Get your Air Conditioning checked

Your AC system needs to get a tune up twice a year. As you prepare to turn on the cool in the spring, and in the fall before you turn on your heat. For the longevity of your unit, regular maintenance is a must.

Also consider getting your ducts cleaned and checked. Cleaned for… well better air quality in your home, and checked for leaks that need repair. That can save more money. You may also qualify for a $250 rebate from APS for duct testing and repair.

A great company to work with for Auto Glass Replace or Repair

Arizona has a high level of auto glass repair. Much of our landscaping is done with gravel, even on the highways. One rock in the road can quickly chip and or crack your windshield. So make sure your insurance covers repair and replacement.

The insurance rule of thumb I have discovered is: if a crack is smaller than a dollar bill it can be repaired. If the crack is in line with the drivers view, the windshield gets replaced, as it is a safety hazard.

I recently had my windshield replaced. I started by calling my insurance company USAA and asked who in my area they would prefer I use. Their preferred vendor was Safelite Auto Glass. Later I called Safelite and set an appointment. (I could have done it direct thru my insurance company but a phone call interrupted and I had to call back) They took all my information and got my email so they could send the confirmation. Nothing out of the ordinary there…

A bit later I received another email with the technician’s name and photo. I was super impressed, since they were replacing the windshield at my home, I now would know exactly who was expected at my door. He also called prior to arriving, letting me know a more precise time for his arrival.

It is an amazing way to inspire confidence and comfort with using their company.

What a Pest!

One of my clients recently moved into temporary housing.  Only to discover the house was infested with Scorpions.  When I think infestation of Scorpions, my mind says it takes ONE to make an infestation.  If I see one, I know there are more.  She however was seeing 4 - 6 - 8 a day.  YIKES  Some were as long as 3 and 4 inches.

Getting rid of the pesky things is not very easy.  Nothing kills them quickly.  Nothing keeps them out of the house.  You can spray and reduce, over time, the number of them, but the way to treat is to seal them out of the house (a pricey process) and eliminate their food source.  No quick fixes. 

Talking to Robert Acosta over at Arizona Exterminating he gave me a great tip to a non chemical way to kill the ones you see.  Hair  Spray!  The stickier the better.  The hair spray when dry, will keep the scorpion from moving, it will freeze, and starve.  Couldn’t happen to a nicer creepy crawly pest…

New residents in the neighborhood

There are a few new residents in town.  If you look carefully you can see the itty bitty Gambrel Quail.   As I headed out this evening Mom and Dad with about 8 babies were all scrambling along.  Mom and Dad tried to get my attention away from the babies.  They are about the size of a silver dollar and falling over their feet still.  Sooo cute.  I look forward to seeing them as they grow.  And me with only my phone camera.

Get Smart… no not the movie, the car

With rising gas prices and Scottsdale having some of the highest prices for gas in the state, smaller cars, and more fuel efficient cars are being seen on the roads more and more.  I have recently seen a few of the Smart Cars.  My husband, Rick, and I saw them all over the place when we went to Europe for our honeymoon a couple of years ago.  We checked them out then, but felt they were too small for the US roads.  Well things are changing and these little cars are showing up all over.  This yellow one had the cutest bumble bee as the antenna topper.

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Get your XP while they last

Dell, and have been busy migrating, making sure things are working and cleaning up files.  Phew, glad I am mostly complete with that task!

While choosing what direction to take, one of the sales persons let me know that Windows XP would not be being sold in a couple of months.  Since so many programs still have issues with Vista, I choose to jump on getting my XP’s while they lasted.  Many of the programs I use daily are not compatable with Vista.  I know everyone has their favorites, I am looking forward to shifting over to Mac one of these days, just not today.  So if you are considering getting a computer soon, and would prefer to keep XP then consider taking action sooner rather than later.

Snake Season

< ![CDATA[The Arizona Republic has been writing about it and the news reports have been talking about it.  Snake Season.  Did you even know there was such a thing?  Rattlers are in the desert, and guess what, so are we.  With the warming temps they are coming out of hibernation and are being seen.  Not all snakes are poisonous, and they do serve a purpose.  Snakes feast on rodents, and with the abundance of fruit trees, we have roof rats (that is a subject to save for another time). What is your best course of action to keep them away from your home?  Clear debris from around your home, eliminating possible nesting areas.  Clear the fruit off your trees, eliminating the food for the rodents, and thus food for the snakes.  Watch where you are walking, and when hiking be alert.  And if you do see a snake, keep your distance, no bravery please.  If you or someone you know is bitten, call 911 immmediately and for more info contact the Scottsdale Fire Department at (480) 312-FIRE (3473)

I have only seen one rattler near a home, the home was surrounded by desert, and new construction had just begun across the street.  It was happily sunning itself on the walk way to the home.  Nope, they didn’t buy that one.    Even though we don’t see them, they are still around.  Please be full of care when out doors.]]>

Text Google rather than call 411

This one gets a thank you to Amy Chorew of Real Estate 2.0 and Mathew Rathbun of VARbuzz. Check out Mathews post for images and greater detail.

The tip, and why it is so great.  Last week I called 411, from my cell, got transferred to the wrong number; called 411 again.  With this tip, no 411 fees, and always get the right info.

Go to your text message server on your phone.  Open a new message, in the “To” box type Google, or 466453 then for your message, enter the name of the business, if it is common like Starbucks, also enter a zip code and press send.  A few seconds later you get phone number, address etc. of the closest busiesses.

Very cool and very easy.  Add Google as a contact and it will always be easy to remember.

Have a great day,

Cell Phones

Since it is our season, we have everyone here in town, all of our snow birds and year round residence.  I have noticed a few of my neighbors standing in the front drive, talking on their cell phones.  When I asked why, they let me know the phone didn’t work in the house.  Ah Yes, I remember that.  There is something about my neighborhood, the flat roofs with lots of foam maybe, building materials, something blocks the cell signals.  I started with Sprint, that didn’t work, then had a contract with Verizon, that didn’t work any better.  I thought it may be just my phone, and that I needed to get a better one.  But my husband had the same phone, different carrier, and his worked just find in the house.  So now, I have Alltel, and the running outside of the house every time the phone rings is a thing of the past.  So if your looking for a carrier, consider Alltel they have the best service I have had here in the Valley.

Holiday Lights

Holiday Lights are beautiful to see. The best I have seen in the area is the Freedom Building located on Mccormick Parkway, next to McCormick Ranch Golf Club. With the reflection on Camelback Lake it is beautiful to see. Be sure to drive by this winter season. Or for an even better view plan on staying across the water at the Millennium Resort, Scottsdale McCormick Ranch