Real Estate Tips and Helpful Hints

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY GARDENING TIPS Start Tomato Seeds. ... Transplant Cool-Season Plants. ... Harvest Oranges & Other Citrus. ...... Cut Flowering Branches to Bring Indoors. ... Fill Your Garden with Herbs. ... Plant Artichokes. ... Continue Pruning Roses. ... Check Irrigation in Your Vegetable Garden Gardening in January and February: This is absolutely everything you need to do. Get digging, feeding, mulching and pruning. It's time to prune deciduous shrubs and fruit trees, before the sap starts to rise and the buds break. Cut out anything that's dead, diseased or damaged.

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY GARDENING TIPS Start Tomato Seeds. ... Transplant Cool-Season Plants. ... Harvest Oranges & Other Citrus. ...... Cut Flowering Branches to Bring Indoors. ... Fill Your Garden with Herbs. ... Plant Artichokes. ... Continue Pruning Roses. ... Check Irrigation in Your Vegetable Garden Gardening in January and February: This is absolutely everything you need to do. Get digging, feeding, mulching and pruning. It's time to prune deciduous shrubs and fruit trees, before the sap starts to rise and the buds break. Cut out anything that's dead, diseased or damaged.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Mortgage Rates Rise Concerned about higher inflation, investors began the year by pushing up bond yields. Wednesday's more hawkish (in favor of tighter monetary policy) than expected Fed minutes then sparked another round of bond selling. As a result, mortgage rates ended the week at the highest levels since April of last year.... Early in the pandemic, the Fed initiated a new bond purchase program to help stimulate the economy. Given the progress of the recovery and the rise in inflation, the Fed is now in the process of winding down that program and is on track to conclude it around the end of March. With that in mind, investors have been looking for guidance on the timing for additional tightening measures including federal funds rate increases and a reduction in the massive portfolio of bonds accumulated on the Fed's balance sheet during the purchase programs. Based on the minutes from the December 15 Fed meeting released on Wednesday, investors moved forward their expectations for these other tightening measures. The first rate hike is now expected shortly after the bond purchase program ends, along with at least two more before the end of the year. In addition, all Fed officials expressed support for a reduction in the enormous balance sheet holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) "at some point" after the first rate hike. This sooner than anticipated reduction in Fed demand for MBS caused mortgage rates to rise. The closely watched Employment report released on Friday revealed mixed results. Against a consensus forecast of 420,000, the economy gained just 199,000 jobs in December. However, revisions added 141,000 jobs to the figures for prior months, offsetting most of the shortfall. The gains were broad-based across a wide range of industries, led by the leisure and hospitality sectors. The economy now has roughly 3 million fewer jobs than in February 2020 prior to the start of the pandemic. The other major components of the report were stronger than expected. The unemployment rate, which is based on a survey of individuals, declined from 4.2% to 3.9%, below the consensus forecast of 4.1%, and the lowest level since February 2020. Average hourly earnings, an indicator of wage growth, exceeded expectations and were an impressive 4.7% higher than a year ago.

Merry Christmas from our House to Yours

Make your garden bloom with these planting tips

Merry Christmas from our House to Yours

Southern California July Gardening Tips for July Some of the summer vegetables that can be planted now from seed are bush beans, pole beans, carrot, sweet corn, cucumber, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, mesclun, all melons, long-day onion, parsnip, turnip, radish, pumpkin, Swiss chard, spinach, and squash Happy Gardening!!

