Archives for September 2011

Non-Toxic Cleaning Basics by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

September 29, 2011 szabogroup

Scottsdale Luxury Homes for Sale Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Learning how to use kitchen cupboard ingredients save money, protect your health, reduce your use of valuable resources of the earth, and avoid petroleum products and other non-renewable resources. Here are four easy to find eco-friendly cleaning products that you probably already have in your home. Using these can help your family live in a safer, less toxic and clean environment. And the planet will thank you.

Baking Soda

A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (its pH is around 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and adsorbs odors from the air. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth, baking soda can be used as a gentle non-abrasive cleanser for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It will eliminate perspiration odors and even neutralize the smell of many chemicals if you add up to a cup per load to the laundry. It is a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer.

Washing Soda

A chemical neighbor of baking soda, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is much more strongly alkaline, with a pH around 11. It releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula, but you should wear gloves when using it because it is caustic. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Don’t use it on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors—unless you intend to remove the wax.

White Vinegar and Lemon Juice

White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic—they neutralize alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. Acids dissolve gummy buildup, eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.

Liquid Soaps and Detergent

Liquid soaps and detergents are necessary for cutting grease, and they are not the same thing. Soap is made from fats and lye. Detergents are synthetic materials discovered and synthesized early in this century. Unlike soap, detergents are designed specifically so that they don’t react with hard water minerals and cause soap scum. If you have hard water, buy a biodegradable detergent without perfumes; if you have soft water you can use liquid soap (both are available in health food stores).
Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSale and Estates forSale inScottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Cleaner Home Dirtier Environment by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

September 26, 2011 szabogroup

Scottsdale Estates for Sale Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Choosing environmentally friendly cleaning products — and removing toxic ones — goes a long way towards ensuring a home with fresh, clean air. Clean air renews and rejuvenates; it doesn’t pollute our lives or the environment. Living in a less toxic home, removed from neurotoxic chemicals, improves sleep and concentration, makes babies less fussy, and gives a sense of well-being. Your household’s toxic burden on the environment will be significantly reduced by following these steps, and this too can bring peace of mind.

Almost everyone in the world has a cupboard full of poisons under their kitchen sink. Wasp spray, oven cleaner, waxes and polishes—the place is full of chemicals that display the words poison, danger, warning, or caution. Small amounts of the poisons drift from, and leak out of bottles and spray bottles, which then waft around the kitchen.

Household poisonings are one of the highest threats to the health of children. Place products with signal words in a locked cupboard in storage for your community’s next Household Hazardous Pickup Day replace all hazardous products with safer versions in the future .Hazardous materials shouldn’t be poured down the drain or thrown away in the trash as they can cause serious pollution problems in the waste stream. Call your local recycling center, town or city hall. Most communities have at least one Household Hazardous Waste Pickup Day a year.

There will be fewer toxic materials leaching out of landfills, burning in incinerators, and being washed into the waste water stream. Choose non-toxic, biodegradable substitutes
WHY: Help reduce the toxic burden of manufacturing, your home, and the waste stream.
HOW: Read “Signal Words” on labels. The signal words poison, danger, warning, or caution, found on the label of products such as pesticides and cleaning products, are placed there by order of the federal government and are primarily for your production.

In some cases these signal words are on the label because of the potential impact the product can have on the environment. Poison/danger denotes a product of most concern, one that is highly toxic, and ingesting small amounts—in some cases a few drops—can be fatal. Warning means moderately toxic, as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal; and caution denotes a product that is less toxic, one in which it would be necessary to ingest between two tablespoons and two cups to be fatal. Corrosive products can damage skin and mucous membranes, and a strong sensitizer is a chemical that can increase allergies. Labels provide information by which you can protect yourself, your family, and the environment.

Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSale and Estates forSale inScottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Choosing Window Coverings Part 2 of 2 by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

September 22, 2011 szabogroup

Scottsdale Real Estate Team Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Did you know that over 40% of the heat that escapes from your home does so through your windows? Even more shocking is that 50% of exterior solar heat enters your home through windows in a year. Needless to say, your windows have a great impact on your home’s energy usage and bills. Budget Blinds has a number of smart window coverings that give you plenty of style while adding a layer of insulating protection to your windows. Cellular shades are available in materials that absorb the heat and cold that make it past your windowpanes. Shutters provide excellent insulation, keeping rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Adding these window treatments to your home can translate into lower utility bills year-round and provide a more comfortable home environment.

