By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Designing and growing your own container garden is a lot easier than you think. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish with a well-chosen combo of pots and plants, from jazzing up your patio to growing herbs and vegetables in small spaces.

Finding inspiration

Once you’ve figured out what you want from your container garden, it’s time to get inspired. Luckily, ideas are everywhere.

If you’re inspired by the prairies of the Midwest, recreate your own home on the range by pairing ornamental grasses and wildflowers with a rustic whisky barrel container.

Want a tropical getaway? Fill a colorful pot with a ti plant, hibiscus and an ornamental sweet potato vine to trail over the pot’s edge.

You can even grow creative combinations of herbs, fruits and vegetables, such as a pineapple plant with strawberries and thyme draped over the edge.

For a quick burst of frost-resistant spring color, use annuals like alyssum, petunias, dianthus and violas — and combine them with bold perennials or shrubs to add height and drama.

Choosing plants

Since you’re trying to create the look of a real garden, use a variety of plants with colorful flowers and attractive foliage to build up layers of different heights. Usually container combinations use three different types of plants to serve as thrillers, spillers and fillers.

• Thrillers: Dramatic and bold, these tall plants usually rely on foliage to become the focal point. Examples include yucca, ornamental grasses, cordyline and cast iron plant. In larger combinations, these plants can even be used as fillers.
• Spillers: Draping over the edge of the pot, spillers create a softening effect. Spillers to consider include petunias, alyssum, ornamental sweet potato vine, creeping Jenny and dichondra. If it trails, you cannot fail.
• Fillers: Full and flowery, fillers fill the space between plants. What you use depends on the size of the pot, so choose plants that won’t grow taller than the plant you choose to be a thriller.

Made in the shade — or sun

There’s more to choosing plants than just using those that look good together — they have to live well together, too. Some need full sun to bloom their best, while others will get burned unless they’re grown in shade.

• Full sun: Needs more than six hours of sun daily. This category is the most versatile and includes most annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs.
• Part shade: Likes four to six hours of sun per day. Good plants for part sun include heuchera, impatiens, begonias and coleus, though these will also work in full shade.
• Full shade: Requires less than four hours of sun every day. Caladiums, fatsia, ivy and most houseplants and foliage plants thrive in low light.

Watch your water

Another consideration when pairing plants for a container garden is moisture, though it’s a bit easier to control than the sunlight you receive. If you have a hard time remembering to water your plants, grow drought-tolerant annuals, perennials and succulents.

An arrangement with a dramatic yucca surrounded by blooming portulaca and colorful sedum is low maintenance and high impact.

You can also add peat moss or coir to your potting mix before planting to help the container retain moisture. Whatever you do, though, choose a container with a drainage hole so the water can escape without stagnating and rotting your plants.

Digging in

Creating a container garden is so easy that the youngest of kids can help do it.

Here’s how to plant your container garden:

1. Water the plants you’ll be using so their roots won’t get damaged during planting.
2. Fill a container almost all the way to the top with potting mix, leaving just enough room for the plants and their roots.
3. Knock the plants out of their pots, gently tease some of the roots apart and arrange them in the pot.
4. Fill the gaps with more potting mix so it’s level with the plants’ soil surface. Remove any excess potting mix.
5. Water thoroughly so the potting mix settles in.

Care and feeding

In most cases, caring for your garden is as simple as watering the plants before they wilt, trimming stems to keep the arrangement tidy and, in some cases, removing spent blooms to encourage more flowers.

However, if you plan on keeping your container combination together for more than one year, use a time-released fertilizer to keep plants healthy.

When plants outgrow their space, just remove a few and fill the hole left behind with potting mix for the remaining plants.

When flowers start to decline, replace them with new ones and fresh soil. When properly managed, a container garden can last for a very long time.

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Labor Day Weekend Kickoff at The Saguaro with CycleBar!

Start the holiday weekend in style! Join CycleBar for a pop-up event at The Saguaro, a colorful desert oasis in the heart of Old Town! We will offer 2 indoor cycling classes, a 6PM and a 7PM, each one will be a 45 minute cardio party with DJ Soloman on the decks playing all your favorite high energy music! (Be sure to wear white or bright colors because the ballroom will be lit with blacklights!) Your ticket will include a post ride glass of champagne and you are welcome to enjoy the evening poolside with your friends!

The Saguaro Scottsdale presents Swim Meet Labor Day Weekend Pool Party

Saturday, Septemebr 1st 2018

Sounds by:

TRILL TONE x LICK

SOLOMAN

CONVINCE

Swim Meet is a Saguaro original pool party series that celebrates life through music, community & the spirit of the Sonoran Desert. Join us as we showcase Arizona’s rising young DJ talent spinning the best in Dance Hits, inside the world renowned Saguaro Picante Pool.

