In Good Taste
Psst! In case you didn’t hear, there’s a shift happening in home décor. Clean lines, lighter and airier colors, and a more modern look are taking center stage in today’s luxury homes. Of course, we still love our regional design flair, but current hip homes are lightening up and going minimalistic. Homeowners that shy away from the word modern, however, need not be dismayed by today’s contemporary take on home design and furnishings. The style is minimalistic but not completely stripped bare. We’re not talking hard plastic chairs and chrome fixtures. Today’s new modern chairs and sofa silhouettes, for example, are still comfortable but are sleek and simple. Upholstery is elegant and soft, or bright and geometric. You will definitely see a love of patterned and geometric furniture, drapes, and area rugs in today’s fresh new interiors. When it comes to color, the familiar earthy tans and greens, terracotta rusts, and mustard yellows, though still popular in a regional sense, are making way for crisp and more contrasting hues. Think soft blues, whites, creams, grays, and browns which bring a clean and fresh look to tired spaces. (It’s no surprise that top paint company Benjamin Moore has named A Breath of
La Fogata 210.340.1337 | LaFogata.com
HOMEMADE COCONUT FLAN INGREDIENTS: 3 c sugar 4 oz water 1 can evaporated milk 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 pt of milk 6 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1.2 lb coconut shavings Chopped almonds RECIPE: To Prepare Syrup: Pour sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes or until liquefied. Add water slowly and stir continuously until golden-brown. Pour syrup into the bottom of a 9 – inch flan pan. Reserve 3 tablespoons for garnish. To Prepare Flan: Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour into flan mold lined with syrup. Place mold into a small roasting pan and pour hot water into roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the mold. Place into 275 degree oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from oven, take mold out of roasting pan, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Place a chilled plate topside down on mold. Invert the flan onto the plate and lift off the mold. Garnish with chopped almonds and slices of cantaloupe. Pour remaining syrup into each bowl. Yields: 12 servings
Building Wealth Through Real Estate Investment
Real estate is one of the few investments where the investor may “fall in love” with the asset. Unlike stocks or bonds, real estate has an emotional element to the investment. Therefore, one of the foremost tips for investing in real estate is to listen to what the numbers tell you, rather than the emotional pull of the property. When investing in rental properties, the rental income needs to cover all expenses associated with the property – including taxes and mortgage. In other words, an investment property should pay for itself. As a general guideline, you should try to achieve a gross rent of at least 150% of the property’s mortgage payments to cover all operational costs and leave some net rental income for yourself. Many affluent investors use the cash-on-cash return analysis as a “litmus test” of a rental property investment.
CASH-ON-CASH RETURN = ANNUAL CASH FLOW (BEFORE TAXES)/TOTAL CASH INVESTED If an investor purchased an apartment building and each month the cash flow from rentals, less expenses, is $5,000. Over the course of a year, the before-tax income would be $60,000 and if their cash invested (down payment) in the property totaled $300,000, cash-on-cash return is equal to 20%.
Savvy investors look for 20% - 30% cash-on-cash return before considering investing in a property. A big plus is that the return is immediate cash in your pocket and the property may still appreciate on top of that return. In addition, the investor needs to consider how much time the property will take to manage. Some properties, such as vacation and college rentals, just require way too much time and management to make them smart investments. Well maintained properties rented for as long as possible to decent credit profile tenants usually take the least time to manage. Compared to other investments, real estate is easy to value. Even if you have no idea how to value a property, you can find a Realtor who can value it for you. Typically there are a lot of comparable properties to use to value real estate so the investor knows what the investment property is worth and what should be spent for the property. There are many below market properties that an investor can find. Not only can you purchase a property below market price, you can add value to the property once you purchase it. You can also add bedrooms, add bathrooms, update a kitchen or do many other things to increase value of the real estate. It simply is not possible for an individual investor to add a bedroom onto a stock. Therefore, real estate should be an important part of your investment portfolio.
Fresh Air, a pale powdery blue, its 2013 Paint Color of the Year!) The effect? Simple elegance. But not everything is serene. Look for lively yellows to brighten spaces ...and brighten your mood. Shocks of patterned cobalt blue, say in a few occasional chairs or throw pillows, will also enliven this more contemporary style of living. In the kitchen, look for white and dark brown or black motifs. Counters are stocked with essential tools only, left bare and easy to clean. Kitchen knick-knacks and purely decorative items are sparse, with new homeowners opting for a clean and understated look. Cabinets themselves are now often painted, with whites and creams lending kitchens an entirely fresh new look. Distressed wood is also popular, giving a unique and individualist vibe to homes. Perhaps the biggest shift in interior design for the New Year: Individuality. Homeowners are looking for handmade, unique items that don’t look exactly the same as all the other homes on the block. Seek out different pieces that speak to you and make you happy in your home. Sounds like a great way to start the New Year!
Event Calendar JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014 Porfirio Salinas: Capturing South Texas on Canvas Witte Museum | Through February 9 210.357.1900 | WitteMuseum.org This exhibition features approximately 30 works by nationally-renowned Texas artist Porfirio Salinas (19101973). Salinas is known for capturing the changing South Texas landscape in his paintings. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a mural commissioned by San Antonio businessman Dan Rheiner, depicting Rheiner’s Las Pintas Ranch in Webb County, which was created to fully cover the four walls of a small room within Rheiner’s San Antonio home. Viewers feel instantly transported to the Texas ranchland by the 360-degree view. San Antonio Cocktail Conference Various Locations | January 16-19 210.245.6964 | SanAntonioCocktailConference.com Modeled on the wildly popular Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail event, San Antonio’s own Cocktail Conference was the first of its kind in Texas. Every year, it brings together the top bartenders and cocktail aficionados for four days of educational seminars, guided tastings, and cocktail parties. Conference proceeds benefit HeartGift San Antonio and Childsafe. Texas Backgammon Championships Menger Hotel | January 30-February 2 210.573.3073 | TexasBackgammon.com Take part in the Ultimate Backgammon Package tournament at the Texas Backgammon Championships. Players of all ages are encouraged to attend. Experienced tournament directors will be on hand to assist you. The format will consist of 3-point rounds, single-elimination. Prizes will be awarded to both the winner and finalist. A Broadway Valentine Laurie Auditorium | February 14-15 210.554.1010 | SASymphony.org Celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone and enjoy three Broadway vocalists singing classic tunes about love, including selections from South Pacific, Oklahoma, and Phantom of the Opera. Conducted by Akiko Fujimoto. Los Vivancos Lila Cockrell Theatre | February 16 210.226.1981 | ArtsSA.org The bestselling and foremost flamenco dance artists of today, Los Vivancos is composed of seven brothers educated in different cities around the world. The entire family always maintained a strong but loyal commitment to their passion, flamenco. From this commitment, the brothers went on to study at the prestigious Barcelona Spanish Dance Conservatory. The men later formed a flamenco fusion dance company with its own eclectic style that dares to unify flamenco, ballet, martial arts, street dance, theatre and acrobatics. Los Vivancos Aeternum has been seen by over a million spectators from over 40 countries.