According to a recent study conducted by the Window Covering Safety Council, 83% of Americans surveyed are aware that pull cords on certain window coverings can pose a strangulation hazard to young children. Over the past decade, the window covering industry has made great advances with products that give you greater control over potentially harmful dangling cords. Dangling cords can injure people of all ages, even your pets. Thankfully, there are a number of products available that eliminate dangling cords. Cordless lift systems allow you to raise and lower window coverings with a touch of your hand. Their construction keeps the cords out of reach. Cordless loop control systems wrangle cords as well, while motorizing your window coverings allows you to raise and lower with the touch of a remote.

Whether your windows are high and out of reach or right in front of you, functionality is important to controlling light and privacy. Budget Blinds has a variety of products that can be upgraded with motorization systems. These systems not only eliminate the use of dangling cords, (which is an excellent safety advantage if you have children and pets), they also make it easy for you to adjust your blinds. Using a hand-held remote control, you can raise and lower, open and close, tilt or traverse your window coverings easily. Cordless lift systems also give your window coverings enhanced functionality and safety.

Choosing Window Coverings Part 1 of 2 by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

September 19, 2011 szabogroup

Scottsdale Real Estate Team Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Personal style is important to recognize in selecting window coverings. Take a look around your home. What do you like and dislike about the décor? Take note of the style of furniture and art. More often than not, you may discover your home to be a mix of styles. What is great about window coverings is that most products and styles are versatile, requiring little customization on your part to fit your décor. Wood blinds, for example, with an antique finish will look great in cottage-style décor. Take that same wood blind and finish it with a rich, ebony stain, and the blinds could easily live amongst modern, loft-style décor.

Understanding the architecture of your space can help in selecting your window coverings. Is your room large and narrow? Is it small with high ceilings? Window coverings can alter the visual perception of a space. One trick to make a small window appear larger is to use drapery treatments is to install the rod and finials just below your ceiling and allow the panels to puddle on the floor. This will create the illusion of height, making your entire space feel more open and inviting.

Even though light control and privacy are related, they require different considerations. As light affects the overall mood of a room, privacy is about creating a sense of security within your personal spaces.

When considering your light control needs, sheers, for example, can allow light to enter your home, even when completely covering your windows. Depending on the fabrics you choose, you can either reduce the amount of light or block it completely when they are fully closed. Shutters, on the other hand, give you a higher degree of coverage with a greater light control. Light enters the home through a specific amount of space between the louvers. Both are great options. It simply depends on how much light control you want.

When thinking of your privacy needs, consider your environment. Do you live in the city? Do you live in a wooded area where your nearest neighbor is an acre away? You may require less privacy if you live in a high-rise in the city or in more rural areas.
Whatever your needs are, Budget Blinds can help you find window coverings that give you a balance of both light control and privacy.

How Color Affects a Room by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

September 15, 2011 szabogroup

Scottsdale Real Estate Team Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Color is an amazing magician: While it can certainly make a room more inviting, the right wall and ceiling color can also make a room seem taller and larger. Paint lets you take a small dark room and create a spacious and bright illusion in the same space.
In general, light colors have the power to make a room seem larger than it really is. Since light colors are more reflective than darker or deeper colors, they make a room look brighter, which has the effect of making it look larger and more appealing.

You can also manipulate the appearance of a room through trim color. If the molding in a room is painted in a color that is lighter than the wall color, the walls seem to move back so the room appears larger. Conversely, trim that is painted in a bold or deep color is more prominent and moves forward in your field of vision; this adds to visual clutter and makes a space feel smaller.

The warmth or coolness of a color also impacts visual perception of the room’s size. Cool colors, like shades of green or blue, make the walls visually recede and make a room seem larger, while warm colors have the opposite effect. Warm colors, include red, yellow and orange and while these shades make a room feel smaller, they are good choices when the goal is to create and a cozy or intimate ambiance.

