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Flan Rum Cake…yum!

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

I’ve tried lots of flan/cake combos. Normally it’s combined with chocolate cake or a butter cake. I thought, why not combine my two favorites!

  • 9 Eggs
  • 1 box Duncan Hines butter cake
  • 1 small can dulce de leche
  • 1 stick of butter (melted) + enough to coat the bundt pan
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 2 can evaporated milk
  • 2/3 cup + 2 tbs of dark rum
  • 1 tbs vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 325. Butter a Bundt cake pan. Mix dulce de leech with 1 tbs of dark rum. Pour into buttered bundt pan. Mix cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter, 3 eggs and 2/3 cup rum. Pour cake batter into the pan. Mix condensed milk, evaporated milk, 6 eggs and vanilla. pour over cake batter. Place filled Bundt pan in a 9×13 pan filled with hot water about 2 inches up the side of the Bundt pan. Place in oven and cook until cake is golden brown and baked through. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick in the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

Remove from oven and water bath. Let cool for 15 mins. Invert onto a cake plate. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can decorate with a little extra dulce de leech. Enjoy!

Note: I’ve tried so many variations. I’ve used a butter cake that I’ve flavored with toasted coconut and coconut extract or coconut rum. If you’d prefer caramel to the dulce leche, that’s an easy substitution. Instead of pouring dulce de leche in the pan, cook 1 cup of sugar in a pan until golden brown. Pout into the pan

You can also flavor the flan. Chocolate cake with coconut flan is fantastic. The options are endless.

Super Easy Tres Leches Cake

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

 

  • 1 box butter cake
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/2 cup water (or rum if you want to spice it up)
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • one container of cool whip (or make your own whipped topping with heavy cream and sugar)
  1. Mix butter cake mix with eggs, melted butter and water (or rum). Pour into a 9×13 pan and cook until done at 350 degrees.
  2. Mix all three types of milk in a bowl
  3. Poke holes in the butter cake and pour milk mixture on top. Cover cake and refrigerate over night.
  4. Frost the cake with the whipped topping and top with cinnamon (optional)

Enjoy!

 

Note: I’ve make several variations of this cake. I’ve added rum as stated above. I’ve lined the bottom of the pan with berries, dulce de leche, coconut or chocolate before pouring the cake mixture into the pan; then baked until done. What have you tried?

Greek Style Meatballs

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker
Greek style meatballs
  • 1/2 red onion, grated
  • 1 lb ground turkey or beef
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 grated zucchini
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs 
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 6 large mint leaves, finely chopped 
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • feta cheese (to taste)
  1. Grate the onion and zucchini into a large bowl, then add remaining Meatball ingredients through black pepper. Use your hands to mix well for a few minutes until the mixture is quite smooth and very well combined.
  2. Then roll into balls.
  3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook meatballs until browned.
  4. Add diced tomatoes and cook until meatballs are cooked through.
  5. Sprinkle with feta cheese

Enjoy!

Note: I’ve served these with rice, pasta or pita bread

Lentils and Rice with Onions (Mujadarrah)

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 medium onions, sliced
  • 3 1⁄2cups water or chicken broth
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoons cumin
  • 3 garlic cloves
  1. Heat olive oil in skillet, saute the onions with 1 tsp cumin until lightly browned. Add garlic and sauté until soft
  2. Remove 1/3 of the onions and set aside for topping
  3. Continue cooking the rest of the onions until dark brown and black in places.
  4. In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a saucepan, add the lentils, reduce heat, and cover, simmering for 15 minutes or until tender. I add salt to the water.
  5. To the lentils, add the 1/3 lightly browned onions, rice, salt, and remaining.
  6. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
  7. Remove from heat and stir in the well-browned onions.
  8. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

So yummy!

I moved

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

I moved.

But, not to a new house. I moved to a new company. My own company. 🙂

I’m now an independent broker with Happy Clients Realty Group.

Not that the brand an agent/broker works at is entirely important for you. The brand that really matters is the agent/broker. It’s your real estate agent who’s ultimately responsible for providing you the best results and quality service.

As usual you can and should call me. Anytime. For any real estate need or question.

Here are some things that might come up. If you want more insight on any of these, give me a ring, or reply to this e-mail, and I’m happy to get into more detail with you.

1. You just want to go see a house that is on the market…

(Yes, even if you aren’t serious about buying it. I won’t be pushing you to buy the house. I will be protecting you from making any regrettable decisions. Unfortunately, I hear from people after they got swept up in the moment and bought a house, and they are feeling regret, or have questions about the process or their decision. At that point, I can’t chime in. Because another agent represents them.)

