We at Scottdale Real Estate Team off your best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with peace, prosperity and happiness. Happy holidays and a very happy 2018!
Scottsdale Real Estate and Arizona Luxury Homes brought to you by the Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Search Scottsdale real estate and Paradise Valley real estate, MLS homes and condos for sale. Find the latest market data to help with your property search. Specializing in luxury homes, golf properties, condos and more.
December 11, 2017 Joe Szabo
November 25, 2016 Joe Szabo
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
If you delight in decorating your home for the season or the holidays, make sure you’re extending that festive feeling to the exterior, too. Specifically, your front porch. It’s the gateway to your home, after all.
“[Front porch decor] adds a homey touch,” says Whitney Johnson, the home editor for online retailer jane.com. “It’s really welcoming, and shows people your personal style.”
Here are some go-to tricks home decor experts use to jazz up their own porches during the transition from fall to the winter holidays.
Transitioning into a new season doesn’t mean you have to overhaul your whole porch design. You can make a fall look move seamlessly into winter.
One of the best ways to do this is to use staple pieces that you can accessorize. For example, one of Johnson’s favorite tricks is filling oversized iron lanterns with seasonal items like leaves in the fall and switching to colorful ornaments in the winter.
You can keep a simple olive branch wreath on the door all year, and dress it up with a seasonally appropriate ribbon. Fill planter boxes with gourds and pumpkins or corn, then replace them with pinecones and evergreen or holly in the winter.
If you don’t have a large front porch, that doesn’t mean you can’t still make use of it. Chantal Lamers, the home editor for Sunset Magazine, suggests adding a rustic ladder where you can hang wreaths, garland, seasonal greeting signs, or string lights.
Similarly, a vertical wall garden is a trendy way to add greenery without taking up much floor space. Of course, simply using the sides of porch steps as decorative shelving is another option.
Pumpkins are a staple of fall decor, but you don’t have to leave them in the dust after Halloween (unless you carved them).
Leave out variously shaped and colored gourds and pumpkins through November. Johnson recommends decorating in odd numbers for visual interest and asymmetry.
Another creative way to use a pumpkin is to create a planter out of it by hollowing it out and inserting a flower pot inside (mums are a popular flower for fall). You can also poke round holes all over the pumpkin to create a non-Halloween lantern. But keep in mind that the pumpkin will start to deteriorate once you cut into it.
White pumpkins are a natural way to get a winter look. For a more glamorous feel, spray-paint pumpkins and gourds a metallic color.
Design experts agree that adding some greenery to your porch is a must. Container gardens are an easy way to go.
“For fall, I like incorporating flowers because it’s the last chance,” says Justin Hancock, plant expert at Costa Farms.
A beautiful container garden that’s ready for winter and fits even a small front door area. Image courtesy of Dunn Gardens.
Hancock’s go-to frost-tolerant plants include:
If you don’t feel like dealing with live plants, Johnson says fake greenery is just fine. “I love artificial wreaths because I don’t have to buy a new wreath every season, and no one knows the difference.”
Some of the best design tools for fall and winter are totally free: tree branches and twigs — or “wintry scraps,” as Lamers calls them.
In the fall, he adds branches to container gardens to add structure; in the winter, he jazzes up the look by tying on ribbons or spray-painting them, or adding evergreen branches.
Red twig dogwood is also a favorite for its purple/red color. “They provide color without having to spray paint, and the color looks really striking in snow,” Hancock says.
Pine cones are another versatile found item. Hancock suggests baking them in the oven, which causes natural resins to leak out so they look glazed.
Birch logs also add a traditional holiday look.
Incorporate evergreen branches, birch logs, and spray-painted twigs into your porch decor. Courtesy of Zillow Digs.
Beyond using branches and other found items, there are plenty of other ways to shave some dollars and cents off your decorating scheme.
Choose a decorating theme first, Johnson says, so you’re not buying “random things” you won’t end up using.
Check flea markets and Etsy for cheaper versions of items you love in pricier stores, advises Lamers.
Put your creativity to work, and you can create charming and festive porch decor to take you all the way through to spring.
