5 Ways to Pull a Quick Cocktail Party Together in Rancho Santa Margarita

So it’s Friday afternoon, and you’re more than done with a very long week. Your spouse calls and informs you that some people are coming over… in an hour. To him, it’s no big deal, but to you, it means hosting a cocktail party, and the blood pressure is rising. It happens a lot during the holidays, so how can you look all cool and collected on a moment’s notice? Here are a few ideas for you.

The Best Plan is Not to Plan at All

Your guests take their emotional cues from you when they walk in your door, so chill out. I know, it is easier said than done, but if they feel you are stressed and put out, they will feel uncomfortable. Put some great music on, light a candle or two, and breathe deeply. You will have a great time this evening. Promise.

The Cocktails

If you are throwing a cocktail party together at the last minute, a couple of things to keep in mind: the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Sweetie. There are a couple of ways to approach it. Have a few bottles of a good red and a good white ready. Get a few beers iced down. Have one ‘signature’ cocktail available. This time of year, something like a pomegranate martini would be festive. But don’t try to have everything anyone could ever want. If appropriate, text or call the invitees to let them know what you have, and if they’d like something different, to bring it with them. Win. Win.

The Glassware

Just put those red solo cups away, please. Yes, I mean it. Now is the time to pull out the stemware. Don’t worry if it doesn’t match: it can actually be better if it doesn’t. That way, it’s easier for your guests to find their glass when they’ve walked away from the table to join another conversation! Pull out a variety of glassware, from various wine glasses to highball glasses to shot glasses.

The Napkins

If you have time to run to the store, look for some funny cocktail napkins. There are a lot of creative options out there. One of our favorites is: “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas, but if the White Runs Out I’ll Drink the Red.” It is often the small details like these that people remember from an impromptu gathering, so feel free to show your personality!
The Snacks

Again, this is a relatively last-minute cocktail party. It is not a 3-course gourmet meal, so don’t stress about it. What do you have in your pantry and refrigerator that work? The best way to start is to pull out a wooden cutting board. Then pull out olives, cheeses, crackers, fruit and nuts. You want to arrange it artfully, but when it’s last minute, that means artfully messy! It’s best to have a variety of cheeses on the board, like 3, arranged in a triangle. Then fill it in with grapes, maybe a ramekin filled with nuts, a stack of green and black olives. You will want to have a couple of cheese knives available by the board. You will look like a contestant on the Food Network’s Chopped but it was actually pretty light culinary lifting.

Yeah But What About the Queso or Pizza Rolls?

Resist the urge. If you are feeding a hungry crowd for a football game, then yeah, go for it. But for an impromptu cocktail party, keep it simple and classy. Plus, your home will smell better from a scented candle than a pizza roll! Speaking of homes, we have some fabulous properties to show you at The Kovacs Connection. Let our team of real estate professionals find you the perfect place to have that impromptu party… and yes, you will forgive your spouse for springing it on you with no notice… whatsoever!

7 Ways to Get The Most out of Fall in Rancho Santa Margarita

Now don’t be scared. Yes, the wind is howling, the door is creaking and the dog is barking, but we’ve got you covered! Our team worked our way through fall in Rancho Santa Margarita to find some fun ways to spend the scariest time of the year.

Fall in Rancho Santa Margarita Means Orange:

Pumpkin City’s Pumpkin Farm

The color orange is the star attraction at the Pumpkin City’s Pumpkin Farm. It’s for fall, it’s fun, and it’s free! We’re talking about Orange County’s largest premier Harvest Festival. Talk about a perfect outing for the family! Free admission and parking, barnyard animals in the Petting Zoo, pony rides at the Pony Corral, puppet shows, amusement rides, thousands of pumpkins..need we say more?!?

Spooktacular Fall Family Festival

Tuesday, October 31–2pm-5pm

What a great way to spend time with your younger children on Halloween afternoon. Spooktacular gives your kids a chance to trick-or-treat in a fun and safe environment. They can play on multiple inflatables and bounce houses. There is also a costume contest as well as a child and pet costume parade. Just think of the possibilities! Enjoy some refreshments and have your picture taken for your memory book. Or Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Snapchat. Or Instagram..you get the picture!

Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas

Speaking of pictures: talk about a great spot for Girls Night Out, Date Night Out, or Some Other Special Night Out! Cinepolis is a premiere movie theatre and restaurant experience. Wander in and find areas to relax, order dinner and watch a frightening movie in comfort and style. Just have your sweetie nearby so you can grab him when the movie takes a dark and scary turn!

Cismontane Brewing Co.

Regulars to Cismontane love its cozy atmosphere and excellent choice of craft brews. Seating at this smaller craft brewing company is limited: the locals recommend ordering a growler. Cismontane Brewing typically has around 8 beers on tap, and many others bottled. Grab an outside table, order a meal from the Thai restaurant next door and they’ll deliver it right to you. Sounds like a plan!