2. You want to know how much your home is worth.

(Yup, I know all about all of those websites that show you the value of your home. And I know how inaccurate they are. Whether you are just curious, are wondering if it makes sense to sell, or need to get a handle on your net worth…just call me. I will give you an accurate value of your home. My pleasure. Not a bother at all.)

3. You are considering a home improvement project.

(Almost any project you choose to do will certainly raise the value of your home. But, will it raise the value more than it cost you? Better to know whether or not it is money worth spending before you even start.)

4. You are thinking of refinancing.

(Being in the business, I get to know who the good lenders are, and who the not-so-good ones are. I hear way too many horror stories from people about the process being horrendous with such-and-such bank. Or that they felt duped because they were quoted one rate, and were ultimately given a higher rate. Just call me, and I’m glad to give you the names of some people I would trust handling your needs.)

5. You don’t even work in my area.

(Even if you live hundreds of miles away, I can help… before you decide to buy or sell a house. I can’t chime in once you are represented by an agent. But if you call me before, I can remain involved and add my two cents, as long as I have referred you to the agent you use. And I can really help find you a great agent in your area. It’s not always the one with all the signs and sales! Let me do some digging before you just hire anyone.)

————-

Like I said, this is not a thorough list. I just wanted to give you a sense of some things you may not have wanted to “bother” me with, that I would never consider to be bothersome.

I’m excited about starting my own company and I wanted to share! Thanks to all of you for all of the encouragement and support you have already sent my way. It is much appreciated.

I hope all is well with you!

Ali Palacios, GRI, ABR, MCNE, TAHS, ASPRE, HARRL, CSMS
Broker
Happy Clients Realty Group
ali@happyclientsrealtygroup.com
Mobile – 832-418-0670
www.ilovehappyclients.com

P.S. Please make sure to make note of my new contact info!

Common myths that stop renters from becoming buyers

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

I’m a real estate agent who specializes in helping people who are renting become homeowners. I can’t and won’t tell you that buying a house is the best choice for you. (It’s not for everyone.) But there are a few common myths or misunderstandings that stop people who should buy a house from doing so.

  1. You can’t afford to buy a house. If the reason you’re renting is because you simply think you can’t afford to buy, you can know pretty quickly and easily. All it takes is reaching out to a mortgage professional to get “pre-approved” for a mortgage. They’ll not only let you know if you can afford to buy, but also how much you can afford to spend. Maybe you can even qualify for a mortgage and find a house that only costs you as much or less than you’re already paying in rent every month!
  2. You could never save enough for a down payment. But what you may not know is there are mortgages out there that require low down payments. In fact, depending on your rent, a down payment could be equivalent to having to pay a landlord: security deposit, last month’s rent and possible pet deposits…before you can move in.
  3. The cost of upkeep and repairs are too high. True enough. You aren’t responsible for the upkeep or repairs in your rental…But you also have little or no say about what gets fixed, when it gets fixed, or the quality of the work. And you don’t have any say in making improvements
  4. You don’t want all their money to be tied up in a house. People claim they want their money to be “liquid” (available to use), or that it’s better off being invested another way, making them more money. That’s OK if the person has a lot of liquid cash tied up in a way that’s actually making them money, or they truly need the money they have to be available for some other reason. It’s really a personal decision when it comes to this.
  5. The market might crash. They’re afraid that they’ll buy a house, and then the market will decline and it won’t be worth as much as they paid for it. Sure, the market could “crash”. Or it might not “crash” (that’s pretty drastic). Real estate values go up and down. Historically, values go up. They might dip, but then they do eventually surpass where they’ve ever been before.
  6. You want the freedom to pack up and go. Good thought but most people aren’t just packing up and moving to Bali (or wherever else) making a living online (or doing whatever else). Sorry, not trying to be a buzzkill…
  7. You have poor credit. If this is your main reason for renting, you might be in luck…There are lenders who have mortgage products for people with lower credit scores. And if your credit score is too low, and you can’t qualify for a mortgage at this time, you can repair your credit and raise your score in a short period of time.
  8. It’s too soon or too late to buy a home. There’s never a perfect time to buy a house. Either they still have too many months to go on their lease, or not enough time before they have to sign another one. There are a couple of ways to deal with this: Can you break your lease with little or no penalty? If so, great, you have a lot of flexibility to buy a house or If you can’t break your lease without a hefty penalty, then you just need to plan ahead.
  9. The process is too overwhelming. Actually, buying a house can be complicated and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. The problem for most people is they try to do a lot of the process alone. Maybe it’s to avoid having to deal with real estate agents…But when you work with a real estate agent who is truly on your side the process isn’t overwhelming or complicated.
  10. I can’t get the home I desire. Unfortunately, everyone has a budget. Even people with the highest budget you can imagine go through the same thing. Everyone seems to want just a little bit more than they can afford at the moment. It’s simply human nature. To quote Jack Welch: “Deal with reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.”
  11. It’s too much of a financial commitment. It certainly is a financial commitment. But so is renting! When you sign a lease, you’re committing to pay someone a certain amount, each month, for a period of time. There are penalties for breaking a lease or for not paying.

