By Joe Szabo,ScottsdaleReal Estate Team

 

1. Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa.Litchfield Park,Arizona   The legendary Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa has been a renowned retreat in the Valley of the Sun since 1929. Located just 20 minutes west of downtownPhoenix, the resort boasts 331 casita-style rooms, three championship golf courses, several distinct restaurants featuring fine regional cuisine, nine lighted tennis courts, two sparkling pools, lush gardens and a multitude of recreational activities. Wigwam’s three 18-hole championship golf courses offer a diversity that cannot be matched by any otherArizonaresort. Enhancements to the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed courses include an ‘island green,’ expanded practice facilities and the acclaimedJimMcLeanGolfSchool. The Wigwam has also recently completed a host of major improvements to the resort, including a new (Elizabeth Arden) Red Door Spa, a magnificent, inviting and uncluttered getaway where guests can lounge in plush surroundings made specifically for quiet, meditative relaxation. The two-story spa facility will encompass 26,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor areas that mirrors The Wigwam’s historic, signature adobe-style architecture. 2. Westin Kierland Resort and Spa – Right Next Door to the Kierland Golf Club   Westin Kierland Resort and Spa is set in a great location for golfers, right next door to Kierland Golf Club with more great courses just around the corner. The hotel is also adjacent to Kierland Commons, one of those fancy developments featuring upscale specialty retail, entertainment and dining venues; a great night spot after a long day on the courses. Westin Kierland Resort and Spa also has several restaurants and lounges on the property including the Brittlebush Bar & Grill. Accommodations: Westin Kierland Resort and Spa has 732 guest rooms, including 55 suites and 32 casita units. All guest rooms come with a private balony or terrace and are all smoke free. And don’t forget to check out the Westin  Kierland Agave Spa. 3.GoldCanyonGolf Resort,Gold Canyon,Arizona   The Gold Canyon Golf Resort is located amongArizona’sSuperstitionMountains, a name that generates an air of mystery and imagination. The great Apache war chief, Cochise, is reputedly buried somewhere among these mountains, and ancient tales of lost gold mines, including “The Lost Dutchman,” are considered by many to be fact rather than legend. And nowhere is the mystique more apparent than at the legendary Gold Canyon Golf Resort inArizona. Two courses designed by Ken Kavanaugh – the Dinosaur Mountain Course and the Sidewinder – take golfers deep into the High Sonoran desert where the solitude of the environment enhances an overall spiritual feeling that only comes when we are at one with nature. The Dinosaur Mountain Course offers a round of golf as exhilarating as you could wish for. The course is one spectacular vista of theSuperstitionMountains after another. The views from the course’s two signature holes – four and five – are beyond description; golf in theArizona desert does not come any better than this.DinosaurMountain has always been considered a players course, but in truth the placement of the tee boxes offers golfers of all levels of skill an enjoyable and challenging round. The Dinosaur, the number 1 rated public golf course inArizona, also ranks high among the most scenic courses in the Great Southwest. GoldCanyon’s second course, The Sidewinder, is noted for its creative design and the way it incorporates the undulating desert landscape. Its panoramic vistas are no less spectacular than those of theDinosaurMountain course. This is a course you’ll want to play more than once. 4. Phoenician Resort inScottsdale,Arizona The Phoenician Golf Resort inScottsdale,AZ, offers luxury accommodations in a setting of uncommon beauty and style. Amenities include 27 holes of championship golf, nine swimming pools, and aTennisGardenwith 11 lighted courts. The City ofScottsdaleis famous for its spas, and the Phoenician boasts of one of the finest: The Centre for Well-Being offers an amazing spa experience. For the kids, well the kids can enjoy fun-filled days at Funicians Kids Club while you grown-ups can go do your own thing on the golf course or at the spa. Finally, there’s the cuisine: from modern French to the authentic Italian flavors of Il Terrazzo, to the Southwest flavors of Windows on the Green. Activities: The Phoenician also offers a wide variety of family activities, including leisure and recreation options for adults, teens and children to enjoy individually. The staff can arrange personalized tours through the red rocks of Sedona, day trips to the Grand Canyon, visits to authentic western “ghost towns,” hikes through the pine covered mountains of Flagstaff and many other exciting Southwestern destinations. 5. The Legacy Golf Resort inPhoenix,Arizona   Aside from its magnificent golf course, the Legacy Golf Resort inPhoenix,Arizona,offers a range of top-class amenities, including a sparkling pool, deluxe health club and an endless variety of recreational activities. The Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix features 328 luxury guest suites housed in 12 separate buildings and decorated in Spanish mission-style with rich wood cabinetry and each suite features a full kitchen or kitchenette, spacious living area, and either a balcony or patio overlooking lush tropical courtyards and spectacular mountain views. The Legacy Golf Resort is located on what was once Dwight B. Heard’s 7,500-acre ranch. The resort is rich in heritage and history and the designers have preserved and integrated many of the structures and monuments, thus giving its 18-hole championship golf course a unique look and an added opportunity to experience some of Arizona’s history and the Heard legacy from which the resort takes its name. 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 inArizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes inScottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSaleand Estates forSaleinScottsdaleand to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

