Year-End Home Insurance Checklist by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team Soon, colorful ornaments and Christmas carols will be replaced by confetti, noisemakers and the strains of Auld Lang Syne. As 2015 draws to a close, home maintenance can easily take a back seat during the excitement of the holidays. Much of the country has experienced an unseasonably warm December, but January and February could unfold much differently. That means your home may be subject to cold weather damage. To prevent that, follow this home maintenance checklist to ensure your residence is prepared for the big chill ahead.

Test your alarms

You should do this several times throughout the year, but it’s worth a reminder. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and fire and burglar alarms. Make sure the batteries are full of life, and that everything functions properly so you’ll be alerted if disaster strikes. If you have children, it’s also a great time to revisit your emergency evacuation plan to ensure they know what to do if a fire, tornado or other devastating peril strikes too close to home.

Gutters and roof

In some parts of the country, the leaves are still falling from trees and covering lawns of residential neighborhoods. No matter if the leaves are just falling or if tree branches have been bare for months, if leaves are piled or packed in your gutters, they need to be removed sooner rather than later. When leaves accumulate, it causes drainage problems. This means that when it rains, water won’t be able to go down the spout and away from your home, which could lead to it forcing its way into your home’s walls and ceilings. While you’re at it, inspect your roof. Make sure no shingles are damaged or ruined, and confirm that there aren’t any leaks. Roofs must be strong and functional to withstand the weight of snow in the winter, so it’s important to make necessary repairs or replacements now. Just remember that it’s probably best to leave these fixes to the pros.

Inspect your foundation

The last thing you want to deal with during the winter months is ice seeping into a crack in your foundation, widening it and causing structural problems with your home. Take a walk around your home and keep an eye out for cracks. Though small cracks are completely normal, it’s best to seal them with caulk to prevent further damage.

Seal windows and doors

Letting air escape through gaps around window and doorframes could mean an exceptionally high heating or cooling bill. While you’re sealing cracks in your foundation, seal the spaces around your windows and doors, too. Keep warm air inside the house and cool air outside, and vice versa.

Maintain heating and cooling systems

Speaking of your heating and cooling bills, it’s wise to inspect and maintain these systems. Ensuring that heating and cooling systems are in good working condition and tackling repairs are more tasks you may want to leave to professionals. Just make sure your vents are clean, and that no spaces are obstructed by dirt, debris or other types of buildup.

Create a home inventory and review your policy

With a new year on the horizon, most of us make resolutions to be better versions of ourselves. Some changes such as being more responsible and more aware can apply to your home insurance. Making a home inventory — a complete list of everything you own and the value of each item — can help better prepare you for the unknown. If a disaster such as fire strikes, destroying your home and all your belongings, you may be in too much distress to remember everything you own (and certainly not how much each item cost). Do yourself a favor and tackle creating this type of list in the New Year, and store it in a safe place. This act could save you stress and time down the road, as it’ll make the claims process significantly easier. Understanding your policy and being aware of every facet listed will greatly benefit you. Insurance can be tricky, so go over your policy with an agent so that you’ll understand every provision in it. Reviewing your policy can alert you to the fact that you may need more coverage than last year, or that you could qualify for new discounts. 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.

One-of-a-Kind Design: Freshening Your Space for the New Year by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team Give your home unique appeal with original decor that will energize your space for 2016. These statement pieces by some of our favorite designers, makers and brands will freshen your surroundings in an instant. Gently used vintage, contemporary design, and especially artisan-made accents are trends you can look forward to this year. (Want to know more? Check out other top home design trends for 2016.) Here are a few ways to bring these hot looks into your home decor.

Design your own side table

You are the designer with The Floyd Leg. Made in Detroit, these adjustable metal legs attach to any surface of your choosing. A cut of marble or salvaged wood is instantly a chic side table or desk. Pick a color that brightens your mood. Supporting American makers is good practice and smart interior design.

