Common Lighting Mistakes By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Before you choose a Carpet Cleaner By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
If your home has lots of wall-to-wall carpeting that gets lots of traffic and stains, you’re gonna want a carpet cleaner. Owning a machine is less costly over time compared to renting or hiring a professional to come by. Plus, you’ll have the machine on-hand to tackle stains the minute they happen. The good news: Most come with attachments to clean small areas and small bottles of detergents to get you started. You’re going to want to professionally deep clean your carpets every 12-18 months, according to most carpet manufacturers (and some even require it to uphold the carpet’s warranty!) Rolling up your sleeves and doing so will give your carpets new life and give you the satisfaction of a super clean home.
The Cleaning Lab’s top pick is the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner– as Rated by Good Housekeeping. It can clean everything from light to heavy soil and the double brush rolls help draw even the deepest dirt out of carpets. If you need to clean in a hurry, fear not: The Express Clean Mode had our test carpets clean and dry in only about one hour, one of the reasons it earned our Good Housekeeping Seal. And because the clean and dirty water tanks are stacked (rather than side-by-side or front-to-back), the appliance has a slim design and low profile that’s easy to maneuver under furniture and to store. We’re all about less bulk!
A few things to keep in your back pocket as you consider this and other models:
Before You Buy a Carpet-Cleaning Machine
- Consider the machine’s weight. Carpet cleaners are much heavier to push and more cumbersome to use than traditional vacuum cleaners. And once you add water, they weigh even more.
- Look for special features, like edge cleaning, rotating brushes, a heater, and attachments. Depending on your needs, they may be worth the money.
- Read over the machine’s warranty (many manufacturers post this information on their websites). While you’re at it, check your carpet’s warranty to make sure you’re not using a product that will void it.
Before You Rent a Carpet-Cleaning Machine
- Remember to factor in the cost of the cleaning solution. It doesn’t come with the machine rental, and you’ll have to purchase it separately.
- The machine is probably not brand-new and may not be in the best condition.
- Think about convenience: You’ll need to lug the rental home and return it to the store when you’re done.
How to Get the Most Out of a Carpet-Cleaning Machine
- Before deep-cleaning your carpets, vacuum the area thoroughly to pick up any loose dirt. When cleaning the entire floor, move furniture out of the way.
- For pieces that are too heavy to move, place aluminum foil or wax paper under the legs. This prevents wood finishes from staining the carpet as it dries.
- Begin cleaning at the farthest point from the doorway and work back toward it so you can step out when you’re done.
- Never close up a room with a wet, newly cleaned carpet; it slows down drying time and can promote mold growth. Instead, keep the air circulating by opening the doors and windows.
- Once the carpet is dry, vacuum once more to pick up any remaining soil.
Preparing Your Home for Winter By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Have a professional to check out your heating and air-conditioning system. If you have a maintenance agreement, schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If you don’t have a service contract, it may cost you $80 and up to have your heat pump, or furnace inspected. Again, schedule as soon as possible. Make sure the inspection measures for carbon-monoxide leaks. Also, the filters should be changed, Buy extra ones so you can change them when needed.
The sooner you call for furnace maintenance check, the better as you don’t want to call when your furnace breaks. When you research contractors and technicians, look for ones associated with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Make sure they have a certification from the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) program. Anyone you hire should follow the standards of the AACA.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
Preparing your home for winter includes reversing your ceiling fans, which is easy to do. Just flip the reverse switch so that the fan’s blades turn clockwise after you turned on your heat. An updraft will occur and push down the hot air that rose to the top of your room. If your house has high ceilings, you may be able to turn down your thermostat a degree or two which may help you to reduce your energy bill.
Did you know that a burst pipe may cost you more than $5,000 in water damage? The good news is that a little winter home maintenance can help prevent this. If you go on vacation, don’t turn your heat down to low because your pipes need heat to prevent freezing. Allow your faucets to drip during cold snaps. Wrap pipes with insulation. You can find fiberglass sleeves or foam rubber at your local hardware or home improvement store. Caulk cracks and holes near pipes to prevent cold air from reaching them. You may also consider contacting a licensed contractor to ensure your pipes are ready for winter.
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.
Great Ways to Store Legos for the Kids & Grandkids By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
What to do about a house that smells like cats by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
If you don’t clean up the mess with the right product, the smell will linger. “The best way to get rid of cat urine smell for good is to use a stain remover with enzymes,” Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, suggests. “Enzymes kill the bacteria in the urine that causes the smell.” Still lost? Think of enzymes as the little guys that eat up all the bad stuff a.k.a. that odor.
When you notice a not-so-pleasant surprise in your house, work quickly to remove the stain and smell. “It’s important to get rid of the smell as well as the stain because it is the scent that brings animals back to pee on the same spots over and over again,” she says. And let’s face it, nobody wants to deal with this mess more than once. Follow this guide to remove unwanted cat pee odors from carpet, upholstery, wood, and tile.