By Joe Szabo,ScottsdaleReal Estate Team   Everybody agrees on the belief that top quality furniture brands can definitely make an impression, regardless of where they are used. The factors that create for you a greater look with many top furniture brands include their elegance, quality, design as well as the unique features which aren’t seen elsewhere. Are these luxury brands at your reach? With toughest competition and the online shopping revolutions, even best furniture brands are now offered by a very affordable price. Having the strategies of buying them cheap, without compromising on quality, will help you save a great deal. Getting assisted by someone who is familiar with the brands and models may also be useful. The key high end brands give many offers to the customers can use, offline and online. Some special types, offered on special seasons, will probably be having some discounts and surprise gifts. An important thing to make sure that you usually are not overpriced is to compare the top furniture brands. Right after a study around the basic pricing structure, go for one which is sensible. Aside from providing a classy look to your interiors, top quality brands offer better comfort than ordinary furniture items. Finding the optimum suited ones to your residence or office could make it rather attractive. The designs along with the color combinations should be compatible for the interior decorations of one’s room else the bucks spent on the luxurious furniture brands won’t be worth doing. Another area receive attention while purchasing royal class brands is the trends. Although latest trends will almost always be attractive, bear in mind that most of such trends will appear reduced in a short time. Selecting a moderate type, in design and comfort, would be the good decision when it is about high end brands. The leading furniture manufacturers allow bargain deals on the customers who are purchasing multiple items. Buying each of the furniture sets you need to your house or office once is going to be saving you a little extra bucks as well. The simple truth is topping brands can always be trusted because they are about the field for a very long time. Giving an attempt for the new companies mustn’t be avoided, but you need to be alert while choosing some expensive furniture items from such companies. The reviews of some other customers who already have bought a similar kind of furniture or suggestions through the interior designers could be making it a good deal when you are to buy the best form of furniture brands to your house or office, where both you and your family planning to spend the rest of your life. It should not be mentioned that this quality is among the most significant aspect in deciding the ideal brands, for what you’re paying needs to be worth the cost. The warranty or guarantee offers about the high-end furniture brands are important as you don’t need to lose your dollars a few weeks. 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 inArizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes inScottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSaleand Estates forSaleinScottsdaleand to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

By Joe Szabo,ScottsdaleReal Estate Team   Mediterranean style homes are increasing in popularity. It may be because it is reminiscent of the sunny Mediterranean coast or because it is a classic style. Whatever the reasons may be, Mediterranean style homes are here to stay. The best aspect is that EnviroCitizen.org has found that these homes are easy to convert into green homes. All it takes is a good design and you’ll get a stylish house with minimal impact on our planet and its resources. There are a few key elements in the design of a Mediterranean home. A low-pitched roof is one of the main distinguishing features. On that roof, red roof tiles are on top. A Mediterranean home typically has stucco siding. Then there are arches above doors, windows or porches. Lastly, the final element of the design is to have heavy carved wooden doors. The Mediterranean style home is easy to make green with the tile and stucco. They are products of concrete which is a reusable and recyclable material. If you are going to be using a stucco-like material, consider one made from fly ash. It is a component that is used in making cement. It is an industrial waste product that makes any product made from cement become green because less goes into the landfill. When done correctly, the Mediterranean style home can make the most of the sun. Daylighting is a form of passive solar that is a very green practice which works well with this style of home. This is a technique that doesn’t require any photovoltaic panels, just positioning and planning the cabin so sunlight is used efficiently. This allows for optimal solar use and less energy use. Look out for taller buildings and trees that will inhibit sunlight from reaching the building. Southern facing windows is best for passive heating, with east and west exposure being the most difficult to deal with. However, a site with poor solar exposure is not a poor site; it will simply require creative building design to take advantage of what exposure there is. If you think that a Mediterranean style home is for you and want a green one, you can easily design a plan that makes it sustainable. Contacting a green designer such as an architect that is LEED certified is a good start.  Green buildings are better for you and better for the Earth—a win-win situation! 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 inArizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes inScottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSaleand Estates forSaleinScottsdaleand to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

