Smoked Meatloaf with 

BBQ Sauce Goodness

Meatloaf is one of those infamous recipes that can be fantastically moreish or bland as catfood. Smoking meatloaf and adding a dollop of spicy BBQ sauce puts this firmly in the can’t-stop-eating-better-put-on-my-stretchy-pants camp.

This recipe is fast to prepare and easy to cook.

This recipe was cooked with lump charcoal, on a Chargriller Kamodo Acorn. Weber kettles, Big Green Egg, etc, also work great for smoking. But not to worry, this will taste great even on gas grills that can indirect cook.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 2.5 lbs of ground beef (1/2 pork, or 1/2 venison)
• 2 cups of bread crumbs
• 1 small onion
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  

BBQ Sauce

• 3/4 cup of Grumpy’s (or any good) BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup of ketchup

Step 1 (BBQ or grill prep)

Set your BBQ up for indirect grilling. You want a low-medium cooking temperature of about 300 degrees.

Optional: Add a handful of wood chips to some water, allow 30 minutes to soak so the wood chips don’t burn. You’ll want to add the wood chips at the same time as you add the meatloaf for maximum smokey goodness.

Step 2

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together. Divide the recipe in half. Mold each half meatloaf into logs, about 7 or 8 inches long, and 4 inches wide. Mix the sauce ingredients. Set aside half the BBQ sauce for serving. Spread half the sauce mixture onto the formed loafs.

 

Step 3

Put the meat onto the grill, and close the lid for about 60 minutes. The internal temperature of the meatloaf needs to hit 160 degrees, so take the meatloaf out when the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees, and rest the meat for a good 10 minutes.

 

Step 4

Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce and mayo if you’re that way inclined–and enjoy!

Thanks Appliance Factory Parts.com for this great recipe!

Life Lessons From a Seven Month Old

7 Lessons From My 7 Month Old Son Winston Cash Kistner

We have a whole lot to learn from children. Take a child to the park, and within minutes they will have a handful of new best friends. But put an adult in an elevator with a handful of strangers and nobody speaks at all.

At only 7 months old, my boy is still too young to run around the playground making new friends, but still he provides me with some extremely valuable life lessons.  I think we can all take a little something away from these….



1. Make people feel special: my son, Cash, is such a happy and healthy baby. Most of the time when he sees anyone his face lights up and he breaks into a big gummy smile. He makes everyone feel so special, and they love him for it.

2. Be curious: Cash will try to grab anything that is near him. And he is constantly trying new things (you have never seen a baby try harder to crawl!). Without a doubt, he shows the sparks of curiosity that I believe are so important in life. So often, as adults, we lose that spark of curiousness and become too entrenched in our everyday routines.

3. Let people know if something is bothering you: when Cash is upset –no matter what the cause– he lets my wife and I know immediately! While I don’t suggest you cry and shout whenever something is wrong, it may be in your best interest to ask for help when you need it. Many times friends, family, and co-workers are more than happy to help out. 

4. Have no fear: if an adult wasn’t around to watch him, Cash would take some unbelievable risks!  He wouldn’t hesitate to leap off the sofa or launch himself out of his high chair. I am not suggesting that you become reckless and dangerous, but why let fear run your life? Try new things and push fear aside so you can grow.  

5. Get enough sleep: I certainly don’t recommend sleeping between 14 – 15 hours (the amount of sleep a 6 month old needs each day) but you should take the time to recharge your batteries properly. Get a good night’s sleep and make the important investment of a good mattress for yourself.

6. Be cute: the girls love it :) Enough said!

7. Set aside some adult time: The first year of a child's life can be extremely demanding on the parents. It is important to take time for yourself to provide much needed balance. You will be happier and better able to cope with the demands of raising a small child.

Its Prime Time to Buy a New Home

I just read a great book called "7 Reasons Why Now is a Great Time to Buy a Home!" Its filled with positive, exciting information to help buyers seize the incredible market opportunities available to them right now. For a free copy, contact me and I'll send it your way.