Carpet
Bissell Pet Stain & Odor Remover, an enzyme-based cleaner and Good Housekeeping Seal holder, is your best bet for cleaning carpets and area rugs. Before using, soak up — don’t wipe! — as much of the stain matter as you can with a paper towel or rag. Spray the product (which also removes stains and smells from feces, vomit, and blood, FYI) on the trouble spot until the area is thoroughly saturated. Gently blot the area with a clean, damp cloth to remove as much of the stain as possible. Cover the spot with a damp towel and let sit for up to 12 hours.
Upholstery
If the cushion covers are removable, stick them in the wash ASAP or take them to the dry cleaner. For stains that have set into the sofa cushions, try the Bissell Pet Stain & Odor Remover and follow the same steps above. If worst comes to worst, hire a cleaning service to deep clean your couch cushions and pillows to remove the odor.
Wood
If your wood floors have a sealant, you’re in luck: Simply, use paper towels to absorb urine and clean with your favorite hardwood floor cleaner like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray. Say you’re a little late to the game and you didn’t realize that the accident happened a few hours ago, use a pet-specific hardwood floor cleaner like Simple Solution Hard Floor Pet Stain & Odor Remover. If a dark or discolored stain forms, it may be best to call a professional.
Ceramic Tile
Unless the urine has spread to the grout, you simply wipe up the mess with a paper towel and clean with a tile cleaner like Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner. If the tile isn’t glazed or the liquid has spread to the grout, use CLR Bath & Kitchen Cleanerto remove discoloration. To remove odor, make a thick paste with water and baking soda, rub into the grout, and wipe once dry.
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.Everything You Need to Remove Wax Stains By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Everything You Need to Remove Wax Stains
The holidays are winding down and if you are like us, your house shows the evidence of wear and tear from guests, parties and oopsies especially from those holiday lights that are so beautiful – and bring such ambiance…but boy do they make a mess. We put together a lists of products you can order easily on Amazon and Walmart (we included the links) so you can get that clean up started right away! Happy Clean New Year!How to Get Candle Wax Out of Clothing
For wax dribbles on tablecloths or washable clothing, let the wax harden and gently scrape off as much of it as you can with a dull knife. If the wax is still soft, freeze the item to harden the wax, and then scrape off the excess wax. If the wax is colored, sponge the stain with a solvent-based cleaning fluid, like Guardsman, to remove as much of the dye as possible. Place clean paper towels on top of and under the stain and press the area with a warm dry iron. Rotate and replace the towels as they absorb the melted wax. Rub liquid laundry detergent into any remaining stain and wash the fabric in warm or hot water. Add chlorine or all-fabric bleach, if possible.
How to Get Candle Wax Out of Carpet
If the wax is still soft, freeze it by applying an ice cube wrapped in a small plastic bag, and then scrape off the excess wax. Sponge with a carpet and upholstery spot remover, like Bissell’s Tough Stain Pretreat for Carpet and Upholstery. Cover the stain with a clean white cloth and press, using the tip of a warm iron to transfer the wax to the cloth. Repeat, using a clean portion of the cloth until all the wax is transferred from the carpet to the cloth. If a color stain remains, sponge the stain again with the carpet and upholstery spot remover. Blot dry.
How to Get Candle Wax Off of Wood Furniture
If the candle on your coffee table has sprung a leak, let any wax that’s settled onto the wood harden so it will be easier to remove without damaging the finish. With a plastic spatula or credit card, gently scrape up the brittle wax. Weiman’s Wax Away also does a good job zapping wax from surfaces. Once the wax is removed, buff the area with a clean cloth and furniture polish to blend and camouflage the repair.
How to Remove Candle Wax That’s Stuck Inside a Candleholder
One of the easiest — and fastest! — ways to get rid of wax residue is to run steaming-hot tap water over the holder, scooping out whatever’s inside with your fingers or a paper towel. Then simply pop it in the dishwasher and let the machine do the rest. If it’s not dishwasher-safe, here are a couple of other tricks that have worked for me. Place your candleholder in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will make the wax bits brittle and easy to nudge off with a dull knife or even just your fingernail. Or, trying warming leftover wax with a hairdryer set to low heat: As the wax softens and becomes pliable, you’ll be able to peel it off.
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.28 Stats That Sum Up the American Housing Market By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Both renters and buyers face challenges in finding a place to call home, and the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2017 is a deep dive into understanding them.
We surveyed over 13,000 people to determine how Americans rent, buy, sell and think about real estate. Below, we break down some of the most surprising results.
Renters
More Americans are renting today than in recent decades — some by choice and some simply due to market conditions.
