The Keys to Hosting a Stress-Free Holiday Gathering

Courtesy of The Scout Guide

One of the hallmarks of the season is a calendar full of soirées, and the most memorable usually occur in someone’s decked home. If you long to throw a holiday party but the stress of it all is holding you back, you’re not alone. We reached out to a few scouted party experts for their advice on how to host a casual gathering that’s low on fuss and big on quality time, which is the whole point in the first place. Go ahead and gather your people, cue the holiday music, and get busy making merry. 

Curate your guest list. There is no rule that says a holiday party has to be an over-the-top extravaganza. “Less is more in all aspects,” shares Taylor Larson, owner of Hill Event Co. in Monmouth County, New Jersey. For a casual gathering, your guest list can range from eight to 20, depending on the intimacy you’re going for. Anything bigger, and you get into large-party territory. Furthering the casual messaging, Larson recommends sending out a simple text with the date, location, and time, along with a note that their presence is all that’s needed. 

Make your space cozy. Whether sipping on a glass of wine around an outdoor firepit or enjoying company beside the hearth indoors, Larson stresses that ensuring your guests are comfortable is key for casual entertaining. Consider encouraging your guests to slip off their shoes and have a basket of blankets at the ready that invite settling and cozying up. 

Opt for a theme. Choosing a theme is a professional party planner’s trick. Not only does it give direction to your guests on what to wear, explains Anna Wynn Rogers, owner of Anna Wynn Event Designs in Huntsville, Alabama, but it streamlines your entire planning process from invitations to what food and drink to provide. There are many directions you can go, from Tacky Christmas and Favorite Holiday Movie to White Elephant and Best Holiday Dish Cook-off. The sky is truly the limit, and if you have a theme, the details come together way more effortlessly than an event that is more general. 

Keep your focus on your guests. The main objective of entertaining should always be around connection. Katie Denton, owner of Bees Nees in Virginia Beach, Virginia, makes a point to make her guests feel like the most important people in the world. “I always welcome them with grace and warmth,” she shares. “I try to greet each guest at the door with a handshake or a hug, offer to take their bags and jackets, and immediately take their drink order.” A stressed out host who is banging around in the kitchen rubs off on your guests, so she stresses that attention should always be on quality exchanges rather than fussing over decorations or highly involved food and drink prep. 

Batched cocktails for the win. Following the advice of simplified entertaining queen Ina Garten, Rachael Bruzas, co-owner/event designer at Party Little Things in Carmel, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois, advises making batched cocktails in lieu of spending the evening with a cocktail shaker in hand. “I always make sure to have one or two pre-made cocktails for my guests to enjoy,” she shares. “There are so many great festive drinks for the holidays and most taste better the longer you prep ahead, giving the ingredients time to marry together in the fridge.” She keeps things special by styling her bar with on-theme drink stirrers, patterned straws, cheeky cocktail napkins, unique glasses, and an assortment of garnishes such as skewered fruits, fresh herbs, dried citrus slices, gourmet olives, and various bitters. Guests can then enjoy an interactive DIY bar experience and dress up their cocktail to their liking. Denton makes a point of having a pitcher of water available with glasses so guests can help themselves stay hydrated while imbibing.

Consider restraint with your menu. One area where people often go overboard is with food and drink options. Larson explains that all you really need is a great bottle of red wine, a few flavorful cheeses, and crackers. Bruzas opts to purchase ready-made items rather than spending all her time on cooking up elaborate recipes. “I’ll pop into my local high-end market and bakery and seek out a few high-quality, pre-made items, saving me hours of work,” she explains. She also pays special attention to presentation; plating her store bought items on gorgeous serving pieces and adding garnishes adds a special je ne sais quoi. Denton’s entertaining go-to is baked brie covered in phyllo dough. “I serve it warm with crackers and fig spread and it’s always a crowd pleaser,” she says. 

You don’t have to go overboard on decor. Presumably, your halls will already be decked for the holidays, so in the name of simplicity, you don’t really need to do anything extra. If you do, Denton advises adding greenery to vases, either trimmed from your backyard or even a couple of snips from your Christmas tree. “I also love sourcing eucalyptus and rosemary and adding it to unexpected places around the house, focusing on areas where my guests are going to relax or dine,” she says. As a final touch, she sprinkles light-smelling or unscented candles throughout her entertaining spaces, and it’s an especially nice and refreshing touch in the bathroom.  

Music is essential. As with any gathering, your playlist selection sets the tone for your party. Rogers is always a fan of old-school holiday music, but if that doesn’t fit your gathering, there are plenty of festive playlists on the music streaming service of your choice—or make your own—that will help make your event a hit. A good rule of thumb is to start out with the classics, roll into more contemporary music, and close out with calmer selections. Rogers notes that when you’re ready for your gathering to wrap, silence is usually the social cue that “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” so use it to your advantage. 

