Ann FitzGibbons | San Antonio Lifestyle

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2015

Each office is independently owned and operated.

FITZ

Introducing the FitzGibbons and Associates Team

S A N

A N T O N I O

Introducing the FitzGibbons and Associates Team

Ready, Set, Holiday!

CREATING THE PERFECT TABLE

Pat Edwards

Ann FitzGibbons

Kelly Pedersen

B U Y E R S A G E N T | R E A LT O R ®

B R O K E R A S S O C I AT E | R E A LT O R ®

T R A N S A C T I O N C O O R D I N AT O R | R E A LT O R ®

FitzGibbonsandAssociates.com Ann FitzGibbons Broker Associate FitzGibbons and Associates Keller Williams Portfolio Ann@FitzGibbonsandAssociates.com 210.723.3093 Direct

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

With Ann’s local real estate knowledge and Keller William’s international presence, now is the time to sell your current property or find your dream home.

Upscale Real Estate Marketing | 877.660.096 | UpscleRealEstateMarketing.com

Real Estate Update Limited Supply Continues to Fuel Growth

Morton’s Delightful Double Chocolate Mousse

introducing The FitzGibbons and Associates Team®

Ann FitzGibbons | 210.723.3093 Ann@FitzGibbonsandAssociates.com

In Good Taste

DINNER IS

Nothing says the holidays more than a beautiful dining table set for a feast lovingly prepared for family and friends. Whether you’re throwing your first family fete or just looking for some new ways to spice up your table setting this season, it’s easy to find plenty of inspiration in the modern world. No more tearing pages from magazines at the doctor’s office. After all, a wealth of (free!) ideas is just a click away online.

Mortons.com | 210.228.0700

Double Chocolate Mousse INGREDIENTS 1½ c heavy cream 6 oz semisweet dark chocolate,

in small pieces 4½ tsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 c pasteurized egg whites 1/8 tsp cream of tartar 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 c sugar Whipped cream, for serving

First place to go for drool-worthy tips and tricks?

Pinterest will keep you entertained for hours (and hours!). Just type in “holiday table settings” and you’ll find a plethora of ideas, from tutorials on where to put all the plates, glasses, and silverware, to homespun projects for table runners, centerpieces, candles, chargers, and place markers. You’ll be inspired to decorate places you may have otherwise left unadorned … the chandelier, the sideboard, the chairs, even the walls. These pinners love to craft and decorate! Overwhelmed with ideas? Narrow your search by adding in what specific holiday you’re celebrating or the theme or color you are working with (for example, add key words such as “red,” “simple,” “Hanukkah,” “elegant,” or “winter wonderland”). For help with those tricky cloth napkins, just type the words “folding napkins” and you’ll be greeted with numerous elegant and fun suggestions (we warned you,

PREPARATION In a saucepan, bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the chocolate and cocoa in a heat-proof glass bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Let the mixture stand for about 1 minute and then whisk until blended. Be sure to break up any clumps of the cocoa. Set aside at room temperature for about 45 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep the mixture smooth. The chocolate needs to cool to 80°F. In a chilled, dry bowl beat the egg whites on high speed for 10 to 20 seconds or until they begin to foam.

Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat for about 1 minute longer or until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the sugar over the whites and continue to beat for 1 to 2 minutes longer or until the peaks are stiff but not dry.

Fold the whites into the cooled chocolate (make sure it’s no warmer than 80°F before adding the whites).

Pour the remaining heavy cream into the bowl of the mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve the mousse spooned on dessert plates or in bowls. Top each serving with a little whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Served

Event Calendar NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2015 A Charlie Brown Christmas

there are lots of options!). Pin the pics you want to use at your own table and you’ll have all the elements you desire in one easy-to-reference spot. Now that’s convenient (and way less expensive than buying all those food and home magazines).

The Magik Theatre | November 20-Junauary 3 MagicTheatre.org | 210.227.2751 It became an instant classic when it premiered on television in 1965, and the animated television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has only grown in popularity in the last fifty years. Now see it come to life on the Magik stage as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the “Peanuts” gang come to understand the real meaning of Christmas.

