Ms. San Francisco Real Estate (Janice Lee)

If you’ve decided crowded restaurants or bars aren’t the way you want to spend the last day of 2014, having your family and friends over to your house to ring in the new year may be a better option. Check out these party planning tips in order to plan a fun and memorable occasion with minimal stress. Set a limit for the amount of people you invite, and stick to it It can be tempting to invite your friends, neighbors, gym buddies, and everyone else you see on a regular basis, but keeping the party on the smaller side will not only make your event more intimate, but it will also be less stressful! Make a “to-do” list To avoid feeling overwhelmed with party-planning tasks, make a list of everything that needs to get done. Prioritize and enlist the help of a significant other, family member, or close friend so you don’t feel like all responsibilities fall on your shoulders. Ask everyone to bring a food or drink item Providing all of food and drinks for your guests can get

Grosvenor Americas on Tuesday said it has paid $40.2 million for a 101-unit Bellevue townhouse project called Somerset Green, and plans to make $5 million in upgrades to the 1980s-era property near Newport High School.

Selling a home during the holidays can feel like a challenge. From winter weather to deciding whether to decorate or not, there are certainly some obstacles. Here is excellent advice from the experts from our global network of Coldwell Banker agents, brokers and offices. Keep it Classic  “Should I decorate for the holidays?” This is an extremely common questions for home sellers. It may be family tradition to “deck the halls” across every square inch of your house, but, if you are trying to sell your home, it may be better to scale back. When selling a home, it’s important to present it in a way that others can see themselves living in. “We encourage sellers to still decorate (if that’s their thing), but not Griswold style decorating…. keep it simple and classy. Mostly keep the walks clear and maybe add a spot for shoe removal just inside.” –Coldwell Banker  Use the holidays to create warmth in your home. “I think lights and color can warm anyone’s heart,” says Heather Ostrom, a Real

The owners of the Fairmont San Francisco have sold the landmark Nob Hill hotel, the latest in a series of high-priced hotel transactions in the city.

Douglas Shorenstein , the second-generation leader of one of San Francisco’s most prominent real estate development families, died of cancer Tuesday at his home in the city. He was 60.