Killer New Year's Party Ideas

 If you’re anything like us, you’re tired of the same old stuff for the New Year. Champagne, party poppers, and…champagne…and…champagne…and…er… lots of shouting. We can’t really think of any other traditions beside that, so we’re going to try ringing in the New Year an extra special way tonight. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS. Oh, sorry, we started the shouting there a bit prematurely.

1.    The Toast. For the most important part of the evening: the toast. We think it probably has to be easy and reminiscent of the champagne people are expecting when the clock strikes twelve, so here are a couple of recipes to try out.

Here’s one from famous lady Whitney Port:

(Photo Credit: Joe Scarnici/Getty(2))

Sunset Prosecco Float
Ingredients:

2 small scoops blood orange sorbet (or flavor of your choosing)
About 4 oz. prosecco
Mint sprig

Directions:

Using a melon baller, scoop the sorbet into a champagne flute.Top with prosecco, pouring slowly. Stir.
Garnish with a mint sprig.

Yield: Serves 1

And another one from The Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis; it received five stars and seems like a winner on account of its ability to be served in one huge batch so people can serve themselves throughout the evening willy-nilly:

(Photo Credit: Food Network)

Champagne Sangria:

Ingredients: 1 (750-ml) bottle Prosecco or French

Champagne, chilled

½ cup orange juice

2 cups Mint Simple Syrup

1 lemon, zested and thinly sliced

1 lime, zested and thinly sliced

½ cup sliced strawberries

5 fresh mint sprigs

Crushed ice

Directions:

In a large pitcher, combine the Prosecco, orange juice, Mint Simple Syrup, lemon zest, and lime zest. Add the sliced strawberries, lemon slices, lime slices, and mint sprigs.

Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour the sangria over the top. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 ½ cups

2.    The Grub. Have a midnight feast, because food! We think something quirky and fun like a baked potato bar or a shrimp cocktail station would be a rocking way to end 2014. Personally, there’s nothing like a surprise meal to make we (me, the author specifically) giddy with delight. Sometimes I remind myself of the lady in the pic below (from an SNL skit featuring Chris Farley).

3.    The Noise. You know what noisemaker would be better than one of those lame cone-shaped, metallic kazoos we normally blow into when the ball drops? Anything. Invite your guests to bring a crazy noisemaker of their choosing. For instance, vuvuzuelas.

(Photo Credit: Pennsylvania State University)

4.    The Game. Ask your guests to write predictions for 2015 onto a small piece of paper. Then put all of their papers into a hat, and going clockwise in a circle, have each guest draw one and try and guess whose fortune belongs to whom. When they mis-guess, it goes to the next person. If the person gets it right, they keep going until they guess wrong. Then it goes on to the next person, and so on. The person who guesses the most correctly wins a giant booby prize of your choosing. You can tally this total up by having people keep the ones they got right. This game can be outrageous or tame as you want it to be, or rather, as your guests are. So be prepared for some surprises along the way! But isn't that what the New Year has for us anyway? Great big ole surprises? That’s why we love it! That and it represents a fresh, clean slate for all of us.  

(Photo Credit: Knight Arts)

***Oh, and by the way…when y’all sleep off those killer party hangovers, and you feel like buying a house or selling one, give us a call! It’ll be time to get serious, but let’s start 2015 on a productive note, right?!!! 

Talk to you soon!***

(210) 566-6355

http://theclausteam.com/

Real Estate Market Watch 2015

          

     The housing market has gained momentum throughout 2013 and 2014 and is continuing into the New Year according to Realtor.com®'s 2014 Housing Review, which suggests the boom is, "fueled by significant improvements in economic fundamentals, low mortgage rates, and compressed inventory". 

     That upswing is credited to a rise in jobs leading to an increase of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) coupled with low rates, both of which have bolstered consumers' motivation to buy a home.

     That's wonderful news, but unfortunately the following factors still may make it a bit difficult for those first-time home-buyers to close on their loans in a timely manner, if at all. Depending on your financial situation, the process could also be a breeze. But keep these two items in mind to mentally prepare yourself for the journey of home-buying.

1. Strict Lenders: lenders are increasingly more tight-handed when it comes to granting home loans these days. But in 2015 those standards are predicted to loosen a bit, particularly in the areas of credit scores and debt ratios.

2. Competition: there are a low number of homes out there to select form.

     Let's focus on the positive, buyers. The top five factors that will continue to work in your favor here. Keep in mind these are predictions, not assurances.

1. The economy is continually improving, contributing to buyer confidence in the single-family market.

2. Mortgage rates are low (below 5%) which again help first-time home buyers to get the best deal possible.

3. Price appreciation is getting back to normal (still rising, but more slowly) after 2012 and 2013 favored home sellers, inflating the value of their homes and lightening the pockets of many home-buyers.

4. Foreclosures and and short sales are decreasing; these are known as "distress sales" and are down about 30% around the beginning of January, 2015.

5. Investors are expected to slow down since distress sales are decreasing. This will result in less competition in the single-family market. 

     All of these items are great news for home buyers. That doesn't mean home buyers won't face their share of hurdles in the home-buying process. Strict credit standards, tight lending, low inventory, fewer first-time home buyers in the single-family market, historic numbers of renters by the droves, and the painfully slow process of building new homes are all factors that might weigh down the process in the coming year. 

    Here at The Claus Team, we like to show you the light at the end of the tunnel. So when we give you hypothetically "bad" news, we'll also give you the good. The bright side of these challenges is that the overall economy won't be negatively-impacted by careless lending and credit standards as it did in the early to mid-2000's, when consumers were placed in home loans disproportionate to their incomes. When lenders were loose (just one contributor among many other large-scale financial missteps), the national economy crashed. 

     One of the keys to preventing further consumer and national debt was forcing financial institutions and individuals to raise their lending standards. The challenges are a good thing when you take that bird's-eye perspective.

   This Calculated Risk chart shows the state of the housing market in 2015 according to some of the biggest financial, home-building, and real estate institutions in the United States.

    Looking to buy or sell a home in 2015? January is often a great month to start your search for the perfect home and the perfect Realtor. Call your friendly agents at the The Claus Team and we'll advise you on everything you need to know to get a head start on your buying or selling journey. (210) 566-6355. 

   

Christmas on the Riverwalk

Just look at how beautiful and colorful Christmas is on the San Antonio River Walk! It's open today and tonight and makes for a perfect family holiday stroll or a romantic Christmas date. We'll see you there! :) And as usual, Merry Christmas from the Claus Team!

(210) 566-6355