By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Future Income Streams by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Everything You Want to know about Novelty Flooring by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Material Options – Novelty Floorings
There are many offbeat flooring options available that can take your home from fun to fabulous! Some, like rubber, have been around for a while, while others, like cork, have become more popular recently for environmental reasons. Here is a helpful summation of the types of novelty flooring available.Rubber
- Rubber is available in tile form, as well as rolls and runners. Many colors and patterns are also offered.
- It’s a good insulator and warm to the foot.
- It’s durable and water/burn resistant.
- It’s naturally resilient and sound absorbent.
- Some recycled rubber may contain latex, which is an allergen. Ask about the contents before purchase.
- It’s usually inexpensive.
- It’s easy to install and maintain.
- It’s susceptible to grease and oil stains.
- Its appearance can be unappealing.
Cork
- Cork is a natural, environmentally friendly product.
- Cork should be sealed to protect against dirt and moisture.
- It’s available in a variety of colors and patterns in tiles, sheets, and strip flooring. It can also be installed over existing wood, ceramic, or concrete flooring.
- It’s durable and easy to maintain.
- It’s resilient and comfortable underfoot.
- It’s non-slip, even when wet.
- It offers sound and heat insulation.
- It’s insect-resistant.
- It’s easy to install.
- It can, however, dent and tear.
- It can’t be used over radiant heat because the tiles will lift.
- It requires re-finishing with polyurethane every eight years.
Bamboo
- Bamboo is another natural, environmentally friendly flooring.
- It’s usually unfinished or pre-finished. The finishing products may contain allergens, so check with the manufacturer before purchase.
- It’s supplied with tongue and groove configurations that can be glued, stapled, or nailed down.
- The vertical laminate style is harder than oak and maple; the horizontal style is almost as hard as red oak.
- It rarely expands or contracts due to humidity, but wet areas should be avoided.
- It can be used with radiant heat.
- Quality can vary widely, so check for references and warranties.
Coconut Palm
- Coconut palm is another renewable resource. It comes in three-ply planks.
- It’s very durable, harder than red oak and hard maple.
- No formaldehyde is used in its manufacture.
- It shouldn’t be used in very moist areas, like bathrooms.
Leather
- Leather for flooring is specially dyed and tanned for resilience, needing only an annual wax buffing for maintenance.
- Tiles are available in many colors, sizes, textures, and shapes.
- It shouldn’t be placed in moist or busy areas, or those with direct sunlight.
- It’s warm, comfortable, and smells nice.
- It’s beautiful.
- It’s sound absorbent.
- It’s durable and its appearance improves with age.
- It’s expensive.
Metal
- Metal has traditionally been found in industrial settings, but has recently become fashionable in domestic ones.
- Metal tiles come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. They can work on their own or serve as accents for other flooring materials, like wood, stone, or ceramic.
- It’s usually made from recycled material, so it’s environmentally friendly.
- It’s easy to maintain.
- It lends a modern look to any home.
- It’s cold and noisy.
- Some varieties rust.
Everything You Want to Know about Laminate Material Floor Options by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Material Options – Laminate
Once mostly a cheap wood imitation, today laminate can convincingly mimic stone, brick, ceramic, and many other looks. Most laminate floors come with fifteen-year warranties.- Laminate comes in four layers:
Everything You Want to Know about Hard Flooring Materials by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
When it comes to materials for your floors, Joe Szabo and Scottsdale Real Estate Team offers this helpful comparative analysis.
Material Options – Hard Floors
Hard floors help create a healthy home environment because they don’t have any fibers to trap dirt, germs, or dust mites. Hard floors are usually cold, but can be warmed by the use of rugs or under-floor heating systems. Hard floors are durable, but also tend to be heavy and amplify sound. Hard floors aren’t resilient; things dropped on them will easily break.- Brick:
- Natural Stone:
- Reclaimed Terra-Cotta and Stone:
- Terrazzo:
- Engineered Stone (Natural Quartz):
- Ceramic Tile:
- Mosaic Tile:
- Glass Tile:
- Concrete:
Feng Shui your Bedroom by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Since you spend one-third of your life sleeping, your bedroom’s feng shui is very important. And the key to your bedroom’s feng shui, of course, is your bed. The ideal placement for your bed is the room’s Command Position (facing the entrance, with equal room on both sides and a solid wall behind it), but not directly in line with the door. This causes sha chi.