Hello Friends, Investors were focused on inflation this week, and the most recent data was stronger than expected. However, soothing comments on the subject from the Fed helped calm investor concerns, and mortgage rates ended the week nearly unchanged. In June, the core Consumer Price Index, a closely watched inflation indicator which excludes the volatile food and energy components, surged 0.9% from May, above the consensus forecast for an increase of just 0.5%. Particularly... large gains were seen in prices for items affected by the pandemic such as used cars and airline tickets. Core CPI was 4.5% higher than a year ago, up from an annual rate of increase of just 1.6% in March, and the highest level since 1991. During his semiannual testimony to Congress, Fed Chair Powell suggested that it was too soon to begin to tighten monetary policy and that achieving sufficient progress toward full employment was still "a ways off." He acknowledged that inflation has climbed substantially and "will likely remain elevated" in coming months, but he expects it to moderate over time as imbalances caused by the pandemic ease. Investors viewed Powell's patient attitude toward inflation as an indication that the Fed is not in a hurry to scale back its bond purchase program, which was good news for mortgage rates. Since consumer spending accounts for over two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, the retail sales data is a key indicator of growth. In June, retail sales rose 0.6% from May, which was far above the consensus forecast for a moderate decline. Sales were 18% higher than a year ago and well above the levels seen before the pandemic. The strong results were even more impressive in light of current conditions. First, a shortage of new vehicles due to a lack of chips and other components held back auto sales. In addition, consumers have been shifting their spending from goods, which are included in retail sales, to services such as travel and entertainment, which are not. Looking ahead, investors will closely watch Covid case counts around the world. They also will look for hints from Fed officials about the timing for changes in monetary policy. Beyond that, it will be a very light week for economic reports with a focus on the housing market. Housing Starts will be released on Tuesday and Existing Home Sales on Thursday. Have a beautiful and Safe Weekend

Southern California GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL 2021 This month, you can plant beans, broccoli, beets, cabbage, celery, kale, onions, collards, garlic, carrots, spinach, parsnips, chard, lettuces, peas, tomatoes, and peppers. If you are planning on adding any fruit trees to your garden, now is a good time.

Hello Family and Friends, The growth and inflation data released this week was stronger than expected nearly across the board. Despite this, however, mortgage rates ended the week a little lower. The most significant economic report this week exceeded expectations by a considerable amount. The ISM national services index jumped from 55 to 64, far above the consensus forecast of 59, and the highest level ever recorded. The service sector accounts for more than 75% of U.S. eco...nomic activity, and readings above 50 indicate that it is expanding. Last week's key Employment data revealed that companies are hiring back workers let go due to the pandemic even more quickly than anticipated, and Tuesday's JOLTS report also pointed to exceptional strength in the labor market. At the end of February, job openings jumped to 7.4 million, well above the consensus forecast, and the most since January 2019. Unfilled positions reflect increased demand for more workers, a sign of tightness in the labor market. The reduced economic activity resulting from the pandemic has caused a decline in inflation, which has been one of the factors responsible for record low mortgage rates. With the vaccine rollout moving forward and the economy reopening, investors are now worried that inflation may be heading higher, and this week's data amplified those concerns. The Producer Price Index (PPI) is a widely followed monthly inflation report that looks at the price change for raw materials and intermediate goods used to make final products. In March, PPI jumped 1.0% from February, far above the consensus forecast of 0.5%, and it was 4.2% higher than a year ago, the highest annual rate of increase since 2011. Looking ahead, investors will continue watching Covid case counts and vaccine distribution. Beyond that, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will come out on Tuesday. CPI is a widely followed monthly inflation report that looks at the price change for goods and services. Retail Sales will be released on Thursday. Since consumer spending accounts for over two-thirds of all economic activity in the US, the retail sales data is a key indicator of growth. Housing Starts will come out on Thursday and Existing Home Sales on Friday. Housing Starts will come out on Friday.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Gardening Tips Harvest Citrus... Citrus such as navel oranges, lemons, and tangerines are likely ready to start harvesting this month. Grapefruit may also be ready. When starting your harvest, pick a few from different parts of the tree to test their ripeness. If the citrus fruit is easy to remove from the tree and it tastes sweet, then it’s ready to harvest (taste is a better predictor of ripeness than color). Remember, citrus won’t ripen off the tree so make sure your fruit is fully ripe before removing it from the tree. Ripe fruit can stay on the tree for several weeks, but make sure you harvest before too long so pests don’t get to it. Then store harvested fruit, share it with friends, or make delicious confections (fresh juices, lemon bars, citrus cake, orange syrups, candied peels). Cut Back Roses, Blackberries, & Grape Vines Cutting back roses, blackberries, and grape vines will lead to healthier plants and strong spring growth. When cutting back blackberries, only cut back canes that produced fruit this past season. New canes should be left in place because they will produce fruit next season. Read this article on pruning blackberries if you want more information. When pruning roses, the pruning process depends on how old your rose plant is. Read this article on pruning English shrub roses, or simply get basic rose pruning information to get more familiar with the process. Pruning grape vines should also be done in winter; follow this step-by-step guide to grape vine pruning.