Non-assertive colors, such as neutrals or pastels, seem to recede, so they are excellent choices for making a room seem larger. Choosing furnishings in similar shades is a good way to make a room seem even bigger because your eye can travel freely and uninterrupted throughout the space.

Raising the Roof
While you could literally raise the roof to make the ceiling taller, a much easier approach and more cost effective is to use white or off white paint to make a ceiling seem higher than it is. Flat white or off-white paint is a good choice for the ceiling because it will not reflect light or show imperfections in the ceiling, which reduces distractions and makes the ceiling seemingly hover high above.

Four Factors in Home Buying by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

September 8, 2011 szabogroup

Scottsdale Homes for Sale Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Recently there has been a lot of discussion that hasn’t happened in markets past about why people change homes. After many years in the real estate business, Joe Szabo has come up with four compelling factors in the purchase of a home. Now each of these factors can be found on every individual at some level, and they will change as the person’s life considerations change (marriage, births, deaths, employment and retirement), but most people will recognize these factors in their home buying decision making process.

Personal: This factor is about the real you. Some people have great needs for security, privacy, anonymity or identity in the choice of a home. This factor affects greatly the choice of a home as these items since they are about the real you are often non negotiable.

Social: Those who value this factor see their home in regard to their partner, their children, their friends, neighbors and the community as a whole. They see the home as being a large factor as the hub or center of their social scene.

Physical: Homes have specific emotional appeals due to the physicality of the structure or dwelling. A pool may remind one of one’s childhood. A kitchen may fulfill a dream or be a reminder of pleasant times. The views, the physical setting and the perceived beauty of the home all fall under the physical factors in buying a home.

Monetary: Homes can represent the financial achievement and success of a person based on their size, cost and amenities. Homes like these give an indication of a person’s financial affairs, and represents how you value your money and material goods along with how much you actually have or have invested in your home.

Buying your Dream Home is All About You.by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

September 5, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Homes for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Did you ever stop to think about all the considerations that go in to buying your dream home? Most of us just think about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, pool and spa or maybe a tennis court.

But buying your dream home is so much more than that. There are of course the physical aspects of where you live and how you live. Then you think about the financial well being of your family in making the payment. This goes along with the safety and security we all crave from our home, but beyond that for a home to truly fulfill your dream we need to consider your emotional security and the place where your intimate and social relationships will literally call themselves home.

Even financially, emotionally and accomplished people make mistakes when buying their dream home. They can bully their partner into buying a home the other would not choose, they can stretch to purchase a home they can’t really afford and they can hire the wrong contractor to make additions and changes. Sometimes the disaster is simply buying a home too far from the workplace in trying to please a partner who stays at home. All of these have huge ramifications on the family and contribute to distress in the dream home.

Choosing someone like Joe Szabo who has a lot of experience in the buying and selling of homes and who has most importantly created a solid business of repeat clients can save you money, save you heartache and certainly protect you in the buying and selling of real estate.

Thinking about Buying a New Home by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

September 1, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Homes for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

When you are thinking of moving or buying a new home, there is a school of thought that says the emotional component of buying a home often can lead to poor financial decision making. We’ve all reacted emotionally and wished we hadn’t so why this is should not be a surprise, but it’s worth writing about to remind you about some things to consider.

First, when you consider moving and you find a house in which you fall in love, it’s good to step back and take a moment to consider how these consequences affect anyone moving with you. In the quest for the ideal home, we need to remember that our family members who are unhappy in the home can make than situation less than ideal.

Often when clients are very excited to make a sale they say too much and spoil the negotiation. Remember, buying a home is one the largest financial transactions you will make in your lifetime and hiring the best real estate negotiator as your real estate agent is a must. And your job is to not say too much and let that real estate agent do their job. After all, real estate sales are about the buyer getting the lowest possible price and the seller getting the highest possible price.

This is where a seasoned real estate professional like Joe Szabo can make all the difference. He and his team can let you “fall in love” with your new property while you know that he is negotiating for the best price on your behalf while contracting safeguards for your purchase.