By Joe Szabo,ScottsdaleReal Estate Team   Stainless steel kitchen appliances are popping up all over the real estate market. Homebuyers are looking for stainless steel refrigerators, sinks, countertops, ovens and dishwashers. All of these lend kitchens a modern, sleek new look, but at prices that require some serious thought. Stainless steel comes in various grades and styles that have the potential to seriously raise your home value, but there are other things to take into consideration like appearance and energy efficiency. Take a look at our guide to stainless steel appliances below so that you can be armed with the information you need to make the stainless steel decision that is right for you.   Benefits of Stainless Steel Stainless steel is one of the most widely used metals in the world today due to its tough durability, rust-resistant trait, and aesthetic appeal. In kitchens, stainless steel appliances are popular because of the guaranteed longevity of use and because they’re easy to clean. The biggest complaint with stainless steel appliances, like refrigerators or dishwashers, is that they collect smudges, fingerprints, or water spots. These are all easily wiped away with a quick spritz of rubbing alcohol on a clean, soft cloth. Some newer stainless steel appliances even come with a polyester coat for “smudge-proof” convenience like this Frigidaire Refrigerator.   It Depends on the Look Stainless steel definitely adds the “wow” factor, but it must also blend in with the look of the house. If the room is dark due to subtle lighting or no windows, then lighter-colored appliances often fit best. However, if the room has lighter colors and high-end fixtures, then stainless steel adds great appeal. Also, keep in mind that stainless steel adds a modern look. So, if your cabinets and countertops are old-looking, stainless steel may look over-the-top for the space you have. However, if your kitchen looks newer and is open with lots of space, then stainless steel can really add zest to this often-used room. Remember, uniformity of look within your kitchen is also important. You don’t want to end up with a clashing set of appliances like a stainless steel dishwasher sitting next to your white refrigerator that’s across from your black oven. Instead, make the effort to match the color and style of all of your appliances.   Faux Stainless Steel If you decide that re-outfitting all of your appliances in stainless steel is too expensive, you can still make your existing kitchen appliances look appealing. Start out by giving everything in your kitchen a good cleaning. Then, consider adding a coat of appliance paint to any of your appliances that have seen better days. Or simply take advantage of this neat product to create a uniform look throughout the kitchen. Appliance paint comes in a number of different colors, including faux stainless steel. So, you could simply repaint your existing appliances with a product likeThomas’ Liquid Stainless Steel to give your kitchen an instant makeover without actually committing to the cost of a stainless steel upgrade. Or, if you decide to replace only one or two of your appliances with stainless steel, you can use this type of paint to make sure the rest of your existing appliances match in color, if not style.   Think Green to Save on Silver Another thing to consider is that you may want to focus on modern appliance features instead of the style they come in. Homebuyers want kitchens with matching appliances that work well and don’t run up the bills. A less expensive, quiet, energy-efficient white dishwasher may be more practical for refurbishing purposes than the silver look of a high end stainless steel dishwasher that takes a serious hit on the wallet. Eco-friendly appliances certainly add home value to potential buyers who know they can save hundreds of dollars per year in utility bills with energy efficient appliances that use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than their traditional counterparts.  Ask an Expert It’s always a good idea to see what appliances are hot in your local real estate market by talking to a local realtor. If everyone is switching over to stainless steel, then keeping your old appliances could take a hit on your home value. But if you’ll be the only one for miles around with gourmet stainless steel kitchen appliances, then you could end up increasing your kitchen’s value so much in comparison with your neighbors that it becomes an unaffordable option for potential homebuyers. Final Tip: If you have your heart set on new appliances, but aren’t sure you can foot the bill, then try this smart shopping tip: Go to several local appliance stores and ask if they are selling any floor models or slightly scratched or previously opened appliances for a discount. Oftentimes, you can find brand new appliances in perfectly good working condition for a fraction of the original price due to small aesthetic damages. Sometimes, you can even get a full warranty with these products. Remember, it never hurts to ask! 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 inArizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes inScottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSaleand Estates forSaleinScottsdaleand to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