Score cool vintage finds — online

Virtual flea market Krrb is a community of local classifieds with curated pages of furniture, decor and more. Everything old is new again. Search near your home to check out some of the amazing pieces your neighbors are parting with in the New Year. You never know what you’ll find. For example, given a little tender love and care, these Hollywood Regency style chairs are a plush and glam addition to a nursery or vanity area. Vintage pieces with personal stories intermingled with newer furniture is a brave and contemporary design trend.

Create a statement wall

A statement wall is an easy way to create a new vibe in your bedroom or living space. Combine prints, original artwork, textiles, and other hangable objects that really speak to you and your space. We’ve curated a neat wall featuring four of our favorite framed and unframed prints and accessories.

1. This framed Freckle Topography by Kelly Place is a gorgeous watercolor-inspired print. Presented by West Elm’s collaboration with Minted, a community of independent designer and artists, it comes in two great sizes for your new statement wall.
2. Also part of a collaboration with West Elm, these charming painted plates by designer Rachel Kozloski are perfect to break up the corners in your gallery wall. Mounting a few of these Dapper Animal plates injects some much-needed whimsy. Remember when curating a wall of objects to vary size and shape for a distinct and personal look.
3. Multi-use wall hangings like macrame and rugs are a trend you’ll be seeing a lot in 2016. The ’70s-inspired piece entitled Rhapsody was designed by musician Lenny Kravitz as part of a collection of furniture and decor for CB2. It’s a bold wall-mountable statement — and when you refresh next year, it can come off the wall and serve as a new rug for your room.
4. Hinged hanging picture frames by Anthropologie are a lovely architectural touch. Pick out a few treasured candids of family or favorite old-school black-and-white photos to invite conversation and make your space a home. Even without photos, these frames are a lovely touch in a bathroom or foyer.

Add stylish storage

Simply creating a new spot to display some of your favorite items can revitalize the things you already own. This strategy is ideal for one of the most-loved spaces in your home: the kitchen. Efficient and stylish wire wall-mountable bin storage is perfect for tea towels, go-to kitchen ingredients, and frequently used dishes.

Shed some light

An alternative to a standard standing lamp is this three-legged oak lamp by Threshold for Target. Overhead lighting is the enemy of good design, and this beauty with brass accents and modern touches is a stylish, affordable solution. Happy 2016! Here’s to creating a distinctive space that’s as unique as you are. 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.

Should You Write a Letter to a Seller? by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team Buyers in competitive markets want a leg up. If their all-cash, non-contingent offer is not enough to beat out the 10 other offers, they need to go to extreme measures: a letter to the sellers. Buyers often ask if this indirect means of communication to the seller will work. The answer is, sometimes. When it works, it’s great. But many times, the letter won’t do much. Here are some points to consider if you want to write a letter to a seller.

Who is the seller?

If you love the home and want to structure the best possible offer, it’s best to find out as much as you can about the seller and their situation. Knowing who you could be going into contract with should help inform you about the best way to approach them. How do you do this? Through your agent. Ask her to inquire with the listing agent to find out who the sellers are, why they’re selling, and what their motivations are. The more you know, the better off you’ll be. Some buyers go as far as Googling the seller or looking them up on social media to find a connection — any connection.

Appeal to long-time homeowners

If you’re dealing with a seller with a family home, this is your best chance. Real estate is incredibly emotional. Someone who has lived in the home for many years, or an owner’s child who grew up in the home, will have lots of experiences, memories and emotions tied up in the home. Any emotions they harbor about the house will influence them when reviewing offers. Simply put, they’ll want to know who the potential buyers are. They might prefer a homeowner who plans to live in the home like they did, rather than a developer or investor who may demolish the home. Appeal to their emotions by writing a letter of introduction explaining who you are, why you love the home, and how you will carry on their legacy.

