February Newsletter
We hope you are doing well and staying warm! This month's newsletter starts off with a fun article looking at 5 new interior design trends for 2022. We also share some tips for relocating—helpful if you are thinking about making a big move to a new city. And, of course, a Valentine's Day cookie recipe to share with your friends and neighbors. Wishing you a warm and cozy February!
- Katie, Kaley, Olga and Teresa
5 Of The Biggest Interior Design Trends for 2022
After two years of spending most of our time in our own homes—or outdoors—interior design trends have skewed toward a cozier and more nature-inspired vibe. Stark all-white minimalism and sharp-angled furniture will become trends of the past as we begin to decorate our homes in earthier colors, softer shapes, and more meaningful artwork.
Here are 5 of Vogue’s predictions for the top interior design trends of 2022—these are sure to inspire you!
Shades of brown: Pick your favorite shade—chocolate, camel, caramel, cognac, burnt umber, or any other brown that strikes your fancy. Incorporate these rich, earthy colors into your home as wall color, textiles, or decorative objects to create a sense of warmth and coziness.
Nature-inspired surfaces and objects: Enliven your home with surfaces made out of natural materials like marble, wood, stone, clay, terracotta, or travertine. Add a patterned jute rug or flora-patterned wallpaper to bring a little more of the natural world into your home.
Sculptural and curved furniture: Skip the boxy sofa and the hairpin chair legs, and opt instead for furniture with rounded edges and sculptural elements. Check out this amazing console for inspiration!
Elevated outdoor furniture: We’re spending more time socializing outdoors than ever before, so it’s more than worth it to invest in some nicer outdoor furniture. Swap out your plastic Adirondack chairs for some more sophisticated seating, and let the cookouts commence!
Up-and-coming artwork: Don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune on artwork. In 2022, the focus will be on supporting up-and-coming artists. Designer Daniele Colding said, “My clients are looking for fresh faces on the art scene. They also want collections that reflect the diversity of our world and the perspectives these artists offer.”
To learn about more design trends for 2022, read Vogue’s Interior Design Trends to Know in 2022.
Relocation 101: Tips For Moving To a New City
Thinking about relocating to a different part of the country? Whether you’re moving for a new job, better housing prices, proximity to family, or just to mix things up, these tips from Ramsey Solutions and The Balance will help you make a smooth transition to your new home!
How To Make Sure Relocating Is The Right Decision
If you’re moving for a job, Ramsey Solutions suggests asking yourself these questions:
Am I excited about this new job?
Is the company culture a good fit for me?
Will this move help me accomplish the career and life goals I’d like to achieve in the next five years?
Will my compensation make sense with the cost of living in my new city?
Is my spouse/partner happy about relocating? What about my children (or whoever else will be moving with me)?
Do I like the area?
How To Prepare For The Cost Of Relocating
You can use HomeAdvisor’s tool for calculating how much it will cost you to move out of state, but for a quick idea of the cost, RamseySolutions says “moving out of state costs homeowners anywhere between $700 and $5,000, while moving cross-country can set you back between $4,000 and $10,000 or more.” Of course, many companies will cover your relocation costs, so be sure to ask about that!
Common expenses associated with relocating can include closing costs on your home sale and purchase; rental fees (breaking your current lease, security deposits on new rental, etc.); moving services; fees for turning utilities on and off; and repairs, updates, and furnishings for your new home.
One way to alleviate some moving costs is to downsize your belongings. Donate that bulky furniture that you don’t really like anymore, or sell it to make some extra cash to help fund your move!
How To Buy A Home In A New Area
Start with some online research to narrow down the part of town where you’d like to live. The Balance suggests starting with a Google search of the name of your new city along with “information” or “housing.” Check out the city’s tourism, chamber of commerce, and economic development websites. Scope out the website of the metro area’s biggest newspaper, and take a peek at the local university and college websites. If you’ve already decided on a neighborhood, search to see if there’s a neighborhood association website.
After your online research, talk to real estate agents in the area. Interview several agents to find someone who has plenty of experience with relocations and knows the most about the neighborhoods you like. The Balance has a great guide for how to interview a real estate agent!
Once you’ve settled on an agent—and if you’re relocating from out-of-state—ask them about the different types of inspections and disclosures you can expect. Every state has different requirements for real estate transactions.
Relocating to a new city or state can be an exciting adventure! Just be sure you follow these important steps: take the time to make sure this is the right decision for you, prepare and plan for moving expenses, and find the very best real estate agents to help you buy and sell. Best of luck to you on your big move!
An Easy Recipe for Hazelnut Linzer Valentine Cookies
Spread the love to your neighbors, friends, and co-workers with these easy and delicious Valentine’s Day cookies! This recipe from Woman’s Day Kitchen simplifies the process of making these Austrian treats by using store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough and blending in ground hazelnuts. Raspberry jam is sandwiched between two heart-shaped cookies, with a darling little heart-shaped cutout and a light dusting of powdered sugar.
So get out your heart-shaped cookie cutters and whip up a few trays of these sweet treats!
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 roll (18 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
3/4 cup seedless red raspberry jam
Confectioner’s sugar (to garnish)
Supplies:
Food processor
Baking sheets
2.5 inch and 1.5 inch heart-shaped cookie cutters
Wax paper
Rolling pin
Directions:
Pulse hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add cookie dough and pulse just until blended.
Divide dough into quarters. Roll each portion between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/8 inch thick. Freeze on a flat surface for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Working with one portion of the dough at a time, remove the top sheet of wax paper. Cut out as many 2.5 inch hearts as possible. (If the dough becomes soft during the process, return it to the freezer to firm up again.) Place the hearts on an ungreased baking sheet. Then, using the 1.5 inch cutter, cut centers out of half of the hearts. Re-roll the cutout centers and dough scraps and continue to cut hearts until you’ve used all the dough.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden. Let cool slightly before gently removing cookies to wire racks to let them cool completely.
Spread 1 teaspoon of jam on each whole heart. Top with a cutout heart and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
This recipe yields about 30 cookies. Make sure to save a few for yourself!
Housing Market Update
For this month's market update, we'll look at the latest on unemployment rate, mortgage rates, and home sales expectations for 2022.
Unemployment rate down to 3.9%
As of January 7, 2022, the U.S. unemployment rate is down to 3.9% after 199,000 new jobs were added in December. We’re getting closer to the pre-pandemic rate of 3.5%. In April of 2021, the national unemployment rate reached 14.7%.
Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com, said this “is good news for potential homebuyers and sellers. It signals economic strength that will not only boost consumer confidence, it’s also likely to lead to extra buying power that will help offset higher housing costs.”
Mortgage rates increase
On January 6, 2022, Freddie Mac reported: “Mortgage rates increased during the first week of 2022 to the highest level since May 2020 and are more than half a percent higher than January 2021.” The Freddie Mac fixed rate for a 30-year loan reached 3.22% on January 6, and rates are expected to continue to rise.
Experts are split on whether home sales will rise or fall in 2022
Zillow recently surveyed a panel of U.S. economists and housing experts and asked whether they think sales will rise or fall in 2022 compared to 2021. Jeff Tucker, a senior economist at Zillow, reported that "41% of participants said sales will grow, 41% predict a slowdown, and 18% believe sales will remain roughly the same."
Panelists who predict a slowdown in sales pointed to worsening home affordability and higher mortgage rates. As for the panelists who predict sales growth in 2022, they cited an increase in inventory as the driving factor.