“Strictly rhythm driven desert vibes…”

Daybed Rentals & VIP Services: [email protected]

Room Rates: AVAILABLE HERE

Age: 21+ /// RSVP today for entry!

 

The Saguaro Scottsdale presents Sun Dream Labor Day Weekend Pool Party

Sunday, Septemebr 2nd 2018

Sounds by:

DJ HAZARDOUS

SOLOMAN

Sun Dream is a Saguaro pool party series that acts as your Sunday audio message that requests nothing more then pure relaxation. Well, not on Labor Day Weekend of course, as we keep the party vibes going well into Sunday! Let our resident sound selectors offer your soundtrack for the weekend with these two future super star DJs!

“Strictly rhythm driven desert vibes…”

Daybed Rentals & VIP Services: [email protected]

Room Rates: AVAILABLE HERE

Age: 21+ /// RSVP today for entry!

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.

 

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Is there some kind of law that requires rental apartments to supply no more than a single square of kitchen counter space to each unit?

Between the white walls, scarce and often outdated cabinets, and a lack of amenities, it’s rare to find a solid kitchen in the world of yearlong leases.

But no good makeover starts with a beautiful subject, right?

All you need to transform that bleak little kitchen into a well-designed, functional space is a bit of imagination, some basic home maintenance skills, and a few solid pieces.

Here’s where to begin.

Donate first

Before moving into your new space, make sure to get rid of all those things you don’t need anymore.

Have you actually used that discounted bundt pan in the past year or two? If not, donate to your favorite local charity shop. Someone else might get use out of it, and you’ll be saving yourself from more clutter in your new home.

Think vertically

Vertical storage is a tried-and-true method of using space, and the kitchen holds some unique opportunities for making the most of it.

Hanging pot racks, magnetic knife strips, mounted dish-drying racks installed above the sink, and rods with hooks for towels, aprons, small tools and oven mitts are all excellent ways to keep clutter in its place — and keep the surfaces and lower area of the room free.

 

Find beautiful cleaning tools

The ugly truth is that a lot of everyday items just make sense to keep out — but that doesn’t mean they have to be such an eyesore.

Skip the plastic and get yourself a classic wooden broom, natural fiber dish brush and a glass soap dispenser. These items don’t cost much, but they add a softer look while also getting the job done.

Tap into change

Just because your place didn’t come equipped with a dishwasher doesn’t mean you have to suffer. Installing a quality faucet with a pull-down sprayer can make your chores less of a chore (and, as long as you swap it back before you move out, it shouldn’t violate your rental agreement).

Have space and the budget for something more? Portable dishwashers are a massive timesaver. From small countertop models to wheeled butcher-block-top options, there are sizes that fit into almost any space and require nothing more than your standard sink to function.

Live the island life

A kitchen island is a versatile tool for almost any space — even the tiniest micro apartments!

Whether you choose a larger center-of-the-room-style piece or a small butcher-block number, these additions create more counter space and storage, all in one piece.

Bonus: If your island has wheels, it can serve as a portable bar for your next party. (Hey, if we can call bingeing our favorite shows with a few of our closest friends a “party,” so can you.)

Light it up

Another timeless tip: Good lighting is everything.

If your kitchen is dedicated to getting things done and starting your day, invest in cool lighting — the kind that washes everything in a bright, sunlit glow. A refreshing, cooler light wakes us up and creates an invigorating feeling.

If you’re more of a romantic and enjoy taking your time in the kitchen, keep relaxing, warm lighting around so that you can let the day melt away as you sip your merlot.

For those who prefer a bit of both, app-enabled bulbs can customize the mood for any occasion, and some even use every color of the rainbow.

Think (temporarily) BIG

If there’s one common complaint about renting, it’s the stark white walls. Removable wallpaper adds a touch of personalization and won’t break the bank — or at least, it doesn’t have to.

To keep costs low, stick to one accent wall. Finding a large-scale print will make the space feel larger, and layering a sizable mirror on top will maximize the look and any light.

Curate unique displays

One of the best ways to keep an assortment of oddly shaped kitchen items is to dedicate either one section of the room (think: the top 12 inches of the walls) or one wall to showing them off.

Whether it’s your grandmother’s antique creamer collection or the jumble of cookie cutters that won’t fit into your drawers, making them into a vignette adds a layer of personalization to your space while also providing covert storage in plain sight. Easy-to-install hooks or some simple shelves are great ways to achieve this solution.

 

Keep it alive

Every room deserves a plant. Not only do they look good, but they also improve the quality of the air around them. If you don’t have the floor or counter space to spare, a hanging plant will do the trick.

No natural light in your kitchen? Or perhaps you’re better at killing plants than keeping them green? No matter — there are plenty of realistic artificial plants these days, which means everyone can benefit from the organic shapes of ferns, succulents and the ever-popular fiddle-leaf figs.

Have pets? Make sure to check the toxicity of your plants before choosing their placement.

