As many of my readers will know, I have two main loves in life, property and cakes (of all shapes, sizes, flavours and textures). And Mrs Jackson of course, making three I suppose - better mention that before I'm relegated to the dog house with Copernicus again.
With all the doom and gloom brigade berating the state of the property market, falling house prices, rising rents and the credit crunch biting hard. What better to cheer you up than a traditional apple pie with custard.
I was sent one recently and ate it in early evening whilst sat outside, enjoying the late summer sun over the bay. It was like being in heaven !
So this week, in a slight change to my ususal blog, I've listed below the ingredients to the 'perfect' apple pie. To cheer up all the property owners and investors of Moray - Why not give it a try ?
If you can't or don't cook yourself, you're certainly missing out. I'm certainly no Marco Pierre White. (A handy hint I sometimes use with Mrs J, is to buy the ingredients myself, add the recipe and a bunch of flowers into the mix, coupled with a nice sprinkling of compliments - hair, weight, dress etc... Choose one, don't go overboard and use all three, and the pie is normally ready that evening). I'm sure this may work equally well with girlfriends, mothers, partners etc.
My thanks go to Brian Ferris from Seattle for his 'Perfect' apple pie. Best I've tasted Brian !
6 cups apple (Golden D + Granny Smith)
1/4 cup flour
3/4-1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
The key to a good apple pie is good apples. Specifically, you want something that's a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy, but most importantly, an apple that will not bake down to mush. Crisp apples like Golden D and Granny Smiths work well. Avoid Red Delicious like the plague.
Regional apples and other varieties are worth a look too.
Peel and core and cut the apples into 1/2-inch-think slices. Mix the apples and the remaining ingredients, adjusting the sugar based on the sweetness of the apples. Let apples sit and juice up for about five minutes.
You'll have previously wanted to prepare the two 9" pie crusts mentioned above. Roll out one of the crusts and place it into a pie dish. Pour the apples into the pie dish, spreading evenly. Cut a few tablespoons of butter up and place the chunks randomly over the apples. Roll out the remaining pie crust and place it over the top of the pie. Proceed to trim and crimp the edge of the crust as described above.
So that the pie doesn't explode while baking, cut a few triangular slits in the center of the pie crust. These can be as decorative as your knife skills allow, but their main purpose is to allow and outlet for hot, expanding air inside the pie as it bakes. Try not to cut the holes close to the edge, as the filling tends to bubble out.
To get nice browning of the crust, you may wish to brush the top of the crust with a little milk, or an egg mixed with milk. Keep an eye on the pie as it is baking. If it's looking too brown, you can cover it with tin foil to stop the browning.
Bake the pie at 400º for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375º and bake an additional 20-30 minutes. You can tell the pie is done because the filling will appear bubbly.
Then enjoy - things certainly begin to look better, especially after two slices. It may not help the falling property price market, or the increasing rental market, but for a short while it certainly fills my voids !
Until next time,
Yours (Already on his second slice of the day - at 11.00am),
Mr Jackson.
Friday 29 August 2008
Monday 18 August 2008
How much do YOU think it's worth ?
How much is your property worth ?
Having been a valuer for more years than I care to remember, the last few at least have been dominated by data available to us for free - Why do work procedures always get easier when you retire ?
The great chaps at Brighter Property explain simply how your house is valued, when you sell. It's not a black art or a science, it's a piece of cake (my favourite term.....).
At the risk of blowing the lid off traditional estate agency skills, how do you think they value?
You guessed it, they use the Internet. Whether you like it or not anyone with access to the internet can find out the price of a home in your road and even how much you paid for it yourselves.
Most of the big property portals have a 'back end' agents only access area, which we can all access. If you have been trying to sell your home at any point in the last say, ten years we can find out just by entering the postcode. Up will come the price you were trying, what agent you were with and how long it was on the market.
When you book a valuation with an estate agent, one of the first questions asked is 'How much do you think it's worth?' That's just to find out if your thoughts are in line with the data available to them.