What Every Seller Should Know About Home Prices

If you’re trying to decide whether or not to sell your house, recent headlines about home prices may be top of mind. And if those stories have you wondering what that means for your home’s value, here’s what you really need to know.

What’s Really Happening with Home Prices?

It’s possible you’ve seen news stories mentioning a drop in home values or home price depreciation, but it’s important to remember those headlines are designed to make a big impression in just a few words. But what headlines aren’t always great at is painting the full picture.

While home prices are down slightly month-over-month in some markets, it’s also true that home values are up nationally on a year-over-year basis. The graph below uses the latest data from S&P Case-Shiller to help tell the story of what’s actually happening in the housing market today:

As the graph shows, it’s true home price growth has moderated in recent months (shown in green) as buyer demand has pulled back in response to higher mortgage rates. This is what the headlines are drawing attention to today.

But what’s important to notice is the bigger, longer-term picture. While home price growth is moderating month-over-month, the percent of appreciation year-over-year is still well above the home price change we saw during more normal years in the market.

The bars for January 2019 through mid-2020 show home price appreciation around 3-4% a year was more typical (see bars for January 2019 through mid-2020). But even the latest data for this year shows prices have still climbed by roughly 10% over last year.

What Does This Mean for Your Home’s Equity?

While you may not be able to capitalize on the 20% appreciation we saw in early 2022, in most markets your home’s value, on average, is up 10% over last year – and a 10% gain is still dramatic compared to a more normal level of appreciation (3-4%).

The big takeaway? Don’t let the headlines get in the way of your plans to sell. Over the past two years alone, you’ve likely gained a substantial amount of equity in your home as home prices climbed. Even though home price moderation will vary by market moving forward, you can still use the boost your equity got to help power your move.

As Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, says: “Potential home sellers gained significant amounts of equity over the pandemic, so even as affordability-constrained buyer demand spurs price declines in some markets, potential sellers are unlikely to lose all that they have gained.”

Bottom Line

If you have questions about home prices or how much equity you have in your current home, let’s connect so you have an expert’s advice.

Perspective Matters When Selling Your House Today

Does the latest news about the housing market have you questioning your plans to sell your house? If so, perspective is key. Here are some of the ways a trusted real estate professional can explain the shift that’s happening today and why it’s still a sellers’ market even during the cooldown.

Fewer Homes for Sale than Pre-Pandemic

While the supply of homes available for sale has increased this year compared to last, we’re still nowhere near what’s considered a balanced market. A recent article from Calculated Risk helps put this year’s increased inventory into context.

It shows supply this year has surpassed 2021 levels by over 30%. But the further back you look, the more you’ll understand the big picture. Compared to 2020, we’re just barely above the level of inventory we saw then. And if you go all the way back to 2019, the last normal year in real estate, we’re roughly 40% below the housing supply we had at that time.

Why does this matter to you? When inventory is low, there is still demand for your house because there just aren’t enough homes available for sale.

Homes Are Still Selling Faster Than More Normal Years

And while homes aren’t selling as quickly as they did a few months ago, the average number of days on the market is still well below pre-pandemic norms – in large part because inventory is so low. The graph beside uses data from the Realtors’ Confidence Index by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to illustrate this trend.

As the graph shows, the pre-pandemic numbers (shown in blue) are higher than the numbers we saw during the pandemic (shown in green). That’s because the average days on the market started to decrease as homes sold at a record pace during the pandemic. Most recently, due to the cooldown in the housing market, the average days on the market have started to tick back up slightly (shown in orange) but are still far below the pre-pandemic norm.

What does this mean for you? While it may not be as fast as it was a couple of months ago, homes are still selling much faster than they did in more normal, pre-pandemic years. And if you price it right, your home could still go under contract quickly.

Buyer Demand Has Moderated and Is Now in Line with More Typical Years

Buyer demand has softened this year in response to rising mortgage rates. But again, perspective is key. Getting 3-5 offers like sellers did during the pandemic isn’t the norm. The graph beside uses data from NAR going back to 2018 to help tell the story of this shift over time.

Prior to the pandemic, it was typical for homes sold to see roughly 2-2.5 offers (shown in blue). As the market heated up during the pandemic, the average number of offers skyrocketed as record-low mortgage rates drove up demand (shown in green). But most recently, the number of offers on homes sold today (shown in orange) has started to return to pre-pandemic levels as the market cools from the frenzy.

What’s the takeaway for you? Buyer demand has moderated from the pandemic peak, but it hasn’t disappeared. The buyers are still out there, and if you price your house at current market value, you’ll still be able sell your house today.

Bottom Line

If you have questions about selling your house in today’s housing market, let’s connect. That way you have context around what’s happening now, so you’re up to date on what you can expect when you’re ready to move.