No matter how uniquely challenging your space might be, there are solutions waiting for you to find them.

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Take your green thumb to new heights (and small spaces!) with a vertical garden.

This DIY is a great way to integrate a little greenery into any space, including an apartment or small porch.

Supplies:

• Two pallets
• Tarp
• Hammer
• Pry bar
• Gloves
• Safety goggles and ear protection
• Sanding blocks or sandpaper
• Paintbrush
• Water-based stain
• Water-based clear sealant
• Two 3 1/2-inch utility hinges
• Screws
• Landscape fabric
• Staple gun and staples
• Screwdriver or screw gun
• Scissors
• Organic potting mix
• Fertilizer
• Plants

A note on plant choice: Before you go wild at the garden center, consider your vertical garden’s placement.

To grow most vegetables, herbs, succulents and annual flowers, you will need at least six hours of direct sunlight. A shady spot limits your choices, but you can still create a lush planting of shade-loving foliage plants, begonias and coral bells.

Many vegetables and annuals will only succeed in certain conditions, so read the tags to decide if they’re right for this season. Finally, consider the potential size and habit of each plant before packing them into such a small space.

1. Source heat-treated pallets

Many pallets are treated with toxic chemicals, so look for the initials “HT” to select heat-treated pallets. The wood should also be hard, clean and relatively smooth.

2. Add space by removing boards

Wearing ear and eye protection (it’s a loud process!), remove every other board with a pry bar. This will give plants sunlight and room to grow.

3. Sand rough spots

Wearing gloves, remove any debris. Sand down the splinters and rough edges, hammering down or replacing any protruding nails.

4. Apply waterproof stain

For a decorative finish, apply a water-based wood stain. Using a paintbrush, paint along the grain of the wood, and wipe off any excess stain with a rag.

If you’re growing vegetables or herbs, line the inside with plastic before planting. This will prevent chemicals from leaching into the potting mix.

Allow the stain to cure for at least 24 hours. Once dry, apply a layer of water-based clear sealant to protect the wood from the elements.

5. Connect pallets with hinges

Stack the two pallets together, ensuring that the bottom edges are level. Attach the hinges to the sides of the pallets with screws, placing them about one-third and two-thirds of the way down for stability.

You may also choose to drill pilot holes first to prevent splitting.

6. Cut landscape fabric

Since pallets come in all shapes and sizes, use the first sheet of landscape fabric to create a template. It should provide ample planting room, as well as about an inch of overlap for the stables.

Once you’ve tested the template, cut the remaining sheets to the same size.

7. Line pallets with fabric

Create a pocket by tucking the landscape fabric into the opening, and staple it in place along the outer edge. Repeat for the remaining pockets.

If extra moisture retention is needed, include an extra layer of fabric.

8. Add organic soil

Before adding potting mix, move the pallet garden to its final location, making sure that it will receive enough sunlight for the plants you’ve chosen.

Fill each pocket about three-fourths of the way full with moisture-retentive potting mix. Set aside some potting mix so that you can add a layer after planting.

9. Add fertilizer

If the potting mix doesn’t already contain fertilizer, sprinkle fertilizer over the surface according to label instructions.

10. Add plants

Before planting, water each plant to keep their brittle roots from breaking. Then slip each plant’s rootball out of the pot, soil and all. Gently tease apart the roots with your fingers, and nestle them into the potting mix, one by one.

Since excess water will drip down to the lowest pockets, fill the upper pockets with drought-tolerant plants such as succulents, sedums, rosemary and lavender. In the lower pockets, incorporate thirstier plants like ferns, basil and mint.

Once the plants have been arranged to your liking, cover with another layer of potting mix, and lightly sprinkle with water to help the mix settle around the roots.

Caring for your vertical garden

Water the uppermost pocket every morning, allowing enough water to reach the other plants. You may need to water two to three times for thirstier varieties of herbs and vegetables, particularly on hot days.

Feed plants once a week with a liquid fertilizer to replace any nutrients that leach out from the potting mix.

Now it’s time to enjoy your vertical garden and its bounty.

As plants outgrow their space, transplant them to the garden or larger containers. You may also choose to start from scratch each season, planting a whole new garden from seeds or transplants.

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

If you want good neighbors, you’ll first have to become one yourself. Master these seven techniques, and even you (yes, you!) can win the approval of your entire neighborhood.

1. Good neighbors bring cookies

Whether you’re new in town or haven’t kept in touch, a delivery of freshly baked goods is a perfect way to break the ice and let neighbors know that you’re thinking of them.

If cookies can keep Santa returning year after year with a bag full of loot, then surely they can train your neighbors to do your bidding. Consider the following scenario.

“Honey, somebody’s robbing the neighbor’s house again.”
“Wait, Janet. The ones who brought cookies yesterday?”
“Exactly. This time I’ll call the cops.”