How to Help the Next Generation of Home Owners

Helping the Next Generation Into Home Ownership

on JULY 8, 2011

Parents raise their children to be independent thinkers and doers. To succeed. To find personal and professional happiness. To eventually begin the next generation of family. And, somewhere along the line, to buy a home of their own.

Enter reality. Credit scores. Down payment. PMI insurance. Mortgage. Each can be a challenge for the under-30 crowd. But there are many opportunities for parents to help their adult children become homeowners. Here are a few:

Credit Support
A personal loan or cash gift can help clear outstanding debts, making it easier to qualify for a loan.

Co-Signing.
Working together may secure a better loan at a lower rate.

Down Payment Gift
Providing all or part of a 20% down payment could translate into lower interest rates, lower mortgage payments and no PMI insurance.

Full Loan Amount
Gifting your child a home frees their resources for home improvements, college debt repayment and other long-term financial goals.

There’s More at Stake Than a New Home

Gifting a down payment or buying a home for your child has benefits beyond the obvious. Wealth transfer is an excellent strategy to reduce your taxable estate, preserving your hard-earned money for future generations. Current tax law allows an annual gift tax exclusion of $13,000 and a lifetime gift tax exemption of $5 million per spouse. This means parents may give a combined annual gift of $26,000 per child tax free. Or if they want to give a larger amount, they can deduct it from their lifetime gift tax exemption.*

Your assets should stay in the family. The right home can help you do that. Pardee Homes invites you to research our communities and homes, construction standards and commitment to sustainable building. We’re confident you’ll find the right investment for your family.

Please call us if you have any questions... 423-2182008

The Advantages of Buying a New Home

The Advantages of Buying a New Home

For many home buyers, the choice between a resale home and a brand new home is easy: new homes offer a whole range of advantages that are simply not available in a resale property. Here are some of the reasons that have convinced others to buy new.

You know what you get. With a new home, there are no surprises when you move in. You know how the house was built and what went into it-what you can see and what is hidden behind the walls. You also know exactly how to operate and maintain your home's systems and equipment. If you have questions later, your builder will be there to give you a helpful and accurate answer.

You get what you want. Why live with other people's taste in interior decoration? Or spend the next few years redoing the previous owners' home improvements when you can get what you want from the very start. From layout to cabinets to carpeting, new home builders offer a wide selection of standard and up-grade options. You can pick and choose what suits your own lifestyle, personality and budget.

High-quality construction. The technology of home building has improved tremendously over the past few decades and new homes are built better than ever before. They are solidly constructed and well designed for today's lifestyles. They are highly energy efficient, with excellent indoor air quality. From heating systems to roofing shingles and windows, today's building products work better, last longer and often look better. The result is a brand new home that is far more comfortable and healthier, easier to maintain and more enjoyable to live in.

You know the builder. In the end, the quality of your home depends on the quality of your builder. When you buy a new home, you also buy the company's reputation in the community, its track record with past clients and its commitment to customers. That adds up to extra confidence and reassurance for you.

Well-designed communities. New developments are designed to foster a spirit of neighbourliness by carefully balancing private and public areas. Increasingly, verandahs and porches present an open and welcoming facade towards the street, while garages are located at the side or back of homes. Walkways and bikepaths meander through developments, and playgrounds and ballparks keep youngsters safely occupied. "Neo-classical" developments are now appearing that reflect villages of bygone days, with homes close to the sidewalk, white picket fencing throughout, a "commons" area-some with a bandstand or clock tower-and village stores to serve the community. These developments are attracting a lot of interest from both builders and consumers.

Warranty. Resale homes simply do not come with a comprehensive warranty. If something goes wrong, you have do deal with it, there and then, no matter what it costs. Buying a new home, on the other hand, offers peace of mind. Professional builders stand behind their work with an after-sales service program and a guaranteed third-party warranty. Your builder will explain how this warranty works so you can be sure you are getting the coverage that you want. Ask to see a copy of the warranty document, before you sign a contract.