Dailys Sports Grill

College and Pro Football is king this time of year, and the NBA is just getting started. Dailys Sports Grill can scratch your itch for lots of sports to watch with multiple TVs and good pub food. Excellent weekend spot to unwind and figure out what you’re going to wear to that Halloween party!

Dunbar Brewing

This is not a place for a witch’s brew, but rather a cool spot to hear music and gather with friends around a pint. Regulars say the bar will remind you of “Cheers” where everybody knows your name, but newcomers are welcomed with open arms. There are food trucks on location that can fill up your empty tanks. The beer selection is impressive and varied.

Spa Gregorie’s Day Spa & Salon

If the ghosts and ghouls are getting on your last nerve, Spa Gregorie’s might just be the antidote for your worries. It was voted Best Day Spa by American Spa Magazine, Day Spa Magazine, City Search and SpaFinder. This is a unique retreat for women and men, where guests can escape the rigors of daily stress. So unwind in this special space. Body massages and facials await, and there are couples package deals to die for!

 

So.., even if the dog is barking, the wind is howling, and the door is creaking, you can shut the door and head out to some fall fun in OC!

Can I Buy Foreclosures in Rancho Santa Margarita?

Foreclosures are a tricky subject for the regular consumer, so understanding how to buy them is important before you start shopping for a deal. With the right people on your side, you shouldn’t have any problems!

Why Rancho Santa Margarita?

Rancho Santa Margarita is one of Orange County’s youngest cities, and it is a masterfully planned community set up on beautiful rolling hills. The outstanding amenities and serene natural surroundings offer up countless opportunities for new experiences.

Rancho Santa Margarita foreclosures are one of the best examples of finding a great bargain on a home for your family as it is a bank owned home. Bank owned homes, also known as foreclosures, can be an excellent opportunity to purchase a home below the market value and with a clear title ownership.

More About The Banks

It’s not uncommon for bank foreclosure properties to have multiple offers and often sell well below asking price.  The demand for bank owned properties in Orange County has reached an all time high due to low affordable prices combined with lower interest rates.

If you are thinking about doing a short sale for your home, please contact a real estate agent for valuable information before you put your home on the market.

Photo By Shutterstock/Kevin George 

How To Do It

Finding a real estate agent, doing your research, and knowing what you can afford will all help make the home-buying process much smoother. Before looking through Rancho Santa Margarita foreclosures, be sure you know about how buying a foreclosed home is different from a traditional home purchase.

The listings for foreclosure properties are a great source for finding great homes at a great price.  Be prepared to compete against buyers just like yourself if you find a property that you like, Rancho Santa Margarita home foreclosure listings are some of most sought after real estate in the entire country!

Getting A Quality Realtor

One of the most important qualities of a real estate agent is the ability to discover and address the diverse needs, wants, expectations and concerns of different home sellers and buyers. This ability can only come through really caring about people, together with a whole lot of practical experience and education.

There are a lot of bank owned and foreclosure properties for sale in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Whether you are a home-buying pro looking for a deal on Rancho Santa margarita foreclosures or you are just searching for the perfect place to call your own, we can help set you on the path to achieving your home-ownership goals.

Photo By Shutterstock/Pressmaster

 

A real estate agent should be able to provide all of the foreclosure homes currently for sale Rancho Santa Margarita. Since timing is everything, make sure you sign up for home updates as they come in the market, that way when a Rancho Santa Margarita foreclosure becomes available, you are the first one to know. Find the home that is right for you.

We Can Make it Happen!

Want to find foreclosures for sale in Rancho Santa Margarita? It’s so easy with the Kovacs Connection on your side! If you need any advice or tips, feel to call us at 949-350-0146, or you can email us as well at Debrakovacs@cox.net. We have plenty of tips to help you and several services to offer!

 

3 Reasons Selling a Home Is Easier Than Ever

Selling a home is a process, but it has become easier than ever in the last few years. There are several reasons why, but we want to talk about three main tools that you can utilize now to make selling a home much easier.

Technology

Everyone knows that technology is an absolute game changer in the world, but its impact on the real estate industry has been huge. In the past, every house put on the market would have to go up through printed media like newspapers.

While this isn’t altogether a bad route to go if you want to increase your awareness of your home, it is being seen by fewer and fewer people these days. Online home listing websites are now the best and most used tool for selling a home quickly.

The other reason online listings are great is that they allow you to see what homes similar to yours are selling for. Using this information will aid you in setting up your initial price when putting your property on the market.

Another great tool to use is social media. You can post on your social media page about putting your home on the market and ask your friends to share it. You might just be able to reach a buyer just using this tool.

Using your Facebook or other accounts can even be ramped up by using their advertising tools. Advertising is best left to your realtor, but that might be one of the many online tools that they will implement when putting your home on the market.

If you aren’t utilizing the internet, you need to do so today!