2. Good neighbors rarely gossip

If your neighbor seems to know the dirt on everyone within a two-block radius, you can count on them to keep tabs on your personal life as well.

The next time Nosy Nellie gleefully describes the contents of the Rickenbacker’s trash again, move the conversation along by refocusing the conversation on her. “So, what are you growing in your garden this year?”

You aren’t in high school anymore, so preserve relationships with your neighbors and avoid the gratuitous gab fests.

3. Good neighbors share phone numbers

For such a connected age, you should really question why you don’t have your neighbors’ phone numbers. After all, what if they receive your package by mistake? What if the house floods while you’re on vacation? Worse yet, what if you need a babysitter?

If you feel uncomfortable bringing it up, ask during one of your cookie deliveries (you are following rule number one, right?) or right before a trip. Jot down your name, number and email address on a piece of paper and ask if your neighbor is comfortable sharing theirs.

4. Good neighbors help before they’re asked

The neighbor who says, “Let me know if you need anything,” probably isn’t going to help whenever you actually need something. You, on the other hand, are a good neighbor and genuinely want to help out.

To get ahead of the meaningless small talk, anticipate their needs. If they have kids and you’re comfortable babysitting, tell them up front. If they’re clearly struggling to mow the lawn during a heat wave, ask for the best time to stop by with your lawnmower.

5. Good neighbors are tidy

Even if you lack self-respect, respect the sensitive tastes of others and clean up your act.

Keep the ironic lawn ornaments to a minimum. Keep trash receptacles hidden in the side yard, or better yet, the garage.

Whenever you’ve finished gardening or landscaping for the day, put away your tools and bags of unused mulch. Rake the leaves and clean up grass clippings and all the other stuff your dad used to bug you about.

And if it’s not too much trouble, pressure wash and paint your house periodically.

6. Good neighbors mow the lawn

An unkempt and weedy lawn is embarrassing for your neighbors, so it should be embarrassing for you as well. Keeping it mowed every week or two is a good start, but it will take more than that to win the approval of the locals.

Trim the edge of your lawn regularly, fertilize on schedule and keep weeds to a minimum. Keep your foundation plantings simple, neatly trimmed and topped off with mulch.

If your neighborhood allows it, go the no-lawn method by planting swaths of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant ground covers. Crucially, don’t overdo it on the sprinklers — especially when it’s raining.

7. Good neighbors communicate

That old “good fences make good neighbors” quote had to come up at some point, right? A good neighbor must respect boundaries. That said, they should also be crossed when the fences themselves start losing pickets and falling over in a storm.

Even if it’s technically their fence, you might not be happy with the shoddy workmanship and resentment that you’ll have to live with when they get around to fixing it themselves.

Address shared interests like fences, drainage ditches and troublesome trees ahead of time so that you can work out a plan that both parties can agree to.

Oh, and don’t forget to bring cookies.

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Some people love ceiling fans — others don’t care for them. But we can probably all agree that they’re incredibly functional, especially in the heat of summer.

If you don’t love the look of your ceiling fan, try updating to a more modern, sleek option. That way you get both function and fashion in your space, which is a win-win in our playbook!

There’s no need to call an electrician for this project — installing a new ceiling fan is something you can do in less than an hour.

Supplies

• New fan
• Screwdrivers (flat and Phillips)
• Voltage tester
• Ladder
• Wire cutters
• Wire caps
• A buddy

1. Turn the power off

This is by far the most important step for this project. To stay safe when working with the electrical wires, turn off the power to the ceiling fan.

Turn the switch on and off, and use a voltage tester to confirm that there’s zero power running to the ceiling fan before you proceed.

2. Remove the old fan

You’ll need your screwdriver for this one — and a buddy to hold up the fan while you work. It’s an arm workout, so make sure your helper is ready to hold it as you quickly remove it.

The process will depend on your fan’s model, but you’ll most likely start by removing the light fixture, the fan blades and then the base.

Basically, start unscrewing pieces of the light and fan until you get it all off — just remember to snap a picture of how the wires were connected. Are they red to red? Black to black? Take a photo to help you translate those same wire connections to the new fan.

3. Install the ceiling bracket

Now it’s time to install pieces of the new fan. First up is the ceiling bracket. Use the screws that come with the new fan, and secure it into the holes on the electrical box.

Bring the wires from the ceiling through the center hole. In our case, that was one white wire and one yellow wire (plus the green one on the ceiling bracket).

4. Prep the fan

This next step will depend on the make and model of your particular fan, so follow the directions to assemble it correctly.

For ours, we installed the canopy and download assembly, making sure to bring the wires all the way through. You may also need to grab your wire cutters and cut the wires a bit shorter at this point.

5. Attach canopy and wires

Bring your assembled fan base up to the ceiling, and hook it into the ceiling bracket. Most new fans have a feature that allows you to rest the fan on the bracket so you don’t have to hold the weight while connecting the wires. This will save you some serious arm pain!

