Archives for November 2013
10 things to do 3 days before Thanksgiving dinner By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
1. Make a plan. Take a few minutes to jot down the zillion things you need to do during the next 36 hours or so. Look at your recipes and devise a schedule for cooking. Compile a list of last-minute things to buy.
2. Buy, beg or borrow containers for leftovers. The best containers are the plastic stackable ones, and they should be inexpensive because you’ll probably send some home with guests.
3. Thaw the turkey. If you’ve bought a frozen bird and it’s still hard as a rock, you’d better move into full thaw mode. The quickest method is to submerge the turkey in a sink of cold water. The catch is you have to change the water every 30 minutes. If you’re stuck with a frozen turkey, follow the sink-soak method as long as you can, then stash the bird in the fridge overnight. If the turkey’s still frozen Thursday morning, it’s time for another swim in the sink.
4. Find fine wine. Consider: Gewurtztraminer, riesling, chardonnay and the all-American white zinfandel. If you prefer red, try pinot noir, a mellow merlot or fresh and fruity beaujolais nouveau.
5. Buy plenty of butter and chicken stock. You will need butter for side dishes, including mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and candied yams, and gobs of desserts. Chicken stock is essential for moistening stuffing and making gravy. Unsalted butter and low-sodium chicken stock are best.
6. Set the table. Do this Wednesday night or first thing Thursday. If nothing else, count dishes, silverware and serving pieces. Maybe you need to map out a seating arrangement, so that Aunt Sally isn’t near Cousin Bob, who made a disparaging remark about her haircut last year.
7. Recruit a turkey carver. You’ll probably be too busy and distracted to carve the turkey, so ask someone dependable who isn’t prone to injuries to do it for you. Remember that a turkey is easier to carve after it has rested at least 15 minutes out of the oven.
8. Cook turkey to proper temperature. Using an instant-read meat thermometer means you don’t have to worry about overcooking or undercooking the main course. When done, the breast should register 170 degrees and the inside of the thigh should be 180 degrees. How do you know when to take your turkey’s temperature? Roasting at 325 degrees, a turkey takes 10 to 12 minutes per pound to cook if not stuffed, or 12 to 15 minutes per pound if stuffed. Do the math.
9. Plop the cranberry sauce from the can. While many have been won over by fancy sauces made with oranges, nuts and fresh cranberries, others will eat nothing but the plain sauce from the can. To extricate sauce in one perfect piece, punch a hole or two in the bottom of the can after cutting off the top. Shake gently over a plate until you hear a slight gurgling sound, and the sauce should slide out easily.
10. Designate a dishwasher. You’ve worked far too hard to pick up a dirty dish. So when someone innocently asks, “Is there anything I can do?” Quickly say yes, and hand them a sponge.
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, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com 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.
Luxury Homes with Private Sports Facilities By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
High-end homes are sporting an Olympic-array of facilities: from full-size gyms to baseball pitching ranges, badminton and volleyball areas, and stand-alone squash and racquetball courts. On the extreme end are indoor lacrosse turfs, wrestling rings and hockey rinks.
In Palm Beach, Fla., builder Terry Cudmore has just finished a replica of the Miami Heat’s home court at American Airlines Arena. While it boasts fewer seats than the real thing, the million-dollar project is emblazoned with the team’s logo and signage and includes a professional-quality floor, scoreboard and sound system. The family’s son uses it to practice basketball. In Kansas City, Mo., Cory Childress at Evan-Talan Homes is working on a home court with three basketball hoops, a soccer net, bleachers, a locker room and a bath with steam shower. In Telluride, Colo., the estate of Timothy Boberg and Roxanne Pulitzer includes, among other sporting amenities, a two-lane, 100-foot-long, computer-controlled indoor shooting range. That property is on the market asking $18.5 million.
“It’s picked up dramatically,” says Dave VanderVeen of WeBuildSports.com, which builds home gymnasiums and backyard courts in the Chicago area. Mr. VanderVeen says he used to install two or three indoor sports rooms a year, ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet and costing $10,000 to $70,000. This past year he has been asked to give quotes for 25 projects and built about 11, the vast majority of which were in newly constructed homes, including a $170,000 job that had a full-size baseball pitching range and a gymnastics room. Gordon Anderson, whose Buffalo, N.Y.-based Anderson Courts and Sports Surfaces specializes in basketball, squash and racquetball courts, put squash courts in 12 private homes this past year—double his business four years ago—for budgets ranging from $35,000 to $70,000.
Connor Sport Court, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based global company that installs gyms for professional teams and private residences, held a focus group a few years ago to figure out why people were asking for more indoor courts at home.