Investors: don’t waste your time

If the home is a rental property and the owner has held it as an investment for that purpose, a letter probably won’t do you much good. Someone who has used the property as an investment will concern themselves mainly with the bottom line. While a letter might be slightly interesting to this owner, it will likely fall on deaf ears. Better than a letter, give them a clean offer with your best price and terms out of the gate.

Connect with the seller

Simply by walking through the home, you may get a good feel for who the seller is. By looking at their art, furniture, family photos or diplomas, you can get a sense of their likes, dislikes, and interests. Don’t forget, they have what you want — the home. You must do your best to try to connect with them on some level. Connecting means taking note of who they are and then delivering them something that will hit home. I once had a buyer who loved riding horses. In the home she wanted to purchase, she noticed horse show trophies stacked in the basement, so in her letter she mentioned that she, too, rode horses. This small but important connection made the difference between her offer and another with similar price and terms. Often the buyer needs to sell themselves to the seller, particularly in competitive situations. Know your seller, do your research and understand their motivations. Look around, take note and work closely with your agent to dig as deeply as possible. In competitive situations and with the right seller, a direct letter to them can make a huge difference. 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.

Caring for Holiday Cacti by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team The poinsettia is overrated. Though its festive blooms are pretty enough at first, after a few months it becomes unattractive and falls prey to problems like spider mites and dropped leaves, forcing you to toss it out. Holiday cacti, on the other hand, are easy to grow, beautiful both in and out of season, and easy to coax back into bloom each year. There are two so-called holiday cacti that flower before Christmas. The Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) unsurprisingly blooms around Thanksgiving, and the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) blooms closer to Christmas. To keep it simple, we’ll refer to these two species and their hybrids as holiday cacti. When the iridescent blooms have all fallen off, that’s just the beginning. If you give your holiday cactus good drainage, damp (not wet) soil and bright indirect light, it will stay healthy. Getting it to re-bloom next year requires cool, long nights in the autumn months. If you want to make more plants, plant seeds or cuttings. Here are some tips for growing holiday cacti that will spread joy year-round.

Proper drainage

If your holiday cactus came with a cellophane wrapper around the pot, remove it. Water will accumulate and stagnate in the wrapper, rotting the roots and stems, and eventually killing the plant. While pots with drainage holes are ideal, you may choose to place the plant inside a decorative pot without a drainage hole, called a cachepot. If so, remove the cactus and its original plastic container when it’s time to water. Let the excess water drip into the sink before placing the plant back in its cachepot.

Damp soil and fertilizer

Even though they are technically rainforest cacti, overwatering is the best way to kill a holiday cactus. To prevent this, keep the potting mix just slightly damp, letting the top half-inch of the potting mix dry out before watering again. Fertilizing isn’t necessary, but will still lead to a fuller, healthier plant. Feed with an orchid fertilizer according to label instructions.

Bright indirect light

Since the holiday cactus grows in the rainforest instead of a desert, it does not need nearly as much sun as its prickly cousins. All it needs is bright indirect light — bright enough to read comfortably without flipping on the light switch, yet not so sunny that you can actually see the sun itself from the plant’s vantage point. If you can see the outline of your shadow, then it’s sunny enough to ‘burn’ the flattened stems of your cactus.

Long, cool nights in fall

A holiday cactus needs two things to bloom well next year: Cool night temperatures in fall, and long nights. The long nights are easy enough to provide; just keep it away from artificial light in the months leading up to blooming. To give the plant cool nights, place it in a sunroom, foyer, or any other well-lit area that gets cool but doesn’t dip below 40 degrees.

How to plant cuttings

Here’s something else you can do when your holiday cacti have finished blooming: propagate them! To make more plants for friends and family, start by choosing a healthy stem with one to four pads, and make a cut right below a joint. Let the wounds callous over and heal for a few days before dipping the cut end in rooting hormone (optional) and inserting the bottom segment into a small pot with half orchid mix and half potting mix. Plain potting mix will also do. Place the cuttings in a well-lit area and keep the potting mix lightly moist. You can plant many stems in a single pot this way, getting a full and lush plant in just a few years. It may take a while before it’s ready to bloom again, but holiday cacti make such attractive houseplants that the time will just fly by.

