Fed may raise interest rates at slower pace than predicted NEW YORK – Nov. 15, 2018 – The Federal Reserve is forecasting U.S. interest rate increases well into 2020, but the financial markets believe policymakers could rethink their tightening policy as soon as early next year. Observers point to a slowdown in economic growth from this year’s stimulus-boosted pace. TS Lombard’s Steven Blitz believes that a December rate hike will most likely occur, but he sees 2019 as more questionable. “If employment growth starts to slow towards a neutral pace early next year and the unemployment rate creeps up as a result, does the Fed keep going just because wages are accelerating? We doubt it,” he says. “The noted slowdown in business spending will only be further negatively impacted by the strong dollar and higher real rates.” TS Lombard’s prediction: The Fed will suspend its rate-hike campaign in March 2019. The Fed sees interest-rate increases as a tool to fight inflation, but the latest report for October found little evidence of inflation despite strength in the economy and wages. The consumer-price index (CPI) increased 0.3 percent in October from the prior month, the Labor Department said Wednesday; year-to-year, overall consumer prices climbed 2.5 percent in October, compared with 2.3 percent in the 12 months that ended in September. Excluding the volatile categories of food and energy, the core CPI rose 0.2 percent last month, largely in line with recent trends, and 2.1 percent from a year earlier. “These are pretty steady inflation prints,” with “nothing in here that argues inflation is going to overshoot,” says Omair Sharif, senior U.S. economist at Societe Generale. Also, there’s little to concern policy makers, so they’ll “continue to stay gradual” with interest-rate hikes, he said. Source: Forbes (11/13/18) da Costa, Pedro Nicolaci; Bloomberg (11/14/18) Chandra, Sho © Copyright 2018 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

We are frying a turkey this year as usual!! If you haven’t had fried turkey before you have got to do so this year. The set up is pretty inexpensive, $40 for the fryer and accessories, $40 for the peanut oil and $30 for a propane tank if you don’t already have one. Instructions, do’s and dont’s, seasoning ideas and more below: NEVER FRY A FROZEN TURKEY!!!  I HAVE DONE IT BEFORE AND IT’S INSANELY DANGEROUS!!  CALL OR E MAIL ME IF YOU NEED HELP Some content reprinted with permission of kingkooker.com A popular method for cooking turkeys is to fry them outdoors in specially made cooking systems, or turkey cookers. You can prepare a succulent turkey using various models of cookers, simply with oil & seasonings. These cookers can do more than turkeys, though. Included below are recipes for boiled seafood, colossal onion rings and much more. Stop by a Southern States near you to pick up small and large deep fryers for your home. Outdoor cookers are designed to save oil while providing a convenient and safe way to lower your turkey or food into the pot, and to remove it once cooking is complete. However, it is important to read all warnings and directions for your cooker before getting started. Information Regarding Cooking Oil 26 Qt Deep Fried Turkey Fryer Kit We suggest peanut oil for deep frying turkey recipes. While this is an excellent choice, any good liquid vegetable oil may be substituted. We recommend not reusing the cooking oil. Plan with a few of your friends to cook several deep fried turkeys in one day. After cooking a few turkeys, allow the oil to cool, return it to its original container, and dispose of it. Always refer to the oil manufacturer’s recommendations for the use and reuse of the specific oil which you are using. The following are general directions for the reuse of oil which have been supplied to us by an oil manufacturer. Do not store used oil inside your aluminum pot. The salt used in cooking can corrode the pot causing the pot to leak. Wash the pot after each use with hot, soapy water and rinse. Suggestions for Keeping Used Cooking Oil After deep frying your turkey, let the oil cool. While slightly warm, filter out particles before storing in original container or similar sturdy plastic or glass container. Never pour hot oil into a container. This can be accomplished by using filter paper (coffee filters) or a clean cloth (dishtowel). For best results store oil in a cool place. Can be reused within 30 days. Discard after second use or when the flavor of reheated oil becomes objectionable to taste. Helpful Hint: Try frying a batch of French fried potatoes after frying your turkey, chicken