The answer was twofold: a desire for a safe place where kids and parents could play, and a hope that increasing access to sports at home would help their kids athletically, and thereby socially, says CEO Ron Cerny. “Every parent sees their kid as a pro ballplayer,” adds Rolf Zimmermann, who sells equipment for Carmel, N.Y.-based Eastern Jungle Gym, which started with backyard swing sets but has diversified into indoor basketball courts because of demand.
Venture capitalist Larry Bettino was looking for a fun escape when he bought a weekend home in North Stonington, Conn., mostly because the shape of the barn would be perfect for a basketball court. He spent about $250,000 converting the barn into a two-level sports facility. Completed in 2010, it includes a full-size basketball court and squash court upstairs in what used to be the hayloft; downstairs there is a pool table and a weight and exercise room. “There’s a lot of pressure on these kids in our community. It is nice for them to be able to take a break,” says Mr. Bettino, father of three teenagers.
Last weekend, Sam Oh hosted a housewarming party for his new squash court, which included an exhibition match by two of the country’s top professional squash players, Julian Illingworth and Gilly Lane. Added to his Greenwich, Conn., property for about $50,000 (not including the new structure in which it is housed), the court allows Mr. Oh, a passionate player, to come home from work and play with one of his three daughters without having to get in a car and fight for court time at a club. “I travel a lot. I wanted to create an easy option to engage with my kids,” says Mr. Oh, a partner in a private-equity firm, adding that it is also a way for him to bring together the local squash community.
Alisha Jeppesen, a stay-at-home mom in Bennington, Neb., her husband and three kids will soon move into their new 5,000-square-foot home with its own 800-square-foot basketball court. The home cost $750,000; the court cost roughly $50,000. Ms. Jeppesen says her goal is to use the court for roller skating, rock climbing and tennis as well as basketball—and to turn it into a disco for parties. The plan was to “make our house so much fun that all of my kids’ friends want to be here and I know where they are and that they’re safe,” she says. “It’s a fun reason to invite someone over,” adds Elictia Hart, a pastor with twins who also has a new 800-square-foot court in her Omaha home.
Houses with indoor courts tend to be very large, usually 5,000 square feet or more, and many owners may not recoup their $50,000-plus investment when it comes time to sell. “Everybody loves it but not everybody can afford it,” says Mike Zawislak, an agent with Baird & Warner in the Chicago area who is listing a seven bedroom, eight bathroom, 10,000-square-foot house with a 20-by-40 foot racquetball court. The owners are asking $2.4 million, and the house has been on the market for almost a year.
Building the facilities is just the beginning. Installing heating and ventilation systems for large areas is expensive—up to $100,000 for just a squash court. Someone has to replace the light bulbs in superhigh ceilings. Plus, parking can become an issue when school teams and others begin using the space for practice.
Which leads to a common side effect of installing a big facility: requests from the community to use it. John Nugent, CEO of a software company, owns a 20,000-square-foot house in Andover, Mass., with a full-size basketball court, a batting cage with a pitching machine, a bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool and an outdoor putting green. Mr. Nugent says the court helped his son stay competitive in high school varsity sports; now that his son is in law school, lots of middle-school and high-school basketball and soccer teams use the gym. Mr. Nugent says he has no problem with that, although he does say “it can get to be a little bit of a traffic jam in our driveway in the afternoons.” The house is now for sale, asking $5.5 million.
The gym “is the most used room in the house,” says Tony Gracely, a Houston car dealer who now owns a commercial and residential real-estate financing and development company. His home has a full-size basketball court with a locker room and steam showers. Although his kids are grown—one son went on to play basketball at the University of Texas at Austin—Mr. Gracely uses the gym for his own weekly basketball games and for charitable events. Every week when it is cold, a group of neighborhood kids use the gym to play Wiffle ball.
Some of the happiest owners are those who built the facility for their own use. Helge Frank, a retired neurologist, installed a racquetball court when he built his house in Oak Brook, Ill. Although he has decided to sell the home, putting it on the market for $2.4 million, Mr. Frank says the court’s $60,000 cost was well worth it, giving him more than 30 years of twice-a-week games with friends.
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, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com 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.
First Time Buyers – Harder to qualify for a loan in 2014! By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
The Frank Dodd law may make qualifying more difficult, for many first time home buyers, with tougher qualifying guidelines. It will take effect in January 2014, just a few months away. So if you have been sitting on the fence, thinking about buying, Time To Get Moving! A leading real estate authority from ASU stated last week that the Phoenix Metro Area is in a balanced market! That means there are more opportunities for buyers, than just 2 months ago. Interest rates are still low, and supply is up. That could all change in 2014. Owning a home is much better than renting.
