get organizedMake 2014 Your Year of Living Decluttered!

pastry perfectionCoup Des Tartes’

Scrumptious Spinach and Chévre Tart

Arizona HomeownerJanuary | February 2014

Puppy-Proof Your HomeDoggy Do’s

Brady HollandBranch Manager

MLO-180079

Direct: 480.272.3282Email: Brady@BradyHollandGroup.com

Brady HollandMortgage Banker

MLO-180079

NMLS 81395 AZ BK#910890

Produced by Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net

Real estate financing can be a daunting task. And that is especially true in today’s world where lenders are more cautious about lending due to economic uncertainty. I understand that choosing a mortgage is one the biggest decisions that you will make. You want the best interest rate and you want the pre-approval, application, and close of escrow process to be hassle-free. I understand. I listen to your needs. And I respond quickly and deliver. Let me put my nearly two decades of residential lending experience to work for you!

Call me today!

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MORTGAGE RATES As of 12/13/13

Loan Rates for $150K-$417K:• 30-Year Fixed: 4.500%/4.744% APR• 15-Year Fixed: 3.500%/3.843% APR

• 7/1 ARM: 3.500%/3.392% APR*Note: All above conventional rate quotes offered for primary home purchase or no cash-out refinance financing

with 20% equity and 720+ FICO scores. Other financing options are available upon request. All rates are quoted subject to change without notice.

Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Corporation8145 E. Evans Road, Suite 5Scottsdale, AZ 85260

This is not a commitment to lend. Subject to qualification. Not all applicants will qualify.

• Ifyouarereadingthisarticle,thenyouareprobablywonderinghowmuchyourhome is worth. And I am happy to say that we offer a free automated home valuation to all clients.AllyouhavetodoisemailmearequestandI’llbehappy torunareportandsendyouthegoodnewsonyourhome’scurrentvalue.• Manyofyouwererequiredtohavemortgageinsurancebecauseyouhadlessthan20%equitywhenyoutook outyourlastmortgage.Andthat’sprobablycostingyouanywherebetween$100-$450permonth.Youdon’thave topaymortgageinsuranceforever.

Contact me to find out how to get rid of your mortgage insurance and save yourself thousands a year!• Timetoupdateyourhome?Withhomevaluesaccelerating,manypeoplenowwant to finance home improvements to increase their enjoyment and maximize theirresalevalue.Contactmetodaytofindouthow!• Doyourcreditcardbalancesseemtonevergoaway?Contactmetofindoutaboutadisciplined approach to use the low rates & tax deductibility of mortgage interest as a tool to pay off your credit card debt in record time.

www.BradyHollandGroup.com

Are You Feeling Wealthier This Year?HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014! It’s hard to believe that we are about to start another year. 2013 was a very solid year for our real estate market with most areas experiencing 20% home value appreciation. But in 4th quarter 2013 we did see a slowing of the home selling pace as home buyer demand was noticeably slower. Some economists have blamed the buyer slow down on the rise in mortgage rates since summer. While others are citing employment uncertainty due the changes in wages and insurance costs relating to the Obama Care roll out. Whatever the case may be, the recent home buyer slowdown is expected to be short lived as we enter the busy spring buying season. Mortgage rates are still at historic lows. Home prices are still at affordable levels. And Arizona is still one of the more stable states for employment. All signs point to 2014 being another solid year in our real estate market with 10-15% anticipated home value appreciation.

Your Home

Event CalendarJanuary | February 2014

Celebration of Fine ArtCorner of Hayden Road & Loop 101 | January 11-March 23480.443.7695 | CelebrateArt.comThe Celebration of Fine Art is where art lovers and artists connect. This juried, invitational show and art sale, now in its 24th year, features more than 40,000 square feet of working studios and works of art by 100 renowned and emerging artists from across the country. During the 10-week event, visitors from around the globe will gather to admire and acquire an unsurpassed selection of artwork in all mediums and styles from some of the continents’ most talented artists.