Once the fan is secure, connect your wires. We had three sets of wires to account for: wires from the ceiling, wires from the fan, and wires from the receiver inside the fan (which lets us use a remote control).

First, we connected the ground wires from the ceiling, fan and ceiling bracket. Next, we connected the wires for the remote control — yellow to black, blue to blue. Finally, we connected the neutral wires (white to white) and hot wires (black to yellow).

Note: The wire colors may be different depending on your fan model and the wires in your ceiling.

Use the wire caps to create secure connections. You don’t want any wires slipping out when you push it all up into the ceiling, so it’s important to really twist on those wire caps.

We then tucked the wires neatly into the ceiling and screwed the canopy’s base into place.

6. Attach blades

Time to make it look like an actual fan! Take your fan blades, and screw them into the canopy, following the directions for your particular model. We suggest placing a towel beneath the setup in case you drop any screws.

7. Add the switch housing

You’ll most likely put your switch housing into place using screws. There will be a wire plug that goes from the upper to the lower switch housing. Make sure this connection is secure, because it’s what turns the fan on.

8. Add cover plate and turn on the power

We’re in the home stretch at this point. Simply put the glass cover over the housing kit until it clicks into place. Now it’s time to turn on the power and test the fan to make sure your hard work paid off.

Removing the old fan left us with a bit of damage on the ceiling. A simple patch and paint will make your ceiling look like new, and your updated fan will fit in seamlessly with your home decor.

If you can change a light fixture, you can easily change a ceiling fan. All it takes is a free afternoon and a patient helper to get the job done!

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Kieran Killeen was astounded when he bought a home in Vermont in 2002, and its title barred minorities from living there unless they were servants.

They were empty words. Racial covenants are no longer legal.

But Killeen, who is white, did not like having even a defunct racist restriction on his home’s title. He worked with neighbors to have it removed from his and 121 other homes in South Burlington.

Such covenants were once encouraged by the government. The language on Killeen’s title matched that used by the Federal Housing Administration in the 1930s: “No persons of any race other than the white race shall use or occupy any building or any lot, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race domiciled with an owner or tenant.”

“It took 70 years to undo the paper trail of institutional racism,” Killeen noted.

Unfortunately, this is not just history.

Racial covenants and other practices from the housing market’s racist past carry forward in the form of segregated neighborhoods and diminished wealth. They laid the groundwork for the terrible financial toll that black and Hispanic communities, in particular, paid during the Great Recession. Even redlining, a common practice from decades ago in which lenders denied loans in minority communities, has made a bit of a comeback in the wake of the housing crisis.

Promising demographic trends could improve the outlook, but some say that’s not enough.

Millennials narrow the racial gap

For more than a century, there has been a persistent gap between white and minority homeownership rates. The most recent data show that 71 percent of whites own homes, compared with 41 percent of blacks, 45 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of Asians, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The good news is that the youngest generation of homeowners — millennials — is more diverse. And they’re driving the housing market more than people realized, according to Zillow Group’s Consumer Housing Trends Report.

“While minorities remain underrepresented among homeowners, that is changing as a younger, more diverse set of buyers enters the market,” said Zillow Group Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Wacksman.

In fact, half of all home buyers are under age 36. Although the housing market as a whole skews heavily white — with black, Latino and Asian homeowners each representing less than 10 percent of the market — there’s greater diversity among millennials in general, and among millennials who own homes.

Only 66 percent of millennial homeowners are white — much closer to whites’ 61 percent share of the general population.

It’s also encouraging that Latinos and Asians have begun to narrow the gap between their homeownership rates and that of whites. But the gap between whites and blacks has widened.

Blacks face the longest odds

Aside from a run-up during the housing bubble, the homeownership rate for African Americans appears to be in a long-term slump.

The trend going forward is “uniformly worrying,” according to a 2015 report from The Urban Institute. “Erosion of homeownership for blacks threatens to undermine their ability to gain and maintain economic stability, not to mention build assets.”

That bleak picture follows decades of gains.

The economic fortunes of African Americans began to improve after the Fair Housing Act of 1968, when it became easier to challenge redlining, racial covenants and other forms of discrimination.

By the 1990s, blacks had finally established a foothold in the housing market.

However, during the housing bubble, many of them fell victim to mortgages that were unwise, and in some cases downright predatory, said Rolf Pendall, co-director of the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at The Urban Institute.

“If you owned a house in a community where only 40 to 45 percent of people owned houses, and you had friends and neighbors and cousins, many of whom were less well off than you were, you might take money out [via refinancing] because you’re helping people get through,” he said.

At that time, even African Americans and Hispanics with strong credit were steered toward subprime or predatory loans, said Coty Montag, deputy director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. A former Justice Department attorney, she helped litigate a Department of Justice case against Wells Fargo for such steering that led to a $234 million settlement.