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, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com 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.
October 2013 Paradise Valley Arizona real estate market update by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate
Happy November! It looks like the real estate market has cooled off just like the weather. The good news is that the median home price in Paradise Valley Arizona has increased from $990,000 to $1,150,000 since September 2013; this is up a whopping 24.3% since October 2012. New listings are up from September with 76 listings as opposed to 69 from the previous month. New contracts and closed sales are down 11.4% and 21.6%, respectively. The market is starting to balance out making it a great time to buy or sell in Paradise Valley.
Considering a purchasing or selling a property in Paradise Valley? Take advantage of the great market conditions and get your home listed for sale.
We hope that you enjoy reading and analyzing the Paradise Valley Luxury Home Report and should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020 or email him directly at Joe@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or Joe@AZLuxuryHomes.com. You can also visit https://www.AZLuxuryHomes.com or https://scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Paradise Valley Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Paradise Valley and to search the Paradise Valley MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.
Please note that this Paradise Valley Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Paradise Valley Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley 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 Paradise Valley, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results.
Title Evidence Submittal Requirements provided by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
- The city accepts only Title Insurance Commitment for proof of Title.
- The title commitment must cover the whole project site, just as if the city were a commercial real estate developer who was going to buy the whole site from whoever owns it today.
- All submittals must include a complete Schedule A and B.
- The City of Scottsdale must be listed as the proposed insured.
The title information must not be more than 30 days old at the time of the dedication.
- Title information for single family residential dedications is to be provided at the time of the first submittal
- Title Insurance Commitment for commercial dedications is to be provided with the first submittal and title information must not be more than 30 days old at the time of dedication – so new title/updated information is required prior to final approval
The Schedule B requirements must call for:
- A deed from the current owner to the city.
- Releases of all liens, as if the city were going to pay cash for the land and not assume any liens or take subject to any liens.
- Termination of all leases. (Leases with 24 or fewer months remaining in their term may be listed in the Schedule B exceptions instead.)
- Any other specific payments or specific document recordings that the title insurer would normally call for (such as payment of delinquent property taxes).
The Schedule B exceptions must show any other specific title matters that may exist.
The applicant MUST cure any title problems the city requests.
If the title information shows any unpaid deeds of trust, mortgages, HOA assessments, back property taxes, or other liens, the Applicant must provide the City with a copy of the recorded release of the lien or the dedication must include a signed and notarized Confirmation of Dedication.
The title information can be submitted without copies of the legal documents mentioned in the information. However, if the City of Scottsdale has questions about such documents, the city may require such copies and may delay processing the application until the copies are provided.
Both “standard coverage” and “extended coverage” title commitments are acceptable. (The title information on an extended coverage commitment must be identical to the title information that would be on a standard coverage commitment. The only difference is that the Schedule B requirements for an “extended coverage” commitment will call for a survey and will allow the title company to add Schedule B exceptions or requirements for any problems the survey reveals.)
There is no need to open an escrow to make a routine dedication. The city will record the dedication directly without sending it through the title company. Often, the city will not actually buy the title insurance described in the commitment or require the applicant to buy it. But, if the city decides to do it (or require the applicant to do it), then the city or the applicant will follow up with the title insurer to pay the insurance
The applicant shall inform city staff in writing of any and all title changes that occur after the title commitment is issued.
The City of Scottsdale reserves the right to request additional information, up to and including a requirement that the Applicant secure a new title insurance policy in favor of the City of Scottsdale. For more information check out : https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/bldgresources/planreview/title
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, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit https://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.
October 2013 Scottsdale Arizona real estate market update by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate
Happy November! There is a lot to be happy about in Scottsdale Arizona. The weather is perfect and the real estate market isn’t too shabby either. The median home price in Scottsdale Arizona has increased from $371,000 to $385,000 since September 2013; up 18.5% since October 2012. New listings are up from September with 1,143 listings as opposed to 900 from the previous month. New contracts are up 14.3% while closed sales dropped slightly by 5.8%. The hot seller’s market is starting to cool off and balance out the market. Would be a great time for buyers on the fence to make a move!
Considering a purchasing or selling a property in Scottsdale? Take advantage of the great market conditions and get your home listed for sale before the snow birds and students return in the fall.
We hope that you enjoy reading and analyzing the Scottsdale Luxury Home Report and should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020 or email him directly at Joe@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com. You can also visit https://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.
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.