Barrett-JacksonWestWorld | January 12-19480.421.6694 | Barrett-Jackson.comEstablished in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Barrett-Jackson, the world’s leading collector car auction and automotive lifestyle event, specializes in providing products and services to astute classic and collector car owners and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auction where hundreds of world’s most sought-after, unique and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience.

Dream Home Tour in Paradise Valley PV Design Center| January 25480.326.5448 | DreamHomeTourAZ.comBe transported from the PV Design center to tour the top luxury dream homes in Paradise Valley. Each tour bus will have a representative from Paradise Valley Interiors, educating attendees on the variety of design concepts found within these outstanding homes! Attendees will have an opportunity to experience culinary delights in each home, representing some of the most popular restaurants found within the area. All proceeds go to benefit JDRF and The Phoenix Symphony.

Waste Management Phoenix OpenTPC Scottsdale | January 27-February 2602.870.4162 | WMPhoenixOpen.comThanks to the most fan-friendly tournament venue on the PGA Tour, the Stadium Course at the TPC Scottsdale, the Open attracts the largest galleries of any golf tournament in the world. When 179,022 fans packed the TPC Scottsdale during the third round of the 2013 WM Phoenix Open it resulted in a new single-day attendance record on tour.

La Bayadère Symphony Hall | February 13-16602.381.1096 | BalletAZ.orgBayadère follows the heartbreaking tale of a temple dancer and a young warrior kept apart in life and united only in death. With rich lavish set designs which conjure up exotic locales like The Arabian Nights, this ballet will transport you with dream-like sequences to a world of noble warriors, cruel princesses and beautiful temple dancers. La Bayadère features mesmerizing classical performances highlighted by the famous Shades scene, staged for the entire corps.

Coup Des Tartes602.212.1082 | NiceTartes.com

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The New Year is the perfect time to establish some new organizational rules in your home. Ah-hem, we mean rules you’ll actually stick to! Whether you’re overcome with bills and catalogs in the mail, backpack papers and schoolwork, or work files and memos that somehow find their way home, a new system of recycling, sorting, and filing can save your sanity in your kitchen or home office. First, apply the most important rule with mail and papers: Read and recycle the papers you do not need to keep. Is there a date or info on that piece of paper that you can input on your phone or tablet? Add it to your calendar and toss it. Catalogs can be skimmed and recycled. (Why not get on the no-mail list for stores you don’t shop at and give your home an eco-boost?) Bills should be stacked together in a specific spot each month so they are never misplaced (better yet, pay them immediately). Other must-saves should be sorted and put in folders or accordion files. You and your spouse getting each other’s papers mixed up? Assign matching his and hers baskets that catch all the paper and clutter each day, then go through the baskets every Sunday before the new week starts. If you have children, you know all too well the trials of tracking all the school papers and artwork that comes home. To combat this, assign each child a different color folder and put his or her specific info in that file. The best artwork can be hung for a bit, then put in a large accordion file to be saved. (You can’t possibly save every drawing or coloring page … don’t even try.) A coordinating colored plastic snap box is another great tool for keeping each child’s current school work, homework, test preps, and books organized in the great room, which let’s face it, isn’t so great when littered with so much stuff. Once these basics are in place, try tackling a few organizational projects you’ve been putting off. Maybe it’s memorabilia you’ve been stashing in a big box for months.

Sort through the items and organize them in a large plastic tray bin: Vacation mementos in one tray, theater and sports tickets and memorabilia in another, cards and notes from friends and family in another. Once sorted, decide how you want to save and/or display. If it’s a scrapbook, head to the crafts store and get the tools you need to get the job done. If it’s a memory box, find coordinating boxes to store your treasures in a way they can be looked at and enjoyed. Or perhaps your child has so many Tae Kwan Do awards or swim team ribbons that you’re starting to wonder what to do with it all. Rather than stashing them in a drawer, find a display case or pin board and proudly display them in his or her room. Awards and trophies can be presented on a special shelf just waiting to be filled with achievements. Not only will this look great, but next time a ribbon comes home it will already have a special spot all its own. Now doesn’t that feel good?