When the agent arrives from 'X and Co' arrives with trusty clipboard in hand, what is he or she looking to achieve? The answer is just to sign you up to their company. They may have a look around first, probably presumptuously doing brief room sizes and pretending that the white bathroom suite alters your value whilst paying the odd compliment here and there. I tell you now, it's all for show.
They had the value ready at their morning meeting that day, simple as that. The reason for measuring the rooms is to try an assumptive close later in the meeting, something like '....Oh well I've prepared the details already, all I need to do is take some photos and we're ready to go....
Your happy with what I've said, just sign here, there's no need to have another agent round.'To prove the point though, the ace up my sleeve is this. What happens in the majority of cases when a sale has been agreed.......?
A survey/valuation.This is carried out by a surveyor who has the final say in what your property is worth and whether the bank/building society should lend that amount on it. Does he have a local office? Has he ever sold a house in your road before? Probably not. Where does the person that decides if your house sale goes through or not get his price?.....You guessed it again.... the Internet.
Cut out the wasted hours listening to preconceived sales pitches - Why not do your own homework and either sell privately, or take advantage of services offered by people like Brighter Property, or more locally, Gardiner Financial Services in Forres, who will market your home for you, including board and window advertising for £150.00.
You could end up saving enough money on your house sale to purchase a new car, or a great family holiday. Work out the savings and start planning !
And good luck, if you are planning to sell your home shortly. I'm now off to take advantage of the late Summer sunshine, by sitting on my terrace overlooking the bay, with a nice piece of carrot cake from The Bakehouse at Findhorn and a mug of Rington's. Copernicus is sat by my side and has a pigs ear to finish off.
Things may have got easier for those who work, but retirement is not all that bad !
Until next time,
Mr Jackson.
Having been a valuer for more years than I care to remember, the last few at least have been dominated by data available to us for free - Why do work procedures always get easier when you retire ?
The great chaps at Brighter Property explain simply how your house is valued, when you sell. It's not a black art or a science, it's a piece of cake (my favourite term.....).
At the risk of blowing the lid off traditional estate agency skills, how do you think they value?
You guessed it, they use the Internet. Whether you like it or not anyone with access to the internet can find out the price of a home in your road and even how much you paid for it yourselves.
Most of the big property portals have a 'back end' agents only access area, which we can all access. If you have been trying to sell your home at any point in the last say, ten years we can find out just by entering the postcode. Up will come the price you were trying, what agent you were with and how long it was on the market.
When you book a valuation with an estate agent, one of the first questions asked is 'How much do you think it's worth?' That's just to find out if your thoughts are in line with the data available to them.
When the agent arrives from 'X and Co' arrives with trusty clipboard in hand, what is he or she looking to achieve? The answer is just to sign you up to their company. They may have a look around first, probably presumptuously doing brief room sizes and pretending that the white bathroom suite alters your value whilst paying the odd compliment here and there. I tell you now, it's all for show.
They had the value ready at their morning meeting that day, simple as that. The reason for measuring the rooms is to try an assumptive close later in the meeting, something like '....Oh well I've prepared the details already, all I need to do is take some photos and we're ready to go....
Your happy with what I've said, just sign here, there's no need to have another agent round.'To prove the point though, the ace up my sleeve is this. What happens in the majority of cases when a sale has been agreed.......?
A survey/valuation.This is carried out by a surveyor who has the final say in what your property is worth and whether the bank/building society should lend that amount on it. Does he have a local office? Has he ever sold a house in your road before? Probably not. Where does the person that decides if your house sale goes through or not get his price?.....You guessed it again.... the Internet.
Cut out the wasted hours listening to preconceived sales pitches - Why not do your own homework and either sell privately, or take advantage of services offered by people like Brighter Property, or more locally, Gardiner Financial Services in Forres, who will market your home for you, including board and window advertising for £150.00.
You could end up saving enough money on your house sale to purchase a new car, or a great family holiday. Work out the savings and start planning !
And good luck, if you are planning to sell your home shortly. I'm now off to take advantage of the late Summer sunshine, by sitting on my terrace overlooking the bay, with a nice piece of carrot cake from The Bakehouse at Findhorn and a mug of Rington's. Copernicus is sat by my side and has a pigs ear to finish off.