Thirty-seven percent of American households are renters — about 43.7 million homes — which is an increase of 6.9 million homes since 2005.
While part of this increase is due to the 8 million homes lost to foreclosure during the recession, renters today also prize the maintenance-free and flexible lifestyle renting offers.
- Renters skew younger — the median age of the typical renter is 32 years old.
- Renters represent a more diverse population — 55 percent are white, 19 percent are African-American/black, 17 percent are Hispanic, 7 percent are Asian/Pacific Islander and 3 percent identify as another ethnicity.
- Nearly half of renters are single, including a third who have never married.
- Although the majority of renters are single, 78 percent live with others — most often this is another family member.
- The median rent across the U.S. is $1,010, with the highest rents in the West and the lowest rents in the Midwest.
- Renting can be expensive: 79 percent of renters who moved in the past year had a rent increase.
- More than half of renters (57 percent) said a rent increase influenced their decision to move, and 37 percent of renters who aren’t moving say it’s because they can’t afford to.
Buyers
Buying is tough in all markets. For most Americans, it’s the biggest purchase they’ll ever make and an investment they’ll tap into as part of retirement.
In particular cities, purchasing a home has become a competitive game, complete with bidding wars and offer negotiations. It makes sense that most buyers rely on agents to help them through the process.
- Today’s buyers have a median age of 40, although the majority (71 percent) of first-time buyers are millennials.
- The median household income of the typical buyer is $87,500, and most buyers are married or partnered, relying on two incomes to purchase a home.
- The typical purchased home in the U.S. costs $200,000 and has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and 1,800 square feet.
- More than anything, buyers want their home to be in a safe neighborhood (71 percent) and in their price range (67 percent).
- Other than safety, buyers also want to stay cool — 62 percent of buyers require their homes to have air conditioning.
- Buyers take an average of 4.3 months to search for their new home — although millennials take just under four months (3.9 months), and silent generation buyers take 5.6 months.
- The suburbs rule — 49 percent of buyers buy there, followed by 31 percent who buy in urban locations and just 19 percent who purchase in rural regions.
Sellers
Although some hot markets have favorable conditions for sellers, selling is still rarely an easy process.
Sellers have two main goals when they list their homes: sell their home in their preferred time frame and for their desired price. Balancing the two is a delicate dance, and most sellers are also buyers searching for a new home.
- The median age of sellers is 45, although millennials make up nearly one-third of todays’ sellers.
- Sellers have a higher median income than homeowners at $87,500.
- The typical seller has lived in their home for 12 years.
- Most sellers are selling for the first time (61 percent) and looking to buy at the same time (71 percent).
- 76 percent of sellers have to make at least one concession to sell their home — and most often it’s a price reduction.
- 1 in 2 sellers sell their home for less than the original listing price.
Homeowners
Owning a home is a lot of work. It’s also a great investment, especially in many of today’s markets where annual appreciation rates are higher than they’ve been in decades.
- Homeowners are the oldest, with a median age of 57 years.
- 14 percent of homeowners are millennials.
- Homeowners have a median household income of $62,500, and 71 percent live with a spouse or partner.
- 40 percent of homeowners have a pet (with dogs ranking in top at 30 percent).
- Almost half of homeowners (46 percent) live in the first home they purchased, although this percentage decreases with age.
- 86 percent of homeowners have no plan to sell in the next three years.
- Less than a quarter of homeowners say their home is in “like-new” condition, and more than 60 percent say their home could use a little updating.
- On homeowners’ to-do list for the next year: painting the interior (25 percent), improving the bathroom (22 percent) and landscaping (21 percent).
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.
