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Showing posts from December, 2011

Tax Season! The Schedule A Form & 6 Home Deduction Traps

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HouseLogic.com recently posted an interesting article on the Schedule A Form and 6 Home Deduction Traps that we wanted to share. Be sure to consult with your accountant or a tax professional to see if any of these apply to you! Schedule A is the part of Form 1040 you use to list myriad deductions, and the more moving parts, the more prone you are to misinterpretation. To save you heartache, we asked four tax experts to weigh in on the six most common Schedule A mistakes do-it-yourselfers make. Trap #1: Line 6 - real estate taxes Your monthly mortgage payment often includes money for a tax escrow, from which the lender pays your local real estate taxes. The money you send the bank may be more than what the bank pays for your taxes, says Julian Block, a tax attorney and author of Julian Block's Home Seller's Guide to Tax Savings . That will lead you to putting the wrong number on Schedule A. Example: Your monthly payment to the lender: $2,000 for mortgage + $500

Quick & Easy Dip for Holiday Entertaining at Lake of the Ozarks!

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Two (and a half) more shopping days until Christmas! If you have a crowd coming to your home at Lake of the Ozarks for the holidays, you'll love this easy and delicious hot artichoke and red pepper dip ... another Fran Campbell Team favorite! Ingredients 1/3 cup sliced green onion 2 T butter 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (drained & chopped) 1 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup mayo 1 7oz jar roasted red sweet peppers (drained & chopped) Salt & Pepper to taste 2T grated Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. In a medium skillet, melt butter and cook onions until tender but not brown. About 5 minutes. 2. Remove from heat 3. Add artichoke hearts, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, mayo, red peppers, and salt & pepper. 4. Transfer to an 8" or 9" pie plate and spread evenly. (This can be refrigerated at this point for 24 hours prior to baking) 5. Sprinkle with remaining 2T Parmesan and bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, fresh bread, cracke

157 Acres- Priced to Sell!

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Beautiful, wooded acreage priced to sell quickly. Perfect for hunters or nature lovers. Own a true Ozarks retreat with deer and wild Turkey. This is a extremely great deal for a substantial amount of land. Call the Fran Campbell Team today! $160,000 157.8 Acres MLS#3081906 The Fran Campbell Team LAKE OF THE OZARKS BEST REALTOR S www.FranCampbell.com 573-302-2390 1-866-306-FRAN Fran@FranCampbell.com

Cove Location and Beautiful Views!

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Are you looking for a cove location with beautiful views? This is the one! The interior is open, light and lovely! The lakefront home is made for family get togethers, or quiet evenings by the fire (lovely rock fireplace). There is plenty of room for everyone with spacious bedrooms all with private baths. The home has been updated with new heating system, carpet, roof, & kitchen. This home shows like a model home. The large cruiser dock is included! This is a must see! $359,000 3 bedrooms/ 3.5 bathrooms 2,224 sq. ft. MLS#3081789 The Fran Campbell Team LAKE OF THE OZARKS BEST REALTORS www.FranCampbell.com 573-302-2390 Fran@FranCampbell.com

Plaza III Steak Soup - Great for Rainy Days!

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Another favorite from the Fran Campbell team! This warm delicious soup is perfect for rainy days. In the spirit of the holidays, we're sharing some our teams' favorite recipes, so tell us how you like them! PLAZA III STEAK SOUP ½-pound ground sirloin or ground round ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped carrots 1 stick margarine or butter 1-cup flour 1 quart plus 1 cup water 1 teaspoon Accent ½-teaspoon pepper 1-tablespoon beef soup base 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 ½-teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet 1 cup mixed vegetables (if frozen, thaw) Brown and drain ground chuck set aside. Parboil onion, celery and carrots. Drain and set aside. Melt margarine in a 2-quart pan and add flour. Mix well. Add water and stir until thickened. Add Accent, pepper, beef soup base and tomatoes. Cook one minute more, stirring constantly. Add Kitchen Bouquet, mixed vegetables, ground chuck and reserved opinion, celery and carrots. Cook on medium heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. M

Hot soup for cold weather!

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Another favorite from the Fran Campbell team! Now that the weather is getting colder, we wanted to share another great recipe to help you stay warm! Let us know if you enjoy this one, and send us any of your favorites. Tomato Tortellini Soup 1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini 2 Cans (10 ¾ oz. each) Reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted 2 cups vegetable broth 2 cups 2% milk 2 cups half & half cream ½ cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. dried basil ½ tsp. salt ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired. Makes 10 servings. Can't you just envi

Baileys Irish Cream Cheese Cake

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'Tis the Season for More of the Fran Campbell Team's Favorite Recipes! Baileys Irish Cream Cheese Cake Crust Recipe 10 Whole Graham Crackers (Broken into pieces) 1 ½ cups pecans (about 5 oz. or 24 halves) ¼ cup sugar 6 Tbsps. (3/4 stick, unsalted) butter, melted Filling Recipe 1 ½ lb. Cream Cheese (Room temperature) ¾ cup sugar 3 large eggs 1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3 oz. white chocolate (broken into pieces) Topping Recipe ¼ cup powdered sugar 1 ½ cup grated white chocolate For Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter 9-inch spring form pan with 2 ¾ inch high sides. Finely grind graham crackers, pecans and sugar in food processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes. For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Whisk eggs, Baileys and vanilla in medium bowl until just blended. Beat egg mixture i

Delicious Cranberry Salad

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Enjoy more the Fran Campbell Team's favorite holiday recipes! Cranberry Salad 1 Package fresh cranberries 1 ½ cup sugar ½ cup chopped nuts 2-3 Apples ½ pint whipping cream ½ package miniature marshmallows Grind cranberries using food processor. After grinding add 1 ½ cup sugar. Let set overnight. The next day add ½ cup chopped nuts, 2-3 apples (with peelings on) chopped fine. About five hours before serving, add ½ pint whipping cream, whipped. Then add ½ package of miniature marshmallows. Mix well and serve. Tell us how you like it! Be sure to "Like"our Facebook page , "Follow"us on Twitter , and "Connect" with the Fran Campbell Team on LinkedIn . Contact Fran Campbell Team at RE/MAX Lake of the Ozarks for all your real estate needs. Fran Campbell Team Lake of the Ozarks BEST Realtor www.FranCampbell.com 573-302-2390 Fran@FranCampbell.com 1-573-302-2390 Office 1-573-302-2388 Fax 1-573-280-1110 Cell