By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team There are no one-size-fits-all answers when it comes to houseplants, and a plant tag can only tell you so much. Each species is unique, hailing from climates ranging from dry deserts to Mediterranean landscapes to tropical rainforests, and even two plants of the same species can have totally different needs depending on a number of factors. Fertilizing depends on the type of plant and the label instructions, while pruning times and methods rely on a plant’s blooming time and growth pattern. Grow a lush and flourishing indoor garden filled with a variety of plants by following this three-step program. Start with a good reference, and inspect for problems every time you water. Finally, fill out a maintenance checklist for each plant in your collection to provide the most personalized and accurate care possible.

Find a reference

Since each plant has entirely different needs, it’s essential to find trustworthy references that will tell you everything you need to know about each specific plant. While you can find info on any plant with a quick Internet search, you’ll find that some sites have more information on certain plants than others. If you own a collection of houseplants, I highly recommend picking up a book such as “The House Plant Expert” by D. G. Hessayon.

Inspect while you water

Even with all the knowledge in the world at your fingertips, your senses are the best tools in your arsenal. Every time you water, inspect each plant for problems such as pests, yellowed leaves or slow, lanky growth. A plant needs to be watered more if:

• The top inch of potting mix is dry
• Leaves are wilting (unless soil is moist)
• Water runs over the soil and drains along the sides
• The plant feels lighter than usual

A plant needs to be watered less if:

• The soil feels more soggy than moist
• The roots are beginning to rot
• You see fungus gnats every time you water

A plant needs fertilizer if:

• It has been over a few months since purchasing the plant
• The time-release fertilizer pellets or fertilizer spikes are spent
• The palm fronds are yellowed
• The plant is growing at a glacial pace
• It’s been over a year since you fertilized
• You can’t remember the last time you fertilized

A plant needs to be repotted if:

• The existing potting mix drains too quickly or slowly
• The plant’s roots coil tightly together in the pot, forming a solid mass
• The potting mix is practically older than dirt

A plant is getting too much sun if:

• The exposed leaves are getting scorched and bronzy
• It’s a shade-loving plant but is receiving direct rays of sunlight

A plant isn’t getting enough sun if:

• Its new growth is spindly and stretched out
• The plant actually appears to reach for more light
• The leaves are very dark green
• It’s in a room without a window, such as a bathroom

Create a care sheet for each plant

You can solve a lot of problems with a good reference and eye for detail, but it can be difficult to keep track of an entire collection of plants around the house. For example, two rubber trees (Ficus elastica) in the same house require different care depending on a number of factors: the brightness of the room, your home’s heating system, the type of potting soil, the overall health of the plants and even the type of fertilizer being used. Instead, create care sheets for each plant. (We have one you can download and use.) Print one sheet for every houseplant in your collection, or keep notes on your computer, tablet or phone if that’s more convenient for you. Fill in the basic needs and take notes whenever you feed, repot, move and prune plants, so that it will be easier to diagnose problems that arise. Place the worksheets in a folder and use them to pencil in dates on the calendar to remind you when it’s time to fertilize or prune. 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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team In many real estate markets around the country, inventory is low and sellers are in the driver’s seat again. In some cases, homes are selling for more than asking price. After years of a sluggish buyers’ market, many real estate agents are trying to get would-be sellers to list their homes now. It seems like a great time to sell. But how can you know for sure if it’s a great time for you to sell? If you experience buyer’s remorse, you can usually get out of a contract through contingencies or other out clauses. If you start to feel seller’s remorse, you don’t have that luxury. So you must be certain you’re ready to sell before you sign the contract —or, better yet, before you list the property. To avoid seller’s remorse, and to make the sales process go as smoothly as possible, keep these strategies in mind.

Develop a solid pricing strategy

Agents often encourage their sellers to list their homes competitively, so that the market receives it well. Sometimes sellers see that as the agent pushing for a quick sale. But often, it’s truly the agent looking out for the seller’s best interests. Whatever the scenario, pricing is the most important discussion a seller can have with an agent. When there’s a disconnect on price, raise it as a red flag from the get-go. If you find yourself resisting your agent’s suggested price, talk through the options or get a second opinion. You might try starting out with a higher number. This might be against your agent’s better judgment, but it can be worth a shot. If there’s no activity in the first few weeks, you can always reduce the price. Alternatively, sellers who increase their asking price after the home has gone on the market are often seen as frenetic, lacking a strategy and having a clear disconnect with their agent. Bottom line: If you haven’t had a serious pricing discussion with your agent or you aren’t sold on your list price, don’t go on the market.

Have a clear post-sale plan

The sellers of an Essex, CT home heard the market there was hot and that they could get the price they had tried but failed to get just six months earlier. They’d already done the appropriate clearing out, painting, and fix-it work, and even had the property inspected. So, for them, going on the market was easy. However, they didn’t expect to receive three offers, all of them above the asking price, within hours of their first open house. The buyers they chose wanted to close in 30 days. The problem: The sellers had nowhere to go. They didn’t have a plan. Like many sellers today, they heard the market was healthy again. And after dreaming for years of finally getting what their home is worth, they jumped in while “the getting is good” without thinking it all the way through.