More People Than Ever

The population of the world continues to grow, which is great if you’re trying to sell a home because everyone needs a place to live! Knowing this fact, it isn’t hard to see why the old open house method is still so effective.

Utilizing for sale signs and an open house is still one of the most efficient strategies to find a buyer that we implement when selling a home in Coto De Caza, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Mission Viejo.

The main reason it works so well is that people want to see things first hand. It’s very similar to buying groceries. Most people are fine with buying most things online, but when it comes down to picking out fresh produce, you want to handle it yourself to make sure you’re getting the best quality.

The same can be said about real estate.

Finding a beautiful looking home online and buying it doesn’t make sense, especially with the magic angles that photographers can use to make a room look bigger than it actually is. When it comes down to it, everyone wants to see a home first hand.

The truth is, people still find signs on houses they want to look at by driving around in neighborhoods they want to live in. Use that!

Put the for sale signs up and have the open houses, you never know how many people will walk up off the street to take a look. This happens at least once with almost every open house we do!

Realtors are Always Improving

Not only are there more real estate agents now than at any time before, but they are also better trained! The advances in technology have made it easier to get a top notch education in real estate much more accessible.

The number of highly trained and effective realtors is higher than ever, which means finding a good one isn’t as complicated as it used to be. Years ago, you had to search through ads or hope your family had a good referral. Now, the number of quality realtors is much higher, and so is the number of available homes out there.

Thanks to condos and new housing developments, the market is continuing to thrive and grow evenly with the number of new realtors out there. What that means for you is that you won’t have agents trying to steal you from another agent like was more common when the market took a turn several years ago.

The stability of the housing market today means that you’re able to find high-quality realtors to aid you in selling a home in pretty much every area you could imagine in the US!

We Want To Help!

If you’re thinking of selling a home this year and could use more information, please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we will give you more details on everything that we offer!

Finding Beautiful Homes for Sale in Rancho Santa Margarita

Shopping for new homes for sale in Rancho Santa Margarita doesn’t have to be as difficult as it may sound. We have compiled a list that you should check off as you from open house to open house to find the right home for your needs.

Location

Location, as they say, is everything. When considering all of the homes for sale in Rancho Santa Margarita, don’t take its physical position as the only piece of information when determining whether or not to buy.

The distance the home is from your work, or at the very least the nearest freeway, is something to consider seriously. Few people want to be so close to the freeway that you can hear the cars, but you don’t want to drive 30 minutes of streets to get to the highway you need either.

Having children means figuring out where you need to live to get them in the district that you want them in (if you are even looking into a public school.) Another thing to consider is how close you would be to city parks, and anywhere they will be for reoccurring extracurricular activities. If you are steps away to their school but 45 minutes away from their piano teacher, you might want to look somewhere in the middle of the two.

Size

When it comes to homes, size definitely should matter. This goes both directions though. You want a house large enough to accommodate the needs of your family, and possibly for the event of a growing family.

When looking at homes for sale in Ranch Santa Margarita, don’t just go with the bigger is better mindset. Especially when it comes to the square feet of your property. If the home is huge, but you have no yard for your dogs and children to play in, you may want to reconsider. The same can be said about the opposite situation, a 2-bedroom home for five people probably won’t cut it, even if you have all the backyard you could ever want.

Finding something that meets the needs of everyone, and allows some space for fun and hobbies is the way to go. Take everything into account about the house, the activities your family enjoys, and even the plans for the future before blindly signing a contract!

Cost

Of course, the price matters but for more reasons than just the actual price of the home. Buying a dream home is an amazing feeling, but only if you can truly afford the dream.

Making the necessary payments on your mortgage, property taxes, homeowners insurance, car payments, car insurance, field trips for the kids…getting the idea yet?! Things come up, and life can be expensive. What we want everyone to do ahead of time is figure out if buying the home and still having a life are possible.

Owning the dream home, but not being able to afford to do go out to dinner or the movies is not fun. If you have to work extra just to go camping in your own backyard, you have a major issue!

Having the right amount of money for everything that your family wants is vital, so finding a home that allows you to have activities still is essential. If you can’t afford the house you truly want, don’t worry! You can always sell your home down the road and use the money to secure something better.

When in doubt, ask yourself the most important question: do I really want to be living on a budget for the next 30 years?

Get Help

Going about buying homes for sale in Rancho Santa Margarita alone is a mistake unless you are a realtor yourself. For the majority out there who are not, get one!

A good realtor will be able to help you find something that will allow you to continue to live the life that you have imagined for your family, without running the risk of putting you in the poor house. Let’s face it, we all overestimate how well we can handle a financial situation, but realtors have the foresight to make sure that you can manage the mortgage along with all of your other expenses.

Don’t just sit around looking at realty websites, hoping that you can someday own a home. Call The Kovacs Connection at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we can help make your dream a reality. We know all of the homes for sale in Rancho Santa Margarita, and we will match you and your family with the perfect house immediately!