For those living in hotter climates where severe freezes aren't an issue, you might consider Purezza. It's a hybrid of Banksiae crossed with mini and resembles Banksiae very much. The flowers are larger, but look just like bigger versions of the original. Instead of being totally thornless, there are minor prickles on the leaf midribs. The plant is much smaller than the original, so is easier to keep "in bounds". Where it gets HOT, this begins to flower as the heat builds and continues to flower as long as it is hot. Banksiae flowers before the heat hits and finishes once the heat builds and remains. If you live in a coastal climate, Banksiae may flower much of the summer because the weather seems like spring for such a long time. Inland, where there is real heat, it flowers for a shorter period. Purezza may not recieve enough heat along the coast to flower. But, where you get long periods of heat in the nineties and higher, Purezza should flower as long as it remains HOT. I have grown it in the Santa Clarita Valley and here in the mountains south of the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles for years and it flowers spring through fall here. Kim Here is a link that might be useful: Purezza on HMF

The banks know how to manage money! Most of us don't. And TV, whose advertisers want us to spend more than we have, doesn't help. The schools, who teach very little about money management and other consumer issues, don't help much, either. It's an uphill grind to convince folks that, as no one cares about their welfare in the use of their money as they, it's to their advantage to learn how to use it effectively. I was going to say, " ... no one cares about their money ... " - but others *do* care about their money - they want to shift as much of it as possible from the pocket of the present holder into their own pocket. If the current holder gets good value, and other financial needs, present and future, are provided for, then it may be beneficial to both parties to the exchange. Just one proviso - many people have been making quite substantialy inadequate provision for funding their retirement. Filet mignon now may be nice - but if it results in being forced to eat mainly turnips in retirement - not so hot a deal. Or foregoing necessary medicine ... or food, etc. As many, especially women, now are forced to do. Have a happy, healthy, peaceful, recreating and prosperous weekend, everyone. When you're retired - every day is weekend. And I've told a lot of people over the years - if you give me 10% of your income - I'll have you retire early. Not actually " ... give me ... ", for I've been dedicated to helping people learn how to manage their own money more effectively, and helping them do it, so far as they wish. ole joyful

You really do have to evaluate based on your own needs. What do I look for? I want a small, local bank, that's been around for many, many years. One where the staff knows the customers by face and name. Preferrably a Savings and Loan, or Mutual Bank as they usually are allowed to pay higher interest than commercial banks. I don't want to have to pay for normal services--no transaction fee for cashing a check or making a deposit. I want my checking account to pay interest (and no fees there, either). I don't want to be charged if I decide to visit my safety deposit box. I want conveniences--free coin counting, for example. My bank has been in business for over 100 years. They only have 2 branches, and yet they have some of the best interest rates on savings in the area. They actually train a lot of tellers for the 'big' banks around here. They don't charge you everytime you walk in the door of the bank (my husband banks someplace else that's been taken over by one of those big multi-state bank chains--and everytime he drives by they charge him--okay, not really, but almost--LOL). I also like that my bank was willing to take a chance on 2 kids buying their first house, who had virtually no credit 34 years ago. I'd say, your best bet is to visit several banks in the area where you'll be living. See what each offers, get their rates. Check out some of the smaller banks in the area--you may be pleasantly surprised at the advantages over a big bank.

LITH, Ask the possible cash buyer out to see the place, now; if she won't bother to come at this point she's just hoping to scoop up something cheap, cheap, cheap when/if you get desperate - perhaps more desperate than you would ever get. Test her interest with the invitation. If your place meets her needs, invite an offer from her. Your buyer is in default (and I have no doubt he knows that) -in addition to being in the Caribbean, so if the cash buyer makes you an offer you can live with, then take it. Tough luck for your current buyer. He coulda, woulda, and definitely, shoulda! Everybody is right, IMO, about who should be screaming (metaphorically, maybe even literally) at the bank and it is NOT you! Your pressure is more likely to screw up the process because you have no relationship to the bank. The way that they see it, they're not going to lose a dime if they p*ss you off. The buyer, OTOH, is their customer - not that that matters all that much these days. But truly, it is your buyer who has pledged to buy the place and getting the funds together to do so is entirely his problem, not yours. In your eagerness to get the deal done, you have have overstepped the correct boundaries of the separate, and distinct, roles and made it too easy for him. I'm not saying he's not committed, but I am saying he isn't carrying HIS load. He needs to man up and act like a competent grown-up who can get a fairly straight forward home loan done. In a perverse way, your efforts have enabled him to continue to fool around on his way to this purchase - and now you're feeling the fall out. Tell the cash buyer this: it appears that your current buyer is in default and may not be able to close (she needs no other details, and hopefully she doesn't know them) so you are preparing to put the property back on the market. But given that she has shown so much interest you are, courteously, offering her a "preview" to see it before anyone else does. This is putting some tactful fairydust on the situation, but she doesn't need to know that. Just set it up as a chance for her to see it before anyone else, and not a last ditch effort on your part. Meanwhile, the old clanker down in my basement is still puffing and screeching away and mojo-ing like mad on your behalf. (And, if there is a next time, DO NOT DEAL WITH YOUR BUYERS' BANK - that's their job, and if they aren't on top of it, at every single turn, consider it a clear sign they aren't really committed to the deal. Build hard pass/fail tests at various stages of the contract so you can bail at the first sign of dilly-dallying - even on the part of their bank. It will save you time and angst.) HTH, L.