Spinach and Chèvre TartIngredients:

9” or 10” tart pan with removable bottom, filled with dough of your choice

5 c spinach, washed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp white wine

4 eggs

1 1/4 c cream

6 oz goat cheese

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375°F. Roughly chop half of the spinach. Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Once warm, add garlic and shallots and heat

until fragrant but do not allow the garlic to brown. Add chopped spinach and pinch of nutmeg and allow spinach to wilt just for a minute or two, then add the rest of the spinach and white wine and try to scrape up any brown bits that might be on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and place spinach in colander or clean kitchen towel.

While spinach cools, prepare the custard. Soften four ounces of goat cheese. Beat eggs and add them to cream, beat in softened goat cheese taking care that it is not too hot to curdle the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble tart. Wring out spinach and distribute evenly over tart bottom. Pour custard over spinach and crumble remaining goat cheese over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is browned and center of the tart is firm.

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Considering getting a dog? Great idea for you and your family! Just remember that with a pooch come adjustments to your daily routine—think lots of walks and plenty of curbside cleanups. You’ll also need to make a few changes to your home to keep it looking its best. After all, does anyone like coming home to an accident on the floor or dog fur on the furniture? Luckily, to every problem there is a solution. Puppies and dogs alike need plenty of exercise. One of the first things many new dog owners do is install an invisible fence to ensure their pooch’s safety. This allows you to let your dog out in your yard without worrying it will run in the road or wander away. Trust us, your neighbors will thank you. Not fenced in? Spacious dog tents and play yards are another safe option. For more outdoor fun, try non-toxic rubber flying discs for fetchers and hands-free leashes for owners who like to run. For those with a pool, pampered pooches can have their own pool lounge cushions. Doggy daiquiri, anyone? Of course, the interior of your home will also need dog proofing. Decorative gates that coordinate with your home’s furnishings are available, so gating off the kitchen or a laundry room is easy and pleasing to the eye. Stair gates are also good for keeping a not-yet-house- broken puppy on one floor. Speaking of house

training, consider an indoor turf yard training system for when Fido can’t hold it when you are not home. Much better than coming home to a mess on the floor! For keeping upholstery clean, keep your pooch off your sofas and beds with a luxurious dog bed, or cover your furniture with easy-to-launder and attractive throws. At chow time, beautiful options abound for dog bowls and food storage, making a once unsightly kitchen job fun and aesthetically pleasing. Mats under raised pet bowls help keep the kitchen neat and tidy. And don’t forget a decorative doggy jar for Fido’s treats! Grooming your dog may be something you source out or choose to do at home if your home is appointed with a doggy bath. New organic washes are available to keep your pooch healthy and smelling great. And doggy dental care will also need to be addressed with appropriate bones and tooth brushing kits. As you can see, new dog owners soon find a preponderance of puppy paraphernalia filling up their home. Curb the clutter by stowing items in bins and baskets—leashes and outdoor toys in a bin by the door, brushes and chew bones in a basket by the doggy bed. We love to pamper our pets today and keeping your home neat and organized will help keep you happy as well!

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Your Home

Event CalendarJanuary | February 2014

Celebration of Fine ArtCorner of Hayden Road & Loop 101 | January 11-March 23480.443.7695 | CelebrateArt.comThe Celebration of Fine Art is where art lovers and artists connect. This juried, invitational show and art sale, now in its 24th year, features more than 40,000 square feet of working studios and works of art by 100 renowned and emerging artists from across the country. During the 10-week event, visitors from around the globe will gather to admire and acquire an unsurpassed selection of artwork in all mediums and styles from some of the continents’ most talented artists.

Barrett-JacksonWestWorld | January 12-19480.421.6694 | Barrett-Jackson.comEstablished in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Barrett-Jackson, the world’s leading collector car auction and automotive lifestyle event, specializes in providing products and services to astute classic and collector car owners and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auction where hundreds of world’s most sought-after, unique and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience.