As a result, black and Hispanic neighborhoods were hit harder and have bounced back more slowly from the housing crisis.

“We look every day at sad faces when people are not able to get those loans,” said Antoine Thompson, national executive director of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. It’s the oldest minority real estate trade association in the country, representing African-American and other minority real estate professionals, and it supports movement toward a new credit scoring model that takes into account rent and utility payments as well as non-traditional forms of income.

The Great Recession meant a tremendous setback, compounding earlier forms of housing discrimination.

Those historical practices included government-sanctioned redlining and racial covenants in the mid-20th century that kept blacks from buying homes and building wealth at the same time whites were.

The private sector also played a part back then, Montag said. “Real estate agents would not show African Americans homes in all-white neighborhoods, banks would refuse to grant African Americans conventional mortgages, and contractors could not get financial backing to construct homes for African Americans in white neighborhoods.”

There were also personal assaults, sometimes literally.

“White homeowners would actively discourage African Americans who tried to move to their neighborhoods,” explained Montag. “In some areas, there would be violence or other ways of discouraging new black neighbors.”

Being aware of the past’s injustices is the first step in understanding homeownership among African Americans today.

“Homeownership is the number one way wealth is built in America,” Thompson said. “Whether it was redlining by the government, issues related to African Americans who came home from World War II and did not have access to the GI Bill to go to college, or to government-sponsored loans that created the suburbanization of America: We cannot ignore those realities, which played a significant role in where we are today.”

Read more about African Americans and homeownership.

Latinos and the American Dream

The outlook for Hispanics is brighter, and surveys show they are more likely than any other racial or ethnic group to associate homeownership with the American Dream. A hefty 70 percent of Hispanic respondents told Zillow that owning their own home is necessary to living that dream, compared with 64 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander respondents, 63 percent of black respondents and 58 percent of white respondents.

“Homeownership is an aspiration for almost all Latinos,” said Lautaro Diaz, vice president for housing and community development at the nonprofit National Council of La Raza.

For good reason: Owning a home can be key to economic stability, better health and more education.

Hispanics face many of the same hurdles as African Americans, including a knowledge and familiarity gap regarding homeownership.

“If you have a parent and they own their home, they’re going to encourage their kids to do the same as soon as they’re in a position to do that,” Diaz said. “If not, the only way to get that incentive is an educational opportunity you go through, or a best friend — word of mouth is very impactful. People see success stories and think, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”

Given Latinos’ lower incomes — they make $19,000 less than whites, on average — it’s particularly important for them to create a strategy for buying a house, sometimes as a family. “They have to channel their resources into buying a home and not necessarily sending money back to family in Mexico or Latin America,” Diaz said.

Read more about Hispanics and homeownership.

Knowledge as mortgage power

An aversion to debt also hurts minorities disproportionately.

Almost 20 percent of Americans are “credit invisible” or “unscorable,” according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

In low-income neighborhoods, that figure is closer to 45 percent — and there’s a divide along racial and ethnic lines. Only 16 percent of white consumers are “credit invisible” or “unscorable,” while 28 percent of black consumers and 27 percent of Hispanic consumers are.

“We meet people all the time who are excellent money managers but have no credit, and no idea that they have no credit,” said Ricki Lowitz, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Working Credit. She was a speaker at Zillow’s 2017 Economic Forum in Washington, D.C.

Some are immigrants who don’t trust American financial institutions. Some are African Americans who were told by parents and grandparents that if they didn’t use credit, they’d never go bankrupt.

“You have to borrow to build credit, and that’s a hard message,” Lowitz said.

Here’s the catch: Most landlords, utilities, cable and cell phone companies do not report monthly payment information to credit bureaus the way mortgage and credit card lenders do.

So if you’re saving to buy a house and find yourself tight on cash one month, pay the credit card bill before the cable. “If you’re 35 days late on the cable bill, no one knows. If you’re 35 days late on your credit card, it will be on your credit report for seven years,” Lowitz said. (However, if the cable bill goes to a collection agency, typically at about 180 days overdue, that is in your record.)

In the Asian community, there’s an added wrinkle: Some Asians are averse to debt because it carries negative connotations in their home countries, said Christopher Kui, executive director of the nonprofit Asian Americans for Equality.

Some are used to paying cash, or having to put 30 percent to 40 percent down on a home purchase, he said. If they have that large a down payment in the United States, the amount they borrow might be so low that they will not get the best interest rates from lenders.

“We do a lot of classes and workshops about how to save for a home, how you really have to take care of your credit history and delinquencies, and what the system looks for when you apply for a mortgage,” Kui said.

Read more about Asians and homeownership.

Changing the system

Kui and others suggest several ways the system could improve, including new credit scoring mechanisms and new mortgage products for people who don’t fit the standard home-buying mold.