If you already know the benefits of buying a home, and just aren’t sure where to begin, just give me a call or send me an email and I can get you pointed in the right direction.

There are a lot of ways and places to get pre-approved, but I have a few lenders that I trust and recommend. Feel free to reach out to me.

 

Ali Palacios, GRI, ABR, MCNE, TAHS, ASPRE, HARRL, CSMS
Broker
Happy Clients Realty Group
ali@happyclientsrealtygroup.com
Mobile – 832-418-0670
www.ilovehappyclients.com

Avoid These Mistakes Before Your Closing Day

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

Don’t let a small mistake ruin your chances to close on your home. Lenders are checking employment and credit up through the day of closing. You spend days going through the finance procedure and you finally received approval for a mortgage loan. It’s time to celebrate, right?

Not yet! Your lender will recheck your credit right before closing. Don’t give them a reason to deny your loan. Nothing is official until everything is signed and funded. Avoid these most common mistakes:

1. Changing jobs

Changing employers could mean delays due to employment and salary verifications or possibly cause your lender to deny your loan. If you can wait, wait. It’s not worth the risk.

2. Making a big purchase

You need new furniture, a new car, a boat etc. Your debt-to-income ratio is an important factor when being considered for a loan. If you add to your debt by making a large purchase, you risk exceeding the ratio that your lender finds acceptable.

3. Opening credit accounts

You might apply for a credit card so you’re ready to buy furniture for your new house. But similar to taking on new debt, applying for a new credit account can harm your mortgage approval. The credit inquiry necessary for the new account will ding your credit score a few points.

 

When in doubt it’s best to consult your lender before making any changes to your finance.

Lentil Soup a la Fadi’s

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

Lentil Soup a la Fadi’s

I’ve been trying to replicate Fadi’s lentil soup for a while. I’ve tried lots of recipes. This seems to be a winner. Give it a try!

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup diced or shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced or shredded celery
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup of white rice
  • 1 1/2 cups of red lentils
  • 8 cups of chicken/vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste

Saute veggies in olive oil until tender. Add everything else except lemon juice. Cook until lentils and rice in tender. I just threw everything in a slow cooker on low for 6 hours. If you cook it on the stove they can be ready in less than 1 hour. They cook super fast. Add lemon juice at the end.

Wire and mail fraud

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

Unfortunately there are scammers everywhere and there are many that involve real estate transactions. Here are a few to avoid:

Wire Fraud

Hacker will send you an email acting as your Realtor® or title company. They will provide wire instructions for your down payment and closing costs. These emails look very real.

The hacker will provide their bank information and the buyer/seller will send the funds to the hacker’s account. A Realtor® (including myself) will never send you wire information.

One of the way to avoid this is by calling the title company and confirming the banking information before you initiate a transfer. Alternatively, you can bring a cashier’s check to the closing.

Get verification of the transfer ASAP. If you suspect a scam, have the  receiving bank freeze any withdrawal attempt of the newly deposited  funds—if you’ve reached the bank in time, that is.

Mail Fraud

You will get lots of mail from different people offering to submit your homestead application or offering you copies of deed or other documents.

Scammers are contacting new home buyers with a seemingly legitimate solicitation offering to send a copy of their property deed and other information for a fee. Those documents are mailed to you free after a sale or transfer. And if you need another copy, you can order one through your county clerk’s office for a few dollars

You might get an offer for a property profile, which comes with information such as transfer histories, property lines, county tax amounts, even the number of rooms … basically everything you need to know about your house.  It’s all information that is either not needed, or already known.

Generally, if you receive a solicitation asking for more money after your closing, it isn’t legitimate. But if you aren’t sure or want more information, contact your county clerk’s office or your real estate agent.

Moving Check List

Posted on by Ali Palacios - Broker

It’s Finally Time to Move!

