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Middletown, CT Real Estate News

By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Happy Presidents Day 2022!!! Today is Presidents Day, and for most workers in the U.S. a day off from work.  Presidents Day was not always known as Presidents Day, in fact up until 1968 there was no Presidents Day.Presidents Day was originally known as Washington's Birthday, and established in 1885 by President Chester Arthur.  Later many states decided that Abraham Lincoln was equally a great President, and started to celebrate his birthday as well.In 1968 Congress decided that both days should be combined into one Holiday, celebrated on the third Monday of February, and call it Presidents Day.  Today few remember the two separate celebrations in honor of Washington and Lincoln, and think that it is in honor of all Presidents, and special Sales Promotions.Today will be a work day for m...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Happy Valentine's Day 2022 To All My ActiveRain Friends!!!  This is wishing all my friends here on ActiveRain a Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow.  I hope everyone takes the time today to tell everyone who is special to you how you feel about them, and spent quality time with them.Today my wife and I will have a special lunch at one of our local restaurants.  After 47 years of marriage it is no longer about what her and I do to celebrate Valentine's Day, it is about celebrating and enjoying the day together, and enjoying what is most important to us.   Happy Valentine's Day 2022!!! 
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Worthy Of Our Respect And Honor.  Martin Luther King, Jr. deserves this honor and much, much more.  Some may argue that his dream has not been fulfilled, but I would argue otherwise.  However, this is not the blog to make that argument, this blog is to honor a man who saw beyond color, and focused on equality for all.Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream not for himself but for all mankind.  A dream of equality, freedom, and justice.  Nothing Martin Luther King, Jr. did centered on himself, it all centered on others.  His life was one of service to others unconditionally.As a young boy from a different country, Martin Luther King, Jr. taught me a major life lesson, one that I learned very early in my life.  He taught me not only to dream, but to fully expect the dr...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
2022 New Year Dinner At The Souto House.  We had our New Year's Day traditional Dinner yesterday, and once again it was worth the wait.  We started this tradition over 30 years ago, and hope to continue it for many more years.  However, we did have to change things up a little bit this year, because of COVID supply interference.In the past the highlight of our dinner has been a jumbo lobster per couple, which weigh between 7 to 8 pounds (see picture to the right).  Some may think the meat from these HUGE lobsters would be tougher than the smaller lobsters, but it is just as tender.  However, this year jumbo lobsters were not available, so we had to scale down to the next biggest size available, which was a 3 pound lobster per person (see picture to the left).Along with the lobsters, whi...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
I just want to take this opportunity to say Happy New Year 2022 to all my friends here on ActiveRain.  I have been blessed to know several of you for many years, and have been blessed with new ActiveRain friends this year as well.  I am all set to kick off 2022, and leave 2021 behind.  I have completed all of my licensing requirements for the six states I am licensed in (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Florida), and all the licenses have been renewed for 2022.  After all the challenges COVID-19 has brought us over the last two years, I am looking forward to a banner year in 2022, and hope the same for everyone of you. Life is to short to waist a precious minute of it.  Be thankful for what you have, and enjoy every minute of it. I look forward to re...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Merry Christmas To All My ActiveRain Friends In 2021.  Christmas has always been a day my wife and I have spent with our two son's, but now that my oldest son moved to Seattle, WA we have had to get a little more creative in celebrating Christmas.Also in the past my youngest son has alternated between spending Christmas with us, and his wife's parents.  However, this year both parents luck out. We will all be having Christmas at his house, so both my wife and I, and the in-laws will all be together.However, my wife and I will be coming to his house before the in-laws arrive, so we can FaceTime with my oldest son, and my gorgeous granddaughter, Elizabeth.  While FaceTiming we will open the Christmas present we sent each other.  This is not the same as all of us being together, but it is ...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Happy Thanksgiving 2021!I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving today.   Do not let the day go by without taking a few minutes to truly give thanks for all you have been blessed with, and if possible take the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else.  Today should not only be a day of giving thanks in word, but in deed as well. Happy Thanksgiving From My House To Yours.