One example is VantageScore, a project of the three major credit bureaus that uses a different model, scoring at least 30 million people who otherwise would be invisible to lenders. Not all low-income advocates love it, saying some measures can be discriminatory. But it’s an alternative for some people who have no score in the traditional system, said Alejandro Becerra, director of research at the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

“Banks could also take into account multi-generational income, seasonal employment and entrepreneurship like driving for Uber,” Becerra said.

He’d also like to see more lenders in minority communities. “Payday lenders and pawn shops have a presence there. There is still the need for a banking presence.”

It’s the kind of opportunity A.P. Giannini seized when he founded Bank of America — then Bank of Italy — back in 1904. At a time when banks catered mostly to the rich, this son of poor Italian immigrants built the largest bank in the country (by the time he died) by making loans to the working class. “Be ready to help people when they need it most…. It’s the helping hand on a dark day that folks remember to the end of time,” he advised.

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, director of the Racial Wealth Divide Project at the nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), believes that to make real headway, low- and moderate-income minorities need the same sorts of progressive economic programs — from mortgage insurance to subsidies for the building of middle-class suburbs — that whites enjoyed.

In the ’40s and ’50s, whites rocketed from 46 percent to 65 percent homeownership with those economic boosts. Minorities were explicitly left out via redlining, racial covenants and other practices.

Without aggressive intervention, by 2043, the wealth divide between white families and black and Latino families will have doubled, according to a study by the CFED and the Institute for Policy Studies. If white wealth remained stagnant, and black and Latino wealth continued to grow as it has for the past 30 years, it would still take black families 228 years and Latino families 84 years to gain parity.

The point of reaching more minority borrowers is not to make everyone a homeowner. Owning a home does not make sense for some people, including those who move frequently or who make so little money that they would have no financial cushion if they put everything into a home.

The aim is to even the playing field so that people with the means to own a home have a fair shot at it.

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

If you’ve searched for a new place to live recently, you’ve likely seen the Equal Housing Opportunity logo (an equal sign inside a house) on a landlord’s, real estate agent’s or lender’s paperwork.

But the Fair Housing Act is more than just a logo. It’s a federal law designed to protect renters and buyers from discrimination.

Here are some key points to know about the Fair Housing Act when you’re searching for a place to live.

What is the Fair Housing Act?

Also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Fair Housing Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson just days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., who had championed the cause for many years.

The act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status (sex was added in 1974, and disability and familial status were added in 1988).

At the time the act was signed, overt housing discrimination was a huge problem throughout the country, including the attempted segregation of whole neighborhoods and the outright rejection of qualified renters based on race and other factors.

Today, much of the discrimination in the housing market is less obvious, but it’s still an unfortunate reality.

According to the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), over 25,000 housing discrimination complaints were filed with the federal government and local and national fair housing agencies in 2017. Over half of the complaints were based on disability, followed by race at 20 percent.

But these numbers reflect only reported incidents. The NFHA estimates that over 4 million instances of housing discrimination occur annually, but many people don’t realize they’ve been discriminated against — or know what steps to take when it happens.

What does housing discrimination look like?

Most of the people you encounter in your home search, including real estate agents, sellers, landlords, property management companies and lenders, are bound to Fair Housing Act regulations and additional state and local laws, based on where you live or are looking to live.

Fair Housing Act violations can occur in all phases of buying and renting, including in advertising, while you search, throughout the application process, in financing or credit checks, and during eviction proceedings.

Here are a few examples of discrimination people in protected classes have encountered:

• A real estate agent tries to “steer” a buyer away from a certain neighborhood
• A landlord tries to avoid renting to someone by saying the unit advertised has been rented when it hasn’t
• A property management company refuses to rent to a family with children or requires a higher deposit
• A landlord evicts a person of color for a reason they wouldn’t evict a white tenant for
• A mortgage broker asks questions or requests excessive documentation from an immigrant couple that they wouldn’t request from another buyer
• A lender charges a single woman a higher interest rate than what her credit score should dictate
• A landlord refuses to make reasonable accommodations for a tenant who is disabled

What do I do if I’ve been discriminated against?

If you’ve been discriminated against in any of the ways above, or if you suspect that other actions taken by a property manager, landlord, real estate agent, broker or lender may be discriminatory, there are many resources at your disposal.

1. File a report: File a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at HUD.gov. You can also file a complaint with local housing resources found through the NFHA.
2. Get more info from local housing agencies: You can find a list of local housing counselors at HUD.gov. Besides answering questions about discrimination claims, these agencies provide home buyer education workshops, pre-purchase counseling and rental housing assistance.
3. Talk to an attorney: Like any other legal issue, when pursuing a complaint under the Fair Housing Act, it’s smart to consult a lawyer.
4. Find people you can trust: If you experienced housing discrimination from your real estate agent, mortgage broker or lender, it’s time to find a new professional to help you in your home search. Ask friends, family members and colleagues for referrals they know, like and trust. Remember — these real estate professionals are working for you, so their only concern should be finding you the home that’s right for you.