Below you will find a moving checklist

2 months before

  • Start sorting your belongings into “what to donate” and “what to keep” piles. Start getting rid of items you don’t plan on taking to your new home.
    • Sell/Donate to your friends
    • Hold a garage sale
    • Sell items online (Craigslist, Facebook, eBay etc.)
    • Donate to charities (get a tax receipt)
  • Avoid the last-minute pile of trash on the curb—start throwing away anything that can’t be donated, sold or gifted.
  • Make a room-by-room inventory of your home. Note and photograph any existing damage to your furniture, so you know who’s responsible for what on delivery day.
  • Research your moving options, and request on-site quotes from at least three moving companies**
  • Make a “moving” binder, which will include all your important contact info, estimates, receipt and other important documents.
  • If school districts are being switched, make sure you make the appropriate arrangements to transfer the records to the new school.

6 weeks before

  • Purchase bubble wrap, boxes, packing tape, and other necessary supplies.
  • Start using up existing stock of cleaning supplies, frozen foods, and any other items that cannot be moved, particularly on a long-distance relocation.

1 month before

  • Pack occasionally used items, number and label each box with the intended room and its contents.
  • Put important files and jewelry in a box, which you will move yourself personally.
  • Set aside a box with all the items required on moving day, such as small pieces needed for re-assembling furniture, tools, etc.
  • Request a copy of your family’s dental and health records  from your current provider(s).
  • Collect things you have loaned out and return borrowed items.

2 weeks before

  • Choose your preferred moving company and confirm the arrangements.
  • If you are changing banks, do not forget to close out safety deposits.

1 week before

  • Switch to another pharmacy and/or refill prescriptions.
  • Finish your general packing a few days before moving day.
  • Pack suitcases with clothes enough to wear for a number of days.
  • Let your credit card companies, employer, banks, insurers, and utility companies know about your move.
  • Transfer or start and stop utility service at your new and old addresses for the following:
    • Electric
    • Water
    • Gas
    • Telephone
    • Cell phone
    • Cable/Satellite and internet
    • Sewer
    • Trash collection
  • If you are using a moving company remember to discard aerosols, flammables, ammunition or bottled gas. Be sure to check with your moving company for other prohibited items
  • Make arrangements to rent a storage unit, if necessary
  • Schedule/hire a cleaning company for the week of your move.

A few days before

  • Empty and clean your refrigerator.
  • Once again, call the moving company and reconfirm the arrangements.
  • Keep cash in hand if you plan to give the movers tips.
  • If you’re switching banks, remember to clean out your safety deposit box.
  • Fill out the change of address form either at the post office or online at usps.gov.
  • Pack a bag of essentials for moving day and your first night, including a change of clothes, toiletries, napkins and towels, soap, shower curtains, important documents and electronic devices.

Moving day

  • Remove the beddings
  • Leave a forwarding address and other contact information for the new residents; after all, they could have a few questions.
  • Walk through your home one last time, before the moving truck heads out, to ensure nothing has been missed.

**It’s important to research movers and ask the right questions before you decide in a company.

Questions to Ask:

  • Insurance? – Basic insurance for most companies is 60 cents a pound. You can buy your own insurance as well.
  • Binding Quotes? – Is this quote binding? Is it a “not to exceed” quote?
  • Transfers? – Will my goods be on the same truck for the whole trip or will it be transferred to another truck at some point?
  • Extra Charges? – Does the quote include awkwardly sized objects, parking, storage, fuel, etc.?
  • What payment forms/terms do you accept? – Be leery of cash-only companies.
  • Mover or Broker? – Are you talking to the mover or to a broker working for moving companies?
  • Who’s Responsible? – If anything is damaged, who is accountable for the damage?

Many moving company tend to have bad reviews. The most common complaints include hefty price increases over original estimates, missing items, and goods held hostage until additional payment was made.

 

Here are the most common moving scams:

1. Low Estimate, Inflated Price

The most common scam is the bait-and-switch tactic. Movers will offer a low-ball estimate then on moving day you are told the load is larger than expected and they will need to increase the price. Some movers will keep your items hostage until additional funds are paid.

Ask what the quote covers. Movers can inflate the price by charging you extra for packing supplies or moving blankets.

Research the company and ask for referrals. Ask the mover to come by and review the items to be moved so there are no misunderstandings. Do not rely on over the phone quotes.

2. Lost or damaged items

During a move, valuables like jewelry and antiques might “disappear.” Its best for you to pack your valuable items in a box you can personally move.

Items also could get damaged. You can acquire insurance to cover damages or loss.

3. Hourly Estimates

When getting hourly quotes, ask in advance how many men will be present and how many hours are expected. You might get one company that will send out 4 movers and it might take 2 hours; another company might send 2 movers and it can take 7 hours.

Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

4. Large Deposit

A mover may ask for a small amount of money in advance but if they request a large deposit, be concerned. The best company will require payment once your items have been delivered.

If you have anything else to add let me know :)