Dream Home Tour in Paradise Valley PV Design Center| January 25480.326.5448 | DreamHomeTourAZ.comBe transported from the PV Design center to tour the top luxury dream homes in Paradise Valley. Each tour bus will have a representative from Paradise Valley Interiors, educating attendees on the variety of design concepts found within these outstanding homes! Attendees will have an opportunity to experience culinary delights in each home, representing some of the most popular restaurants found within the area. All proceeds go to benefit JDRF and The Phoenix Symphony.

Waste Management Phoenix OpenTPC Scottsdale | January 27-February 2602.870.4162 | WMPhoenixOpen.comThanks to the most fan-friendly tournament venue on the PGA Tour, the Stadium Course at the TPC Scottsdale, the Open attracts the largest galleries of any golf tournament in the world. When 179,022 fans packed the TPC Scottsdale during the third round of the 2013 WM Phoenix Open it resulted in a new single-day attendance record on tour.

La Bayadère Symphony Hall | February 13-16602.381.1096 | BalletAZ.orgBayadère follows the heartbreaking tale of a temple dancer and a young warrior kept apart in life and united only in death. With rich lavish set designs which conjure up exotic locales like The Arabian Nights, this ballet will transport you with dream-like sequences to a world of noble warriors, cruel princesses and beautiful temple dancers. La Bayadère features mesmerizing classical performances highlighted by the famous Shades scene, staged for the entire corps.

Coup Des Tartes602.212.1082 | NiceTartes.com

Loc

al F

lavo

r!

The New Year is the perfect time to establish some new organizational rules in your home. Ah-hem, we mean rules you’ll actually stick to! Whether you’re overcome with bills and catalogs in the mail, backpack papers and schoolwork, or work files and memos that somehow find their way home, a new system of recycling, sorting, and filing can save your sanity in your kitchen or home office. First, apply the most important rule with mail and papers: Read and recycle the papers you do not need to keep. Is there a date or info on that piece of paper that you can input on your phone or tablet? Add it to your calendar and toss it. Catalogs can be skimmed and recycled. (Why not get on the no-mail list for stores you don’t shop at and give your home an eco-boost?) Bills should be stacked together in a specific spot each month so they are never misplaced (better yet, pay them immediately). Other must-saves should be sorted and put in folders or accordion files. You and your spouse getting each other’s papers mixed up? Assign matching his and hers baskets that catch all the paper and clutter each day, then go through the baskets every Sunday before the new week starts. If you have children, you know all too well the trials of tracking all the school papers and artwork that comes home. To combat this, assign each child a different color folder and put his or her specific info in that file. The best artwork can be hung for a bit, then put in a large accordion file to be saved. (You can’t possibly save every drawing or coloring page … don’t even try.) A coordinating colored plastic snap box is another great tool for keeping each child’s current school work, homework, test preps, and books organized in the great room, which let’s face it, isn’t so great when littered with so much stuff. Once these basics are in place, try tackling a few organizational projects you’ve been putting off. Maybe it’s memorabilia you’ve been stashing in a big box for months.

Sort through the items and organize them in a large plastic tray bin: Vacation mementos in one tray, theater and sports tickets and memorabilia in another, cards and notes from friends and family in another. Once sorted, decide how you want to save and/or display. If it’s a scrapbook, head to the crafts store and get the tools you need to get the job done. If it’s a memory box, find coordinating boxes to store your treasures in a way they can be looked at and enjoyed. Or perhaps your child has so many Tae Kwan Do awards or swim team ribbons that you’re starting to wonder what to do with it all. Rather than stashing them in a drawer, find a display case or pin board and proudly display them in his or her room. Awards and trophies can be presented on a special shelf just waiting to be filled with achievements. Not only will this look great, but next time a ribbon comes home it will already have a special spot all its own. Now doesn’t that feel good?

Spinach and Chèvre TartIngredients:

9” or 10” tart pan with removable bottom, filled with dough of your choice

5 c spinach, washed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp white wine

4 eggs

1 1/4 c cream

6 oz goat cheese

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375°F. Roughly chop half of the spinach. Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Once warm, add garlic and shallots and heat

until fragrant but do not allow the garlic to brown. Add chopped spinach and pinch of nutmeg and allow spinach to wilt just for a minute or two, then add the rest of the spinach and white wine and try to scrape up any brown bits that might be on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and place spinach in colander or clean kitchen towel.