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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Getting your security deposit back after you move may feel like an impossible feat, but it isn’t. Remember that your security deposit is essentially your money, so not all hope is lost when it’s time to move out.

“It’s the landlord’s obligation to return [the deposit] at the end of the lease,” says Abbie Philpott with move-out company Pleased to Clean You.

Here’s some expert advice for making sure your security deposit money goes back into your wallet — where it belongs.

Start planning when you move in

Take precautions when you move in to save time (and money) when you move out. To avoid getting charged for damage, use removable poster putty or removable hooks to hang things, and use felt pads to protect wood floors from scratches.

Stay organized

You know all of those rental-related documents you received when you moved in? Olivia Joyce with end-of-tenancy cleaning company Move Out Mates suggests reading them thoroughly and keeping all of them in one place.

“Research the proper procedures for ending your rental agreement, and comply with them,” she says.

Document everything

Unfortunately, “fair wear and tear” is subjective.

“I’ve seen cases in which landlords stretch this phrase to the limit,” Philpott says. She urges tenants to photograph everything in the rental property to serve as proof of the property’s condition.

While photo documentation is great, sometimes it’s not enough.

“Take a video walkthrough of the unit when you first move in and again when you move out,” suggest John and Melissa Steele with Team Steele San Diego Homes.

If the property manager tries to keep your deposit, your video will serve as proof that you kept the rental in quality condition.

“It makes it very hard for them to argue with you,” the Steeles add. “It has helped us save a few hundred dollars, and it only takes a few minutes.”

Further, keep a record of each time you contacted your property manager to report maintenance issues. And whenever reporting maintenance requests, do so via email or through a reporting system that sends you a confirmation. This serves as proof for your record keeping.

Contact your landlord

Confirm how far in advance you need to alert your landlord about your move-out date. While your rental agreement may already note this, a quick conversation serves as both a helpful confirmation and a courtesy to your landlord.

Clean thoroughly

In addition to the standard vacuuming and dusting, plan to do a serious deep clean if you want all of your deposit money back.

“This means behind and beneath appliances, plus details like light switches, door frames and more,” says Joyce.

And don’t forget to confirm whether your rental property is required to be professionally cleaned. If so, keep your service receipt as proof for your landlord.

Move out on the same day as your roommates

If possible, coordinate a move-out day with your roommates.

“You don’t want to leave it up to your roommate to make sure the apartment is perfectly cleaned and ready for the next tenant,” says Seth Wanta, Chicago resident. “You also don’t want your roommates to move out before you, leaving any junk for you to clean up. Make it a team effort!”

Do a mock inspection with friends

Invite some trusted friends over and go through your move-out checklist together. You may be surprised by how many things you would have missed if you went through your checklist solo.

Joyce suggests marking every damage or deterioration, because some of them are the landlord’s responsibility, while others should be deducted from your deposit.

Once you know who’s responsible for what, you can fix any issue that occurred during your occupancy.

Have your landlord do a mock inspection

Ask your landlord to do an unofficial inspection before your move-out date. This not only helps you assess what needs fixing but also allows both of you to get on the same page about what needs additional cleaning or repairs.

Give yourself a few days between this inspection and your move-out day so you have time to correct anything your landlord may be unhappy with.

Do necessary repairs

Small repairs like replacing light bulbs, filling nail holes and unclogging drains are small things that make a big difference.

“They’ll take you no more than an hour to complete, but they’ll raise the general condition of the property,” says Lauren Haynes, a supervisor with Star Domestic Cleaners. “The landlord will definitely appreciate the work done and will be less likely to claim deductions from the deposit.”

Additionally, Kristen Chuber with Paintzen advises painting a coat of the original paint color on any walls with scuffs or holes. Chuber suggests either going a DIY route for around $50 or hiring a service and asking for cheaper “whiteboxing” rates.

“Depending on the condition of your walls, this could be more cost-effective than losing that money out of your deposit, especially if your rental is small,” she says.

And if you don’t have the funds for either option? “The next best thing I’ve seen is the Magic Eraser,” Chuber adds. “It’s been my BFF when it comes to getting rid of scuffs and marks.”

Research local laws

It’s illegal in most states for a landlord to keep your security deposit without explanation, so research renter’s rights related to security deposits at the city, county and state level.

Good starting points for this information are the websites of your state’s attorney general and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. While your property manager should already be aware of these regulations, you should be too. Landlord-tenant laws exist to help you, but be your own advocate.

Finally, while following these 10 suggestions will certainly go a long way, so does being nice. Patience and politeness are memorable qualities, especially if you live in a large apartment complex where plenty of other residents are moving out around the same time as you.

If thinking about the process of getting your security deposit back is daunting, rest assured that it doesn’t have to be. With some planning and clear, considerate communication, you’re well on your way to getting your hard-earned deposit money back into your hands.

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.