, this amped up drink will help produce ketones, which are created when your body creates energy from fat rather than carbohydrates.

5. Two tablespoons of butter in your coffee is all you need to replace a breakfast meal altogether, making this a quick alternative for people on the go. Providing your body with essential fats and calories is a higher performance blend than a carbohydrate source like oatmeal.

I think I'm going to give it a try, are you?