By Joe Szabo,ScottsdaleReal Estate Team   Known for tiled roofs and stucco finishes, Mediterranean-style homes are frequently found in states with warm climates and Spanish histories.   A potpourri of influences fromSpain,Italy,Portugaland other countries around the Mediterranean region of the world can be found in the architectural style that today bears the same name. Mediterranean architecture inNorth America, which was extremely popular from 1918 to 1940, echoed the haciendas in the Spanish New World with their red tile roofs, arches and plaster made rough to resemble plastered adobe. Many homes inCaliforniaandFlorida, states which have Spanish, histories, were built in this style. Over time, flourishes from other European countries (France,Italy,Greeceand the Balkans), could be found in the houses. Asian inspirations fromTurkey,CypressandLebanonjoined North African countries likeTunisia,MoroccoandAlgeriain the mix. Today, many ornate homes that combine elements from any of those countries are calledMediterranean(or Neo-Mediterranean) because of the composite of cultural influences from that region. Houses may feature terraces or courtyards, stucco finishes, porticos, balconies or any number of elements inspired by houses on theMediterranean. “Some of the earliest Mediterranean is Churrigueresque,” says Merry Ovnick, associate professor of history atCaliforniaStateUniversity, Northridge, explaining that the Spanish Baroque styles in grand buildings stemmed fromMexicoandPeru. “In the 1920s, people didn’t want to talk about copying Mexican things, so they called it Spanish revival. Houses with classical columns around the driveway picked up from northernItaly. The greater formality came fromItalyorNorth Africa.” In the 1920s and 1930s, Hollywood movies featured romantic Mediterranean sets, and celebrity magazines showed stars living in Spanish Colonial, Tudor or small castle-like houses, creating the peak period for construction of Mediterranean homes, says Ovnick, author of Los Angeles: The End of the Rainbow (1994, Balcony Press), a book documenting architecture as a Southern California phenomenon. The Depression put a damper on home building, and after World War II, the emphasis moved to simple stucco tract housing. But in the 1960s, Mediterranean homes began gaining in popularity again. While they can be found across theUnited States, most are inCalifornia,Floridaand Southern states, all of which have Mediterranean-like climates. Key Elements

• Red tiled roof. These roofs copied those of Spanish and Mexican missions, which were made out of clay pots and bricks, shaped like half a tube to shed water easily. The air pocket in the tunnel of the half-tube helped to keep air cool; the tiles were fireproof.
• Stucco walls. A stucco finish protects exterior wall surfaces from rain, sunlight and hot temperatures, common in Mediterranean climates.
• Arches. This feature goes back to Roman times, and is a self-supporting element that allows building of lighter weight and sturdier walls. Each of the stones next to the keystone in the arch atop the side columns distributes weight to the sides and downward.
• Ornamental detail. Houses usually feature flourishes ranging from large, heavy wooden doors with ornate carvings to the use of multicolored tiles for the risers of staircases.

Famous Examples

• Smith-Heberton House. Nicknamed “El Hogar” (Spanish for “hearth”), this 1916 Mediterranean home in Montecito, California, was designed by architect George Washington Smith, a well-known proponent of the style in the early 20th century.
• Frances Marion and Fred Thomson House. ThisBeverly Hills,CA,  house was built by Wallace Neff, a prominent architect of Mediterranean homes, for screenwriter Frances Marion and her movie star husband, Fred Thomson, in 1925.
• Fred C. Aiken House. Architect Addison Mizner launched a “Florida renaissance” inBoca Raton,FL, turning the small, unincorporated town into a luxurious Mediterranean resort community with houses that featured Moorish columns and spiral staircases suspended in mid-air. This 1926 house, on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, was owned by Aiken, who served asBoca Raton’s mayor from 1929 to 1938.

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 inArizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes inScottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes forSaleand Estates forSaleinScottsdaleand to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.