Things may have got easier for those who work, but retirement is not all that bad !
Until next time,
Mr Jackson.
Friday 1 August 2008
Living at the bottom of the garden.
I've been sleeping in a shed recently, not because Mrs Jackson had thrown me out for eating the majority of the last Jamaican ginger cake, but through choice.
Bowen Island is a low-key, relaxing island in Howe Sound, where eagles soar overhead, deer browse at the roadsides, and ferries shuttle back and forth.
Your stay includes island-roasted Happy Isle coffee, a selection of organic teas, personal care products from Bowen’s own Naked Soapworks, a complimentary chilled bottle of local wine, orange juice and muffins delivered to your door for breakfast.
The Eco-Shed is a pleasant 10-minute walk to the village, and a vigorous 15 minute climb back uphill in the other direction.
The Eco-Shed was designed from the ground up as a showcase of green-building techniques and healthy-living practices. Its numerous green qualities include passive-solar design, extensive reclaimed and FSC-certified wood, highly efficient fixtures and windows, nontoxic materials and finishes, and excellent ventilation. The building’s spray-foam insulation system also offers excellent soundproofing.
The Eco-Shed is the subject of ALMOST GREEN (Greystone/Skyhorse), an eco-memoir written by James Glave, the building’s owner. The book will be released August (Canada) and September (USA). Should be available on Amazon in the UK .
I was fortunate enough to visit British Columbia and stayed in an Eco-Shed on Bowden Island. Seeing and living there is beleiving. I like to try and visit new and modern developments on my trips and this was a great opportunity to get away from the standard hotel room.
The Eco-Shed is a sustainably designed studio located in the residential area above Snug Cove Village on Bowen Island, B.C. The brand-new 280-square-foot freestanding building is suitable for one or two people only, and includes a queen-size bed, built-in desk and wardrobe, small fridge, Danish wood stove, and three-quarter bath with walk-in tiled shower room. The Eco-Shed is located in the front yard of the owners garden, but is fenced and private at the end of a quiet residential street.
Bowen Island is a low-key, relaxing island in Howe Sound, where eagles soar overhead, deer browse at the roadsides, and ferries shuttle back and forth.
Your stay includes island-roasted Happy Isle coffee, a selection of organic teas, personal care products from Bowen’s own Naked Soapworks, a complimentary chilled bottle of local wine, orange juice and muffins delivered to your door for breakfast.
Plush robes, slippers, binoculars, beach towels and mats are all provided. WiFi is available at no additional charge - so I can keep intouch with David at Moray Rentals ! The property offers spectacular forest, ocean, and mountain views and is close to restaurants, yoga, hiking trails, and an organic grocery store.
You can even enjoy a kayak lesson or evening paddle in nearby Deep Bay—or just sit in your courtyard, relax with a book and a mug of tea (not Rington's unfortunately), and watch the ferries glide by.
The Eco-Shed is a pleasant 10-minute walk to the village, and a vigorous 15 minute climb back uphill in the other direction.
The Eco-Shed was designed from the ground up as a showcase of green-building techniques and healthy-living practices. Its numerous green qualities include passive-solar design, extensive reclaimed and FSC-certified wood, highly efficient fixtures and windows, nontoxic materials and finishes, and excellent ventilation. The building’s spray-foam insulation system also offers excellent soundproofing.
The Eco-Shed is the subject of ALMOST GREEN (Greystone/Skyhorse), an eco-memoir written by James Glave, the building’s owner. The book will be released August (Canada) and September (USA). Should be available on Amazon in the UK .
At just 45 minutes from downtown Vancouver, including the short ferry ride, The Eco-Shed is a getaway you can really feel good about.
Looking out of my window this cold, grey, raining morning, over the somewhat rough sea in Findhorn bay, I'm not quite sure that Moray is ready for shed living just yet. But with the property market on a national slow-down, you never know !
Until next time.
Mr Jackson.
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