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.
February 13, 2015 Joe Szabo
From Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Whether your valentine craves a candlelit dinner, longs for luxury goods or flips for flowers, our handy guide will help you find a swoon-worthy gift that’s as special as your sweetheart.
Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Heart Casserole
Make your sweetie’s heart skip a beat with some whimsical cookware. Just like your relationship, this dish is engineered to resist staining and dulling. $200
Imperia Pasta Machine
Create a “Lady and the Tramp” moment with fresh homemade pasta. It’s easy to prepare when you’re using the same kind of machine found in kitchens throughout Italy. $80
Bees Knees Spicy Honey
Add spice to your love’s life. They’ll think of you each time they top bagels, salad, chicken and more with this delicious, handmade honey. $14
Master and Dynamic MH40 Headphones
Luxe and long lasting, this “modern thinking cap” offers your technophile the ability to focus and transport their mind. Wrapped in memory foam, the lambskin ear pads provide your valentine with constant comfort at their desk, studio or home. $400
Ring Video Doorbell
For the one who wants to track everything, how about caller ID for the front door? Ring, which comes with an HD camera, allows a user to answer their door from anywhere using a smartphone. It also has night vision that provides a clear view of the front door, day and night. $200
Dropcam Pro
Does your love ever worry about what their pet does when they’re away? With Dropcam they can always stay connected with home. The device also offers security, baby monitoring and business features. $200
Hammered Aluminum Tray
Cater to your love’s inner party planner. Fashionable bar carts are all the rage, and a hand-hammered tray offers a stylish presentation for canapés and drinks. $59
Never Have I Ever
It’s the gift that gives your loved one the most important thing — time — during a party so they can manage other things. The “Card Game of Poor Life Decisions” keeps party guests occupied and laughing about awkward and embarrassing moments. $25
Strawberry, Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper Shrub
Skip the chocolate-covered strawberries. Some shrubs, or drinking vinegars, will last a lot longer. Your special someone can whip up strawberry cocktails or elevated drinks by adding the shrub to club soda, fresh fruit and sugar. $15
Tiny House Living: Ideas for Building and Living Well in Less Than 400 Square Feet
Does your loved one dream of living in 84 square feet? Get practical tips for living in a smaller space or paring down possessions. $27
Our homes can tell us a great deal — even overshare, some may say — about the most intimate parts of our lives. For that special someone who enjoys wacky or taboo topics, this new book tackles questions like whether buying a house will improve your sex life. $28
Decorate: 1,000 Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home
Home is where the heart is. But knowing how to update a home can be difficult with an overwhelming number of choices. Top designers, including Jonathan Adler, Amy Butler and Kelly Wearstler, provide decor solutions for every budget. $40
Park Wine-Champagne Bucket
Nothing kicks off a romantic evening like the distinctive pop of a champagne cork. While you and your loved one sip, nestle your bottle in this graceful Crate and Barrel bucket to keep your bubbly perfectly chilled. $30
Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint Home Candle
Heady with the scents of jasmine, lily, orange flower and rose, this candle will fill your home with the aroma of fresh flowers. Snuggle up with your sweetheart, close your eyes and imagine the two of you strolling through the English countryside. $65
Casanova Caramel Collection by Theo Chocolate
Indulge your valentine’s sweet tooth with handcrafted caramels in seductive flavors like honey saffron and ginger rose. $20
Garment-Washed Turkish Terry Robe
Your valentine will rule the master bath swathed in Restoration Hardware’s sumptuous Turkish cotton robe. Add a monogram for the ultimate tycoon touch. $49-$79
Malin and Goetz Rose Hand and Body Wash
Keep romance alive long after Valentine’s Day with this rich, foaming rose-scented cleanser. Natural glycerin and protein amino acids keep skin soft and smooth. $22
Splash Tunes Pro Bluetooth Waterproof Shower Speaker
Pair this easy-to-use Bluetooth speaker with a peppy playlist to keep your sweetie singing in the shower or relaxing to tunes while unwinding in the tub. $70
3-D Home Kit: Play Architect
Put your dreamboat’s dream house within reach – at least in miniature form. This kit contains all the parts and instructions to build a detailed, ¼-inch scale 3-D model Victorian home. $36
Bosch Digital Laser Distance Measurer
If your darling digs precision, this handy tool will delight with its instant-read measurements in inches, feet and metric units. $89
Xerographica Kit
Nurture a green thumb with an easy-maintenance tillandsia, aka air plant. A beautiful brass mister adds elegance to plant care chores. $89
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.