While spinach cools, prepare the custard. Soften four ounces of goat cheese. Beat eggs and add them to cream, beat in softened goat cheese taking care that it is not too hot to curdle the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble tart. Wring out spinach and distribute evenly over tart bottom. Pour custard over spinach and crumble remaining goat cheese over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is browned and center of the tart is firm.

C

OUP DES

TARTES

F

re n c h B istro

Considering getting a dog? Great idea for you and your family! Just remember that with a pooch come adjustments to your daily routine—think lots of walks and plenty of curbside cleanups. You’ll also need to make a few changes to your home to keep it looking its best. After all, does anyone like coming home to an accident on the floor or dog fur on the furniture? Luckily, to every problem there is a solution. Puppies and dogs alike need plenty of exercise. One of the first things many new dog owners do is install an invisible fence to ensure their pooch’s safety. This allows you to let your dog out in your yard without worrying it will run in the road or wander away. Trust us, your neighbors will thank you. Not fenced in? Spacious dog tents and play yards are another safe option. For more outdoor fun, try non-toxic rubber flying discs for fetchers and hands-free leashes for owners who like to run. For those with a pool, pampered pooches can have their own pool lounge cushions. Doggy daiquiri, anyone? Of course, the interior of your home will also need dog proofing. Decorative gates that coordinate with your home’s furnishings are available, so gating off the kitchen or a laundry room is easy and pleasing to the eye. Stair gates are also good for keeping a not-yet-house- broken puppy on one floor. Speaking of house

training, consider an indoor turf yard training system for when Fido can’t hold it when you are not home. Much better than coming home to a mess on the floor! For keeping upholstery clean, keep your pooch off your sofas and beds with a luxurious dog bed, or cover your furniture with easy-to-launder and attractive throws. At chow time, beautiful options abound for dog bowls and food storage, making a once unsightly kitchen job fun and aesthetically pleasing. Mats under raised pet bowls help keep the kitchen neat and tidy. And don’t forget a decorative doggy jar for Fido’s treats! Grooming your dog may be something you source out or choose to do at home if your home is appointed with a doggy bath. New organic washes are available to keep your pooch healthy and smelling great. And doggy dental care will also need to be addressed with appropriate bones and tooth brushing kits. As you can see, new dog owners soon find a preponderance of puppy paraphernalia filling up their home. Curb the clutter by stowing items in bins and baskets—leashes and outdoor toys in a bin by the door, brushes and chew bones in a basket by the doggy bed. We love to pamper our pets today and keeping your home neat and organized will help keep you happy as well!

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If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing. Produced by Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net

They Have My Business For Life Kelli and Melissa are great, they worked very hard to get us into the

home we wanted. They are very knowledgeable in everything that

needs to be done to get a great home in such a tough and ever

changing market. Before Kelli, my wife and I made 7 offers and lost

them all due to cash buyers or realtor error. We also had to do so

with her I mentioned my issues and she immediately took control

and found multiple homes to look at. She knew right away what

tactics we needed to perform to get us our home that was beyond

our expectations. They are so knowledgeable about the market

and really kept us updated on the current events regarding home

purchasing. Kelli and Melissa completely grabbed the reins guiding

us to homes within our stipulations and a huge weight was lifted,

which many of you may know is half of the stress when purchasing a

home... My experience with them was very pleasant and I would refer

anyone and everyone their team.”

- Recent Home Buyer

www.PhoenixHomeResource.com

Facebook.com/KelliGrantRealty www.AZRealEstateNews.net

Call or Text: (602) 799-5420

www.PhoenixHomeResource.com

PLATINUM PREMIER REALTY

www.Facebook.com/FiresideLifestyle

Melissa Howe-Croaker, Realtor®AZMelissaHowe@gmail.com

(602) 510-3777

Kelli Grant, Realtor®, e-PROKelli@PhoenixHomeResource.com

(602) 799-5420