Charred garden tomatoes, homemade vegetable bolognese, and wavy pasta combine to make a delightfully hearty and healthy family meal—perfect for summer
Instructions:
For the Bolognese: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high
heat. Sauté the garlic, mushrooms, celery, carrots, onions, zucchini,
and yellow squash for 5–6 minutes.
Pour in red wine, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes or until
wine has partially evaporated. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, and season
with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until
vegetables are tender.
While Bolognese is cooking, preheat the broiler to high. Drizzle
cherry tomatoes with olive oil, and broil for 5 minutes or until
charred.
Spoon Bolognese over cooked pappardelle, and top with scorched tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and basil before serving.
If you are debating purchasing a home right now, you are probably
getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family have your best
interests at heart, they may not be fully aware of your needs and what
is currently happening in the real estate market.
3 Questions You Need To Ask Before Buying A Home to help determine if now is a good time for you to buy in today’s market.
1. Why am I buying a home in the first place?
This is truly the most important question to answer. Forget the
finances for a minute. Why did you even begin to consider purchasing a
home? For most, the reason has nothing to do with money.
For example, a study by realtor.com found that “73% said buying in a good school district was “important” in their search.”
This report supports a study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University which revealed that the top four reasons Americans buy a home have nothing to do with money. The actual reasons are:
A good place to raise children and provide them with a good education
A place where you and your family feel safe
More space for you and your family
Control of that space
What does owning a home mean to you? What non-financial benefits will
you and your family gain from owning a home? The answer to that
question should be the biggest reason you decide to purchase or not.
2. Where are home values headed?
According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR),
the median price of homes sold in February (the latest data available)
was $249,500. This is up 3.6% from last year. The increase also marks
the 84th consecutive month with year-over-year gains.
Looking at home prices year over year, CoreLogic is forecasting
an increase of 4.6%. In other words, a home that costs you $250,000
today will cost you an additional $11,500 if you wait until next year to
buy it.
What does that mean to you?
Simply put, with prices increasing, it may cost you more if you wait
until next year to buy. Your down payment will also need to be higher in
order to account for the higher price of the home you wish to buy.
3. Where are mortgage interest rates headed?
A buyer must be concerned about more than just prices. The ‘long-term cost’ of a home can be dramatically impacted by even a small increase in mortgage rates.
Only you and your family will know for certain if now is the right
time to purchase a home. Answering these questions will help you make
that decision.