November 27, 2014 Joe Szabo
From Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
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.
November 19, 2014 Joe Szabo
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
When friends or relatives are coming to visit for the holiday season, make their visit a pleasure by thinking ahead and offering them your gracious home. Fruit baskets and floral arrangements aren’t necessary — just a bit of thoughtfulness and good planning. The following steps will walk you through what you need to know to make your next hosting experience a great one for everyone.
If parking in your neighborhood is limited, be sure to reserve your off-street spot for your guests. Go out ahead of time and track down a convenient street spot if you need to — just don’t make your guests spend their first moments at your place looking for a parking space.
This area is the first thing guests see when visiting your home, so make sure it is well lit, freshly swept and outfitted with clean cushions and fresh plants.
Create a simple breakfast station by keeping fresh fruit, breakfast cereals and other essentials together on the counter for early risers. Give guests a quick kitchen tour the night before so they can get their morning coffee or tea without waiting for you in the morning.
If you want to set an extra-special table, adding a monogrammed mug and a small flower arrangement is lovely and doesn’t take much extra effort.
Cleaning your home before guests arrive is a must; however, keeping the atmosphere around the house as close to normal as possible will help put guests at ease. Newspapers on the coffee table and a casual playlist in the background set the stage for relaxation.
Your guest room doesn’t need to be outfitted like a four-star hotel, but certain basics should be in place to make your visitor comfortable. The essentials include fresh sheets, pillows and blankets on the bed, window coverings, a working light, bath towels, a wastebasket and a cleared shelf and hanging area in the closet.
Bonus items include a fan, iPod docking station, clock, hairdryer, snacks, mini toiletries such as razors, aspirin and hairspray, and a surge protector for charging devices.
It’s too easy to over-plan activities for holiday guests. Having a few tentative outings or other visitors on the agenda can be helpful, but avoid the urge to fill every last minute. Most guests will really appreciate some blocks of unstructured time to relax, chat, read, nap or even venture out on their own.
When dinnertime rolls around, feel free to have guests pitch in with a few simple tasks in the kitchen. Ask them to set the table, pour the wine, choose the music, or prep greens for a salad, and soon your visitors will be feeling right at home.
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.
December 23, 2013 Joe Szabo
Merry Christmas from all of us at Scottsdale Real Estate.
We hope your holidays are unforgettable!
November 27, 2013 Joe Szabo
November 13, 2013 Joe Szabo
Happy November! It looks like the real estate market has cooled off just like the weather. The good news is that the median home price in Paradise Valley Arizona has increased from $990,000 to $1,150,000 since September 2013; this is up a whopping 24.3% since October 2012. New listings are up from September with 76 listings as opposed to 69 from the previous month. New contracts and closed sales are down 11.4% and 21.6%, respectively. The market is starting to balance out making it a great time to buy or sell in Paradise Valley.
Considering a purchasing or selling a property in Paradise Valley? Take advantage of the great market conditions and get your home listed for sale.
We hope that you enjoy reading and analyzing the Paradise Valley Luxury Home Report and should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020 or email him directly at Joe@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or Joe@AZLuxuryHomes.com. You can also visit https://www.AZLuxuryHomes.com or https://scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Paradise Valley Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Paradise Valley and to search the Paradise Valley MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.
Please note that this Paradise Valley Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Paradise Valley Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Paradise Valley, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results.