Simple Ways to Improve your Wifi Signal By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
1. Perform a Speed Test
Before diving in to troubleshoot your home’s Wi-Fi network, you should verify the speed of your Internet connection. Perform a speed test from a device connected to an Ethernet port. Many ISP’s provide a web tool from their home page to do this. Your level of service will determine your maximum connection speed to the Internet for both downloads and uploads. Service speed may vary by time of day.2. Perform A Wireless Survey To Check Congestion
Slow Wi-Fi speeds might be caused by congestion and interference from a nearby Wi-Fi network using the same channel. Perform a wireless survey with a scanner tool and scan for SSID’s to identify which channels are being used by other devices in your home or in neighboring homes. Keep in mind that results may vary by location, so you should perform this test in various parts of the home. Choose a Wi-Fi channel that is not occupied or has the least amount of congestion on it. For example, if your router is set to channel 6 (often the default Wi-Fi channel) and you find there are a lot of other SSIDs using 6, then use channel 1 or 11 for your Wi-Fi network.3. Upgrade Your Wireless Router
Your network speed can be influenced by the age of your router, what wireless standards it supports, as well as how good its processor and antennas are. Check with your ISP to determine what hardware is supported with your service. If you have been using the same router for several years, it could be time to upgrade.4. Upgrade to 802.11ac
If you are looking for the best performance for real-time apps like video, consider moving to 802.11ac Wi-Fi. To add 802.11ac speeds to your network, you can either upgrade your wireless router or add an 802.11ac wireless extender to the network. Keep in mind that in order to take advantage of 802.11ac speeds, both your router and connected devices will need to support this latest standard. Per the 802.11ac standard, all previous standards (b/g/a/n) are supported. However, your older mobile phones, tablets, and laptops will consume more “air time” as they operate at lower data rates.5. Change The Location Of Your Wireless Router
Modern routers do a good job of beaming out Wi-Fi signals, but keep in mind that walls, floors, metal, mirrors, furniture can all impact the signal. For maximum coverage, place the router in the middle of your house to ensure you get a strong signal on both sides of the home. Elevate your router off the floors, as well as keep it away from dense structures like cement walls or metal objects, like a metal desk or metal filing cabinet. In addition, most new wireless routers and access points have internal antennas and are optimized to be positioned standing up vertically. When you lay one of these routers flat on your desk or table, you’re preventing the wireless signal from maximizing coverage in the room and beyond. If your router has internal antennae, stand it up vertically. It’s a two-second fix to boost your speeds.6. Switch to the 5GHz band
Dual-band wireless routers support both 2.4GHz and the newer 5GHz frequency. 5GHz offers more channels and tends to be less congested, thus giving faster wireless connections. In addition, the 2.4GHz frequency can be subject to interference from devices like cordless phones, baby monitors, and microwaves. Switching to 5GHz gives you a cleaner signal, but the one downside is range. 5GHz has a smaller range than 2.4GHz and doesn’t penetrate walls and other solid objects as well. One really effective strategy is to use 2.4GHz for basic Wi-Fi applications like web browsing, and then use 5GHz for high bandwidth applications, like streaming HD video to your set top box/HDTV. 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.Why Cities Must Become Affordable for the Middle Class By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Cities need the middle class. They need nurses and teachers. Yet if people have a well-paying job like those, they’re finding it increasingly difficult to afford to pay for a house in the city in which they work. Cities tend to have the most job opportunities, but they also have the highest cost of living. In recent years, the housing costs in urban areas have grown more than anywhere else.
“This isn’t just a coastal problem,” explains Zillow economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. “We’re seeing rapidly appreciating home values in places like Nashville, Provo, Charlotte, Orlando. These people that have good jobs are running into the problem that they simply cannot afford to live in cities anymore.”
Not enough to go around
So, what happened that is causing housing costs to rise so much? A classic problem of supply and demand. “We’re in a really strong part of the recovery,” says Gudell, “and it comes down to not enough homes available to sell right now, but a lot of people demanding housing.”
Even though cities are becoming unaffordable, there is still an intense desire for people — especially millennials — to move there.
“For a lot of people, their jobs are actually located in cities, so the appeal of a short commute is right there,” says Gudell. “Millennials are starting to think about renting, leaving their parents’ basements and perhaps even buying their first homes. They have a preference to be in cities, oftentimes. The acute inventory shortage that is being experienced all across the country right now is because cities don’t have as many single-family homes. They have more condos available.”
Smaller and smaller
Unfortunately for potential buyers, there are not many choices that you can make in this situation of high demand/short supply.
“You can choose to simply rent,” says Gudell, “but you end up missing out on wealth building because you don’t actually invest in equity by paying off a mortgage. Or you have to choose to move farther out, where housing gets a bit cheaper, but then you face very long commutes.”
If you’re in an average, middle class-paying job, buying a home in a city with your current employment isn’t realistic at all. Unless that home is under 500 square feet — about the size of a toolshed. For the biggest cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington, D.C., your average affordability falls to under 300 square feet.
So, why shouldn’t we have cities be just for wealthy people, and suburbs and rural areas for people who are not? “In every city, you’ll find a coffee shop,” says Gudell. “You’ll need garbage pickup, you’ll need all these things, and it simply doesn’t work to say, ‘If you’re a janitor, you’re going to have to commute in for an hour and a half, but if you’re ultra-rich, you can live in the city.’”
Fill in the cities
The middle class should be able to afford the cities they serve without incurring the burden and long-term physical and mental stressors of a multi-hour commute. With America’s supply and demand problem not getting any better, there are certain steps that both governments and the private sector could do to try to help impact cost in a positive way.
“Cities have to evolve with the times, and that means adding more units,” says Gudell. “People oftentimes are afraid that higher-density living will ruin their cities, but in the end, higher density will just change the character of a city. It won’t ruin it. But pushing people out and having only a city for the rich will probably ruin cities.”
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.