The side of the bed should also not be directly exposed to chi coming in from the door, as this can cause health problems. Don’t place your bed under an exposed beam, ceiling fan, or other causes of sha chi. If necessary, use a mirror to provide a view of the entrance while you sleep. If placing your bed by a window is unavoidable, hang a faceted crystal or a guardian image nearby, so it can watch over you while you sleep. The bed should be placed so that a wall traps neither side. That arrangement ensures that both partners in a relationship have equal freedom; it also helps ensure that single people aren’t blocked access to future partners.
Placing your bed against a wall that has a fuse box, stove, or toilet on the other side is also a source of sha chi.
If it’s not possible to avoid sha chi, there are plenty of feng shui cures available to protect against it: hanging crystal balls, using low furniture as buffers, colors to alter energy, or mirrors to reflect it. It all depends on the circumstances.
A bed with a solid headboard and frame will help make your life more secure. Chi should be able to flow freely around and under the bed to help you sleep. If you have a king-size bed, place a long piece of red fabric down the split between the two box springs and tuck it underneath. This will help ensure that you and your partner won’t become divided. If you’ve recently separated from a partner, buy a new mattress and bedding because the old ones will have absorbed a lot of chi from the relationship.
Anything you store under your bed can affect you while you sleep, so it’s best to keep the area empty. Don’t bring your work belongings or exercise equipment in to the bedroom because their energy can also affect you while you sleep. If you must have a TV in your bedroom, keep it covered or in a cabinet while you sleep. Your bed should always be the room’s focus of attention. The area across from your bed should have pictures or artwork that represent your ambitions. Romantic relationships are all about pairing, so placing lots of pairs of things in your bedroom – and in all the Marriage areas throughout your house – will help strengthen your current relationship, or attract a partner if you’re single.
The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers, 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, Arizona.Feng Shui and Your Home by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Modern feng shui recognizes that our relationship to a space is most strongly influenced by how we move through it. Therefore, the entrance to a room should be located so that it aligns with the Career area (our life path) of the ba gua map, while the Fame area (meaning future vision) lies ahead:
| Wealth | Fame | Marriage |
| Family | Tai Chi | Children & Creativity |
| Knowledge | Career | Mentors & Travel |
Lender Prequalification by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
When you begin to look at homes to decide what to buy, you and your realtor will need to know how much you can afford; more importantly how much a bank will give you to purchase your home. Having a no-obligation meeting with a mortgage professional and getting ‘Pre-qualified’ will determine this amount. Not only will this save you time and energy because you will only look at homes in your price range, most realtors will not want to show you any homes until the know what ball park you are in.
Friends and associates can refer a lender who they used when purchasing their homes and you are allowed talk to more than one lender. First, set up an appointment and have as much information about your finances as possible. Bring information about your income and your current debts as well as the amount of cash you will have for a down payment. You will want to be as honest as you can with your lender because with all the documentation that will follow during the actual loan process, they are going to find everything out anyway. If you have had credit card trouble or even a bankruptcy it is best to reveal it in the beginning. The last thing you want is to find that perfect home only to be turned down later because you held back the fact that you were fired from your job last week and now have no income.
The lender will also run a credit check, which will cost you around $25 to $50. The credit report will show where you have been late with payments or other derogatory items, many of which can be explained and possibly removed form the report. It is best to check your credit yourself before you go to a lender because cleaning up bogus or derogatory items can take 30 to 60 days.
The lender will then write you a letter stating that you are pre-qualified for a certain amount of money. You can take that letter to your real estate agent and know that you are looking at homes you can afford.
The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers, 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, Arizona.
Ensuring Good Title by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
You never know who or what is on title when you are purchasing a home. An encumbered title can slow down and even stop a loan from closing. Always use a title company or real estate attorney to search and examine your property’s title before you purchase. A thorough title search can reveal the real owner, how title is held, legal property description, restrictions, judgments or liens.