November 11, 2013 Joe Szabo
Happy November! There is a lot to be happy about in Scottsdale Arizona. The weather is perfect and the real estate market isn’t too shabby either. The median home price in Scottsdale Arizona has increased from $371,000 to $385,000 since September 2013; up 18.5% since October 2012. New listings are up from September with 1,143 listings as opposed to 900 from the previous month. New contracts are up 14.3% while closed sales dropped slightly by 5.8%. The hot seller’s market is starting to cool off and balance out the market. Would be a great time for buyers on the fence to make a move!
Considering a purchasing or selling a property in Scottsdale? Take advantage of the great market conditions and get your home listed for sale before the snow birds and students return in the fall.
We hope that you enjoy reading and analyzing the Scottsdale Luxury Home Report and should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020 or email him directly at Joe@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com. You can also visit https://scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.
Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results.
November 9, 2013 Joe Szabo
By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Renovating their Falls Church home — a former broom factory built in the 1890s — led Keith and Greta Brendley to add the ultimate luxury: a specially dug basement for a wine cellar.
“It allows my collection to grow and allows me to buy deeper, younger reds that need significant time to age,” says Keith Brendley, 55, president of a defense systems analysis company. Lining the walls of the underground room are mahogany racks and shelves, many filled with California wines.
Temperature-controlled, dedicated wine storage is becoming more common as the beverage gains popularity among consumers. A recent Gallup poll shows that about as many Americans prefer wine as they do beer, which has dropped over the past two decades as the alcoholic drink of choice. As a result, homeowners are investing in coolers, closets and rooms for their chardonnay, cabernet and other varietals.
“A wine refrigerator is something that a lot of our clients add when they renovate their kitchens,” says Jim Wrenn of Bethesda-based Case Design/Remodeling, the firm responsible for the Brendleys’ renovation. Most under-counter fridges hold about 50 bottles, leading serious oenophiles to step up to larger spaces where the temperature and humidity are kept steady to protect their investments.
“Many of my clients build wine cellars because they are collecting and buying wine at a rate they can’t keep up with and growing out of their wine refrigerators,” says Lisa Weiss of the Wine Cellar Co. in McLean.
Steve Goldstein of Classic Cellar Design in Vienna says the demand for wine cellars is on the rise, particularly in newer spec homes. He notes that the increase has resulted, in part, from “the loosening of the interstate shipping laws over the last few years, providing access to many hard-to-find wines and the ability to ship home wines from vacation experiences in wine country.”
With the typical wine cellar costing about $40,000 to $60,000 — the Brendleys spent about $80,000 on their 10-foot-by-13-foot basement room — some homeowners are opting for smaller, less expensive storage spaces, Weiss says. “Closet cellars are hot right now and run about $15,000 to $20,000,” Weiss says. Another trend she sees is to craft the bottle racks out of reclaimed wood from wine barrels and tanks.
Most important to a wine cellar, experts say, is the proper infrastructure for storage. “It’s absolutely critical that you prepare the room for refrigeration with the right placement of insulation and vapor barriers,” Weiss says. “If you miss a step, you may end up with condensation or mold.”
Insulation must cover the floor and ceiling in addition to the walls for controlling environmental conditions. Doors should be exterior-grade to ensure a tight seal and lighting kept low to reduce heat. The goal is to keep the temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity at 55 to 70 percent so that bottles are kept cool and corks don’t loosen or dry out to spoil the contents.
“You are building a walk-in refrigerator for your wine,” Goldstein says. “A wine cellar can be located anywhere as long as all of its surfaces are considered. Most people put them in the basement because that’s the coolest place in the home and where people have extra room.”
But don’t plan on hosting guests inside the cellar. Says Greta Brendley, 52, a school psychologist: “It’s way too cold for dining or hanging out. We were thinking more about storage than a place to entertain.”
Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, info@ScottsdaleRealEstateTeam.com or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.
Mobile: 480-688-2020
Office: 480-889-8702
Fax: 480-355-9444
joe@azluxuryhomes.com
21000 N. Pima Rd
Suite 100
Scottsdale AZ, 85255
to save your favourite homes and more
Log in with emailDon't have an account? Sign up
Enter your email address and we will send you a link to change your password.
to save your favourite homes and more
Sign up with emailAlready have an account? Log in