Home Sales Remain Strong It was a relatively uneventful week for mortgage markets, and rates ended a little lower, a bit above the record low levels seen late in 2020. The spectacular rebound in the housing sector from weakness during the spring due to the partial shutdown of the economy has continued. In December, Existing Home Sales unexpectedly increased from November and were 22% higher than a year ago. Looking at the full year, 2020 saw the strongest sales pace since 2...006. The median existing-home price was 13% higher than a year ago. Inventory levels, however, were down 23% from a year ago to record lows and remained the primary obstacle to even stronger sales activity. The number of homes for sale was at just a 1.9-month supply nationally, well below the 6.0-month supply which is considered a healthy balance between buyers and sellers. Encouragingly, though, Thursday's report on housing starts contained more optimistic news in this area. In December, single-family housing starts unexpectedly rose 12% from November and were 28% higher than a year ago. This was the eighth straight month of gains. Similarly, single-family building permits, a leading indicator of future construction, increased 8% from November and were 30% higher than a year ago. The European Central Bank (ECB) made no policy changes at Thursday's meeting and repeated that its massive bond purchase program will run until at least March 2022. The meeting statement said that the ECB "decided to reconfirm its very accommodative monetary policy stance." Looking ahead, investors will continue watching Covid case counts and vaccine distribution. The next Fed meeting will take place on Wednesday. Recent comments from officials have made it clear that rate hikes will not be seen any time soon, so investors mainly will be looking for guidance on the Fed's inflation outlook and its bond purchase program. Beyond that, fourth quarter GDP, the broadest measure of economic activity, will be released on Thursday. The core PCE price index, the inflation indicator favored by the Fed, will come out on Friday. STAY SAFE

DECEMBER Gardening PLANTING Tips A complete listing of vegetables that can be planted in December and through the winter includes beet, broccoli, cabbage, carr...ot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collard, endive, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onion, peas (English and snow), radish, rape, rutabaga, shallot, Swiss chard and turnip See more

NEWS UPDATE There was no shortage of economic news this week including a disappointing report on consumer spending, encouraging housing data, progress on a government stimulus deal, and a Fed meeting. These events had surprisingly little impact on mortgage markets, however, and rates remained near record low levels. Following sharp declines in March and April due to the pandemic, consumer spending posted five impressive months of gains to reach record high levels. However, ri...sing coronavirus case counts have halted its momentum during the crucial holiday shopping period. In November, retail sales fell 1.1% from October, which was far weaker than expected, and the October results were revised lower. One of the few obstacles to the amazing performance of the housing sector in recent months has been a lack of inventory in many regions. The number of homes for sale is at just a 2.5-month supply nationally, well below the 6.0-month supply which is considered a healthy balance between buyers and sellers. However, the latest report on housing starts contained encouraging news in this area. In November, single-family housing starts were 22% higher than a year ago and at the best level since 2007. Overall, Wednesday's Fed meeting caused little change in the investor outlook for future policy, and the reaction in financial markets was minor. The statement released after the meeting was very similar to the prior one, although it did add more detail on the Fed's plans for its massive asset purchase program. According to the statement, the Fed will continue to buy at least $80 billion in Treasuries and $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) each month until "substantial further progress has been made" in achieving its employment and inflation goals. Looking ahead, investors will continue watching Covid case counts, vaccine distribution, and negotiations for additional government stimulus. Beyond that, Existing Home Sales will be released on Tuesday and New Home Sales on Wednesday. The core PCE price index, the inflation indicator favored by the Fed, also will come out on Wednesday. Mortgage markets will close early on Thursday and will be closed on Friday for Christmas.

September September is a good month to start another round of carrots. This is also a good time to plant celery or to start seeds indoors for beets, beans, cauliflower, or cucumbers that you can transplant to your garden once the weather cools off a bit. Southern California planting guide