Cool wine cellars are hot additions to homes By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Renovating their Falls Church home — a former broom factory built in the 1890s — led Keith and Greta Brendley to add the ultimate luxury: a specially dug basement for a wine cellar.
“It allows my collection to grow and allows me to buy deeper, younger reds that need significant time to age,” says Keith Brendley, 55, president of a defense systems analysis company. Lining the walls of the underground room are mahogany racks and shelves, many filled with California wines.
Temperature-controlled, dedicated wine storage is becoming more common as the beverage gains popularity among consumers. A recent Gallup poll shows that about as many Americans prefer wine as they do beer, which has dropped over the past two decades as the alcoholic drink of choice. As a result, homeowners are investing in coolers, closets and rooms for their chardonnay, cabernet and other varietals.
“A wine refrigerator is something that a lot of our clients add when they renovate their kitchens,” says Jim Wrenn of Bethesda-based Case Design/Remodeling, the firm responsible for the Brendleys’ renovation. Most under-counter fridges hold about 50 bottles, leading serious oenophiles to step up to larger spaces where the temperature and humidity are kept steady to protect their investments.
“Many of my clients build wine cellars because they are collecting and buying wine at a rate they can’t keep up with and growing out of their wine refrigerators,” says Lisa Weiss of the Wine Cellar Co. in McLean.
Steve Goldstein of Classic Cellar Design in Vienna says the demand for wine cellars is on the rise, particularly in newer spec homes. He notes that the increase has resulted, in part, from “the loosening of the interstate shipping laws over the last few years, providing access to many hard-to-find wines and the ability to ship home wines from vacation experiences in wine country.”
With the typical wine cellar costing about $40,000 to $60,000 — the Brendleys spent about $80,000 on their 10-foot-by-13-foot basement room — some homeowners are opting for smaller, less expensive storage spaces, Weiss says. “Closet cellars are hot right now and run about $15,000 to $20,000,” Weiss says. Another trend she sees is to craft the bottle racks out of reclaimed wood from wine barrels and tanks.
Most important to a wine cellar, experts say, is the proper infrastructure for storage. “It’s absolutely critical that you prepare the room for refrigeration with the right placement of insulation and vapor barriers,” Weiss says. “If you miss a step, you may end up with condensation or mold.”
Insulation must cover the floor and ceiling in addition to the walls for controlling environmental conditions. Doors should be exterior-grade to ensure a tight seal and lighting kept low to reduce heat. The goal is to keep the temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity at 55 to 70 percent so that bottles are kept cool and corks don’t loosen or dry out to spoil the contents.
“You are building a walk-in refrigerator for your wine,” Goldstein says. “A wine cellar can be located anywhere as long as all of its surfaces are considered. Most people put them in the basement because that’s the coolest place in the home and where people have extra room.”
But don’t plan on hosting guests inside the cellar. Says Greta Brendley, 52, a school psychologist: “It’s way too cold for dining or hanging out. We were thinking more about storage than a place to entertain.”
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, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com 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.
Closet Organization for Two: Closet Makeover by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Do you share a small walk-in closet with someone? Many of us do. Walk-in closets are great for sharing, if they have the right closet organizer design. In fact, Closet Factory designers dramatically increase a closet’s efficiency, by using the space more wisely. Let’s take a look at one makeover that shows how this is done.
Using just two long shelves high above standard hanging rods, the couple sharing this small walk-in closet faced a nearly impossible task: maintaining a neat and organized closet without any kind of adequate system. They grew tired of folded jeans cascading down on their heads. “The shelf was so high I literally had to throw my jeans up there,” confesses Laura.
To try and fill in some much-needed storage, a dresser was pulled in. It consumed much of the floor space and was awkward to access underneath the volume of their combined wardrobe. A series of bins, baskets and other storage products provided hit-or-miss solutions that didn’t really match their needs.
First order of business for the designer was to carefully measure the 9-foot by 7-foot space. She conducted an inventory of every piece of clothing and pair of shoes. Was there anything that could move out? The suitcases. Anything that should move in? Laura wanted her necklaces next to her clothes. With all the needs and style preferences in hand, the designer began an organizational design. She made sure that everything fit just right and would be accessible.
Ample shelves behind attractive cabinet doors provide plenty of space for folded jeans, sweaters and shirts. A belt rack on the inside of the cabinet door doubles as a necklace organizer. Below, two narrow drawers with locks store Laura’s fine jewelry. The couple chose a dark finish to match the woodwork in other parts of their home, complemented by brushed nickel hardware. The end result is a closet that looks neat, streamlined and perfectly coordinated.
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, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com 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.