Houzz, a popular home design website, is another good table setting resource. Here you’ll find photos from interior designers with links to products you can add to your table settings. Instagram also offers up pics posted by users of their past and present table settings for your viewing.

And don’t forget those rightin-the-mailbox resources: Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table, and many other popular catalogs, which offer up beautiful ideas for the taking. Whether you shop for a whole new look or mix and match using items you’ve owned for years, you’re sure to find a new way of presenting your table you never thought of before. Now all you need is the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Hmm …

Maybe your sister-in-law can bring those? Oh, and don’t forget the kids’ table.

Holidays In Bloom San Antonio Botanical Garden November 27-December 31 SABot.org | 210.207.3250 Enjoy your chance to step away from the holiday whirlwind of traffic and malls and enjoy the season’s nature. Guests will find many a spot to capture a memory at the Garden, with picturesque backgrounds for family photographs.

Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard France Passport Dinner Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard | December 11 SandyOaks.com | 210.621.0044 Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard’s Passport Adventure Series is a bi-monthly dinner series that focuses on areas of the world that produce olive oil and table olives. Each dinner features an authentic menu featuring olives and oil from the country being highlighted as well as pairing the cuisine with wine from the region.

Real Estate Market Update Over the past year we have seen several factors that have stimulated housing demand: • Mortgages for 30-year fixed rate loans remained at or below 4 percent • Household income was supported by the labor market adding 3 million jobs across the nation • Consumer confidence rose to the most optimistic level in eight years

These three factors have worked to increase the number of households that are

shopping to buy homes.

But, turning to supply – the number of homes offered for sale has remained relatively low. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average supply of homes in the second quarter 2015 was 5.1 months, down from 5.5 months a year ago.

The real estate analytics firm, CoreLogic, reports that of the top 100 real-estate markets in the U.S., 14 are now overvalued -- more than double the number that were at the end of the first quarter 2015.

The primary driver behind the overvaluation of more housing markets is supply. The factors keeping supply tight is a high number of owners who still owe more on their homes than they are worth and a pace of home construction that is still well below the rate of the early 2000s. What homes that do get built tend to be at higher price points, causing affordability issues for entry-level buyers.

The key to more choices for home buyers is new inventory, but it’s coming slowly.

In 2014, construction of rental apartments and condos returned to pre-boom-andbust levels. But construction of single-family homes made it just halfway back to the normal annual average of 1.3 million starts according to the National Association of

Home Builders (NAHB). The NAHB forecasts that single-familyhome starts won’t hit a million until 2016.

The Nutcracker

Q3

The San Antonio, Texas real estate market continues to show amazing growth. One noticeable trend in the San Antonio real estate market is a rise in prices. These rising prices are expected to cause an expansion in the size of San Antonio’s real estate market.

Because the demand is so great, the supply should start to increase. Angela Shields, the San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) President and CEO, explained: “Higher prices should encourage more owners to put their homes on the market and builders to start more construction. Already our inventory has edged up slightly and we hope to continue to see the steady demand result in an increased supply.”

30-year fixed rate loans remain steady at or below

3 million new jobs nationally supports household incomes

consumer confidence is at 8-year high

Lila Cockrell Theater | December 19-21 Artssa.org | 210.226.2891 A wonderful ballet for the entire family, The Nutcracker is the perfect way to introduce young children to the power and beauty of classical dance.

Join Clara on her unforgettable journey as she travels to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets, and marvel as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince dance a pas de deux of crystalline beauty.

Celebrate San Antonio

4% interest

3

million

8

REAL ESTATE

corner

S. Alamo (Between Durango & Market) December 31-January 1 SAParksFoundation.org | 210.212.8423 Experience the biggest New Year’s Eve celebration and fireworks extravaganza in Texas – Celebrate San Antonio! With live music on three stages, carnival games and rides and delicious festival food, this downtown fiesta is the place to celebrate the New Year.