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Today is Veteran's Day 2021, A Day To Honor Our Veterans, and our Men and Women who are serving in our Armed Forces. I hope that everyone takes a moment out of there day to say thank you to either a Veteran they know, or one of the Men and Women presently serving.  It only takes a minute to do this, but the impact and meaning it has on the one you say thank you to is greater than you can imagine. Those who have served our country did so willingly and without expectation of anything in return.  They did it for the honor of serving the land of opportunity, and to secure the freedoms we enjoy. Many restaurants throughout the Country will be honoring our Veterans with free meals, and discounts.  So let us join all the organization who are honoring our Veterans today and show our appreciati...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Tomorrow is Halloween, and it was a day I always looked forward to as a kid, because of all the candy I would get to enjoy for days.  Likewise both my boys looked forward to Halloween as well, and now my oldest son gets to enjoy it with my gorgeous granddaughter.I still continue to enjoy Halloween, but now the joy comes from watching all the little goblins who come to my door.  My neighborhood has lots of kids, and we have 80 homes, and 80 condos very close to each other, so kids get to knock on a lot of doors in a very short time.  We even have parents drive their kids to our neighborhood from other houses near by.It will be a constant stream of kids at my door from about 6:00 p.m. to about 8:00 p.m.  My wife enjoys the little goblins even more than I do.  She is like a little kid hand...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ...
Comments 14
By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ...
Comments 15
By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do ...
Comments 16
By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Fall Has arrived in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started Nine years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many more years to come, and have been able to do so far. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Eight years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  six years ago I decided to change locations again to a site on Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped for, so three year ago I decided to keep it simple and do...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
September 11, 2001 is a day I will never forget!  It is a day forever imprinted on my heart and mind.   September 11, 2001 is a day each of us has a special reason why this day will forever be remembered.  September 11, 2001 is a day we will not only forever remember the vicious attack on our country, but also a day to honor those who lost there lives.  It is a day for us to reflect on the memories, and thoughts which went through our mines as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded 20 years ago. I have shared what I remember most about 9/11 before, and have made a commitment to share this memory each and every year on September 11, so today I am fulfilling that commitment once again with this blog.Below is my special memory of that day, it is an event which hit close to home, and wil...
Comments 13
By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Rocky Dickerson is hosting the "July Active Rain Challenge - Savory Stories", and asks us to write a post about our favorite July recipes.  I am not much of a cook, in fact I would be a lot lighter if I had to depend on eating my own cooking.  However, I do grill, and my wife and I grill as often as possible during the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.  Grilled food tastes so much better than any other food in my opinion, and is something even I can't mess up.  BUT even with grilling my skills are very limited, so I will post about a quick simple meal my wife and I do several times during the Summer.  It is hot dogs, but not just any hot dog, they are "Big Bites" which I get at a little Italian Market I stop at each week called Lino's.To start with I simply fire up my gas grill until it ...
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
Happy 4th of July 2021 to all my ActiveRain friends.  Tomorrow is the 4th of July and my wife and I will be spending a quiet and relaxing.  No partying, no picnicking, just relaxing.  Normally we go to RI for a cookout with family, but this year no cookout was organized.  So we are just going to put some ribs on the grill, and enjoy a day of doing nothing.Hopefully all of you will have a happy 4th of July, and get to spend quality time with your family and friends, or just sit back and relax like my wife and I are doing this year.   Whatever you do, I hope you do it in a safe way.  We want the 4th of July to be a day of celebration, and not a day of regrets.Happy 4th of July 2021!!!  
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By George Souto, Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert
(George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages)
FHA just issued Mortgagee Letter 2021-13 revising the FHA policy on student loans.  Prior to Mortgagee Letter 2021-13, FHA required the monthly payments on student loans which were not in repayment or showed a "0" monthly payment on credit reports, to be established at 1% of the outstanding balance.  This policy has had a huge negative impact on the ability of borrowers with students to qualify for a mortgage.  1% of the outstanding balance is far more than student loan monthly payments which are income based, and even larger than student loan monthly payments which are not income base.The new FHA policy for establishing the monthly payment for student loans have been revised as follows:If the payment is less than the monthly payment reported on the Borrower’s credit report, must obtain...
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