How to plant seeds

Another way to make more holiday cactus plants is to plant seeds. If you notice berries forming after blooming, let them become fat and transparent before breaking apart the fruit and placing the seeds in water to let them separate from the pulp. Then smear the clean seeds on a piece of tissue paper. Add some potting mix, vermiculite or coir to a clear container, and place the seeded tissue paper on top. Water lightly and replace the lid to keep moisture in place. The tissue paper will dissolve by the time seedlings have sprouted. When the seedlings have developed sturdy roots and new pads, re-pot them in a mixture of half orchid mix and half potting mix. 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.

Finding Bliss During the Hectic Holiday Season by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team The end of the year can be a hectic time. Why not slow down for a moment to think about giving yourself (and others) the gift of sanity this holiday season? While most of us yearn for calm during the last few weeks of the year, we often find ourselves amped up, with little time to relax. Create some peaceful moments during the remainder of this holiday season by organizing your time and energy around the things you value most. For some people, the joy of the season comes from gift-giving. For others, it’s all about experiences like watching a parade, going ice skating, or checking out the holidays lights. Traditions such as sending cards or throwing festive tea party may define the holidays for you. And while people and social gatherings make the season bright for some, others like to focus on celebrating the spiritual aspect of the holiday. Once you decide which parts of the holidays mean the most to you, keep your focus on what you value. From now until the end of the year, only buy items or create experiences that support those values.

A game plan for curbing the chaos

1. Organize yourself first. Put some time on the calendar to enjoy the true meaning of your holiday. Ensure you block off this time for yourself before everyone else gets the last piece of you. Remember the flight attendants’ cautionary tip: Put your oxygen mask on first so you can be there for others and help them. Putting an appointment on your calendar guarantees you have some special time for yourself — even if it’s only 30 minutes or an hour.
2. Remember that less is more. It’s so easy to get carried away by all the holiday hoopla surrounding you. But buying fewer gifts means you’ll spend less time wrapping, and making fewer commitments means you’ll have more time to do what you value most.
3. Allow just one spot for a creativity zone. Limit all your gift-wrapping, card-writing, and project-making activities to one area. This is a space where you can leave everything set up and ready to use. It’s okay to have “work in progress.” Not every room in the home needs to be staged to perfection.
4. Create your own holiday party team. Enlist a small group of teens, college students or friends who are willing to help you tackle your to-do list. When you pay or barter with others for assistance, your shopping, cleaning, organizing, decorating, and cooking will be much less stressful. Call them and get them scheduled.

Plan ahead for personal peace

Once we’ve organized our holiday tasks and timetable, the next trick is managing ourselves so we can enjoy gathering with family and friends. It’s normal to focus on how the house looks or what you’re wearing, but what really sets the tone for holiday events is how we present ourselves to others. Just picture the comparison:

• A harried host saying, “Come in, come in, oh gosh, I’ve got stuff in the oven, toss your coats in the guest room, bathrooms are down the hall, come in and join us.”
• A calm, smiling host saying, “Welcome, let me give you a hug! How you are doing this evening? I’m so glad you’re here.”

As you plan, prepare, and experience the event, keep asking yourself, “What would make this easier for me?” For example, you could bake your holiday goodies from scratch and shop for centerpieces at the local florist, or you could order edible delicacies and stunning wreathes online and have them delivered. And don’t be afraid to accept help. When someone asks if they can help you serve food, answer the door, or wash dishes, say yes. This not only helps you better handle your hosting duties, but also diffuses others’ discomfort when attending parties. Some guests struggle with social anxiety, and helping gives them something else to focus on. Throughout the holiday season, remember: These moments with friends and family are precious, and it’s up to you whether you stress out or smile. 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.