or fish. This aids in improving the flavor of the oil for the next use. IMPORTANT: Thaw the turkey. Placing a frozen turkey into hot oil will cause the oil to splatter. Hot oil splattering onto the lit burner greatly increases the risk of fire, explosion, injury and death. Use the products to deep fry food only outdoors, and only on a non-combustible surface such as brick, concrete, or dirt. NOT SUITABLE are surfaces such as wood, asphalt, or plastic which may burn, blister or melt. DO NOT use under any overhangs or roofs, and keep a minimum clearance of 10 ft. on all sides of the cooker. DO NOT leave unattended while cooker is in use or is still hot (above 100° F). COOKING WITH OIL IS NOT SIMILAR TO ANY OTHER COOKER METHOD. Cooking oil is very combustible at high temperatures, and special precautions must be taken to avoid a dangerous grease fire. If a fire occurs, use a Type B.C. dry chemical fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames. Turn off the gas at the supply cylinder. DO NOT USE WATER TO ATTEMPT TO EXTINGUISH A GREASE FIRE. IT WILL CAUSE THE FIRE TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. IF A FIRE CAN NOT BE EXTINGUISHED, CALL YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. When lowering and raising the turkey in and out of the deep fryer, always wear protective mitts and use extreme caution not to splash hot oil. Make sure the burner is off before lifting the turkey rack out of the pot. Follow all instructions for using your outdoor cooker. Check all cooker fittings for leaks before using. Never allow grease temperature to exceed 350° F. WARNING: FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS CAN RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY, AND DEATH. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT! Directions for Frying A Turkey Pour the necessary amount of peanut oil into the pot. Enough oil should be used so that the turkey is completely covered when it is lowered into the pot. (Cooking Tip: To determine the amount of oil needed, lower the turkey into the pot and cover with water. Use same amount of oil in the place of water when frying the turkey.) A 24 quart pot will hold up to a 14 lb. turkey, a 26 quart pot will hold up to a 16 lb. turkey, and a 30 quart pot will hold up to a 20 lb. turkey. Light the cooker as per the cooker’s instruction manual. Never allow temperature of oil to exceed 350° F. Always use a deep fry thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. Never leave the cooker unattended! Thaw, then towel dry the turkey completely. Remove the giblet package, neck, any wires or packaging materials, and pop up timer. Coat the turkey inside and out with seasoning, or inject with marinade if desired. Place the turkey on the frying rack with the legs up. Using mitts for protection and the lifting hook, lower the turkey into the 350° F oil very slowly. Be careful not to splash hot oil. Cook turkey at 350° F for 3 1/2 minutes per pound. When the planned cooking time has passed and it is time to check for doneness, turn the gas to the burner completely off. Make sure the burner is off before lifting the turkey to drain. Using mitts and lifting hook again, slowly lift turkey from the pot. Allow the turkey to drain. Slice at the thigh joint. If the thigh appears to be well cooked, the turkey is ready. Allow the turkey to cool before slicing.

You may hear friends and family talking about the real estate market, giving their opinion as to whether it is hot or not.  When you have questions and want facts, contact me and I would love to chat with you about what our market is truly doing. Pinellas County Housing Supply: Months of supply is the measure of how many months it would take for the current inventory of homes on the market to sell, given the current pace of home sales. For example, if there are 50 homes on the market and 10 homes selling each month, there is a 5 month supply of homes for sale. Months of supply is a good indicator of whether a particular real estate market is favoring buyers or sellers. Typically, a market that favors sellers has less than 6 months of supply, while more than 6 months of supply indicates an excess of homes for sale that favors buyers. In Pinellas County we had 75,441 listings for the month of October and 17,786 sales.  Where does this leave us?  Are we in a sellers market or a buyers market? Looking forward to your responses and please don’t hesitate to ask questions.  I would be happy to provide you with the statistics, current and relevant information for yourself and to share with your friends and family members.