Be ready to negotiate with buyers

Feeling strong and in the driver’s seat, the Essex homeowners decided to wait and see if they could get terms that would suit them better. The sellers’ listing agent negotiated a quick close with a 30-day-free rent-back and another 30 days rent, in which the sellers would pay the new buyer’s PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance). It was a win-win for all. While this couple in Essex had the luxury of a competitive bidding situation, it may not always be the case. That’s why having a clear plan in place for all conceivable outcomes and a willingness to negotiate can help you get through the sale process successfully.

When in doubt, stay out

Home selling is happening quickly in many parts of the country. While this is great news for the housing market and most homeowners, sellers need to plan for the sale months in advance. Hooking up with a good local agent early on in the process and staying engaged is the best way to approach this new market. If you have any doubts about your physical or financial situation, hold off on listing. Watch from the sidelines, and only jump in when you’re truly ready. The biggest mistake a seller can make is to go on the market and fail to sell — at a time when everything else is selling. 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.

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team If you’re in the market for a brand-new home, you’ve got a ton of options. Sales of new homes surged to an eight-year high in 2015, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, and single-family production is estimated to reach 840,000 units in 2016, an 18 percent increase over 2015, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Unfortunately for home buyers, new residential construction is coming at a steeper price: Last year the average price of a new home jumped to $351,000, up $100,000 from 2009, reports the NAHB. Nonetheless, there are still ways you can save when buying a new home. It’s like shopping for a new car: You need the right strategy to nab the best deal. Ask prospective builders these six questions in order to find the right home at the right price. “What financial incentives do you offer for using your preferred lender and title company?” The bad news: Production builders are often reluctant to set a precedent for negotiating sales prices. (Custom builders tend to be more flexible.) “If a new home is listed for $370,000 and it sells for $360,000, the next buyer in the development is going to want to pay that lower amount,” says Craig Reger, a real estate broker at Keller Williams Realty in Portland, OR. However, many offer handsome incentives to buyers who use their preferred lender and title company. Some may even knock off up to $10,000 in closing costs, says Peggy Yee, a supervising broker at Frankly Real Estate in Vienna, VA. Others will sweeten the deal by negotiating prices on finishes, such as upgrading carpet to hardwood floors. You should still shop around and get quotes from at least two other lenders before making your decision. But don’t just pay attention to the interest rates. “You need to compare each loan estimate’s terms to make sure you’re getting an apples-to-apples comparison,” says Chris Dossman, a real estate agent with Century 21 Scheetz in Indianapolis. “Which are the standard finishes?” When you tour a development’s model home, keep in mind that you’re previewing a high-end version of the standard home. “The model has all the bells and whistles,” says Dossman. Therefore, you need to find out from the builder which options are standard, which options are upgrades, and what each upgrade costs. One way to cut costs: Move into the home without an upgrade, then hire a contractor to do the work. “Builders charge a huge markup on certain finishes and products,” says Reger. “The builder might charge $4,000 to $6,000 for a high-performance air conditioner, but you may be able to get another company to install that same unit for as low as $2,500.” Granted, opting for the latter means you’ll probably need to pay the contractor in cash. “For some people, the benefit of paying the builder to do upgrades is that they can roll the costs into their loan amount,” Reger points out. “What are your long-term plans for the community?” Depending on the size of the land, the builder might be planning several subdivisions. This could impact your decision to buy. For example, let’s assume that only a few homes have been built and sold. If the developer plans to construct an additional 50 homes and you’re one of the first people to move into the neighborhood, you may have to deal with loud construction crews for several months. There’s also the risk that the builder loses funding and another company takes over the development. Dossman advises proceeding with caution: “If the builder changes and a lower-quality builder takes over, that could affect the value of your home.” “What are the homeowners association rules and regulations?” Each homeowners association (HOA) has its own Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and bylaws. Get these from the builder and review them carefully. “I’ve seen HOAs that don’t allow storage sheds in the backyard, solar panels, or private fences,” says Reger. In most cases, the HOA can assess a homeowner penalties for infractions, and some associations are more restrictive than others. Also, look into when you’re required to start paying HOA dues. Many builders cover the costs until at least 50 percent of the homes in the development are sold, says Yee. “What warranties do you provide?” Most builders offer a one-year workmanship warranty and a 10-year structural warranty, says Reger. Make sure the warranties you receive explicitly state what is and isn’t covered, and what the limitations are for damages. You should also receive manufacturer’s warranties on the washer and dryer, hot water heater, air conditioner, kitchen appliances, and roof. “Can you connect me with some of your past clients?” Always check references when vetting home builders, says Dossman. Ask past clients questions such as, “How responsive was the developer when you expressed concerns?” and “Would you use the builder again?” Caveat: Most builders will only provide glowing references, so you should still scout out some past customers on your own. You can find these people through reviews on Angie’s List, or knock on doors of homes in the neighborhood that have already been built. 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.