There are many different liens and sometimes the seller is unaware of them. There are mechanic’s liens, IRS liens, or owed property taxes. Restrictions may include a shared driveway or fence, a utility easement, or other items that may have remained dormant through one or two previous owners. The last thing you want to have happen is to move in and your neighbor remove what you thought was your retaining wall on your property.
Do not assume that the seller has the right to sell their property. Just because they live in the house does not mean they are on title or don’t have a partner that needs to be involved in the sale. If you are getting involved in a probate sale be aware that the surviving owner may not be free and clear of pending court cases brought on by angry heirs of the deceased. Always have a contingency clause put in your purchase contract so you can look at the title before the sale becoming final. If the title has a ‘Cloud’ or defect, then you should be allowed to back out of the deal and get your earnest money back if the cloud cannot be remedied in a timely manner.
Lenders require title insurance to protect the loan amount and this insurance only covers the lender. You can purchase additional title insurance, but it is usually at a higher rate than the lender’s insurance. For instance in California a home costing $500,000 may cost you about $1600 while the lender’s insurance may only cost $500. Sometimes there are discounts, called a ‘Short Rate’ if the title has been searched within the past two years. As with everything these fees as well as who pays for title insurance is negotiable.
The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers, 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, Arizona.
Non Recurring Closing Costs by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Buying and selling Scottsdale, Arizona Real Estate often includes nonrecurring closing costs, which are one time costs such as transfer taxes, title insurance, and points (a point meaning one percent of the purchase price used to offset interest or as a loan organization fee). Often times the Seller can be persuaded to give a credit towards some or all of these one time fees, especially since lenders will not allow anyone to help the Buyer with the down payment. Remember that everything is negotiable and covering some of these fees can help save thousands.
Perhaps you fall in love with a beautiful home here in Scottsdale, Arizona and the asking price $1,600,000. You might put an offer on this home with $25,000 credit at closing. The home will, of course, need to be appraised at this higher amount for this to work, but this cash at closing is typically used to help with some of the closing costs, or for things such as renovations. Often times in a Buyers market, Sellers and lenders will offer this credit at closing as an incentive, however, the price of the home will then usually be raised to cover these costs.
The amount of credit that can be offered varies among different lenders; however three to six percent of the purchase price is typical. For instance, if Whitney and Associates is helping you purchase a $1,500,000 home, then at three percent the Seller or lender can offer $45,000 towards nonrecurring closing costs. Some lenders will even pay all closing costs, but always remember that this money is still coming from somewhere. Therefore, instead of paying a higher interest rate or financing at a higher price, sometimes it is better to make the best deal and pay all of your own costs.
Let us help you when you are ready to invest in Scottsdale, Arizona Real Estate; after all, we are the experts. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers, 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, Arizona.
Outdoor Living Rooms by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
An outdoor dining area is a great place to host summer dinners, or winter marshmallow roasting. From a simple bar-b-q, to a built in stove, it can be a great place to entertain or simply relax. And living in Scottsdale, Arizona, you can expect to spend a lot of time in your outdoor rooms.
Converting an outdoor patio to an indoor one is a great way to make an outdoor dining area more enjoyable in harsh whether. It can also help when trying to keep coals lit in high winds, or keep dirt and leaves from blowing onto food. Decorating these spaces with cool colors will create a more relaxed environment, while warmer colors will offer an active, energized space.
Consider different types of furniture, such as wicker, wood or iron. This will add character to the room and help set the atmosphere. Also, when planning space, make sure that the dining or sitting area around a table is proportioned correctly. There should be 32 inches of space to allow for getting in and out of a chair, and 22 inches space to allow for passing behind a chair (32 inches for a handicapped space). Also, tables with extendable leaves will adapt better to your needs, and provide a more intimate setting when there a less people to entertain.
Many people will choose to hire a designer when planning the outdoor patio, and for the many beautiful nights you will enjoy living in the Scottsdale area, it make sense to make your outdoor rooms as beautiful as your indoor rooms.
The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers, 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, Arizona.