How an Easement Can Make for Lousy Neighbors by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team Consider this hypothetical: A man named Mark decides to purchase a parcel of land in a remote, mountainous area. He looks forward to enjoying it as a getaway retreat. But there’s a problem. It turns out he can’t access the property without going through his neighbor Sandy’s land. Welcome to the wonderful world of easements. In our example, if Sandy refuses to let Mark pass through, legal intervention may eventually be necessary to enforce his easement — Mark’s right to use someone else’s land in order to access his own.

“I know it belongs to you, but I intend to use it.”

A person who has an easement does not actually own the land. Rather, he or she possesses a right to do something on that land. The law recognizes an array of different easements, which allow usage on, under, over, or across a property, and can be permanent or limited in duration, and broad or narrow in scope. All easement negotiations are complex, and legal input is generally recommended. Most easements are granted to utility and municipal companies for the purpose of running power, cable, water, and sewer lines, but they are frequently used by residential landowners as well. Common usage easements prevent a landowner from erecting anything on a portion of his or her land that would preclude the easement owner’s ability to access his or her own property, run utilities, or even enable livestock grazing. An easement can also prevent a landowner from installing a tall fence, tree, or structure that might interfere with a neighbor’s view or access to solar power.

“There’s no need to get hostile about it.”

“The biggest problem that occurs with an easement is when a future owner of a property is unaware of the existence of an easement, and later learns that the use of his property is constrained,” says attorney Albert K. Marmero of Long Marmero and Associates. “For example, a guy buys a property that has some type of utility or sewer easement in the backyard. He then tries to build a pool, shed, or deck, but discovers that much of his backyard is not buildable due to the easement.” Ideally, an easement is created by an agreement between two or more parties. You ask your neighbor, and he or she grants permission. Or you offer to purchase the easement for an agreed-upon price. To perfect the arrangement, an easement deed is recorded. If no such agreement is in place, one or more parties can create a prescriptive easement through repeated use of the easement over a period of time. For example, if Mark continuously drives over Sandy’s property for five years with her knowledge but without her permission, his consistent land use — even if considered adverse or hostile — could result in a claim that he possesses a prescriptive easement. An easement by necessity occurs when one party must use the other party’s property to access the first party’s property. If Mark has absolutely no other way of reaching his mountain retreat, and if he and Sandy simply cannot come to terms, he may be able to obtain a court order that gives him possession of an easement by necessity across Sandy’s property. He may even consider filing a lawsuit to protect his easement. On the flip side, Sandy may determine that Mark is abusing his easement rights and causing damage to her property. In such a case, she would be in a position to file a lawsuit against Mark.

“What’s it worth to you?”

Easements are anything but easy. While you and your neighbor may come to a verbal agreement, it’s important to keep in mind that easements are more than promises. They are part of a property’s legal records. If a neighbor wants an easement from you, it’s best to proceed with caution. In some circumstances, an easement can lower the value of your home simply because it limits what you or a potential buyer may do with the property. As the owner of a constricted property, you may find that monetary compensation is appropriate. Do you want a single cash payment for the other owner’s usage, or do you want the easement owner to pay you over a period of time? Your attorney can help you determine an appropriate payment for the inconvenience.

Specify all the terms of the easement

Beyond the monetary arrangement, it’s important that both parties clearly specify the terms of usage. Sandy may finally agree to let Mark use her property to access his, but that doesn’t mean she wants to find Mark and his kids playing ball in her backyard. If Mark needs to dig up Sandy’s property to install water or sewer lines to the new home he’s building, it’s in Sandy’s best interest to make sure the easement specifies that her property is returned to its original condition after any construction and that any breaks or problems with Mark’s new lines are his responsibility. In an ideal world, Sandy would respect Mark’s need to utilize her property, and Mark would make every effort to cause minimal disruption. But, realistically, we live in a world full of disputes, which is why we have property access laws and lawyers to help us navigate 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, knowledges , 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.