You know what your housing costs will be. This allows you to budget properly and with confidence-great news for first-time home buyers. With today's low interest rates and competitive housing prices, home ownership need not cost any more than what you spend on rent.

When you buy new from a professional builder, you are in control. You know what you get, and you will get what you want. You also know what itjavascript:void(0) will cost, today and in the future.

Contact New Home Specialist Eric Kistner at 423-218-2008 to answer all of your home buying questions.

KW STIMULUS PLAN

The "KW Stimulus"


The "KW Stimulus" is simply a suggestion to the "very motivated" seller to offer to pay for mortgage interest rate "buy-down" points for a potential Buyer. So, after the Seller offers closing cost assistance (maybe 2% of price) , a home warranty ($400), and the whatever else, the "KW Stimulus" reminds us all "giving never gets old", and suggests an up-front cash outlay by the Seller to cover "points".

1) Leverage, baby ! You, the "motivated seller" can honestly say you are saving the Buyers BIG BUCKS. Like possibly thousands or tens of thousands over the life of their mortgage. And you are. That 1/2 % reduction of interest on a $200,000 home is worth a monthly payment reduction of $60, but this amounts to a total interest paid savings of over $20,000 over the life of a 30 year, fixed rate mortgage.

2) And if the home is sold VA or FHA, that killer mortgage is assumable. The rate becomes a marketable asset. You are giving them something that will help them sell when it comes time to do so !

Brilliant.

Honestly, you have to hand it to the leaders at Keller Williams. They have taken existing information and gift wrapped it to help both Buyers and Sellers alike. While, of course, continuing to grow the most educated, skilled force of agents anywhere. I am truly glad to be part of that team.

In closure, a word of warning. Panic is expensive. So is impatience. Any fool can give something away. When the only option offered is "drop price", be concerned. While that may indeed be necessary to meet whatever goals YOU have set, there are always multiple options you must be both aware of and pursuing.

For instance, before slabbing $10,000 off the asking price, does your home ALWAYS look stellar from the curb? This probably costs much, much less to accomplish than $10,000.

Have you considered partnering with your agent to fund an "over the top" marketing plan for the home? Billboard advertisement ($700), color newspaper ads($250), use your home to sponsor the neighborhood yard sale / local charity event ($500) ? Postcard mailers with a color picture of your home mailed to 2000 people selected using detailed demographic information ($1,000). ***Costs are estimates. But - you get the picture.

In these difficult times, it is natural to see the glass as half empty. Natural, but wrong. Where there exists great challenges (for Sellers), there exists great opportunities (for Buyers). And in realizing that, Sellers become aware of what they need to do to reach their goals as well !

And that piece of wisdom is what best describes "KW Stimulus ". Understand what is attracting the Buyer, AUGMENT IT to differentiate yourself from everyone else - but do so in a way your contribution is leveraged to deliver maximum value.

That is what you should expect from your agent. And if your agent is with Keller Williams, I like your chances of getting just that.

The Edinburgh Move – Trade in program

The Edinburgh Move – Trade in program
By Eric Kistner

Introducing the “Edinburgh Move.” This program allows qualified homes to be “traded” for a new Maverick Home! You as the client have the luxury of not having to move twice; your new home is built while you still live in your existing home. It is now simpler than ever to buy a new home in Kingsport!

With historically low mortgage rates, this program further enhances the clients’ opportunity to purchase now and take advantage of these awesome rates, and lower building costs.

It’s simple. You work with Edinburgh Homes’ professional home designer to create your dream home. Once your new home is complete, Edinburgh Homes buys your existing home for a pre-agreed price, and you close on your dream home the same day.

Edinburgh Homes has three communities to choose from, or will work with you to find just the lot to suit your needs. An extraordinary opportunity exists in the marketplace. Low mortgage rates, low building costs and the opportunity to sell your existing home is why we created the Edinburgh Move Program.

Visit us today to determine if your home and home purchase criteria qualify for the “Edinburgh Move” trade program.

Check out our website at edinburghcommunity.com or give me a call at 423-366-0431