In Good Taste

DINNER IS

Nothing says the holidays more than a beautiful dining table set for a feast lovingly prepared for family and friends. Whether you’re throwing your first family fete or just looking for some new ways to spice up your table setting this season, it’s easy to find plenty of inspiration in the modern world. No more tearing pages from magazines at the doctor’s office. After all, a wealth of (free!) ideas is just a click away online.

Mortons.com | 210.228.0700

Double Chocolate Mousse INGREDIENTS 1½ c heavy cream 6 oz semisweet dark chocolate,

in small pieces 4½ tsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 c pasteurized egg whites 1/8 tsp cream of tartar 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 c sugar Whipped cream, for serving

First place to go for drool-worthy tips and tricks?

Pinterest will keep you entertained for hours (and hours!). Just type in “holiday table settings” and you’ll find a plethora of ideas, from tutorials on where to put all the plates, glasses, and silverware, to homespun projects for table runners, centerpieces, candles, chargers, and place markers. You’ll be inspired to decorate places you may have otherwise left unadorned … the chandelier, the sideboard, the chairs, even the walls. These pinners love to craft and decorate! Overwhelmed with ideas? Narrow your search by adding in what specific holiday you’re celebrating or the theme or color you are working with (for example, add key words such as “red,” “simple,” “Hanukkah,” “elegant,” or “winter wonderland”). For help with those tricky cloth napkins, just type the words “folding napkins” and you’ll be greeted with numerous elegant and fun suggestions (we warned you,

PREPARATION In a saucepan, bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the chocolate and cocoa in a heat-proof glass bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Let the mixture stand for about 1 minute and then whisk until blended. Be sure to break up any clumps of the cocoa. Set aside at room temperature for about 45 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep the mixture smooth. The chocolate needs to cool to 80°F. In a chilled, dry bowl beat the egg whites on high speed for 10 to 20 seconds or until they begin to foam.

Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat for about 1 minute longer or until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the sugar over the whites and continue to beat for 1 to 2 minutes longer or until the peaks are stiff but not dry.

Fold the whites into the cooled chocolate (make sure it’s no warmer than 80°F before adding the whites).

Pour the remaining heavy cream into the bowl of the mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve the mousse spooned on dessert plates or in bowls. Top each serving with a little whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Served

Event Calendar NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2015 A Charlie Brown Christmas

there are lots of options!). Pin the pics you want to use at your own table and you’ll have all the elements you desire in one easy-to-reference spot. Now that’s convenient (and way less expensive than buying all those food and home magazines).

The Magik Theatre | November 20-Junauary 3 MagicTheatre.org | 210.227.2751 It became an instant classic when it premiered on television in 1965, and the animated television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has only grown in popularity in the last fifty years. Now see it come to life on the Magik stage as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the “Peanuts” gang come to understand the real meaning of Christmas.

Houzz, a popular home design website, is another good table setting resource. Here you’ll find photos from interior designers with links to products you can add to your table settings. Instagram also offers up pics posted by users of their past and present table settings for your viewing.

And don’t forget those rightin-the-mailbox resources: Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table, and many other popular catalogs, which offer up beautiful ideas for the taking. Whether you shop for a whole new look or mix and match using items you’ve owned for years, you’re sure to find a new way of presenting your table you never thought of before. Now all you need is the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Hmm …

Maybe your sister-in-law can bring those? Oh, and don’t forget the kids’ table.

Holidays In Bloom San Antonio Botanical Garden November 27-December 31 SABot.org | 210.207.3250 Enjoy your chance to step away from the holiday whirlwind of traffic and malls and enjoy the season’s nature. Guests will find many a spot to capture a memory at the Garden, with picturesque backgrounds for family photographs.

Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard France Passport Dinner Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard | December 11 SandyOaks.com | 210.621.0044 Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard’s Passport Adventure Series is a bi-monthly dinner series that focuses on areas of the world that produce olive oil and table olives. Each dinner features an authentic menu featuring olives and oil from the country being highlighted as well as pairing the cuisine with wine from the region.

