Heather Goodwin ~ Shreveport, Louisiana's REALTOR

This recipe for Turkey and Sage Pie is a great way to use leftover turkey. It came from the November/December 1987 issue of Cook's magazine. It's one of those great recipes that you can try one time, then next time make it your own by adding different veggies and spices.

Without further ado...

Turkey and Sage Pie

2 pie crusts (one for top)
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
2 TBS minced parsley
6 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cooked turkey in bite-size pieces
6 TBS butter
1 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP flour
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and black pepper to taste
3/4 tsp lemon juice

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Continue to saute until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 more minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook until it bubbles. Gradually add chicken stock, stirring so that no lumps form. Add the heavy cream. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, lower the heat, and simmer for 1 minute.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove one cup of sauce and set aside. Add the turkey and lemon juice to the remaining sauce. Filling can be made a day ahead.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put turkey filling into pie shell, top with other pie crust. Flute or crimp the edges and cut turkey track slits into top.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until pie crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Reheat the reserved sauce and serve with the pie.

Yummy!

I thought it might be useful to some of you to see just what has happened in Shreveport when it comes to the number of homes for sale, homes sold, and new listings this year. Below is a chart that shows the number of homes in each of these categories.

As you can see, we are doing somewhat better with the number of homes for sale and new listings coming on the market declining. I think that once we get past the holidays, the new president is in office, and we've gotten some of the economic jitters worked out, the number of homes sold will begin to rise.

As I've indicated before watching the trend for the housing inventory is a good way to see which way the market it headed. We all know the nation's economy is very volatile right now, and it will be awhile before everyting smooths out. The housing sector included. Fortunately for Shreveport residents, our housing industry hasn't had the huge fallout that other areas of the country have. Shreveport has seen an increase of inventory and fewer sales, but prices have not tanked as in some markets. What the August through October absorption rates for Shreveport home sales show us is that there are fewer houses being listed which is good. At the same time, fewer homes are selling as consumers take a wait-and-see attitude about making a move right now. Most people are wanting to see what affect the change in presidency will have on the housing industry. While the number of homes for sale and new listings are down or the same in every category but one, the number of homes that have sold is also down. The one price point that bucks this trend is the $250,001 to $400,000 category. There, the number of homes for sale and new inventory is up, but homes sold is down, changing the inventory from 6 months in August to 11 in September and 9 months in October. So for buyers, selection should be very good in this price range.

October 2008 Absorption Rates - Shreveport Area Residential Sales

	Homes for Sale	Homes Sold	Months of Inventory	New Listings
Total	1912	311	6	539
Under $150,000	897	174	5	292
$150,001-$250,000	604	97	6	152
$250,001-$400,000	291	32	9	67
above $400,001	121	8	15	28

Reliable MLS Data These figures come from information pulled from the MLS. The data in the MLS are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Here are the absorption rates for Shreveport, Bossier City, and surrounding towns. Remember that absorption rates show how quickly homes on the market are being sold and how many new homes are replacing those. If more homes on coming on the market and remaining unsold, the inventory is higher, and it's deemed a buyer's market. That's the situation we're in now. Take a look at October's absorption rates for Shreveport et al for more analysis.

September 2008 Absorption Rates - Residential Sales

	Homes for Sale	Homes Sold	Months of Inventory	New Listings
Total	1913	325	5 1/2	544
Under $150,000	895	197	4 1/2	281
$150,001-$250,000	624	96	6 1/2	176
$250,001-$400,000	280	25	11	68
above $400,001	114	7	16	19

Reliable MLS Data These figures come from information pulled from the MLS. The data in the MLS are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

I've been rather remiss in posting the absorption rates for the Shreveport area market. Since the trend over time is the most useful way to analyze this information, I'm going back to August to post these numbers. So, take a look at this info, then take a look at the numbers for September and October which I'll be posting immediately after this one. I'll provide my analysis in the post for the October absorption rates for Shreveport, Bossier, and the surrounding towns.

August 2008 Absorption Rates - Residential Sales

	Homes for Sale	Homes Sold	Months of Inventory	New Listings
Total	1992	373	5	571
Under $150,000	962	188	5	317
$150,001-$250,000	623	130	4 1/2	171
$250,001-$400,000	280	44	6	55
above $400,001	127	11	11 1/2	28

Reliable MLS Data These figures come from information pulled from the MLS. The data in the MLS are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.