Archives for December 2011

Happy New Year from Scottsdale Real Estate Team

December 29, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo and Linda Szabo

Joe and Linda Szabo would like to wish you a very happy new year!

Happy Holidays from Scottsdale Real Estate Team

December 22, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo and Linda Szabo

Joe and Linda Szabo would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Will Light affect my Home Sale by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

December 15, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Real Estate for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Take stock of how much light is entering your house. When your house is dark, it feels like a cave and it won’t matter even if you have the most incredible interior.

Open all curtains and windows while it’s bright outside. Now observe each room. Does it feel dark and cold? It may be fine if you’re used to living this way but buyers may be quick to cross your house off their list for lack of appeal.

Natural Light:

Remove ornaments or anything hanging on your windows. The glass panes must be clear and unobstructed.
Cut back tree limbs that block natural light reaching your windows. Similarly, remove indoor shelves and plants blocking your windows.
Window treatments: replace dark or heavy looking drapes.
Consider shutters, sheer white panels, or cut-to-measure blinds at a home center. They are relatively inexpensive and you can revitalize your rooms in one weekend
Mount your valance higher to let in more light while making the window appear larger.
Yet another possibility is to leave windows bare for a fresh, on-trend look.
Remove doors and let adjacent rooms share their light. This works well with dining and living rooms.
Reflect light with strategically placed mirrors. Do this sparingly or risk being labeled as the house of mirrors.
Replace the solid door of your study room with a French door so light can permeate to the rest of the house. To upgrade inexpensively, buy a French glass insert and install it yourself.
Clean your windows and skylights. Layers of grime can filter out an amazing amount of light.
Consider a new decorative glass insert for your main door. Glass inserts are economical and easy to install. You’re guaranteed to buy lots of light for your foyer.

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 for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

What You Need to Know about Mortgage Brokers by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

December 12, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Real Estate for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Customers need to be vigilant about how fees are charged. You might end up paying more for a loan that doesn’t give you what you need. Some mortgage brokers steer to a particular lender or group of lenders. It’s a good idea to ask which lenders a broker works with before you start working with them. Discussing your mortgage broker with your real estate agent can give you some insight as to who might provide you the best possible loan and at a reasonable cost.

Remember, the mortgage broker isn’t going to be pocketing monthly interest from your loan because she’s not lending you the money. Instead, the bulk of his or her income is based on fees. These fees include appraisal and credit inquiry expenses, application processing fees, closing costs including notary services, document preparation, escrow services, title insurance and recording fees. You should also know that many of these costs are based on the amount of the loan, so when you borrow more, you’ll pay more.

Dangers of Using Online Lenders by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

December 8, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Real Estate for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

A local or online mortgage broker may find you a lender in another part of the country.

An online bank might not have a local office where employees can help you one-on-one.

Some out of town lenders don’t understand the types of heating systems used in specific areas, they aren’t familiar with private septic systems, and they don’t immediately understand common classifications and terms used by local appraisers. Those are just a few examples of problems I’ve seen that caused significant slow-downs in loans made by an out of town lender working with a mortgage broker.

Using a local bank can sometimes be a plus. Their staff generally understands the specifics of local properties, but a distant lender who doesn’t will delay closing until questions are answered. Mortgage brokers can often find a lender who will make loans that a bank refuses–problem credit is one example. Loans for unique or commercial properties might be easier to secure through a mortgage broker.

Make your choice of a lender based on the best loan terms you can find. Ask questions about expected time-frame. Ask your real estate agent friends who have recently bought a home for lender and broker referrals.

Decorative Roofing Materials by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

December 5, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Real Estate for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Steel and Metal Roofs are coming back into vogue. In the late 1700s, zinc, copper, and lead were the most popular materials used for roofing – such famous historic buildings as the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello have metal roofs.

Standing-seam steel roofing is the most popular residential metal roofing today. (The term standing-seam describes the upturned edge of one metal panel that connects it to adjacent sections, creating distinctive vertical lines and a trendy historical look.) But metal roofs can also be made to resemble wood shakes, clay tiles, shingles, and Victorian metal tiles. Aluminum or coated steel is formed into individual shingles or tiles, or into modular panels four feet long that mimic a row of shingles or tiles.

Metal roofs are durable, fire retardant and almost maintenance-free. They are also energy efficient; metal reflects heat and blocks its transfer into the attic. Research by the Florida Solar Energy Center in 1985 showed that metal absorbed 34 percent less heat than asphalt shingles, and homeowners switching to metal roofing reported saving up to 20 percent on their energy bills.

Steel roofs offer other environmental benefits as well. They are made from between 60 percent to 65 percent recyclable material. Because they weigh very little, metal roofing can be installed over existing roofs, eliminating the need to dispose of excess material in a landfill.

Installing some metal roofing can be an intricate process best done by a professional, and the initial cost of a premium metal roof is higher than most other roofing materials. You need to compute the lifecycle cost to see if paying more to begin with for a metal roof will prove to be a better investment than some other form of roofing.

Concrete Roofing Materials by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team?

December 1, 2011 szabogroup

Joe Szabo Scottsdale Real Estate for Sale

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Shingles, simulated wood shakes, lighter-weight tiles and concrete panels are being manufactured from a variety of fiber-reinforced cement products. Some are coated with plastics, enamels, or thin metals, and some contain recycled material. Although the products themselves are not yet recyclable, they are a good choice for durability and resource efficiency.

The advantages of concrete roofing vary from product to product, but generally they all have a long lifespan, require low maintenance, offer good fire protection and are resistant to rot and insects. Many tiles mimic the appearance of wood shakes, while improving on the durability and fire protection that real wood affords. It can approximate the look of clay tile or slate while mitigating the structural problems caused by the weight of the real material.

Concrete is more expensive than some roofing materials, and early types of concrete roofing had problems with the material curling, breaking and changing color. Technology has improved, however, and these problems have mostly been overcome. Style and color choices are expanding, and by mixing the cement with additives, manufacturers and making lighter and lighter products.