Real Estate Market Update Over the past year we have seen several factors that have stimulated housing demand: • Mortgages for 30-year fixed rate loans remained at or below 4 percent • Household income was supported by the labor market adding 3 million jobs across the nation • Consumer confidence rose to the most optimistic level in eight years

These three factors have worked to increase the number of households that are

shopping to buy homes.

But, turning to supply – the number of homes offered for sale has remained relatively low. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average supply of homes in the second quarter 2015 was 5.1 months, down from 5.5 months a year ago.

The real estate analytics firm, CoreLogic, reports that of the top 100 real-estate markets in the U.S., 14 are now overvalued -- more than double the number that were at the end of the first quarter 2015.

The primary driver behind the overvaluation of more housing markets is supply. The factors keeping supply tight is a high number of owners who still owe more on their homes than they are worth and a pace of home construction that is still well below the rate of the early 2000s. What homes that do get built tend to be at higher price points, causing affordability issues for entry-level buyers.

The key to more choices for home buyers is new inventory, but it’s coming slowly.

In 2014, construction of rental apartments and condos returned to pre-boom-andbust levels. But construction of single-family homes made it just halfway back to the normal annual average of 1.3 million starts according to the National Association of

Home Builders (NAHB). The NAHB forecasts that single-familyhome starts won’t hit a million until 2016.

The Nutcracker

Q3

The San Antonio, Texas real estate market continues to show amazing growth. One noticeable trend in the San Antonio real estate market is a rise in prices. These rising prices are expected to cause an expansion in the size of San Antonio’s real estate market.

Because the demand is so great, the supply should start to increase. Angela Shields, the San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) President and CEO, explained: “Higher prices should encourage more owners to put their homes on the market and builders to start more construction. Already our inventory has edged up slightly and we hope to continue to see the steady demand result in an increased supply.”

30-year fixed rate loans remain steady at or below

3 million new jobs nationally supports household incomes

consumer confidence is at 8-year high

Lila Cockrell Theater | December 19-21 Artssa.org | 210.226.2891 A wonderful ballet for the entire family, The Nutcracker is the perfect way to introduce young children to the power and beauty of classical dance.

Join Clara on her unforgettable journey as she travels to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets, and marvel as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince dance a pas de deux of crystalline beauty.

Celebrate San Antonio

4% interest

3

million

8

REAL ESTATE

corner

S. Alamo (Between Durango & Market) December 31-January 1 SAParksFoundation.org | 210.212.8423 Experience the biggest New Year’s Eve celebration and fireworks extravaganza in Texas – Celebrate San Antonio! With live music on three stages, carnival games and rides and delicious festival food, this downtown fiesta is the place to celebrate the New Year.

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2015

Each office is independently owned and operated.

FITZ

Introducing the FitzGibbons and Associates Team

S A N

A N T O N I O

Introducing the FitzGibbons and Associates Team

Ready, Set, Holiday!

CREATING THE PERFECT TABLE

Pat Edwards

Ann FitzGibbons

Kelly Pedersen

B U Y E R S A G E N T | R E A LT O R ®

B R O K E R A S S O C I AT E | R E A LT O R ®

T R A N S A C T I O N C O O R D I N AT O R | R E A LT O R ®

FitzGibbonsandAssociates.com Ann FitzGibbons Broker Associate FitzGibbons and Associates Keller Williams Portfolio Ann@FitzGibbonsandAssociates.com 210.723.3093 Direct

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

With Ann’s local real estate knowledge and Keller William’s international presence, now is the time to sell your current property or find your dream home.

Upscale Real Estate Marketing | 877.660.096 | UpscleRealEstateMarketing.com

Real Estate Update Limited Supply Continues to Fuel Growth

Morton’s Delightful Double Chocolate Mousse

introducing The FitzGibbons and Associates Team®

Ann FitzGibbons | 210.723.3093 Ann@FitzGibbonsandAssociates.com